Chapter Twelve
Jessie felt the flush of something new and wonderful fill her soul. Where moments before she was filled with anger and hatred, now a sweet and gentle kindness came over her.
The sensation of caring touched her body and her spirit, flowing over her to cleanse away all the negativity.
Ricard’s body pressed to hers, his arms curling around her back to pull them closer. His kiss was firm, yet achingly soft, and it made Jessie want more. A desire to have all of him burned.
She practically climbed up his body to get closer and kissed him until she couldn’t breathe, finally breaking away for a brief breath before kissing him again.
She needed to touch him, to feel his skin against hers. Pulling his shirt up the backside, she ran her hands over his skin. A moan escaped her. She squeezed herself against him.
With his hands gripping her ass he held her to him. It was all she could do to remember they were in a lab with animals running about and the possibility of people dropping by.
Once again she broke the kiss for a breath. Ricard did not stop kissing. His lips danced over her chin to her neck, where his tongue swirled. He nipped her skin and suckled the tender spot.
“Oh, Ricard.” Jessie arched her back and held his head to her. “Do it.”
She wanted him to bite her. As crazy as it sounded, she wanted him to have her. He was hers, and she wanted him to claim her for everyone to see.
This need to have him, to make him her own, and to give herself to him was all she could think of. This idea of being together, being his, and having him for her own ran through her mind. It consumed her.
“Don’t make me wait. I know you want to.” Running her hands through his hair, she held him to her.
Jessie all but screamed when he pulled back. The beast of desire burned with such fury she could barely control herself. She must have him. “Don’t.” She leaned into him.
He turned his face and attempted to unwrap himself from her arms. “I want nothing more, but I fear you believe you want this because of my influence, not due to your own feelings.”
“No, that’s not so.” She clung to him.
“Jessica, I cannot let anything more happen, not yet.” Much to Jessie’s disappointment he managed to untangle himself from her hold. “You will resent me, if we continue.”
“What? Why?” She stood before him, hot from the combination of wanting him and wrestling with him. She still tried to reach him.
His hands rested on her biceps, holding her in place. “Just as I am attuned to your needs like knowing when you are thirsty or confused or worried, you are attuned to mine. Mates are driven to provide for each other, to ensure we each have what we need or want. My greatest desire is you.”
“Well, if you want me so badly, why aren’t you having me?” It was ludicrous for her to have to ask the question. She was literally throwing herself at him and he rebuked her. “I’m confused. You must know that, if you’re so in tuned to me.”
He nodded quickly. “Yes. Yes, I know that without question.” Still holding Jessie in place, he stepped back, keeping a full arm’s length between them. “I’m worried you are offering yourself because I want you.”
Jessie inched forward, which served only to move Ricard back an inch.
“What I’m trying to say is I am concerned that this response, which is completely different from last night when you said you couldn’t go any further with any type of relationship because you were grieving the loss of Joshua and wanted to find an answer…” His eyes widened as though he was trying make Jessie’s addled brain follow the logic.
“…you weren’t as keen on our mating just last night so I’m worried my need is driving your desire, which doesn’t seem fair for you, if you ask me or if we look at this from a very logical perspective.”
Ricard walked Jessie backward, around the lab table and deftly grabbed the stool, sliding it up behind her and planting her on it before darting with vampire speed across the room.
“I want you, but I do not ever want you to hate me. I couldn’t live with myself if you ever looked back on this moment, realized you’d all but slit open your throat in an effort to convince me to have you, and then felt humiliated because you’d behaved in such a way. I can’t be the cause of your embarrassment. I’d never forgive myself.”
Jessie felt reason, cold and painfully logical reason. What followed was a hot as hell flush of humiliation.
Had she just attacked a vampire in an attempt to get him to bite her? Had she lost her damn mind?
Her brother just died, was murdered, and she couldn’t even keep her mind focused on him for more than twenty-four hours?
“What the hell is wrong with me?” She straightened her shirt. “I…I…well, you…” She choked on an inhale.
After a long moment of silence and staring at her feet, Jessie regained her voice. “Let’s focus on my brother.”
She slid off the stool and returned to the board where she struggled to see what was directly before her. It wasn’t an issue with her vision. Rather it had everything to do with her mind’s inability to accept what she’d just done.
Jessie was not a tramp. She did not throw herself at men. There’d been dates and encounters over the years. Not many, but some. None ever worked out because when she mentioned her dependent brother, they ran, not at all interested in taking on a sick kid.
Never, not once with any of those men, not even the ones she had slept with had she ever taken such an aggressive approach. Never had she literally thrown herself at a man.
Not with any of those men had she ever been duped into believing he wanted her only to have him change his mind when she said yes.
Stooping to this level of humiliation was a brand new experience, one she hated.
“Jessica, I’m sorry. I—”
“Let’s not discuss it further. I understand.”
“I don’t think you do.” Ricard stepped toward her.
Continuing to face the whiteboard, Jessie held up an open hand. “Please, let’s just let it go.”
“We should—”
The door to the lab opened and a tall bald man entered. “Good evening.” He came forward holding a small box. “Ms. Stevens, I’m Serge. I am the leader of The Vampire Guard and an old friend of your parents. Please accept my most sincere apologies on the deaths of your brother and parents.”
The tall and imposing man held out his hand. Automatically Jessie shook it. “Thank you.”
“It is a great honor for us to find you and have you join our ranks. We are privileged by this.” He bowed his head for a moment.
“I don’t understand?” Jessie was intrigued by his formal tone, not to mention his impressive size. He was larger than Ricard, whose height she estimated at just over six feet, and he was broader than any man she’d met.
Serge looked from Jessie to Ricard.
With the turn of his head Jessie noticed the tiny growth of stubble on his scalp. He appeared to have a full head of hair growing on a scalp that was shaved rather than naturally bald.
“We are not mated as of yet,” Ricard said.
“Ah. I see. In time,” Serge said.
“That remains to be seen,” Jessie mumbled, and she didn’t miss the looks the two men exchanged.
“Ms. Stevens, I’ve come for two reasons.” Serge placed the small box on the counter. “I come baring a gift and to ask that you join us in defeating what’s left of Tyrone’s empire and closing down Panthera Laboratories.”
“Well, I’m all in.” She’d have gladly joined the military or offered up a kidney if she thought either would help.
“Excellent. I think you hold information that will be very useful to us.” The words had no sooner been said, than Ricard was at Jessie’s side.
He remained silent but the air around him sizzled.
Jessie shivered against the bristling chill, and he moved closer, bringing their bodies to touch. At once she warmed.
“Have there been any more attacks by the revenants?” Ricard asked.
“Yes, they have come in faster, larger waves. Every couple hours there are more on the doorstep. We’ve set up sentries to announce their arrival in advance. It gives the brothers time to set up training opportunities for everyone.” Serge shrugged. “You are aware they do not waste any chance to keep everyone on their toes.”
“Yes,” Ricard hissed. His body tensed for a moment, then he stepped in closer to Jessie and relaxed.
Serge watched in silence, his eyes tracking every move Ricard made. The intensity of his attention made Jessie nervous. She pressed against Ricard and was thankful when his arm curled around her waist.
“Jessica, we intend you no harm. I want to be very clear about that,” Serge said. His attention vacillated between Jessie and Ricard. “Rico is predictably concerned.”
“Well, now I’m concerned, too. What’s going on?” The urge to lean into Ricard and then climb onto his body and beg him to bite her surged, and Jessie jolted as if poked by a hot brand.
Ricard jumped and reached to keep Jessie from tumbling off the stool. The touch of his hands and arms around her body, his chest crashing into her back, and the feel of his breath against her hair were all enough to make her lose her damn mind.
Before acting on the crazy desire, thus further making an ass of herself, Jessie locked it down like it was a prisoner thrown into a dark dungeon. She managed to get herself reseated on the stool, give Ricard a warning glance and a nod to remove his hand, which she would not tell him, but was making her wildly excited.
Ricard drew his hand away and cleared his throat.
Serge appeared to be fighting a laugh.
Ricard glared.
“I’m sorry.” Serge chuckled.
“Are you laughing at him or at me,” Jessie asked, suddenly feeling like punching both men.
“I am laughing at the experience every vampire has when muddling through the process of bonding with his mate.” He walked across the room, vanishing into a closet, then returning with a lab coat. “It is particularly amusing to watch someone who attempted to use logic and twelve different mathematical theories to explain to me how I could get through this same situation, if I only used logic.”
Serge laughed openly. “There is no logic in mating. Is there, my old friend?”
Ricard drew in a breath. “No.”
“Do you have a mate?” Jessie asked.
“I do. Harriet is her name. And just as I am certain Ricard believes you to be the most glorious creature to walk the earth, for me, there is no one but Harriet.” He continued smiling, and the happiness touched even his eyes.
“Yeah, well, okay on that,” Jessie said. She considered asking Serge if she could talk with Harriet in private but decided against it.
Clearly, he knew something was going wrong between her and Ricard, and he seemed to be enjoying it. If he had a mate, she was probably as odd as he.
Ricard exhaled loudly, drawing both their attentions. “Let’s talk about how you intend to get information from my mate.”
Jessie huffed at hearing him say the words.
Serge smiled. “Well, first I’ll ask her, then our options are wide open. We can do it the easy way and either I, or Rafe question her. Or, we can do it the way you’re going to insist we do it and let you try.”
“First you can ask out loud while she’s perfectly lucid. Then I will be the one to influence her. If that doesn’t work, we’ll consider you as the next step. Rafe is not an option. End of story.” Ricard marched off to the same closet where Serge had vanished. When he returned he wore a lab coat and held one in his hands.
“Put this on, please, Jessica. The least we can do is cover every inch of you in work clothes so everyone knows you’re part of the research team and not a lab rat to be plucked apart, and dissected, and pillaged or ravaged.”
“Wait. What?” Jessie asked.