by Iris Abbott
She arched her back, trying to find solid flesh to rub her aching breasts against, nothing. When that didn’t work, she rolled her hips trying to jar his hand closer to the swollen bundle of nerves, begging for his touch. All she received for her effort was a chuckle. Okay, if he wanted her to plead, she would.
“Lucian, please,” she implored. “Touch me on the hot spots, please!” She let go of the sheet and wrapped both arms around his neck. She cupped the back of his head and pulled him down to her breasts. The hot, wet mouth closed over one nipple, and Jessica let out a little sob of relief.
His tongue flicked against her nipple, bathing it in warmth. His teeth grazed the pebbled nub and lightly bit down. She felt the pull all the way down to her core, and she screamed his name.
He let go of her nipple with a little plop. He claimed her lips for a brief kiss. He nipped her lower lip with his teeth and pulled away. “Let’s try something new,” he said right before standing.
Jessica felt the absence of his flesh against hers and almost panicked. Her eyes flew open, and she looked at Lucian. Did he think this was over? Were they moving too fast for him? “Where are you going?”
“Right here, sweetheart.” He stood right next to the edge of the bed. “Get down on all fours with your knees on the edge right here in front of me,” he commanded. “Keep your legs between mine. I want your knees as close together as possible.”
Jessica had never been the adventurous type in or out of bed, but right now, she’d do almost anything to have him inside her. She rushed to obey. Jessica was thankful her body was in shape from jogging and flexible from yoga. She had a feeling she was going to need both of those traits to keep up with Lucian in bed.
His strong, solid body moved in behind her. He placed his legs on either side of hers and wrapped his hands around her hips. He gently moved her hips back and forth a couple of times. “Loosen up, baby. Let me do the work.” He slid one hand to the nether lips that guarded her feminine core. She could feel the juices of her desire coat her sex. He carefully used a finger to separate the pink flesh and slid it inside.
She shuddered at the feel of his thick finger rubbing against the sensitive area. She forgot his request to let him do all the work. She thrust her hips backward seeking more. What she got was a light slap on the buttocks. She jumped from the contact, but before she could protest, the sting faded into a pleasurable burn. A loud moan escaped from between her clenched lips.
“That answers that question. I thought you might be the kind to like a little erotic pain with your sex.” Jessica who would have never thought such a thing before tonight mumbled an incoherent agreement. “Remember let me do the work,” Lucian ordered.
Jessica lowered her head and closed her eyes. The waiting was going to kill her. It was too much. “Please, Lucian,” she begged. She bit her bottom lip, and her fingernails dug into her palms. Knowing she was so close to Lucian and unable to move her body was pure torture.
Something hard nudged her mound. It was too thick to be his fingers. She knew it was time, and she released a breathy little sigh of want and need. His other hand came back to her hip. He propelled her lower body back and forth. His erection entered her and moved in and out in a steady rhythm.
Jessica hadn’t had sex in a couple of years. She thought it might be a tight fit, but in this position, she was completely filled. His erection touched every millimeter of her core. He stretched her until she felt that bite of pain, the one that quickly blurred to pleasure. “More,” she begged. He complied, and she rewarded him with a moan of pleasure.
Lucian tightened his grip on her hips. He sped up his thrusts. One hand wandered down to the sensitive bundle of nerves above her entrance. He tapped it with a finger. Her body tightened to the brink of pain. A quiver started in her sex and began to build.
He settled the finger on top of the extended flesh and rubbed. Jessica arched her back and froze. Every muscle in her body tightened. “More!” she screamed.
He thrust harder and faster. His finger rubbed in time with the thrusts.
Jessica couldn’t stand it anymore. She bucked her hips and pressed back into Lucian. She needed him to go a little deeper. He hissed a warning, but she didn’t care. Jessica was so close, she was right there. She wasn’t going to stop moving until she exploded.
He moved in and out one more time, hitting that one sweet spot inside her. She went off like fireworks. Her entire body shook. She screamed his name.
Apparently, Lucian wasn’t done. He didn’t let go of her hips. He continued to thrust. Incredibly, her sex heated. The tiny fading quivers grew once again until her body shuddered with another release. Lucian froze with his erection deep inside her. In the aftermath of her climax, her muscles milked his erection, and she actually felt him pulse inside her when he finally let go.
He leaned down and sprinkled tiny kisses all over her back and shoulders. She collapsed onto the bed. He pushed her onto her side and into his arms. The fell asleep in a tangled mess of limbs.
FIVE
Jessica woke with a start. Maybe it was the sound of running water. Perhaps it was the rapidly cooling, empty side of the bed. No, something else startled her awake. She felt like she was cloaked in a dark fog of gloom. After the beautiful night of loving she should be sated and well relaxed. Instead, she was jumpy and coiled tighter than a spring. Trouble was coming, and because of the oppressive weight of what she sensed, it was coming soon.
The water shut off and a very relaxed looking Lucian strode out of the bathroom. The little white towel wrapped around his hips did nothing to hide the magnificence of his body. A body that showed her unparalleled pleasure the night before. He hummed under his breath. She got the impression it was the first time in a long time he’d done such a frivolous thing.
She quickly sat up and pulled the sheet up to her neck. Jessica gave him a wary look. Instead of being put off, he rushed over and sat down next to her. “What’s wrong, Sweetheart?”
“I don’t know, but something bad is coming. I can’t explain how I know, I just do.”
“I believe you and probably understand the cause of your sixth sense better than you do. Explanations are going to have to wait. We’re too exposed here. I want to get you to my estate as soon as possible. The security is top notch. This inn is not safe.”
Jessica watched as Lucian pulled on a pair of skintight black jeans. She knew she should be getting dressed instead of ogling him, but the view was too good to give up. He pulled a shirt on and stopped to look at her. Jessica realized she’d been caught staring. She gave him a saucy smile. “It’s your fault,” she teased. “I can’t seem to take my eyes off of you.”
“Time is important! You need to get dressed and packed right now. I’ll contact the owner and take care of checkout and the bill once you’re safe.”
“All right then,” Jessica grumbled. She threw back the covers and hopped out of bed. She quickly dressed in a pair of thin gray sweatpants and a tank top. She wanted to be comfortable if she went on the run again.
Then just like that, time was up! A loud knock reverberated through the room. “Room Service,” a gruff voice called out.
“I know everyone that works at this inn. That voice doesn’t belong. Lock yourself in the bathroom now.” He spurred her into action by pushing her behind him. “Now,” he hissed at her just as a loud thump and the sound of splitting wood filled the room.
Jessica knew this had to be about her, and she didn’t want Luc to fight her battles alone. Yes, he was strong and athletic, but was he really a match for a well-armed thug? Instead of hiding in the bathroom, she ran to the small sitting room. When she checked into the inn, she scouted out all the available exits. There was a set of French doors that led to a small balcony. It was their only hope!
She couldn’t resist peeping around the doorjamb to see what was going on. A man big enough to pass for an NFL linebacker rushed through the door with gun in hand. Lucian gave a robust, high kick to the man’s hands
. The gun was knocked loose. It flew through the air and skidded across the floor.
Lucian had a fighting chance now. She ran to the French doors and unfastened the lock and deadbolt. She threw them open and stepped outside onto the small balcony. This is why she’d chosen the second floor. It was high enough to cause trouble for someone wanting in, but low enough she could make a hasty escape.
She slung one leg over the balcony and then the other. Her hands had a tight grip on the iron bar. She dangled over the side and stretched as far as she could. It wasn’t that much of a drop, and there were shrubs underneath to cushion her fall. She would be ok. She had to let go.
The smack of flesh hitting flesh and the splintering sound of wood as furniture got in the way spurred her into action. She held her breath, closed her eyes, and let go. She got scratched in a few places from sharp twigs in the shrubs. Otherwise, she was okay, nothing broken. Lucian, however, might not be as lucky. She didn’t have any time to waste.
She didn’t know why, but she found herself running toward Witch’s Brew. The shop was nearby, and she felt a connection with the woman who owned it. Jessica somehow knew that Brianna would be able to help. She was surprised when she turned the corner and ran right into the very woman she was trying to find.
“Help!” She bent over almost double and rested her hands on her knees. Her heart was about to beat out of her chest, and her breaths came out in sharp wheezes. “Lucian needs help.” She tried to slow down her breathing and her words so that Brianna could understand what she said. “We need to call the police. Someone broke into my room, and Lucian is fighting for his life!”
“Oh, I’m quite sure Lucian can take care of himself. That intruder is going to get exactly what he deserves. This I want to see! Come on!”
Brianna breathed an inner sigh of relief. “Lucian can beat anyone or anything in hand-to-hand combat. And I love to watch good battle evil, especially when I’m certain of the outcome.”
Jessica frowned at the woman’s words. However, she allowed herself to be pulled into the entrance of Inn Enigma before she found her voice. “Wait! I don’t want you to get hurt. I’ll have enough on my guilty conscience if anything happens to Lucian. Let’s just call 9-1-1.”
She didn’t want to have to explain the mess to the cops, because she knew they would hold her in custody and contact the United States Marshals Service. She didn’t want anything to do with them or witness protection ever again. She would do it though if it meant keeping Lucian and Brianna safe.
Brianna wasn’t listening, however. She charged up the stairs, and Jessica felt she had no choice but to follow. The hallway was eerily quiet. The only thing Jessica heard was the frantic beat of her heart. She grabbed Brianna’s hand and motioned to the room she rented.
Jessica knew there hadn’t been too many other people staying at the inn, but she was surprised someone hadn’t heard the disturbance and came to investigate. The door hung half off its hinges, thanks to the invader who kicked it in. She slowly pushed it open with one of her feet. “Please don’t let Luc be dead. Please don’t let Luc be dead,” she chanted under her breath.
She kept her body behind the wall, but slowly moved her head around the doorjamb to have a look inside. She released the breath she held with a giant whoosh. Lucian was alive and well. He barked something about cleanup into his cell phone. Jessica almost felt bad for whoever was on the other end of the phone.
The attempted assassin slumped against the floor. He was either unconscious or dead. Jessica couldn’t find it inside herself to care which one. After all, he’d come there to harm her, and in the process targeted Luc too. The attacker deserved every bad thing that happened to him.
****
Lucian could sense Jessica. He turned toward the door and soaked up her presence with irises that were still outlined in yellow from the bloodlust of battle and the presence of his cat so close to the surface. After he questioned and then permanently silenced the intruder, he checked every inch of the hotel for Jessica, but he already knew she was gone.
He called Phillip Saint John to come in and clean up the mess. His priority wasn't disposal and cover-up. It was the burning desire to go after Jessica. His muscles relaxed, and his hammering heart eased at the sight of her. He was happy she hadn’t run from him. He ended the call with Saint John and opened his arms wide for Jessica.
She didn’t even hesitate. She ran straight to him. Jessica launched herself into his arms. She wrapped her limbs around him and held on like a limpet clinging to a rock. She peppered his face with tiny kisses. “I was so scared for you. Sorry I left, but I went for help,” she explained. “I found Brianna from the Witch’s Brew.”
Lucian was afraid too. Not for himself, but at the thought of Jessica on the run by herself. He would have found her, no matter how long it took. Now that she was in his life, he wasn’t going to let her go. He buried a hand in her hair and brought her lips to his. It was a kiss meant to claim.
Claim was precisely what his cat hissed at him to do. He nipped her bottom lip and thrust his tongue inside. The sweet taste of Jessica filled his mouth. A wild and untamable need drove him to possess her. He dragged his lips away from hers. His mouth went straight to the delicate spot where neck meets shoulder. He liked it. It was salty and sweet at the same time. He lightly grazed his teeth across the exposed skin.
Jessica’s moan was all the encouragement he needed to plunge forward. He sucked the flesh into his mouth and lightly bit down. It was a bite mark to let the entire paranormal world know she belonged to him. And it was the first step to making her his mate.
His teeth left their mark on her sensitive skin. She didn’t push him away. Instead, she arched her back and bucked her hips into his body. A loud clearing of someone’s throat brought him back to reality with a thud.
Lucian lifted his head and hissed at the intrusion. Jessica loosened her grip and tried to get down, but he tightened his hold and refused to let her go. Finally, the red-hot haze of passion cleared from his mind, and he recognized Brianna. She stood at the door with a smug smile on her lips and a knowing look in her eyes.
“You forget my presence so easily these days, old friend,” she teased. “I should be insulted, but under the circumstances let me just say that I’m thrilled for both of you.” She clapped her hands together in front of her. She beamed so much she practically glowed. “I just knew the two of you would hit it off, and apparently I was right!”
Jessica’s neck and face turned bright red before she buried her head in the side of his neck. Lucian loosened his hold on her, and she slid down the length of his body. He wasn’t going to let her move away, however. His possessive streak was at an all-time high thanks to his feelings for Jessica, and it probably wouldn’t level off anytime soon. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his side.
He was actually glad Brianna was there. She was the only one he trusted with Jessica’s safety other than himself of course. He tossed a set of keys to Brianna. “Please take Jessica to my house and wait with her until I return. Phillip is on his way over, and I need to have a private discussion with him.” He glanced briefly at the prone man who was now nothing more than a lifeless piece of garbage to be disposed of.
Guardians were a fierce lot. They dispensed justice harshly and quickly when it was warranted. The penalty for threatening the life of a guardian or his mate was always death. The assassin sealed his fate when he crashed into Jessica’s room with a loaded weapon.
“Need to take out the trash do you?” Brianna gave him a smirk. “Don’t worry I’ll protect her with my life. I’ll have my granddaughter Brittany meet us at your estate. They will enjoy each other’s company.” She sent Lucian a pointed look. “And I have something that I must share with the two of them.”
Lucian understood that look. The DNA results must have come back, and there was a match. He nodded his understanding. “So be it,” he agreed. “Just take care, Brianna.”
“Hey,” Jessica lo
oked back and forth between the two of them. “I’m right here, and this is my fault. I know it is, so I want to know what you’re going to do about him. And I need to leave Enigma. It’s not safe for me here. It’s not safe for anyone while I’m here. You have to know that when this man doesn’t make contact with whoever hired him someone else will come for me.” She buried her head in her hands. “This is never going to be over.”
“I have all the information I need to put a stop to the threat against your life. And that will happen sooner rather than later.” Lucian gently used a finger to lift her chin. Then he cradled her head between his hands. “Your home is here with me. I’ll always keep you safe.” He leaned closer and brushed his lips across hers. “I’ll return to you as soon as I can, sweetheart.”
She stood on her tiptoes and gave Lucian another kiss. “You better come back. I’ll be counting the minutes until I see you again,” she promised.
She gave the intruder on the floor one last look. A shudder ripped through her body. She glanced at Lucian over her shoulder one brief second before Brianna hustled her out of the room, down the stairs, and to a parking lot near Witch’s Brew. Lucian stifled the urge to follow. He would be with her again soon enough.
****
Lucian hadn’t been exaggerating when he called his place an estate. It was surrounded by thick woods and large iron gates. It appeared to be the only house for miles around.
Brianna’s granddaughter was waiting for them when they arrived. The resemblance in appearance was not missed. Make a few minor changes, and Jessica could be looking in a mirror. She gave the newcomer a wary look and turned to Brianna for an explanation.
The older woman unlocked the door, pushed a few buttons on the keypad by the door, and ushered the two younger women inside. When all three were settled, she launched into an explanation. “Jessica, you’re my great niece.”
Jessica and Brittany started yelling out questions. Brianna raised her hand and flashed them an unyielding look. Jessica’s mouth snapped shut, and Brittany fell silent as well. Brianna proceeded to tell them everything she knew about Jessica and her disappearance including the murder of her immediate family. She finished with a confession of the DNA test and its results.
