“I was beginning to worry,” Leta said. “You were in there so long, I thought you might have fallen unconscious.”
“No, I just really needed to feel clean,” Heidi said. Given Leta’s total lack of concern about nudity, and too tired to care anyway, Heidi grabbed a nightshirt and a pair of soft cotton boxers from her drawer and pulled them on. “I’ve never been involved in anything like that before, and my skin felt…contaminated.”
“I cannot imagine,” Leta admitted with a shudder.
There were no chairs, so Heidi sat cross legged at the foot of the bed and began to comb the tangles out of her hair—which was now a muddy dark blonde, after six more shampoos. Silence reigned for long moments.
“Do you love my brother?”
Leta’s question made Heidi jump—she’d apparently nodded off, just sitting there. Steve had pressed some pain pills into her hand, and she’d given in and taken one just before her shower.
“How do you know if you are in love?” Leta continued. “Especially if you’ve never known anyone else?”
“You’re taking about Niko.” Good, because the last thing Heidi wanted to do was discuss the non-future of her relationship with Jake. “You don’t know if you love him?”
“I feel something for him,” Leta admitted. “Thinking about him makes me…aroused. But I don’t know if that is love.”
“Me either,” Heidi agreed. She definitely lusted after Jake, but was that love? “Do you miss him when you’re apart? Do you worry about his safety? Do you get angry if you think of him with someone else?” She tried not to think about what her own answers to those questions would be if applied to Jake.
“Yessss.” Leta sighed softly. “But that could be just because he’s the only man I’ve ever thought of as my own.”
Of course it could. “At least you’re the same species.” Crap, she hadn’t meant to say that. Heidi was way too tired to be having this conversation.
“Yes, I can see where that would be a problem,” Leta agreed She scooted closer, picked up the brush Heidi had dropped, and with gentle fingers began to smooth the tangles from Heidi’s hair. “My father hated aging while my mother stayed young. Even though there are spells in the settlements that slow the process for humans, he still grew old and died after a mere three hundred years, while Mother is still in her prime.”
“Three hundred years—for a human?” Jake hadn’t said anything about that. He probably didn’t want her to know. It was a long time to be stuck with someone just because the sex was incredible.
They sat in silence for a while as Leta finished brushing Heidi’s hair. Finally, the mermaid sighed and spoke softly. “I thought I wanted to marry Niko, but then once we were betrothed, he became so—controlling. I’m tired of being told what to do, where to go, and even what to think.”
“I can see where that would get awfully old, awfully fast,” Heidi agreed, wrapping her words around a jaw-cracking yawn. “But running away from home might not have been the best way to prove you’re a grown up.”
“You are probably right,” Leta admitted. “It is hard to grow up, though, when everyone I know sees me only as my mother’s frivolous younger child. Perhaps if I was ever given anything to do, any way to be useful, I would have had a reason to act like an adult.”
“I can see that,” Heidi admitted. “But Niko seems to see you as a woman—or he did anyway. Not sure about now.”
“No. Not any longer.” She sounded so forlorn that Heidi turned around to hug the other woman.
“If you love him—work it out.”
“We will see,” Leta said. “For now, why don’t we get you into bed. You look exhausted.”
Obediently, Heidi crawled up to the pillows, trying not to wince as she moved.
Leta pulled the covers up and walked to the door, while Heidi let her heavy eyelids flutter shut.
“You are good for Che, you know.”
Heidi’s eyes popped back open. “Huh?”
“He has changed since he left us,” Leta explained. “And I know most of it probably happened before he met you. But there is a softness to him when he is with you that I don’t think came from chasing those bad guys. He truly cares for you.”
“Umm—thanks.” Heidi didn’t know what else to say, but a huge yawn prevented her from speaking for a moment anyway.
“I should let you sleep,” Leta said with a smile. “You have had a difficult day. I wish I was as strong and brave as you are. Maybe then Niko would see me as a worthy partner, instead of as someone to look after.”
Heidi smiled wanly and crawled up the bed. “You’ll figure it out,” she said.
“Can I get you anything?” Jake’s sister really was kind of sweet when she wasn’t in spoiled princess mode.
“No thanks.” Her words were around another yawn and she was asleep almost before Leta turned off the lights and slipped out the door.
* * * * *
“Hey, Freya, you need to wake up now.” Soft lips closed over the folds of her ear immediately following the whisper.
Heidi stirred. “Don’t want to. It’s warm and comfy in here.” She snuggled her butt back into Jake’s groin. Oh yeah, things were warm, and about to get warmer. His hand slipped up under her shirt, and she moaned as he palmed one of her breasts and squeezed gently.
“We’re docked at Mission Bay. We’ve got maybe an hour before we need to go meet Steve.” He rubbed at her already pebbled nipples and nibbled on the side of her neck.
“We can do a lot in an hour,” she murmured, rolling to her back to look up at him. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, goddess. How are you feeling?” His deep-brown eyes were almost black with passion, which made Heidi want to purr.
She snaked a hand down to grasp his rigid length. “Horny.”
“Mmm. Me too.” He leaned down to capture her nipple in his mouth, sucking gently as his hand slid south to cup her mound. “Yum. You’re already wet.”
“And you’re hard. Whatcha going to do about it?” She moved her hand up and down on his cock, loving the way his hips twitched as she stroked.
“Oh, honey, I’m going to fuck you so hard neither of us will be walking straight when we leave this boat.” With that, he drew her nipple deeper into the hot recess of his mouth and began to suckle harder. His fingertips slipped between her soaked folds, one finding her clit and rubbing it, while his middle finger speared up inside her slit.
A wild cry built at the back of her throat as the orgasm gathered low in her belly. She buried her face in his hair, inhaling the warm, salty scent of it. Her hand gripped his shaft, stroking in time to the finger thrusting in and out of her. She was so relaxed from sleep that it didn’t take long for the sensation to reach a boiling point. Her whole body went taut, then sparks flooded through her from her toes to her scalp, in time with the clenching of her womb. The scream she’d been holding in burst free, wringing an answering moan from Jake as he gently removed her hand from his cock. With one last kiss to her swollen nipple, he moved between her legs and slowly slid home, filling her to the brim.
“You are so damn beautiful when you come,” he murmured, stroking a strand of hair behind her ear as he began to move. Then he arched his spine to suckle the breast he’d neglected before.
“Jake,” Heidi moaned. She didn’t know what else she’d meant to say. That one word was all her fevered brain could manage. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and dug her fingertips into the strong muscles of his back. It felt so perfect when he was inside her. So right. “Yes!”
As she felt her body tighten a second time, she felt something else. Something that had to be her imagination, or maybe just a lingering bit of a dream. But it was almost as though she could feel Jake’s pleasure too, feel herself wrapped around him like a glove, feel the warm wet heat of her own body on his. The additional sensation was like a positive feedback loop, enhancing her own excitement, and it was only a few more seconds before she exploded again, this time comin
g so hard she almost blacked out. Her breath was little more than sobs as she heard—and felt—Jake roar out his own completion and felt the hot splash of him pouring himself into her. All she could do was cling to him while she fought for oxygen and the aftershocks rippled through her.
“Holy shit,” Jake whispered as he finally collapsed beside her. “You okay?”
“Oh yeah,” she murmured. “Can’t believe we did that with Leta onboard, though.”
“She and Niko went for a walk. I gave her my credit card so she can get some clothes as soon as the stores open.”
“Genius,” Heidi whispered, turning her head just slightly to kiss his shoulder. “S’pose we have to get up and get dressed now.”
“Yeah. Thought you’d want to stop by the hospital and see Brad, so Steve’s meeting us there.”
“Great.” She couldn’t wait to see Brad, but boy, how she dreaded seeing his parents.
Chapter Eleven
Jake kept one hand on the back of Heidi’s waist as they walked into the Intensive Care unit. According to Steve, who’d met them at the door, Brad was responding very well to treatment and would be moved into a regular room later that day.
He could feel her spine stiffen in trepidation as they approached Brad’s room. There was a private security guard outside the door, who raised his hand in salute when he recognized Steve.
“We still haven’t rounded up all of Velasquez’s U.S. connections,” Steve told them. “We know he has a couple, starting with whoever trashed your apartment, but Wen hasn’t gotten all the names just yet. Until he does, we recommended that Dr. Van Dorn be kept under guard.” He cast a pointed look at Heidi and Jake nodded. He wasn’t about to leave her unprotected until the rest of Velasquez’s organization was rounded up. Maybe not even then.
“Are Mr. and Mrs. Van Dorn inside?” Heidi asked Steve.
Steve shook his head. “I made a strong suggestion that they needed to go have breakfast while I had a conversation with Brad. Go on in—he’s waiting for you.”
Jake gave Heidi an encouraging nudge toward the door. “Go on.”
She inhaled deeply and straightened her shoulders as she went. As soon as they’d passed the entryway and she got a good look at her friend, her posture eased and she grinned. “Hey, pal, you look like crap.”
“You’ve looked better yourself, blondie,” the small, slim man in the bed replied with a matching smile. His voice was weak and his skin was pale beneath its dusting of freckles. His reddish-brown, short-cropped hair had been shaved in at least one spot where staples had been used to close a wound. One leg was in traction and there were bruises and bandages all over his arms, but he was conscious and lucid, which meant he wasn’t on any super-serious narcotics. All in all, that boded well.
Heidi pulled away from Jake to lean over and give Brad a gentle hug. “This is a shitty way to get out of doing your share of the research.”
“Look who’s complaining. At least you ended up with a hot bodyguard. I mean, did you see Fred out in the hallway? Fifty-five and balding. Sooo not my type.” Brad patted Heidi’s hand with the one of his that wasn’t hooked up to an IV, then held it up to Jake. “Brad Van Dorn. Thanks for keeping an eye on Heidi.”
“I’m Jake Delos, and that’s no problem. Glad to see you’re in one piece.” Jake kept his grip light, but shook the other man’s shaky hand.
“Agent Marinucci here told me you two were there last night when they rescued me,” Brad said to them both after Jake had pulled a visitor’s chair up beside the bed for Heidi. “I thought I’d dreamed that part.”
“No,” Heidi answered. “We were there.”
Brad leaned back against his pillows with a slight shake of his head. “I’m not sure I want to know how you managed to wind up in the middle of a raid, Heidi, but I’m glad as hell you did.”
“I’m just sorry it took us so long to find you.” Heidi’s voice hitched, and Jake squeezed her shoulder. “Thank God you’re going to be okay.”
Brad’s nod was weak and Jake could see he was fading fast. “We can’t stay too long,” Jake interjected. “I’m sure Agent Marinucci told you they’re rounding up the dealer’s U.S. contacts? That’s why you have a guard.”
“I know,” Brad replied. “And you’re protecting Heidi.”
“That’s the plan.” At least it was now. He could put off going to see his mother for a little while longer. After all, her problems had been brewing for years. Heidi’s apartment wouldn’t be ready yet anyway, and the Siren was the most logical place for her to stay.
“You’ll be all right,” Heidi said to Brad. “I know your parents are here. Sorry about that.”
“Yeah, me too.” His laugh was weak and sarcastic. “But what can you do?”
“Just heal quickly so they go away,” she replied. “You want me to stay?”
“With them around? Yeah, that would work,” Brad said. His voice was fading fast. “Nah. You get out of here. Go to the beach with your hot bodyguard or something. I’ll take a nice big hit of my painkillers and ignore my father’s stony glare and my mother’s whining.”
“I’ve got a meeting in Catalina in a couple days,” Jake offered. “If Heidi goes with me, that should keep her safe and out of range.” He couldn’t believe he’d just suggested taking her with him when he went to meet his mother. On the other hand, like he’d told Niko earlier, Heidi was damn smart. Having a brilliant human help his people figure out solutions couldn’t hurt.
“But—” Heidi began.
“Good idea,” Brad said, his eyes starting to sag. “Now get out of here before the wicked witch and her flying monkey come back.”
“If you’re sure.” Heidi looked at Steve. “You swear he’s not in any danger?”
Steve held up his hands. “I talked to his doctor myself. He should make a complete recovery. And old Fred out there is his only obvious guard, but trust me, I’ve got my own people watching this place too.”
Heidi flashed Jake a wobbly smile. “Okay. Looks like I’m going with you.”
The rush of relief that filled Jake’s chest was staggering. He didn’t have to let her go—not yet at least. He wondered how long he could keep making excuses to keep her by his side. Or if maybe he should skip his swim next month, then ask her to stay with him as a human.
“You take your drugs now.” Heidi stood, bending over Brad to straighten his sheet and kiss his pale cheek. “Try to stay out of trouble, okay?”
“You too. Unless it’s the interesting kind. In that case, go for it.”
Heidi stuttered out a chuckle. “I promise.”
Jake wrapped his arm around her waist as she turned to leave the room. He could feel her misery, and it wasn’t something he was comfortable with yet. Every instinct he possessed urged him to fix whatever was hurting her, or at least hold her close until the pain went away.
With Steve following just a few steps behind them, they almost made it out of the hospital without a confrontation with the senior Van Dorns. They were halfway down the hall to the elevator when the doors chimed and an expensively dressed couple in their fifties stepped out. At least the man was that age, based on his silver mane of hair and the lines that bracketed his eyes. The woman was so modified by surgery and expensive cosmetics that there was no telling how old she was. Dressed in camel slacks, a dark brown cardigan and an ivory silk blouse with just a hint of pearls showing at the neckline, she held herself like a princess. Her golden-blonde hair didn’t move when she walked, her hand on the sleeve of her husband’s custom tailored navy blazer. The expression on her perfectly painted lips tightened slightly at the sight of Heidi, making Jake wonder if that was as far as the Botox would allow them to move.
The man’s watery blue eyes narrowed as well. Jake could see a faint resemblance to Brad in the bone structure, but he wondered how the hell such a nice guy came from stock like this. He nudged Heidi toward the wall in an attempt to walk around the other couple, but the Van Dorns stepped to the center of the hallwa
y, blocking their path.
“Have you no shame?” the woman hissed. “Haven’t you done enough?”
“Look, Mrs. Van—” Heidi began.
“The guard has orders to keep you away from our son,” the man added. “Don’t come back. Our attorneys are still investigating possible ways to hold you liable for this.”
Heidi’s eyes widened and Jake’s control broke. He heard Steve moving to intervene, but he wasn’t going to wait. Heidi had dealt with enough over the last few days. She didn’t need this.
“In case no one informed you of this, the only thing Dr. Eriksen did was risk her own life to save your son’s, on more than one occasion.”
“Look, I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but this is none of your business…” Van Dorn began, shaking a finger at Jake.
Then Steve was there, insinuating himself between the two couples. “This is a hospital, folks. ICU, remember. Not the place for an argument.” Then he turned to the Van Dorns. “And unless you want a restraining order issued barring you from this hospital—and don’t think your son won’t agree to it—then I suggest you put a sock in it right now. You’re looking at two of the people responsible for rescuing your son. Thank them politely and keep walking.”
Jake felt a faint hint of magic and realized Steve had added a little persuasive push to his comments. Handy. With a curt nod, Jake led Heidi around the other couple toward the elevator, ignoring the faint mutters of “thank you,” mumbled toward their backs.
“Well, that went remarkably well, all things considered,” Heidi murmured as the elevator doors closed behind them. There were three other people in the elevator, so he couldn’t just kiss her senseless to take her mind off things.
“I need to arrange for cleaning my apartment,” Heidi said as they walked out to the curb. “And call the university. Obviously Brad’s in no shape to resume our research, and since we have to replace the Zodiac and everything on it—shit. What I really need to do is get a new cell phone, then spend some quality time on it, fighting with various insurance companies.”
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