by Claire Marta
A shocked gurgle leaked from Marcel’s lips. Eyes bulging, he peered down in confusion at the protruding weapon for a second. Then his eyes lost their light and he crumpled sideways.
“Jasmine, are you alright?”
Eric’s deep, concerned voice penetrated her daze. She was shaking from both the cold and the turn of events.
“Yes,” she said rather calmly in light of what was happening. “It took you fucking long enough to jump in!”
She grasped the hand he offered her. His fingers gave a reassuring squeeze as he helped her up. He did not seem bothered by her harsh tone.
“You were doing admirably well, my dear. I had no wish to interfere,” Eric explained. A hint of a smile touched his lips.
“If you two have a moment could you untie my hands?” Twitch’s purring voice interrupted them. “I can’t use my magic without them and I really think we are going to need it before the shit hits the fan.”
He was peering up at them through a tumble of knotted cinnamon curls. Lips pursed in annoyance, peridot green eyes narrowed. Cold, wet flakes of snow were plastered all over him.
Jasmine fell to her knees again. Her numb fingers, feeling like fat, frozen sausages, fumbled with the knots of his bonds.
“Fuck, my fingers are frozen. I can’t do it.”
Eric pushed her hands away as he knelt beside her. Skilfully he undid the knots.
She glanced at the device on the latticework. The numbers on the digit screen were still moving backwards. Just the sight of the red changing numbers made her catch her breath as she willed herself not to hyperventilate. They were cutting this close.
“The bomb is still counting down,” Jasmine muttered, biting hard on her lower lip, her teeth clamping down until it was stingingly painful.
They each grabbed one of the mage’s arms and tugged him to his feet. Twitch grimaced, moaning in pain, as the blood once more flowed into his limbs. Shoving the messy hair from his face, he took a look at the bomb.
“Can you disarm it?” the vampire asked. No sign of anxiety on his face, he actually seemed calm and detached.
“Yes, I think so,” Twitch replied, brushing clumps of snow from his hair and face.
“You think so?” Jasmine’s voice suddenly sounded unnaturally high.
Twitch limped up to the fencing. Tipping his head to the side, he studied the black box carefully. “Remember I haven’t seen the whole thing together. Give me a fucking minute.”
“I do not think we have one,” Eric said under his breath.
The mage carefully placed his hands on the device. His eyes skimmed the collection of coloured wiring that was visible. He clucked his tongue and frowned.
Jasmine didn’t have a clue if this was good or bad. She was nibbling on her nails at this point. If Twitch couldn’t disarm it, what the fuck were they going to do?
Her eyes fastened on the display. The minutes had already slipped away. They were almost down to seconds.
Magic danced over Twitch’s skin like little electrical sparks. His lips were moving soundlessly with the spells he cast. It tickled her numb flesh, playing against her senses.
The counter, though, continued to tick, which she felt the need to tell him.
“Twitch, it’s still counting down!” Panic filled her voice.
Eric’s arm’s whipped around her. Drawing her backwards, he held her close. She could feel him caging her protectively with his big, hard body.
“I KNOW!” Twitch snapped.
Hands flitting above the wires, he began to call on his magic again. This time, it leapt and crackled around him. Raw power was sparking off his skin, his hair, flashing like streaks of tiny lightning from his fingertips. The air felt charged with static electricity and raised every hair on their bodies.
“Twenty seconds to go,” Eric said.
Jasmine found herself whirled around. The vampire’s hand was on the back of her head. Forcefully yet gently, he pushed her face into his chest, as if he wanted to shield her from what was to come.
“TWITCH!” Jasmine's yell was muffled. Clinging to Eric, she kept her face buried against him. His arms bound her tightly to him. Her own held on to him just as tightly.
“10, 9, 8, 7…” The vampire’s voice was soft, calm and measured. “6, 5, 4, 3, 2…”
Jasmine braced herself for the blast. Suddenly she regretted not getting to sleep with Eric. Wished she'd had more time in the job. Told friends how much they meant to her.
A whirr, sounded, then a click.
Nothing happened.
Jasmine peeked up from Eric’s chest. The tower had been plunged into darkness. Then abruptly the illumination lights began to pulse and dance around them rhythmically.
Jasmine flinched.
Eric’s deep, rumbling laughed rolled over her. “It is merely the light display Jasmine. It happens upon each hour for five minutes.”
She let her shoulders sag with relief. “Fuck, Twitch, you didn’t have to cut it that close.”
The techno mage sent her a relieved grin. “There was nothing really to worry about. I had it all under control.”
A squeak left his lips when she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him towards them. They found themselves in a three-way embrace. Jasmine squeezed them both tight.
They were alive. She couldn’t keep the big stupid grin off her frozen face. Here they were standing in the freezing cold, in the snow, and it was the best fucking night of her life.
The two males stood awkwardly as she hugged them together.
“Eric, this is Twitch, my best friend. Twitch, this is Eric the vamp I mentioned.” Jasmine beamed up at them both.
Meeting each other’s eyes they nodded, neither saying a word.
Eric abruptly cleared his throat. “We should remove the bomb and the toxin.”
“I can get the bomb down to the ground,” Twitch said quickly, embarrassment colouring the tone of his voice. “But the toxin, I don’t have a clue what to do with.”
The vampire was first to move out of the hug. “Raoul, my associate, will deal with it once we are there.”
Twitch didn’t move. Instead he crushed Jasmine against him for a moment, his eyes alight with caring and relief.
“It’s good to see you, Jazzy.”
Jasmine hugged him back. “It’s good to see you too, Twitchy, but I need you to do me a favour when we get home.”
Eyes widening slightly, a small wary smile tilted his mouth. “What’s that?”
Grabbing a handful of his long knotted curls, she tugged. “Get your fucking hair cut.”
A raspy laugh left Twitch’s lips. “Anything for you, Jazzy.”
Stepping back out of his embrace, she leaned back against the fencing. “I am taking the lift all the way fucking down. You can forget the stairs.”
Her energy levels were starting to crash. Already she could feel the adrenaline, which had kept her going draining away. The shakes had started in, moving through her body. If they were walking, someone was going to have to carry her. No way was she taking another step.
“You took the stairs the whole way up?” Twitch looked horrified as he moved towards the diffused bomb, which was still attached to the latticework. He began to detach it carefully.
“She did indeed,” Eric replied smoothly. “And also fought a werewolf.”
Eyes huge, Twitch glanced at her over his shoulder. “I always thought you were a little crazy.”
Jasmine pulled a face. “Thanks. I think.”
Chapter 25
When they arrived to the bottom of the Eiffel Tower, the French police wanted to know what had happened. Eric used a little of his persuasion to bend the truth. As far as the authorities knew, Marcel Coupe had set a bomb up there. Eric and Raoul erased any evidence of the supernatural, and, of course, the toxin was never mentioned.
Twitch, the story went, had to help take down the device and dispose of it. The vampires had both agreed this was safer rather than let the human bomb disposal unit
tackle it.
Just as Eric had said, Raoul took the toxin. It was now safely out of human hands, but Jasmine had no idea what he had done with it.
Jasmine’s energy had already been more than lagging by that point. The adrenaline rush had crashed hard, leaving her feeling achy, exhausted, and nauseated.
By the time they got into the suite sometime after three a.m., Jasmine was barely awake. She had vague memories of curling up fully clothed on the bed, but the next time she opened her eyes, she was naked under the covers. Eric was asleep beside her, naked as well, lying on his side. One of his hands was draped possessively across her stomach. As carefully as she could, she lifted his arm and wiggled out of the bed.
Now she lay relaxing in a hot bath full of fragrant bubbles. The aroma of lang lang and patchouli drifted in the moist air. The moment her body had hit the hot, soothing water it had washed away most of the aches. There were places, though, that still might need a few days in bed.
She was happy. Twitch was safe, but she really did not want him interrupting her relaxation. Knowing him, he would want to chat. Jasmine just wanted a few minutes of peace. She tipped her head to the side and stuck her finger in her ear. The moment her fingertip touched the magical ear piece, she heard a pop. The pink, gum-like substance fell discarded into her palm. It fizzed quietly as the magic burnt out. It was useless now. Once these things were out, they could never be reused.
Taking aim, she tossed it into the little wire bin under the sink. Jasmine smiled when it hit its target, making a satisfying ping against the metal. She released a long, relaxed sigh. Her head rested on the rim of the bathtub. Lying back, she closed her eyes and let the heat soak away the stress from her body.
Bruises marred her wrist where Eric had grabbed her. Where her shoulder had hit the fencing, a monster bruise had already started to form. Gashes marked her skin, but they had healed so well she suspected Eric had used drops of his blood to help them along. She was just glad to be alive. Three near-death experiences were her limit for one night.
Eric had rented Twitch his own room in the hotel. The vampire had insisted on paying for it and any room service Twitch might want. Obviously the vamp didn’t know what he had let himself in for.
The mage had been more than happy about this. She had no doubt in her mind that Twitch was enjoying the free Wi-Fi and satellite TV. He also had a sweet tooth a mile wide and was probably indulging it with a vengeance. Eric would have a heart attack at the bill.
Raoul was still out consulting with the French police. They had raided Marcel’s offices and rounded up a lot of his people.
Doctor Dasyurus was still a faceless ghost. According to the arms dealer’s henchmen, Marcel was the only person who had ever spoken to and seen the Doctor—and it was hard to get answers when Marcel was dead.
They still had no word on Claude, Marcel’s ex-lover. No one seemed to know what had happened to him. Jasmine felt a pang of regret. She had wanted to help him. He had been an innocent mixed up in this mess. The guy had only wanted to go home.
Awareness washed over her and sent a delightful rush over her wet skin. Suddenly she felt like she was being watched. Opening her eyes, she found she was no longer alone.
Eric stood in the doorway. A pair of jeans covered his long, thick legs, and his muscled chest was bare. He was leaning against the door, eyes watching her with a familiar, hungry, dark look. He held two flutes filled with a pale liquid.
“Merry Christmas.” Sauntering forwards, he extended one glass towards her. “Dom Pèrignon. Champagne for my lady.”
Jasmine realised then he was right. It was Christmas day and she had slept almost all the way through it. Oddly she didn’t feel uncomfortable laying naked in the bath with Eric watching her. She took the offered glass and raised it to her lips. It was cold. The bubbles danced on her tongue and down her throat.
“Good?” He propped himself against the sink, seeming content just to watch her.
Heart doing a little flutter, Jasmine smiled. “It’s very good, thank you.”
“I thought it was appropriate for this evening.” He lifted his own glass and took a sip. “I did promise you a drink back on the Eiffel Tower after all.”
His cerulean blue eyes wandered lower to where her breasts were hidden by a fragrant mound of bubbles and sharpened with intensity. Seconds ticked by and still he remained staring at her concealed chest.
Jasmine licked her dry lips. The taste of the champagne lingered on their plumpness. He had seen her naked before, but this time it was different. She wasn’t unconscious or hurt. This time she was fully aware of her nakedness.
The fragrant air grew sultry. An undercurrent of expectation seemed to hover between them. Did he intend to stand there all night or was he just waiting for all the bubbles to pop? Suddenly she was glad that she had used a generous amount of the expensive bubble bath. All Eric could see of her were shoulders, neck, and face.
An enticing, teasing smile danced across her lips. Taking another sip, she watched him over the rim of her glass. Jasmine didn’t have a clue how to seduce a man. She was willing to give it a try, though.
*
Eric watched the siren’s smile that touched her lips. It was beguiling. She looked like a mermaid in her sea of delicate, white bubbles. He was quite tempted to join her in the tub, which would accommodate two bodies perfectly.
Just the thought of their slick, wet skin sliding together had him painfully aroused. This seemed to be his permanent state around this little female. The water did look inviting. Unfortunately it was not what he had planned for this evening.
Reining in his thoughts from wet, bare flesh, he took a sip of champagne. Anticipation was buzzing through him like a drug. Just fucking her was something he was unwilling to do. This needed to be special for Jasmine and he intended to ensure this.
Tonight there would be no interruptions.
*
“I have taken the liberty of ordering dinner.” Eric’s deep baritone had a silky quality to it.
Jasmine frowned. “I thought we were going to eat with Twitch.”
She had a vague memory of agreeing to have dinner with her friend. Everything was a little jumbled, though, after getting down from the tower. She had been dead on her feet.
“Tonight I thought we could spend together. It is, after all, your last night in Paris before you go home,” he explained softly. “I acquired you and Twitch first-class tickets on the Eurostar. You will be going back to London tomorrow afternoon.” He paused for a moment, his eyes caressing over her. “Twitch has told me he is content to amuse himself online this evening.”
Had the vampire bribed the mage somehow? She tried to keep her expression neutral, but it was hard to keep the thrill from her face.
“If he’s really OK with that,” she said and took another sip of her drink.
“He is indeed.”
Jasmine shifted her legs restlessly beneath the water. They slid deliciously together. She felt her nipples hardening. Excitement uncurled inside her. They both knew they had unfinished business between them. Something she knew that could no longer wait.
A knowing smile curved Eric’s lips. “How are you feeling?”
“Feeling?” Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Did he know how excited she was already? That her body was practically sizzling from just his presence? She began to nibble nervously at the edge of her lower lip.
Eric watched, his eyes darkening slightly. “In just over twenty-four hours, you have almost frozen to death. You have been attacked twice, once by a particularly nasty werewolf. You have also walked the entire steps of the Eiffel Tower before dangling precariously off of said structure.” Amusement was etched over his handsome features. “I thought such an experience for a mortal would be a little…tiring.”
“Well, I have aches in a few places, if that’s what you mean,” she told him with a laugh.
Tingles that had nothing to do with the hot water had begun to shiv
er over her skin. A small sense of anticipation had started to grow.
After placing his glass on the sink, Eric turned to open a cupboard. She watched his broad back as he searched for something.
“Not too tired for dinner with me tonight then, I hope?”
“I want to have dinner with you, Eric,” she replied in a quiet voice. There was nothing she wanted more in the world right now. Spending time with Eric felt precious.
Turning back, he smiled charmingly. A collection of white tea lights were gathered in his hands. The vampire began to light them and place them around the bathroom.
When he was done, his eyes met hers. “Why not enjoy your bath for a while then. When you are done, I shall be waiting for you.”
Jasmine nodded. “OK.”
With a flick of his finger, he switched off the main light. The room became bathed in the incandescent glow of soft, flickering candlelight. It made her bath all the more perfect.
Jasmine felt her heart expand. Eric was really going out of his way to spoil her tonight.
The vampire watched her for a moment. The look in his wintry eyes was fathomless, mysterious. And then he walked out without looking back.
Light from the candles stretched, swaying shadows over the walls. It made the room feel more intimate, cosy. Jasmine’s body was strumming with arousal. Tonight she was going to let Eric have his wicked way with her. A smile spread across her lips. Her heart did a flip flop in her chest.
She was pretty sure under his sexy mouth and caressing hands, she was going to find heaven. Taking another sip of champagne, she sank down further into the hot water. She felt almost desperate for him at this stage, hungry for his touch. Her body had been on a low, simmering burn of arousal since she had first set eyes on him. It had never stopped once.
It was crazy how different she had become in a few short days. She was usually shy and wary around men. There had never been an attraction. No, that wasn't true. She had never allowed herself to feel attracted to them.
