Lizzy Ford (23 page)

“I’d rather turn you into Wednesday.”

“Not happening.”

He nipped her neck, and she gasped, yearning and fire tearing through her. Guilt and need warred as her senses became saturated with his oak-amber scent, the warmth of his body at her back. He wrapped one arm around her, cradling her against him firmly.

“Ready?” he whispered. “Don’t move.”

She gripped his roped forearm with both hands, afraid it was going to hurt.

The pinch came, followed by the strange sensations of energy flying within her. She groaned as hunger and need hit her hard once more, the way it did the last time he bit her. Jessi fought the sensations, not wanting to lose control, especially to
him.
She’d never experienced yearning like this, so strong it threatened to consume her. Exploring the sensations of her body tentatively, she thought she heard the doorbell in the distance.

His other hand slid across her abdomen to rest at her stomach. Images of him sliding it south, towards the part of her that ached, filled her mind.

Suddenly, the sensations stopped. Xander kissed her neck, lapping up the blood with a quick flick of his tongue. He held her for another minute, until her senses returned. Dazed, Jessi’s eyes opened. Her breathing was ragged, her body shaking from the effect of his bite as well as her effort to fight his spell. Did she win? Held against his body, she couldn’t imagine she had, but she was still standing in the kitchen.

“You won’t last the week,” Xander whispered. He released her and moved away. The loss of his body jarred her back into reality.

Jessi braced herself against the counter, not certain she was able to stand on her own. She risked a glance at him, embarrassed at how much of a wreck she was. Xander’s eyes glowed with hunger, and his fangs were receding in a way not remotely human.

“Thanks,” he said. He strode out of the kitchen, leaving her alone to try to regain her senses.

The most intimate experience of her life, and that’s all he could say? Was this how every woman he slept with felt after a night with him? Stunned, scattered, and so hungry for him, they wanted to beg him to take them to bed?

She was beginning to understand the voicemails he kept getting.

What did she really expect from a user like him? Anger flared within her. She was such an idiot! How did she fall under his spell again, knowing what he was?

“This is my last day, Xander!” she cried.

“Whatever.” His casual dismissal infuriated her. He knew the effect he had on her; he did it on purpose to mess with her.

“I’m serious this time.”

“You gonna get the door?”

She realized the doorbell had rung not once but twice. Furious but grateful for the chance to move before she exploded at him, Jessi forced her rubbery legs to cooperate and descended to the front door. She didn’t bother to look out the peephole, too upset to care who stood there. She yanked the door open.

Two tall, muscular men stood there. One was dark-skinned with tattoos all over his body, dark hair and an expression that turned curious as he met her gaze. The other was frowning fiercely. Brown-haired, blue eyes, slightly hunched, angry.

“Xander’s expecting us,” the dark-skinned man told her. “I’m Jule. This is Charles. We’re … friends, of sorts. You are?”

Something about him eased her tension. Jessi realized she was glaring at them. She shook her head.

“Sorry. I’m Jessi, his personal assistant. For today, at least. I’m quitting,” she added. “Come in.”

Chapter Ten

Xander heard her declaration of it being her last day. Until she got what she wanted, she’d continue to come back. Until he got what he wanted, he’d be sure to string her along.

His first night without a woman was awful. He forgot how bad of a mood not eating or fucking put him in. The sip from Jessi was satisfying but not nearly enough. He waited for the Guardian to arrive, entertained by the idea that Jessi denied him verbally while yielding to him physically.

He was whittling down her resistance. This much he sensed. Dressed in shorts and a snug T-shirt, Jessi shot him a glare as she led his guests in. Her bronze curls were captured in a ponytail, her face flushed from his bite and her gray eyes glittering with anger that made him want to sweep her up and kiss her until the dazed look returned.

“X,” Jule said as he entered the living area. “You remember Charles.”

Xander looked twice at Charles. “The
former
vamp,” he said.

Charles bared his teeth in a look of extreme displeasure. Xander watched them both as they sat across from him in the spacious living area. A peek into the former vamp’s mind revealed that two of Damian’s sisters-in-law had managed to turn a full vamp back into a disgruntled Natural. Xander was impressed.

“Coffee, Jessi.”

“We’re out,” she replied.

“I just made a new pot.”

She said nothing. He had no idea if she’d respond or not; he did it more to irritate her than because he was thirsty.

“Watch,” Xander said. As soon as Jessi crossed outside of three feet, she disappeared from his senses.

Jule jerked visibly. Charles, however, was unaffected.

“Can you sense her?” Xander asked Charles.

“Of course,
ikir
. She has Watchers’ blood,” was the short reply.

“You’re kidding. How much?” Jule was gazing at the former vamp hard.

“I do not know how much without tasting her,” Charles said then looked intently at Xander. “Will you turn me back,
ikir
?”

“Always happy to vamp someone,” Xander replied. “What would a …
Watcher
taste like?” He sneered as he said the word.

Charles was quiet, pensive. He tapped his head finally, which Xander took as a request to look. He did, experiencing Charles’ memory of tasting the blood of a Watcher. Not as sweet as human blood, the Watcher’s flavor had depth and conveyed more than life.

Xander realized it wasn’t his magic that pulled her emotions from her when he drank. It was
her
strange magic that carried her feelings through her blood. She was unwittingly sharing herself with him. He smiled to himself.

She would
hate
knowing that.

“A quarter maybe,” he said at last. “It can’t be more. She’s got a few of their traits. Her cousin can Travel and has a knack for weapons she’s hiding from Jessi. I haven’t met the boy yet.”

“So we’re looking for a record of a Natural who got knocked up by a Watcher about sixty years ago,” Jule mused. “We can figure it out. It’s a little creepy to have someone like that around.”

“I tagged her phone, shoes, purse and the iPad with tracking,” Xander replied. “Couldn’t sleep in my own home, knowing she was there but not where.”

Jule chuckled. “Any idea why she’s here? It can’t be a coincidence.”

“It’s not. Someone sent her.” Xander shifted forward, aware the Guardian wasn’t expecting an invite this morning.

“You want me to find her a sponsor and bring her in?”

“Not until I’m done with her.” Xander gave a half-smile.

Jule studied him. “Saw the bite marks. You plan on vamping her?”

“No. I want to know who sent her and why.”

“You probably know the why,” Jule said, gaze dropping to the necklace at Xander’s throat. “I can’t see any other reason why someone would risk pissing you off.”

Xander didn’t confirm the words, leery of anyone who understood the power of the gem at his neck. Jule was right; he owned nothing else, but the number of people who knew about the gem was limited to the Originals and Sofi. If Jonny planted Jessi, how did he know about the necklace?

Jessi brought in a tray of coffee. She poured three cups and stood back, meeting Xander’s gaze.

“No poison, right?” he asked.

She considered. “The question you should be asking is whether or not I put in enough for instant death or if I want you to die slowly.”

“What’s the name of my show, fan-girl?”

She flushed, no doubt recalling his first bite. She whirled and marched into the kitchen.

Xander snorted, eyes on her ass and the swinging pony tail. He reached for his coffee, unconcerned.

Jule studied him. “I think you’re after more than information.”

“She challenges me.”

“Lucky for her,” Jule said, shaking his head. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing, though knowing what I do of your history...”

Xander eyed him. “You’re remembering.”

“It’s been hard,” Jule said. His gaze darkened, and Xander knew his long-time ally was thinking of their shared history from the time before the Schism that split the mortal and immortal worlds apart. Jule’s memory was wiped out and Xander exiled, until a year ago, when he landed in the human realm.

The Original Immortal had known nearly everything about Xander at one time, one of the only in existence who ever did.

“Women are safe from you,” Jule said. “Relatively speaking.”

“Unless it involves a certain issue. You remember?”

“Betrayal.” There was a thoughtful silence. “You took care of the Grey God’s issue before the immortal world went up in flames a few months ago.”

“With pleasure.” Xander had no pity for the woman who betrayed the Grey God, Darian, and his brother, the White God. Rushed for time with the immortal world crashing down around him, he hadn’t had much time to toy with her, and he hadn’t been gentle.

“There was someone else …” Jule frowned, struggling to recall.

“You don’t want to remember that one,” Xander said. “Trust me.”

“No. She drowned.” Jule’s gaze sharpened. He bristled. “You were exiled by then. That was after the Schism.”

“Maybe the Watchers aren’t the only ones who fucked with your head.”

The woman I gave up the immortal world for? No way, Xander.
Jule said into his mind.

Does it matter? You’ve got your woman now,
Xander replied.

Jule leaned forward. “You don’t do things without a reason.”

“Then trust that I had one, and it was damned good.” Xander refused to say more, aware there was no benefit in opening old wounds, especially the kind that had driven the five Original beings a part – thereby leaving them vulnerable to the Watchers and Others – before the Schism.

“I don’t know why I trust you,” Jule admitted.

“With some people, the truth is too scary,” Jessi said. “Go with it, or they suck your blood in the middle of a photo shoot and then plaster embarrassing pictures of you on the internet.”

Jule tensed, not sensing her approach. Xander smiled. Jessi’s glare was on him.

“What kind of pictures?” Charles asked.

“Not the kind you’re interested in.”

Charles was coiled, as if ready to take a bite out of her. Xander cleared his throat, and the former vamp eased back into his chair, obeying the silent command.

Oblivious to her danger, Jessi’s eyes dropped to her phone. She was texting with one hand and reached for the purse on the chair beside Charles with her other.

“You quitting or coming back?”Jule asked.

“She’s quit every day this week,” Xander said.

“I’m going home, after my coffee date with my soon-to-be-boyfriend,” she replied with a pointed look at Xander.

“The spineless pretty boy who couldn’t defend you against a paper plate?” he asked.

“Exactly. I like my men the same way you like your women: pretty and easy.”

“Yet you haven’t gotten laid in four years.”

“Like rotating a new woman through your bed every night is better!” She flushed and glanced at Jule, who was covering a smile with his hand.

“You can take my car.” Xander offered, enjoying the repartee.

That stopped whatever fire she was about to direct his way. Her expression grew interested.

“Really?” she asked.

Xander stretched to grab the keys on his coffee table and tossed them to her. She caught them and spun away, leaving. When she disappeared down the stairs, Jule laughed quietly.

“She’ll be back,” Xander repeated.

“You sure she should leave, if she’s in danger?” Jule asked.

“The car has GPS tracking, along with the keys. Her
date
is one of your local Guardians,” Xander replied with bitterness.

“You aren’t letting that go,” Jule said with a knowing smile.

“I’ll get what I want by the end of the week. After that, there’s no challenge.”

“Call me when you’re done. We’ll assign her a Guardian to bring her into the organization,” Jule said. “I think Gerry has been filing her reports.”

“Not Gerry,” Xander said, irritated. He was well aware that Guardians usually took the Naturals they were assigned as girlfriends or wives. The idea of Jessi belonging to someone else was unappealing. He didn’t fully understand why, unless it was because he hadn’t tapped her yet. Unable to read her mind, he almost understood what might be more than one night of fun about the woman.

“Change me back,” Charles said. “I can’t take it anymore.”

“Good, I’m hungry,” Xander responded. He waved him over. Charles knelt before him, bowing his head. Xander opened his mouth to make room for his lengthening incisors. He was starving, teased by the snack-sized drink he’d taken from Jessi.

“These Others. Any idea why they’re tracking you?” Jule asked, watching.

Xander gripped Charles’ neck in his massive hand. Despite being over six feet tall, Charles was no more of an obstacle than Jessi’s small body. Xander didn’t feel the need to be gentle with Charles as he was with Jessi and the other girls.

“None,” Xander answered. “We’ve never been on good terms, since they were trying to influence Jonny before he grew balls and told us all to fuck off. There’s no other history, unless they’re at it again and trying to use Jonny to try to get to me.”

“Any chance they want what Jessi wants?”

“Possible,” Xander allowed. “It’s not like them to hesitate to attack. I could cause some major damage, but I can’t kill them like the Grey God can.”

“Or, the girl has something to do with it.”

Xander didn’t acknowledge Jule’s statement. He knew as much. He and Jessi alone would be able to tolerate the crystal’s magic without being killed.