Jagger (Blood Brothers) (8 page)

She nodded. “Whether you want my apology or not, you have it. Before my mom settled down with Marc, I had no idea vampires and other immortals existed, and the media has always portrayed them as monsters, but Marc has been good to my mom and my brother and me. All the Grimaldi’s have been kind and I’ve…I’ve been stand-offish because…” It was hard to verbalize something she didn’t fully comprehend herself.

He nodded. “We’ll talk about this another time, Camryn. Just think about what I said, okay? I have a few more calls to make. Get some rest.”

She laughed half-heartedly. “I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep until I hear news on my mom.”

“Okay. Goodnight Camryn.”

“Goodnight Jagger.”

Jagger was halfway across the room when he turned around and stalked back toward her. With a low growl, he yanked her off the couch and into his arms. Camryn barely had a chance to register what was happening before his lips were on hers.

Unlike the first time they kissed, her initial reaction wasn’t to push him away. Instead, Camryn melted against the hard wall of his chest. She parted her lips, granting entrance to his probing tongue. He cupped her head in his palms, holding it steady as he devoured her. Fire licked along every nerve ending in her body. Her thighs quivered and her breasts grew painfully sensitive from being pressed against his body. She ached deep within her core.

Though Jagger had claimed he’d never use his powers on her, every time they touched was like magic. Camryn pushed her tongue forward to meet his. His taste was so thoroughly male, titillating all her senses. Much to her chagrin, Jagger was the one to pull away first, his breathing ragged.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have done that. Goodnight, Camryn.” He was gone before she could respond.

She touched her lips almost uncertain that it had happened; her skin still tingled.

There was no denying that her body wanted him. But by all costs, she had to guard her heart, though she wondered if she was fighting a losing battle.

Chapter Seven

Jagger tossed the covers off his body unable to get comfortable despite the cool blast of the central air. He couldn’t stay cool no matter what he tried. Already he had stripped away the last article of his clothing, but the heat was still unbearable. His cock, rock hard and throbbing, ached like never before. There was no doubt in his mind that the symptoms of
la morte dolci
were back and this time stronger than before. It had been a mistake to steal that kiss from Camryn but she’d looked so tempting he couldn’t help himself. Now, he was paying the consequences.

He wasn’t sure if using his powers would do him any good but he had no other alternative. Jagger first attempted a cooling spell. It did nothing. His next attempt was a healing spell. It managed to intensify the heat. His incisors descended and he was unable to retract him. His only remaining option was to take a cold shower. Sitting up, he listened for any movement in the house. Camryn had retired to her room shortly after he’d turned in, but he wasn’t sure if she was sleeping. They had yet to hear any news on his aunt’s condition.

He climbed out of bed, allowing his feet to touch the cool hardwood floor. His room was one of the few without its own bathroom, so he carefully made his way down the hallway and slid into the shower stall, turning the water to its coldest setting. He sighed as the icy spray beat on his heated skin, providing him some relief.”

Finally, his incisors retreated back into his gums but his cock, however, remained erect. Placing a hand against the wall, he grasped his dick, sliding his fist along the hard length. God, he hurt. Though the chilly water coupled with his masturbatory motions afforded him a little release from his pain, Jagger suspected complete satisfaction would not come until he was buried deep inside Camryn’s wet pussy. He thought about how it would fit snugly around his dick while she alternately whispered and screamed his name until her throat was raw.

Jagger closed his eyes, groaning, imagining Camryn’s hand sliding along his swollen shaft instead of his own. And once he fucked her senseless, he’d feast on her wet pussy until she came over and over again. He’d run his tongue over every inch of her body, leaving no part unexplored. Jagger would then flip her over on her stomach and thrust into her again as he pulled her hair.

He thought of taking her in every conceivable position that existed as he frantically pumped his cock. Remembering how beautifully responsive she’d been in his arms and her neatly trimmed pussy was enough to send him hurtling toward his peak. He grunted and groaned, unable to hold back. “Camryn,” he whispered.

His seed shot from his dick, spraying the shower stall, his body shuddering uncontrollably. His breathing was ragged. Resting his head on the wall, Jagger attempted to calm down when a knock fell on the bathroom door.

Jagger raised his head in alarm. “I’ll be out in a minute,” he shouted.

“Are you okay? You’ve been in there for a long time.”

A groan escaped his lips before he could stop it. “
Da.
I’m fine,” he replied grateful his cock had softened, enabling him to think straight.

There was silence for a moment before she replied. “Are you sure? I heard you crying out earlier. I was just wondering if you’d hurt yourself.”

This sudden interest in his wellbeing was sweet but ill-timed. “I’m okay, Camryn. I just need some privacy,” he managed to bite out. His incisors descended again and his cock stirred. Just being outside the bathroom door, she was sending him back into a tailspin of fire and pain. He had to get rid of her or else he wouldn’t be able to control what happened next.

“Well, if you need any help—”

“For God’s sake, Camryn, would you just go away!” Jagger hadn’t meant for his words to come out so harshly, but it was for her own good. No response followed and he hoped he hadn’t messed up the tentative truce they’d formed. He’d apologize later, but for now he had to get himself under control.

It took several more moments until the ache within him was at least bearable and he had a handle of his bodily functions.

Finally being able to think clearly, he attempted a winter spell again. It was mainly for lowering the temperature within a small radius. He targeted himself and hoped that it worked. This time he was met with success. “Ah, much better,” he sighed.

He had a feeling, however, that his spells wouldn’t work for much longer. There was no telling what would have happened if Camryn had decided to poke her head in the bathroom to check in on him. He probably would have taken her right there on the floor or pulled her into the shower with him.

Turning off the shower, Jagger cursed when he noticed a thin sheet of ice on the bathroom floor. Icicles clung to the ceiling, yet he didn’t feel the chill as he should have. Standing as still as possible, he allowed himself to take in the effect of his surroundings for a few minutes before toweling himself dry.

Jagger wrapped the towel loosely around his waist, then stepped into the hallway. He said a quick chant to return the bathroom back to its previous state. Heading back to his room, he became aware of being watched. He turned to see Camryn with eyes wide and mouth ajar. She was obviously returning from downstairs. When he shifted, the towel fell to his feet. He stood before her in all his naked glory, unashamed of his body.

Camryn’s gaze zeroed in on his genital region. Once again his cock hardened and elongated. From the way she ogled at him, Jagger could tell she liked what she saw. The hungry gleam in her eyes said it all.

When moments passed and she still didn’t move except to dampen her lips with her pretty pink tongue, Jagger’s only choice was to go back to his room and quick. She might want him but he vowed he wouldn’t take her until she was fully aware of all that was involved. Because once he took her, she was his. Forever. Bending down, he picked up his towel and wrapped it around his waist again, tighter this time.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you,” he apologized stepping toward his bedroom as he spoke.

“Uh, it’s okay. I was waiting to tell you that I’d heard from Marc. He said Mom was still in labor and the baby wouldn’t arrive until later this morning or early afternoon.”

“But everything is all right otherwise?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll see you later. Sleep tight.” Turning on his heel, he hurried back to his room and quickly closed the door behind him, a smile on his face. There was no more speculation. Camryn wanted him no matter how much she might deny it. A seed had been planted; he was one step closer to claiming his woman.

<><><><>

Camryn found it difficult to get to sleep. She was already wired, from wondering what her mom was going on with her mother but mostly, she couldn’t get the image of Jagger’s naked body out of her mind, from his smattering of dark hair covering a toned chest, to his washboard abs. And his cock. It was pretty impressive in size. Nestled between two muscular thighs, it was thick and long. She’d been unable to tear her gaze away from it.

She’d never experienced such a visceral reaction to a naked man before. She’d had sex before, but it was more so to find out what all her girlfriends had constantly bragged about. Her lover had had a nice build as well, but it couldn’t compare to Jagger’s. And he hadn’t been able to get her to come as hard as Jagger had either. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up a slave to her desire for him. The first rays of sunlight streamed through the blinds in her room. She picked up her phone to see what time it was. Quarter to five and she hadn’t had a wink of sleep. She doubted she could. She wanted someone to talk to but she couldn’t go to Jagger because of her fear of doing something foolish in his presence.

She pulled up her contact list on her phone and selected his name. He was usually up early in the morning to go for a run. The phone rang several times before going to voicemail. With a sigh, she was about to return the phone to the nightstand when it rang.

“Hey Darren. Have you gone for your run yet?”

“No, but I was actually heading out the door to do just that. What’s up, sis? Any news on Mom?”

“No. Not yet. I was just—I was just calling to talk.”

“Is something the matter?”

“What makes you think something is wrong?”

“I know you, Cam, and you’re not a morning person. You once threw a shoe at my head for waking you too early, although it was almost noon on a Saturday. You were like the only kid in the country who didn’t want to get up early to watch cartoons.”

Camryn giggled. “There’s nothing wrong with preferring sleep.”

“There isn’t but knowing you’d rather sleep in when you can, something must be going on for you to call me this early.”

“I had dinner with Dad last night.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line. She knew things were strained between her brother and father since Darren had come out. Their father couldn’t accept that his son was not his ideal of masculinity. Darren had basically told their father to fuck off. The two men were now at an impasse.

“Are you still there?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s okay to ask about him. I know you two don’t see eye to eye and he doesn’t deserve to have a great son like you, but I know you still care about him.”

“Of course I do. I’ll always care because he’s my father. It doesn’t mean I have to like the guy. Did you two at least have a pleasant meal?”

“Not really. Actually, it got so contentious that Dad says he’s not going to pay anymore of my school bills. Or at least, I think he did. Who knows if he meant it or not because he practically drank an entire bottle of wine by himself.”

“Will you be okay? Financially, I mean. I can send you something, if you need it.”

“I’ll be okay. I only have one semester left to pay for and I can increase my work hours. Also, one of my professors is looking for a TA. I may look into doing that.”

“Well, if you need anything—”

“I’ll be fine, Darren, don’t worry about me.” She loved that her brother always looked out for her. Ever since they were kids, he protected her from the bigger kids and he never argued whenever their mother would ask if Camryn could tag along with him and his friends. He was the one to teach her how to ride a bike and skateboard. He was the best big brother a girl could ask for.

“So, what happened to make you think Dad is cutting you off?”

“Well, basically, he spent the entire meal badmouthing mom.”

“Well, what do you expect? He’s a bitter man. Mom was more woman than he deserved and he didn’t treat her right. He thought she’d be waiting around to take him back but the joke was on him.”

“Exactly right.” She decided to leave out the part of the conversation when he’d made that nasty comment about Darren. There was no point in causing her brother any unnecessary hurt. “There are times when I don’t understand how Mom could have stayed with him all those years. He ruled her and made her unhappy.”

“True, but she’s happy now and that’s the most important thing.” He paused for a moment. “Something else is bothering you, isn’t it?”

“You know me so well.”

“I told you I did.” He chuckled.

She sighed. “Remember when I told you about Marc’s nephew, Jagger?”

“The Russian hunk?”

“I never said anything about him being a hunk.”

“But you did mention he was Russian and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out he’s a hunk. I’ve seen those Grimaldi men and there’s not a single one who isn’t drop dead gorgeous. Every time, I come home from visiting Mom, Bryan asks me twenty questions because he’s convinced I’m going to run off with one of them.” He laughed out loud.

“I didn’t realize Bryan was the jealous type.”

“He isn’t but the Grimaldi men would make any red blooded male a little envious. So what’s going on with Jagger?”

Camryn filled Darren in on her encounters with Jagger, leaving out the more intimate details. Once she was done, she asked, “So what do you think?”

“I think you have it bad.”

“I don’t know how I feel.”

“Cam, since you’ve been allowed to date, you’ve been keeping men at arm’s length. Whenever you did go out with a guy, there didn’t seem to be any chemistry. For a while, I was starting to wonder if you were gay too but then I realized it was something much deeper.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Not all men are like Dad. It’s okay to let go and give in to your feelings. That’s the beauty about love. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t but when you’re in it, it’s the most amazing feeling in the world. Don’t use our parent’s relationship as a measuring stick for the rest of your life.”

“But it’s not just that,” she protested. “I’ve got dreams. I want to have a career and travel the world. I want to visit all fifty states. I want to ride a mule down the side of the Grand Canyon.”

Something she said must have struck him as hilarious because Darren burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“You’re kidding right? About the mule part?”

“Of course not. Isn’t that what people do when they visit the Grand Canyon?”

“Yeah, the lunatics who have a death wish.”

“My point is, I want my life to be my own, to come and go as I please without being accountable to anyone.”

“Who says you can’t do all the things you want and be in a relationship? The best part of being with someone is being able to do things together and if you have dreams, the person you’re with will support you. Are you scared because you don’t think Jagger can be that guy or because you think he can be?”

“I’m not even sure if that makes any sense.”

He sighed. “Cam, my one piece of advice to you would be if it feels right in your heart and it doesn’t hurt anyone else, go for it. Look, I have to go on my run now but call me as soon as you hear any word on Mom.”

“Sure. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Once she ended her call, she fell back against her pillow feeling more confused than ever. She supposed what he said made sense but it was hard to determine what her true feelings were when she’d never felt this way before. The only thing she knew for certain was that she was physically and sexually attracted to him, but a relationship needed more than that to thrive.