by Unknown
“It was long, but I have the photographs and information regarding the vampyre killings,” she replied, sitting in his lap. Instinctually, she cuddled into his warmth and comfort. When Jolie heard him sigh as he wrapped his arms around her, she immediately felt protected and safe.
This was well worth suffering all day.
“Will we be going through them right after you feed?” he asked, feeling every muscle, which came into contact with Jolie, tighten in pounding need. It wasn’t easy to stay calm when the woman you lusted after was poised in your lap. Jacques only prayed that she was too weak to read his mind.
Then, she would see the secrets that he was hiding.
“After I take a bath, we might. If not, tomorrow at some point. Are you ready?” she asked, turning to unbutton his shirt. Her hands slowly moved over his pale flesh, memorizing his body for what could have been the millionth time.
Yet, it wouldn’t ever get boring.
That she knew for sure.
“Yes, Mistress, I am.” There were never more handily told lies. He wasn’t ready at all. In fact, he was dying beneath her at that very moment.
Jacques enjoyed it as her fingers freed him from his shirt. When she pushed it off his shoulder, that was closest to her mouth, his body shook.
Jolie didn't even need to call forth her teeth. They sharpened the second she saw his flesh and smelled the familiar scent of his skin. Because of being shorter, she was forced to turn and straddle his body. The press of him against her filled her with intense satisfaction, and yet she longed for more. She desperately wanted him. “Are you ready?”
“Yes,” was all he said, as he put his hands on each of her thighs straddling his hips. He tipped his head back and waited for the pleasure to flood his body as she sunk her teeth into his flesh and drank from him.
Jolie leaned forward, pressing her body as tightly against Jacques as she could. His skin felt warm beneath her hands, and she could feel his anticipation. The heat and lust rushed through her body as her teeth broke his skin. She was beyond euphoric as his blood filled her mouth, satiating her hunger for him.
His blood was warm, spicy, and completely male. Her hands slid up into Jacques’s hair as his slid further up her thighs. When he moaned in need, she wanted to feel him buried in her body. With each pull of her mouth, he reacted. It was as if they were experiencing sex, but only better.
He didn't know how much more he could take. She was pressed intimately against him in just the right spot, as her mouth worked hungrily at his throat. This was heaven and hell all at once. What he wanted was to roll with her and bury himself repeatedly deep inside his mistress.
Then, he would die.
Taking her like that would be a death sentence, but God, he could die a happy vampyre.
Realization returned as the feeding began coming to an end. It crushed him knowing that he was faced with eternal life, but would never reach his one goal.
Jolie slowly pulled her fangs from Jacques’s neck and watched the pinpricks immediately heal. She licked her lips, drinking in the last of his flavor as she looked down at the man beneath her. His eyes were closed, and his face was relaxed with pleasure.
Once more, she could feel a stirring of butterflies in her stomach. It wasn’t lust, but something deeper and more significant.
Studying him, she traced her fingers across his beautiful face, chiseled jaw, and strong Romanesque features. She had more fluttering as she ran her fingers through his silky black hair.
“Are you well, Jacques?” she asked, as laughter and something more filled her voice.
He opened one eye, giving Jolie a teasing grin.
Leaning down, she placed her lips gently against his, letting him taste the blood in her mouth. Deepening the kiss, she took a moment for them to just forget. No longer was she mistress, and he, guardian. In that brief interlude, they were allowed to feel.
Pulling away, Jolie saw all the emotion in his eyes and felt herself falling. “Thank you, Jacques, for feeding me.”
What could he say back?
“Mistress, you’re welcome to all I have to offer.”
When she shifted, returning to her original position, he was content. Jolie’s head was on his shoulder as she rubbed seductively against his large strong chest.
He could tell that she was satiated, like some large sleek cat.
“This is nice,” she purred, getting comfortable. When she saw the smear of blood on his flushed skin, she licked it off. That action alone excited him even more. How he could control himself, she had no idea. Part of Jolie wanted to keep pushing, until he cracked under the pressure and gave her what she wanted.
Him.
Jolie nuzzled his chest, taking in his scent. It was of home, safety, and sweet masculine spice. Jacques was an important part of her life for many years, and their bond was unbreakable. It was stronger than anything that she had ever felt in all her centuries of being alive. A part of her wondered, what would happen if he were not only her guardian, but something more?
Could she make him her mate?
Deep down, she longed to belong to him. Now, she only needed a way to make it happen. In her head, she began working out the details.
“I need a long bath,” she said, sliding off his lap and to her feet. She stared down at Jacques. There sat her friend, companion, and stability for over six hundred years. Again, there was more fluttering deep in her body along with a flood of longing.
Yes, something needed to be done.
“Enjoy your bath and call me if you need anything,” he offered, as she prepared to leave. As usual, he was forced to watch her walk away.
It tore at his heart.
She turned at the tone in his voice. “Jacques? Will you join me?” Jolie watched as every emotion from happiness to fear, washed over his face. “I need company, and I don’t want to be alone tonight. Please stay, Jacques.” Jolie let the words linger between them as she prayed that he understood what she was alluding to.
“You only need to ask, Mistress,” he replied, as he followed after her, daydreaming of her body covered in nothing but bubbles.
This was a fantasy come true.
At her room, he waited to be invited into her quarters. It wasn’t often that he was given the privilege of accompanying her into the room. This was her private sanctuary and no one entered without an invitation.
“Come in, Jacques, and close the door please,” she said over her shoulder, as she began heading toward her bath. Once inside, Jolie turned on the water in the large sunk in tub and poured in her favorite bath oil from France. “Jacques,” she called to her companion.
“Yes, Mistress?” he replied from the other room.
“Are you joining me or not?” Jolie didn't understand what was keeping him. Generally, he was directly at her side.
“Yes, Mistress,” he answered, sounding uncertain.
“Oh, Jacques, can we please drop the title? It does get frightfully tiresome all the time. I have a name, and I ‘d really like for you to use it,” she said, unbuttoning her skirt.
At the sound of him approaching, she glanced up. “You can get in. I need to grab a few more things before I’m ready,” she stated, exiting the room.
He looked around nervously at her personal space before complying with her wish.
When Jolie returned, she had her hair tie, two robes, and towels for them.
“I should have gotten all that for you, Mistress,” said Jacques, lowering his eyes to focus on the water.
Jolie paused to observe the man covered in her bubbles. Her heart fluttered in her chest as her eyes ran the length of him which was still visible. Jacques was the largest vampyre in her society, but that wasn’t what attracted her. It was his gentle nature, kind words, and sweetness that drew her to him. He was quite possibly, the most compassionate man who she had ever met.
Then, there was the flip side to that coin. When it came to her well-being, he was also the most protective and ruthless. She had seen
him kill when he needed to, and almost always at her request.
Staring into his green eyes, she smiled. His skin was whiter than the bubbles he was sitting in, and it only added to his beauty.
“Are you okay with being here?” asked Jolie. She could feel his discomfort from the second he entered the room. Jolie didn't understand what was wrong. “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, Jacques. I won’t force you to remain here with me. You’re in no way obligated to be near me.”
His head snapped up as fear filled his eyes. She was throwing him out of her bath. “No, Mistress! I meant nothing by my silence! I swear to you that I’m fine!”
She sat on the edge of the tub to run her hands through the bubbles. “You’re uncomfortable. Why? We have been companions and friends for centuries.”
She could taste the fear and sorrow pulsating from his body as it rolled into hers.
“This is the first time that you have asked me to bathe with you. Normally, you feed and I leave you alone.”
That caught her off guard.
“Really? That can’t be so,” she replied, trying to think back to all the years gone by. Once more, her eyes met his, and she saw the world of emotions playing over his artfully sculpted face. “Then, I owe you an apology. I should have had you join me sooner. It was a grave error on my behalf, and I’m very sorry, Jacques. Please forgive me.”
He looked startled.
She began to laugh at his response to her words. She wasn’t sure why she had expected anything less. “Will you stay with me? This is Jolie asking you, not telling you. You’re free to accept or decline, and I’ll be fine with it either way.”
Yeah, that was a lie.
She didn't want him to leave.
“Mistress, it would be my greatest pleasure to be near you while you bathe.”
“Well then, the rules first, shall we?”
He didn't move, his face remaining completely blank.
“You must stop with the ‘mistress’. It’s Jolie. You once called me that when we were just young, carefree vampyres. I want to hear my name on your lips again. Just because I’m primus of our society, you’re not expected to be so formal. I would hope that we’re more than mistress and guardian.” She paused, waiting for his response. In fact, she felt the need to be far more with Jacques. It wasn’t a matter of need, but want. In over eight hundred years, these were all new emotions, and they flooded through her body.
“Yes Jolie. I just didn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea.”
“Who would get the wrong idea? My word is law in this house. That’s one of the side benefits of being in charge,” she said, laughing.
“Next, you must let me join you in the tub. I’m truly envious.” A beautiful smile slid across his features, and it made him even more handsome and breathtaking, if that was even possible.
Jolie started to remove her clothing and glanced up to watch Jacques’s eyes. Amazingly enough, they never left her face. He showed remarkable control, and she had to give him credit. Still, it didn't please her. Jolie could see that it was going to take some time to help break him of his ridged self-discipline.
“Mmmmm… the water feels wonderful,” she said, as she relaxed into the heat. Opening one eye, Jolie stared over at her companion. He definitely looked uncomfortable. She almost wanted to laugh at the look of panic on his face.
Why he was so freaked out eluded her. They were vampyres and sensual creatures. Sex and nudity were nothing to them. There should be no reason for his discomfort.
Sliding beneath the water, Jolie slowly moved toward Jacques. Once to him, she slid up his body. His whole form shook at the contact.
When Jolie broke the surface, she was once more straddling his naked body. Pushing her wet hair back from her face, she gazed deep into his eyes.
“Jacques, what’s troubling you, mon amour? Please tell me.”
When she called him ‘her love’, his heart stuttered in his chest. “There’s nothing wrong, Jolie,” he answered, obviously lying.
She put her hands on either side of his face and forced him to meet her gaze. “You’re a liar,” she replied, as she lapped her way across his lips with her tongue. The saltiness of his skin called to her. “Tell me, Jacques, or we won’t enjoy this evening together. It’ll sit between us like a wall.”
“Mistress, I don’t know what you wish me to tell you.”
“Why are you tense around me? Why do you look worried, and like a scared deer in headlights?”
He debated on telling her what was bothering him. Finally, he saw nothing but concern in her eyes, and he caved. “Mistress, I’m scared,” began Jacques, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
“Why?”
“Because if I enjoy tonight, and it never happens again, I’ll know what I’ve been missing. Sometimes, it is best to not experience the things you long for most in the world, for when you lose them, you lose a piece of yourself too. I don’t believe that I could bare having you take this back from me in punishment.”
She didn't understand what he was saying.
“Jacques, we’ve had sex before. In fact, there has been six hundred years’ worth of it. I don’t understand why this is so difficult for you. This is far from our first time, and if I remember correctly, you weren’t nearly this nervous then.”
She missed those carefree moments when he treated her differently than he did now. Jolie waited, trying to understand his quandary.
“But, Mistress, you never allowed me to bathe with you. It just feels like this is more personal,” he said with his eyes still closed. “I don’t think I could bear to live without it again. It would be like looking into heaven and being told you were no longer worthy. What if I fall from your grace and this slips from my grasp? When we first began, yes there was sex all the time, and as the years passed, that spaced out too. If you take this from me, it’ll destroy me. So, I’m afraid to hope and enjoy the moment.”
“Oh, Jacques,” she replied, stunned at his words. She never realized that he felt this way before. “Have I neglected you this badly over the centuries?”
She wiped the first tear that slid down her face. It never occurred to her that he felt used, like he was nothing more than an object to occupy her time. Was he damaged because of her actions?
What had she done to his beautiful carefree soul?
“Mistress, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up. I meant no disrespect to you.” Lowering his head, he cautiously moved her off his lap, so that he could stand from the water. “I must go. I don’t think I can stay.” Stepping from the tub, he grabbed a robe and fled from the room.
Jolie heard the door to her chambers close, and she opened her mind to find where Jacques had gone. All she could feel was a storm brewing in his heart. There was definitely pain and confusion over the entire situation.
Then, there was more.
Clearly, there were his emotions about walking away from her. It was the greatest sacrifice that he had ever been forced to make. He didn't want to go, but what choice did he have?
Jolie felt horrible.
Had she solely used him over the years for her own selfish purposes and not thought of his feelings? “Damn,” she muttered, as she stood in the water. She needed to heal his heart and open hers in the process. Just maybe, they could maneuver through this together.
“Jacques. Please come back,” she called out telepathically, seeking his mind.
“I can’t, Mistress.”
“Jacques, but why?” she asked, as she slipped into her robe. She knew that she must find him.
There was no answer from him, but she knew from his thoughts that he was in his own quarters, safely locked away from her. Heading down the hall to his room, she was intercepted by Chloe, waiting to talk to her.
“Do you need me this evening, Mistress?”
“No, Chloe. I’ve fed already,” she answered, as she smiled at the girl. “But I’ll need you tomorrow morning and Louisa too. I had blood th
is evening, but I’ll need extra energy tomorrow before I leave for work.”
“Yes, Mistress,” the girl replied, bowing her head and escaping down the dark hall.
Jolie arrived at Jacques’s door and scanned the inside of the room. He was lying on his bed, doing battle with invisible demons. She could feel the heaviness and knew that she must help lighten his heart. After all, it was her selfishness which had caused it.
Why had she not shown him what he meant to her after all these years?
Pushing the door open, Jolie silently entered into the room. Jacques sat up with a start, and then proceeded to jump off the bed. This was new, and honestly, he didn’t expect her to come into his room. She seemed to be breaking and changing all the rules that structured his existence the last six hundred years.
It had him off balance and out of step.
“Mistress, why are you in here?”
The way he said it broke her heart, but she let it go. He was hurting, so she would accept the sting of his words. “Jacques, please. We need to discuss this. I can’t rest this evening with this between us”
“Mistress, there’s nothing to discuss. I was wrong to say what I did to you. I should apologize. You’re my primus and deserve my respect. You owe me nothing, and I shouldn’t forget that.”
Jolie crossed the room to him, and when she stopped in front of him, she gazed up into his eyes. They were filled with pain. Did he really believe that she owed him nothing?
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she lightly placed her head on his shoulder.
“Is that all I am to you, Jacques? Just your primus and nothing more?”
He was startled and perplexed at the question. “What else could you be?”
“Jacques, I need to apologize to you. I’ve selfishly used you all these years. I wish that you would have told me how this was hurting you before now. Will you please forgive me and give me another opportunity to show you how I feel about you?”
He began to panic.
This was getting out of control.
Twice now, Jolie had been forced to say that she was to blame for something. “Mistress, NO! You’re not at fault. I am!” He tried to pull away, but she held on to him and sent calm into his body. His heart was pounding beneath her ear.