by Unknown
“Very happy to be back,” she replied. “Thank you for saving me.”
Mambo nodded, since she was unsure if she had done them a disservice or not. There was still a darkness living in Jolie, and she hoped it wasn’t a mistake to intervene.
“How did you do it?” questioned Jolie.
“It was a very old zombie spell.”
Jolie tried to remain calm. “I’m not sure I’m happy to hear that. It could have gone terribly wrong.”
“Yes, but it didn’t.”
Mambo hoped.
Jolie just stared. “Since I now know what the alternative is, I have nothing but praise for your abilities.”
“My debt is repaid, Jolie. I fulfilled the commitment of my life for yours.”
“Yes, Mambo, it is,” said Jacques, kissing his mate. “You have exceeded your repayment.”
“Welcome back, Jolie. Now, I believe I will pack my things and head home. I miss my shop, and Leroy isn’t happy caged up.”
They watched her leave. When she was gone, Jolie rested her head on Jacques’s shoulder, knowing they were going to want to know.
It didn't take long for him to ask.
“What was it like?”
Jolie said nothing for a moment, thinking back to the place she had been. It seemed like years that she was there, locked in the darkness.
“It was horrible, Jacques. There were all these bodiless entities, trying to escape from death. I was trapped and dragged into this consciousness which was painful and full of sorrow. At first, it was safe and inviting like a womb. Then, the realization set in that it was just a façade. That’s where the fear kicked in, and I couldn’t escape. I heard you both crying, and I tried to get back to you. I swear I did.”
“I’m so sorry. This is all my fault,” Brogan said softly, feeling guilty.
Both Jacques and Jolie looked at him with a puzzled look on their faces. “How is it your fault, Flynn?” asked Jacques, truly confused.
“I let her into our home.”
“Oui, but were you aware she was involved?”
“No.”
“Then, you’re not to blame,” promised Jolie, taking his hand in hers, before moving into his lap to lay her head on his shoulder. “I don’t blame you, Flynn.” Delicately, she kissed a scar on his chest that was healing. “You tried to protect us from them the minute you knew we were compromised.”
Jacques agreed. “Thank you, Flynn.”
Now that they were together, there was peace.
Jolie kissed Jacques first, using tongue and teeth, to show him how much she loved him. Then, she pulled her detective against her, rubbing seductively against him. “Flynn, I have a confession to make.”
“What?” he whispered, staring into the lavender eyes he loved.
“I’m not sorry that you’re more like us. I’m damn glad you came into our lives, and I promise I’ll show you both how much I love you for the rest of my life.”
Brogan grinned, fangs peeking out.
That gave her an idea.
“In fact, let me show you both right now,” she whispered, standing in the tub as she took both their hands. Leading them to their bed, Jolie promised them a night they’d never forget as long as they all lived.
Dying made love that much stronger…
∞ Chapter Twenty-Five ∞
Wednesday Evening
Brogan headed down the path of the garden alone. He had just spent the last two hours, with Jacques’s help, enthusiastically welcoming Jolie back from death. As he rolled his still sore shoulder, he listened to the sounds of the night calling to him.
It was pretty outside in the garden, and that’s why he came to Jolie’s secret place. He needed a few minutes to gather his emotions as he came to grips with everything that had been happening.
Deep down, he was still angry with himself. He almost lost Jolie because he let his partner into their home. The nightmares he’d been having, because of Genevieve, were nothing compared to how scared he’d been when Jolie was taken from them.
It was crushing.
Painful.
Downright devastating.
For now, he needed to think.
Once in the space, he walked to the statue and greeted Louisa. Snapping off a sprig of Bleeding Hearts, he laid it beside the white roses in silent memorial. Heading to an area of soft green grass, he opted to sit there instead of the bench.
At that moment, he wanted to just listen to the night as he tried to get his heart to stop pounding.
Then, he felt her near. Flynn wasn’t surprised that she didn't leave him alone. If Jolie was in his head, she surely could feel the whirlwind of emotions swirling around him. Quickly, he wiped the tears from his eyes, trying to compose himself before she reached him. Maybe coming out here was a bad idea after all. He probably should have gone for a drive.
Jolie approached him and was more than concerned. She was scared and nervous. Yes, they’d been rolling around in bed together, and her Flynn had been more than enthusiastic, but he still didn't feel right.
Something was wrong.
When he snuck out of the house, they were concerned. Being the other half of her heart, they were affected by his sadness and needed to help him through this.
Maybe she should give him this private time, but it was impossible to do. All the hurt flooding through him terrified her. What if he was regretting the death of his partner, and the loss of his humanity?
Jolie could have looked in his head, but she wanted him to tell her, like a normal couple would.
“Hey, baby,” he said softly, acknowledging her presence. “Do you need something?” he asked, as she came to sit beside him on the ground.
“Flynn, are you okay?” she asked worriedly. The last few days had been a rollercoaster, and she feared he was going to walk away.
Could she blame him?
Again, he wiped his eyes. “I’m good,” he answered.
Jolie’s heart clenched in her chest at his lie. She was going to lose him, she could feel it.
He didn't touch her, simply because if he did, he’d want to hold her and make love to her again. Sex earlier was fun, but it left him unsatisfied. Flynn didn't get to share his heart with her, and wasn’t that the point of making love?
He was torn.
Finally, she couldn’t keep it in anymore and she blurted, “Are you going to leave me?”
“What?” he asked, shocked. “Where did that come from?”
Jolie waved her arm and the lights flickered to life. She could see perfectly in the dark, but she wasn’t sure how well he could. “You're sitting out here alone, you left our bed, and now I see that you’ve been crying. If you’re unhappy here, Flynn,” she began, unable to continue. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her own tears.
He was appalled. “Jolie, it’s not me being unhappy! I’m trying to sort through it all,” he said, touching her knee.
Jolie looked down at his big hand and gently ran her fingers over his knuckles. She was lost when it came to this man. The slight contact warmed a little of the chill in her heart.
“Want to talk about it?” she offered.
“Is this Jolie the psychologist, or Jolie the woman I just shared a bed with?” he grinned, trying to lighten the mood.
“It’s Jolie, the woman you love,” she added hopefully.
He opted to be honest with her, because he did feel those emotions for her. She owned his heart, so she may as well know what lived in it. “I almost lost you,” he began, and then corrected his words. “I did lose you,” he whispered.
Jolie went into his lap, holding him to her body. “I’m sorry your partner died.” She comforted him the best way she knew, by touch.
Brogan buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent until he was overwhelmed with the tears again. “I love you and Jacques. You’re the only family I have, and Lily crossed a line that I can’t forgive, baby. What happened to her was because of the choices she made. I’m just glad she decided to
go for atonement right before the end. Maybe her soul will be at peace.”
Jolie stroked his cheek. “If you found out Jacques and I were killing children would you really kill us yourself?” she asked, needing to hear the answer.
Brogan gazed into her eyes.
“Would you, Flynn?”
“Yes,” he admitted, eyes never wavering. “I’m sorry, Jolie, but if I believed you were, I’d have to. It would destroy me, but what choice would I have? This is my job. I was born to be a cop.”
“That’s why I love you, Flynn. You’re a good man.” Jolie leaned into her detective and did the only thing she could think to do, she kissed him. First, softly, and then more deeply, pouring her heart and love into his body.
He was in heaven. They were out in the middle of the star filled night and a beautiful woman was in his lap. It couldn’t get any better.
Oh wait, yes, it could.
Rolling, he placed her body beneath his and stared down into her eyes. “I love you so much,” he murmured, leaving kisses across her face.
Her heart melted at the simple action. It was warm, gentle, and completely her Flynn. “I love you too,” she replied, kissing him back.
“I know that we already had sex, but I need more, Jolie. I want to make love to you and take my time.”
Her heart skipped.
“I want to show you what lives in me.”
As if she didn't already know. Jolie was well aware that the man above her was everything she could want in a human mate, and then so much more.
“Yes, Flynn. Show me,” she purred, as her hands went to the buttons of his shirt. He was staring down at her with so much emotion that Jolie knew she needed to let him lead this one.
For tonight, she’d let him be her soul.
When his shirt was open, her hands ran smoothly across the flesh, lovingly leaving a trail of heat. He moaned at the way she undid him with only a touch.
His Jolie was a miracle to him.
Lowering himself to cover her body, Flynn began kissing her throat. Even though his fangs were fully descended, he ignored them and the need for blood. He wanted to make love to her.
To show her.
To share.
When his lips met her silky dress, he pushed it aside to continue lower. When he found her breasts, his heart skipped in his chest. Finding one nipple through the thin material, he tormented it with his mouth.
When she arched and moaned, it made him want so much more. With his one free hand, he slid it up her smooth leg, taking her dress with it, until he found his other prize. While his mouth tormented, his fingers explored, finding a treasure like no other.
“Flynn!” she gasped, as he drove her wild. While she wanted to roll with him and climb onto his body for a fast romp, she fought it.
For him.
“Jolie,” he murmured, moving down her body. She was wet and ready for him, but he couldn’t bring himself to end the pleasure. Her breathy gasps and moans were making him crazy with need. Using his mouth, he made her beg even more, and it was powerful.
She wanted him, and that was all that mattered.
Jolie was teetering precariously on the edge. Who knew that her handsome human had this in him? He was truly sharing what lived in his heart, and that gave her so much reassurance that Flynn would never leave her.
With a swirl of his tongue, she tripped, falling over the edge in a delicious tumble from her mate. When Jolie opened her eyes, he was staring down at her with so much love and warmth that it undid her.
“Jolie,” he whispered.
She knew what needed to be done. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she rolled, placing him beneath her. “It’s my turn, Flynn,” she whispered, knowing that tonight he needed to make love like a human.
Well, she’d give that to him.
He loved how her lips moved across his bare chest, kissing each remaining scar. When her hands found his belt buckle and set him free, he shook with need.
It took everything she had, but she managed to rein in the lust and fangs. If he needed to make love like his kind, Jolie would give it to him. “How can I please you, Flynn?” she whispered.
The words alone made him harden, and he couldn’t believe she was asking him that.
“I want to share what lives in me,” she offered, knowing those words had been bouncing around in his mind. For the time being, she would be his… girlfriend.
“Take me in your mouth,” he begged, as her fingers stroked him.
Jolie did what he asked.
When he couldn’t feel fangs, he stared down at her incredulously. He didn't understand.
“This night’s for the human needs in you,” she replied, seeing the look on his face.
When she smiled at him, his heart melted into a puddle. He’d never forget almost losing her and gaining her back again. Tonight, it was special.
Jolie went back to her work, driving him wild with her tongue and lips. When he was groaning and just barely able to keep himself still beneath her, she finally pulled away.
“Oh, God!” he moaned, as she climbed up his body.
“Flynn, make love to me,” Jolie whispered, wanting him to show her more. Jolie loved seeing into this part of his life. “Was it like this with other women?”
“Never,” he answered, gazing into her eyes. “This is so new for me.”
She smiled, and then let him roll back to the top. “I want you, Flynn,” she begged. “Make me feel.”
How could he say no to that?
Yanking his pants down further, he found her ready for him and slid into the heat. Her moan reverberated through the night, filling the silence with breathy wonder.
“Oh, Flynn,” she whispered, as he filled her completely.
He was still astonished that her fangs were ‘missing’. He only wished he could do the same thing.
When he didn't move, she stared up at him. “What’s wrong?” she asked, touching his cheek.
“Help me keep them hidden,” he said, knowing she’d do it. It was obvious that Jolie would give him anything he asked for.
Look at tonight.
Slipping back into his mind, she gave the order. As if by magic, they slipped back into his mouth and were hidden.
Now, he could show her.
When he began moving, the woman beneath him was his sole focus. With each glide into her warmth, he was met by her hips matching him.
“Oh, Jolie,” he whispered, the need rolling through his body. “I love you.”
She loved him too, but was too lost in the moment to reply. Her hands bunched in the grass as he found the perfect spot and repeatedly touched it with the length of him.
“So close,” he said, staring down into her eyes.
“Please,” she murmured, ready to fall with her human. She was enraptured with this feeling and how at peace he looked.
Bringing his mouth down to hers, he kissed her with all he had. It was full of love and pushed him over the edge. With one last thrust into her body, they both fell together.
Jolie shouted his name in their minds, and he did the same. The kiss continued, as did holding on to each other.
Neither wanted it to end.
Slowly, he pulled away. “Thank you for that,” Flynn offered.
Jolie ran her thumb over his lower lip. “You’re more than welcome. That was…”
“Human?” he asked, knowing she tried hard to give him that one little gift.
She laughed. “I was going to say hot, but okay. Human sex is very sexy.”
He rolled, pulling her to his chest to let her cuddle. That was one of the things he loved most about his vampyres. They liked that contact.
So did he.
“I love you, Jolie Harcourte.”
“I love you, Flynn Brogan,” she answered back, suddenly wondering what his middle name was, or if he didn’t have one.
“Xavier. It was my dad’s name.”
“It suits you, my love.” Jolie glanced up into his eyes and
spoke out loud. “I want to return to Paris when all this is over. Will you please come with me?” she asked.
He wouldn’t pass it up for anything. Work could wait. He needed to see what lay ahead of them as a couple.
“We should head in,” she said, running her fingers over his chest in big circles. “Jacques will be pacing the floor.”
He laughed. “Okay, baby,” he replied, pushing her to her feet. When he followed, he pulled up his pants and buckled the belt. Jolie immediately began buttoning his shirt, and it touched his heart.
“There. We’re all put back together now,” she declared.
Dropping his arm over her shoulders, he let her lead him back to the house. Just outside the clearing, he remembered the candles. Before he could say anything, they flickered out.
That caught him off guard. “Did you do that?” he asked.
“No, my love, I didn't. It appears that you’ve picked up yet another gift.”
“I’m almost like the both of you.”
“Yes, you are. Is that something you’re going to be able to live with, Flynn?”
“That depends,” he answered. “Can I still eat food?”
Jolie laughed as she wrapped her arm around his waist in a hug. “Flynn, you’re always hungry.”
He wouldn’t argue with that statement, because it was true. It made him smile, knowing that it wasn’t always just for food.
He had quite a few hungers, and he was discovering that they were mostly for her.
∞ ∞ ∞
Jacques found them in the kitchen, sitting at the table. It wasn’t hard to notice that the storm had passed. Jolie was cuddled up against the side of Flynn while he was eating. Taking a seat across from them, he stared into the man’s eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Brogan loved how caring they both were. “Yeah, I’m feeling more like myself,” he answered, putting down his sandwich.
That made Jolie snicker. “Trust me, he feels fine.”
Jacques lifted a brow, trying not to grin. He was well aware what they had been doing, since the scent of sex was permeating their clothes.
“I’m glad,” he offered. “Now, if you two are done rolling around in the grass, maybe we should discuss our plan of heading to Delina’s old house. We need to see what is going on there and sort this Boris issue out,” Jacques said, stealing a sip of Jolie’s tea.