by Claire Marta
Gemma was snickering behind her hand and even Mark looked like he was having a hard time not to smile. Jasmine giggled. Twitch’s sense of humour was a little crazy sometimes. This was probably why he was her best friend.
“Everything ok?” She asked once things had calmed down.
Eric nodded. “Yes. Jasmine it is time to leave.”
They were leaving already? They had barely spent any time there at all. Didn’t they have to coordinate or go over surveillance? Didn’t Mark want to talk to her? Go over details?
Eyes widening, confusion fluttered across her face. “Wait. I thought we were discussing the case and I need my clothes and stuff.”
“We have already spoken with the Detective. Merely things you already know and do not need to go over again. We cannot waste any more time here.” Eric responded impatiently.
Mark nodded grimly in agreement. Tension lines were clear on his forehead and around his mouth.
“It will look suspicious if you suddenly have your things at the house.” Conall advised in a friendly drawl. “No one saw you leave remember.”
“I can bring them over.” Gemma smiled shyly. Her words were directed to the Irish vampire. It was very un-Gemma like.
“Aye that’s a good idea.” He responded with a slow grin. Conall’s eyes were lit with interest.
Eric’s cold exterior was back in place. He wore it like armour. “Excellent. It is time we get back. There is a killer to catch after all and we should make haste before he kills once more.”
Twitch peeled himself up off the sofa. “Be careful Jazzy. If you need anything buzz me on the phone.”
He wrapped his arms around her in a fierce hug. Jasmine hugged him back just as tightly.
“I will, promise.” She whispered the words into his untidy hair.
Pulling back his eyes dropped to her chest. “Hmm – I see the bra is working, you certainly look and feel a lot more than a handful up top. I like it.”
“Pervert.” She laughed smacking him on the arm.
“Here.” Releasing her, he tugged off one of his fingerless gloves. “For luck.” Twitch purred softly.
A glimpse of old burn scars showed on his arm. Silvery, bright pink and puckered they marked his flesh. A second later he hurriedly pulled down his shirt sleeve to hide them. Jasmine hadn’t realised how far they went. Did he have many more?
“Thanks.” She gave him a smile. It took only a moment to slip it on. The inside material was still warm from the heat of his skin. Shrugging into her jacket afterwards, was not a problem.
“Stay out of trouble Jasmine.” Mark warned her. Concern weighed heavily on his face. “And remember you represent our department. I want you to remain professional at all times. If you need us call.”
She nodded. “I will. Bye guys.”
A light drizzling rain had started as they trooped back outside. Jasmine hunched her shoulders, the warmth from the flat instantly draining away with the chill. Little icy droplets drenched her hair, face and clothes as sprinkles clung to her eyelashes.
The cold didn’t bother her so much anymore. Not since almost freezing to death in Paris.
“What did Mark say to you?” Jasmine asked as she fell into step with the vampires. They were trying to keep under the cover of the buildings. She recognized they were travelling back down the same streets. This made sense as Conall would want to go back to the same place. Teleporting back had to be easier that way.
“Nothing that concerns you my lovely.” Eric’s smile was tight and closed.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” His tone turned dismissive.
THE MACABRE CLUTCH OF CONALL’S strange power fell away. Jasmine felt the last whispers of it scrape like ghostly fingers against her skin. Then it vanished. This was something, she was not sure she would ever get used to. She shuddered in response. It was just too fucking creepy.
Warmth and Eric’s scent surrounded her. His arm was tightly bound around her waist. The solid length of him pressed up against her body, leaving her tingling pleasurably all over. She didn’t want to move. It felt safe, secure.
Realising she had been standing there a little too long, Jasmine reluctantly let go. Eyes opening, she found they were back in their room. Everything looked just how they had left it. Eric’s old clothes were neatly lying over a chair. The bed still rumpled. Door closed.
“Thank you Conall.” Eric’s deep voice rumbled beside her.
A half-smile curled the Irish vamp’s lips. “I’ll be getting back to my room then.” Meeting Jasmine’s gaze, he flashed a little wink. A moment later he was gone, vanishing before her eyes.
Jasmine blinked in astonishment.
Feeling confused, she stepped forwards into the space he had vacated. A tiny vibration of his eerie power resonated up her arm, as it spread so did goosebumps over her skin. Rubbing the spot she took several steps backwards.
“That is just too fucking weird for me.” She murmured looking up at Eric.
His deep delicious laugh rolled through her. Sliding down her spine it made her go weak at the knees.
“I admit it is not for everyone.” He replied with a sexy quirk of his mouth.
Unzipping her jacket, Jasmine dumped it over the chair. Little droplets of water were trailing down her face from her damp hair. Their icy touch made her shiver. Turning, she hurried into the bathroom. A moment later she re-emerged. Using the towel she had collected she began to rub the dampness vigorously from her hair.
“I know you like your secrets, but I want to know more about Vampiria.”
He had refused to tell her anything last time they had met. This time however he had opened up a little. Jasmine though wanted to know more. This vampire was an enigma.
A resigned look settled over Eric’s cold handsome features. “Ask the questions. I will answer what I can.”
Her hands stilled in the process of rubbing for a split second. He was finally going to give her some answers? Jasmine grinned eagerly abandoning the towel on the floor.
“How are you born? I mean did you come first then turned vampires follow?” She perched on the end of the bed and slid off her boots. Taking them off at last felt like heaven. Happily she wiggled her toes in the lush carpet.
“We are the original vampiric race. We have existed alongside humans, since the beginning of time.” Eric murmured. Leaning against the dresser, he began to pull off his own shoes.
“How come there’s nothing about you? I couldn’t find anything on the internet.”
He seemed amused at this. She could see it twinkling in his eyes, when he smiled and looked up. “We have always enjoyed our privacy. We blend in my lovely. It is how we have survived so long. We do not allow such knowledge to be available, although there are some who know of our existence like you.”
“And turned vampires?” Jasmine asked, running a hand absently through her now slightly damp short coppery hair.
“Human vampires…yes, the first were turned by Vampiria and were stronger back then.” He explained as he straightened up. “The pure blood used to create them has diluted over time, as they brought others over themselves, their fledglings became weaker. This is why human vampires nowadays are weak by Vampiria standards. I do not know how they came about. I do know it was a very long time ago. It was why the ancient Pharaohs inter married with family members.”
“Pharaohs?” She questioned softly.
“They were Vampiria, Jasmine. They wished to keep their bloodlines pure to our race.” He had turned away. Pulling open the dresser, he began to sort through the clothes within.
“And breeding with human vampires would change that? I still don’t understand how that’s possible when human vamps can’t make babies.”
“They feared it would weaken our offspring.” Pushing the drawer shut, he faced her once more. A white cotton shirt was hanging from his hand. “Perhaps it is our superior genetics and pure blood which allow us to occasionally mate with turned vampire females, but it
is possible.”
Striding towards her, Eric held the garment out. Jasmine accepted it without a second thought. The material was soft beneath her fingers.
“Are there a lot of Vampiria like you?”
The vampire released a long deep sigh. “No. The few pure Vampiria bloodlines left have no wish to taint our race. Mates are not always found among our dwindling numbers and many refuse to breed with a human vampire.”
“Are you ever going to tell me how old you are?”
A faint smile touched Eric’s lips. “No.”
Jasmine scrunched up her nose. “I’m guessing you’re practically a fossil then.”
The smile spread, relaxing his features. “We should sleep some more. We need to keep to vampire hours and you need to stay alert.”
She guessed the change in topic was his way of closing the conversation. Nodding she stood. The shirt was clutched firmly in her gloved hand. Eric had spilled enough secrets for today. The information she had learnt so far was rattling around inside her head. She still couldn’t believe vampires could be born. Yet here one stood.
Sinking her teeth into her lower lip, she nibbled. What else was out there she didn’t know about yet? Eric’s attention was on her face. His gaze dipped to her lips and their depths darkened to the colour of a winter sea. A dark and hungry look swept across his expression. She was familiar with it now. This was one that excited her, almost predatory in its intensity.
Releasing her lip, Jasmine lowered her eyelashes demurely. Excitement sparking inside her and her heart skipped a beat.
“I should get changed.” The words came out a little breathlessly rush.
Eric did not move. He remained towering over her like a motionless statue. In silence he continued to observe her avidly. If she didn’t move now, they were going to end up having sex. A picture of tangled sweaty limbs flashed through her head. She could feel herself growing wet and excited. Fuck. She couldn’t let this happen. Work came first. Then maybe if the vamp wanted to have wild kinky sex again, then she would say yes.
Nervously she hurried past him. Eric did not try to stop her but remained where he was. Slipping into the bathroom, she closed the door. Stripping and tugging on Eric’s shirt took only a moment. His scent clung to the garment like a second skin, as it wrapped itself around her.
Carefully, she removed the glove Twitch had given her. She was still surprised he had parted with it. Somehow it made it kind of special. Padding back into the bedroom, Jasmine found Eric on the floor. He had taken a pillow with blankets and made himself a makeshift bed. The vamp had also undressed.
Lying beside the mattress, he was already tucked up. One arm behind his head, the muscles in his bare chest rippled temptingly. Jasmine’s mouth went suddenly dry. Was he completely naked? The blankets covered him completely from the waist down. This still left a lot of honed flesh on display. He looked like a sexy male model posing for his next big shot.
The soft glow of a bed side lamp cast his face half in shadows. The brightness of his eyes though could not be hidden. They were dazzling. The medallion rested on his chest and had a golden gleam in the light. His eyes did a slow perusal up her bare legs. The shirt came to her knees and the garment was buttoned demurely all the way up to her neck.
Eric liked what he saw. She could tell by the heat that flashed in the coldness of his gaze. Scampering past him, she quickly bounced on to the bed. Back of the shirt flipping up, she knew he had been treated to a flash of her white lacy panties.
Cheeks heating, she didn’t look back. No doubt, he enjoyed the view.
Gently she laid Twitch’s glove on the bedside table. For some reason her gut instinct was to keep it close. Beside that she left the tracking ring.
Sliding beneath the cool blankets she tugged them up to her chin. Jasmine heard a soft click. The room plunged into darkness as the lamp was switched off. A silence followed. The only sound that could be heard was the beating of the rain against the window behind the thick drawn curtain, which kept out the daylight.
“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep up here with me?” She asked softly. Nibbling on her thumb nail, she waited for his reply. It seemed silly with him sleeping on the hard floor. Surely they could share the bed without getting intimate. They were after all grown adults.
“I am perfectly fine here thank you.” His response was polite but firm.
“It can’t be very comfortable down there.” She persisted.
The sigh he released was laced with frustration. “Jasmine, go to sleep.”
“Am I threatening your control again?”
Eternity seemed to stretch before he responded. “I beg your pardon?” His voice sounded low and gruff.
Jasmine burrowed further beneath the blankets. “In Paris, you admitted that I have a weird effect on you...that I break your cold composure, is that still happening?”
“Indeed it is my lovely.” Eric’s voice was a murmur in the dark. “But have no fear, I am dealing with it. Now allow me to do the gentlemanly thing and remain where I am.”
“Why?”
“Because you are right, we are in the middle of a case and need to focus. I shall not fuck you again until the killer is brought to justice. As you have said we must remain professional.” His voice was deep, soft and sexy. Persuasion was mixed within every word. “Sleep now, Jasmine.”
Jasmine’s eyelids grew instantly heavy as sleep settled over her like a comforting blanket. The last thing she was aware of was lips brushing hers.
Lips were trailing down the curve of her neck as a hard male body pressed her into the softness of the mattress. Deliciously hot and muscled.
Jasmine moaned with pleasure. Need had her straining closer. She began to wither and squirm unable to stay still.
Desire was throbbing through her blood. The brush of silky hair was a caress against her face and shoulders. Big hands grasped her thighs and parted them roughly. Then the male was pushing into her.
Jasmine gasped with surprise. The hardness of his cock swiftly invaded her body. It filled her, stretched her. No gentleness in her lovers touch, just a raw hungry need.
Eyes opening wide her pleasure pain was lost in a bright burning violet gaze.
A large hand was gently shaking her shoulder. “Kitten, it is time to awaken.”
Jasmine jerked awake. Eric was sitting beside her on the bed. He was already dressed in an expensive tailored, charcoal grey Armani suit. The vamp looked disgustingly bright eyed and bushy tailed. Amusement lit his icy gaze, as he smiled charmingly down at her. How long had he been sitting there? Had he been watching her sleep?
A tired groan left Jasmine’s throat as she flopped back against the pillows. She knew she probably looked like a dishevelled mess. How did he always manage to look so fucking good? This shouldn’t be possible.
Pleasure pain still hummed through her body from the dream. Why the fuck had she been dreaming about another vamp? Asier? Normally it was dreams of Eric she was plagued with. Maybe though, it was just this vampire nest.
She had been simmering with a slow sexual frustration since the dinner the night before. At this rate it would eventually drive her crazy. Was it even possible to sexually self-combust?
“Hmm what time is it?” Her voice still sleep thickened.
“An hour after sunset.” Eric’s replied. The tip of his forefinger stroked softly down the curve of her cheek in a tender caress. Sitting up groggily, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
“Gemma left your case at the front door.” Eric continued with an unfathomable expression. “I took the liberty of bringing it here and have unpacked it for you.”
Jasmine dragged a hand, through her hair. The short strands were sticking up in crazy places. Bed head, lovely. She wrinkled her nose in annoyance.
“Thanks.”
Gracefully Eric rose to his feet. “The other human companions should be awake. Why not go and join them for a while?”
The clothes from the night before had been n
eatly folded and laid on a chair in the corner of the room. Had Eric done that too? He seemed to like everything in order. She had the impression this vamp was a neat freak.
“What about you?” Jasmine asked with a stretch.
“I have a meeting with Lida.” He slid his hands smoothly into the pockets of his trousers. “It would appear she desires my company.”
Pulling a face, Jasmine yanked back the blankets. “I guess it gives me time to ask the women questions. Maybe one of them has noticed something odd about one of the vampires here.”
Eric gave her an indulgent look. “Indeed. I knew you would not give up the opportunity to snoop.”
Crawling from the mattress, she wiggled her toes when they met the soft carpet. “One of them might actually know something.” She pointed out.
Gracefully the vampire shrugged one large shoulder. “Perhaps they might. You may wear what you wish this evening.” He didn’t seem concerned. Somehow she got the impression he was humouring her. Did he think there was nothing to learn from the companions? This was something they shouldn’t over look. Anyone might have seen something suspicious.
Padding to the dresser, she looked for her clothes. They had all been neatly folded and put away. Eric definitely liked order and control in every aspect of his life.
Jasmine pulled out a pair of skinny blue jeans. Digging around in the next drawer, she hauled out a red shirt and matching jumper. Underwear was in the one beneath.
Eric’s attention was on her the whole time. He didn’t say a word, just watched her quietly. She could feel the cold stroke of his frosty inspection. This made her nervous.
“Is there anything else?” Jasmine enquired. Arms full of clothes she turned to glance his way.
“Promise me you will take care while we are parted. The vampires here are not to be trusted nor are they harmless no matter how charming they may seem.” Eric murmured in caution.
“Eric, I am not about to trust any other bloodsuckers apart from you and Conall.” She assured him with a smile.
