by I. T. Lucas
Propped on his arms, Bhathian hovered above her, his fleshy lips delivering gentle kisses to her flushed face.
With a smile, she opened her eyes to look at his handsome face and wrapped her arms around his massive torso, barely reaching past his sides. “Make love to me, big guy.”
He didn’t say a thing, but his eyes spoke volumes. Love and admiration pouring out of them in a light show of warm colors.
In the back of her mind warning bells chimed. A woman could get used to feeling like that but shouldn’t. There was nowhere to go from there but down.
Before that thought had a chance to destroy her blissful contentment, Bhathian slid into her in one gentle thrust and began moving inside her. Slow and steady, he was like a wave, retreating and surging, and retreating and surging again, his tempo increasing in barely there increments, stoking the fire inside her one tinder at a time.
Eva had had sex aplenty in her long life, but very little lovemaking. With Bhathian, even when they were playing games and it got intense, the sense of connection underlying everything made it feel like love.
Though gradual, the buildup soon reached critical velocity, and the loving turned into no-holds-barred, immortal style fucking. As the orgasm hit her, Eva’s mouth opened on a scream, but Bhathian smashed his lips over hers and swallowed what came out of her throat.
His name.
When he let go, she turned her head sideways, offering him her neck.
Bliss. Then oblivion.
The next time Eva opened her eyes, her bedroom was bathed in the gentle gray light of early morning’s sunlight filtered by the thick marine overcast.
Carefully, she lifted Bhathian’s heavy arm, slipped out of bed, and ducked into the bathroom.
Done with her morning routine, Eva opened the bedroom door and looked at her man’s amazing body sprawled over her bed. It was so tempting to crawl back under the covers and cuddle with him. But she had a busy day ahead of her and staying in bed meant finishing her work late.
She’d better get dressed.
But Bhathian…
Undecided, she rubbed at her bare arms. The sound must’ve woken him, and he turned around, regarding her as if she was a marvel of beauty.
Eva smiled. “Every time you see me naked, you have the same awe-struck look in your eyes as if it’s the first time. I love it.” She wondered how long it would last.
“I’ll never get tired of the vision you make. You are female perfection.” He lifted the blanket and beckoned her with a crooked finger. “Come back to bed, and I’ll warm you up. I kept it nice and toasty for you.”
For some reason, that small gesture brought a sting of tears behind her eyes.
It was nothing, really, but the fact that he was mindful of her little quirks meant a lot to her. Eva tended to get cold easily and hated getting into a chilly bed.
Why did it make her so emotional, though?
Maybe because love wasn’t about the big things. It wasn’t about extravagant gifts or elegantly phrased declarations, and it wasn’t even about grand heroic deeds or flowery sentiments. Love was about the small things, like remembering that your loved one hated cold beds, or that she liked her coffee with a spoonful of sugar, or that spiders creeped her out. It was knowing what her favorite show was, and bringing home her favorite takeout, and a thousand and one other things that meant you paid attention and that her comfort and enjoyment were important to you.
Maybe it wasn’t everyone’s definition of love, but it was hers.
Bhathian loved her.
The certainty of it hit her like a bolt of lightning, and she swayed on her feet.
Between one blink of an eye and the next, Bhathian was out of bed and at her side, holding her up. “What’s the matter? Are you dizzy? Do you need a glass of water?”
She put a hand on his chest. “I’m fine. Thank you for caring.”
He lifted her up and put her in bed, covering her with the blanket that was still warm from his body. “That’s an odd thing to say. Thanking me for caring for you? It’s as much a part of me as breathing. I don’t expect to be thanked for it.”
She cupped his cheek. “I know you don’t.” Those tears were still there, waiting to spill out of the corners of her eyes. She held them back. It would be too difficult to explain why she was getting emotional. “I think you’re right and I’m a little dehydrated. Could you bring me a glass of water?”
“Of course.”
Bhathian grabbed his pants off the nightstand and pulled them on, then headed downstairs to the kitchen, giving Eva a few moments to collect herself.
He’d said he loved her before, but she hadn’t believed him. Not in the sense that she thought he was lying, but that he was misguided, and that he couldn’t possibly love her.
But he did, showing his love in all the little things he did for her, the ones she took for granted and didn’t even notice.
Tessa was right. Eva had doubted Bhathian’s love because she thought of herself as undeserving. And she wasn’t.
Did she do nice little things for him? Did she know what his favorite show was? Well, she knew that one. He loved watching Cosmos and football games.
What else?
When he drank coffee, he liked it black, but he wasn’t a fan of it. Bhathian drank mainly water and a beer or two in the evenings.
He loved Nathalie and Phoenix. He was good friends with Andrew, but other than that she didn’t think he had a lot of friends. Bhathian was a loner. But he loved being with her.
She needed to find out more about him. To show him that she cared for him.
God, I want to love that man.
As it dawned on Eva that she was incapable of letting herself love Bhathian, the tears she’d been holding began dripping down her cheeks. Tessa was right about that too. Until Eva let go of the past and forgave the men in her life as well as herself, she couldn’t open her heart to love.
Chapter 42: Jackson
“Vlad, don’t you and Gordon have something planned for tonight?”
Tessa was on her way, and Jackson wanted his buddies gone so he could answer her questions without them overhearing. Intentionally or unintentionally.
“Why? Is your girlfriend coming over?” The sarcastic undertone in Vlad’s voice was new.
Jackson frowned. “I thought you liked Tessa.”
“I do. But it’s started to feel as if this is your place and not ours. Every evening you can't wait to get rid of Gordon and me so you can be alone with her. I get it. But we can’t hang out in bars or go to the movies every night, and I’m forced to spend more and more time at my mom’s. You know how much I like that. I love her, but she’s bat-shit crazy.”
Jackson cringed. Vlad’s mom’s craziness was fun in small doses, but being exposed to it daily? Not so much.
Maybe he should get a place of his own. But with all his talk about the big money he was making, it wasn’t that much, and the cost of rent was insane. Especially since he could have no roommates and would have to pay it all himself. Last he heard, a crappy studio apartment went for fifteen hundred. He could make the payments, but then his monthly saving would dwindle to basically nothing.
Being a coffee shop manager wasn’t his life goal. It was a stepping-stone to something better. Jackson needed to save up as much as he could.
Damn. The rule about having to either finish college or be twenty-five to get a share of the clan’s profits was so stupid. Kian should change it.
Maybe he could talk to the guy, or maybe not. Kian had already done him a big favor. He couldn’t bother the regent with more requests. Not that asking would help. Kian wouldn’t change the profit sharing rule just because of Jackson. He needed to come up with a solution on his own.
“I’m sorry, dude. You’re right. I can’t expect you guys to be gone every evening. Give me this one time, and I’ll try to figure out something for the future.”
Vlad lifted one of his thin brows. “The solution is simple. Soundproof your room, and
keep your girlfriend there.”
“Do you know how? Because I don’t have a clue. It’s not like soundproofing a recording studio.”
“Maybe it is. I don’t know. I’m going to ask around.”
“Thanks, man.”
Vlad saluted with two fingers. “All for one and one for all, bro.”
By the time Tessa knocked on the door, Vlad and Gordon were long gone.
Why the hell did she still knock instead of just walking in? As he opened the door for her, Jackson was about to say something to that effect when the words died on his lips.
The girl standing outside was Tessa, but different.
A lot different.
“What have you done?”
She shifted her weight from foot to foot. “You hate it.”
Damn it. “I don’t hate it, I’m just shocked.” He shook himself, and pulled the door open all the way to let Tessa inside.
Her hair, which used to be brown, wavy, and reaching past her shoulder blades, was now light blond with darker shades weaved through it, stick straight, short in the back and chin length in the front. Long bangs covered her eyebrows and made her small face look even smaller. Other than that, she was also wearing a lot of makeup, including a bright red lipstick.
Tessa looked like she was on the verge of tears. “Eva said I needed to change my looks drastically so no one from my past could recognize me.”
Jackson took her by the hand and led her to the front booth where they usually sat when there was no one in the café. “If that was the objective than it was achieved. But why? Is someone after you?”
“She said it was a precaution. Because I didn’t change much over the years, I’m easily recognizable. This was just the first stage.” She pointed to her face. “Tomorrow she is taking me clothes shopping. She says I need to drop the mousy look and adopt a confident one.” Tessa grimaced. “She wants me to start wearing heels and elegant skirts and look like a sophisticated professional woman.”
Jackson couldn’t imagine Tessa looking like some snooty socialite. But he had to admit that with such a drastic change no one would even think to compare her to her old self.
“Eva is right. And if anyone knows how to change looks completely it’s her. She is the master of disguise.”
Tessa sighed. “I can deal with everything except the heels. How am I going to walk? I’ll twist my ankles for sure.”
“Start with low ones and keep upgrading.”
“I guess.”
She looked so despondent that he felt like an ass for reacting the way he had. The new haircut was cool, and Tessa looked pretty, she just didn’t look like herself.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her against him. “You look hot. And I can’t wait to see you in a tight skirt and high heels. My only problem with this new look is that I’ll have to beat up any guy who looks at you funny.”
Tessa’s body tensed. “I don’t want men to look at me.”
Damnit. Eva should’ve thought of that. There was a reason Tessa dressed like a kid. She didn’t want to look like a woman. Out of the outfits they had chosen together, she’d only worn the pants and shirts. He hadn’t seen her in that tight black dress even once.
A different angle was needed.
“It’s not going to be so bad. You don’t go out much. Right?”
She nodded. “Now I’m not going to go out at all. Grocery shopping in heels is ridiculous and uncomfortable. I don’t know what’s going through Eva’s head.”
Jackson had a feeling he knew. Now that Tessa was making a real effort to overcome her fears, Eva was expecting her to go out more.
“I’ll tell you what. We’ll go out together. I’ll take you to the mall on Sunday.”
“I’m not sure about it.”
“You know that I can protect you, right?”
Tessa shrugged. “I guess you can handle one unarmed guy. But what if there are more?”
He chuckled. “Did you already forget what you were told last night? I’m an immortal.”
She shrugged again. “That’s good because they can’t kill you. But they can still take me.”
He’d forgotten that Tessa still didn’t have a clue what being an immortal meant. “I’m stronger and faster than a human male. All my senses are more acute; hearing, eyesight, smell. Immortal males are the most dangerous predators on the planet. That doesn’t mean that a group of humans armed with knives and guns can’t take me down, but I doubt gangs are hanging around shopping malls looking for trouble.”
She turned to him with a wide-eyed look. “If I become immortal like Kian said, will I also get stronger and faster?”
“Yes, you will.”
“How much stronger?”
“Strong enough to take down an average human male.”
For the first time since she’d arrived a smile bloomed on her face. “How soon can I do it? And what is it going to take?”
Chapter 43: Tessa
Jackson tilted his head, a questioning expression on his face. “Don’t you want to find out more first? I would think you’d have a thousand questions.”
Tessa waved a hand. “Of course I do. But this is the most important part.” If she could become a superwoman, she wanted to do it yesterday. It was a dream come true, and the immortality was just the cherry on top of finally feeling safe.
She could kick ass. A miniature-sized Wonder Woman. She could go to a martial arts class and learn how to do it properly. Or maybe she should join her neighbor’s Krav Maga class. The woman had offered Tessa, Sharon, and Eva a discount if all three enrolled together. The class was just for women, which was perfect for her.
But then if Tessa became as strong as Jackson had said she would, her strength would look suspicious. She should join the class before becoming immortal.
“Immortal males have fangs,” Jackson said.
Tessa had been so immersed in her daydreaming that she wasn’t sure she’d heard him right. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Jackson raked his fingers through his hair, pushing his long bangs back. “I said that immortal males have fangs.”
That was weird, but whatever. “So what?”
“And we also have venom glands. To induce the transition, I’ll have to bite you.”
“Where?”
He chuckled. “The neck is the most common place, but not the only one.”
“Then it’s a good thing I cut my hair. Here, bite me.” She tilted her head, presenting him with the expanse of her thin neck.
Jackson cringed. “It has to be done during sex.”
That complicated things. For some reason, she wasn’t scared of him biting her, maybe because she’d never been bitten before, but she was scared of everything else. “I see.”
Jackson clasped her hand. “There is no rush. I don’t want you to try force things before you’re ready just because you want to hasten your transition. It’s not a guaranteed thing. You’re a potential Dormant, but it may turn out that you’re not.”
“Is there a test for that?”
Jackson shook his head. “There are a couple of indicators. One is paranormal abilities, and the other is affinity. But I’m not an expert. Amanda is.”
“What do you mean by affinity?”
“It’s a certain feeling you get—like recognizing like. You feel more comfortable around your own people. That was the whole reason behind Eva’s housewarming party and Amanda’s lecture. She invited immortals to meet you and Sharon and Nick, then asked them if they felt something.”
“You mean Sharon and Nick are also potential Dormants?”
“Yes. They have some special abilities, and Eva picked them up because she felt the special something for them. But they don’t know yet, and you can’t tell them.”
“So why was I told?”
“Because of me. Us. Remember when you kissed me?”
Tessa nodded.
“My fangs got longer, and I had to pull away. I went to see Amanda and begged
her to let me tell you.”
That was sweet…
“Wait a minute. So how did you kiss other girls?” Jackson hadn’t kept his past hookups secret. She knew he'd been a player.
The guy looked more uncomfortable than she’d ever seen him before. “When I’m the one doing the kissing, I’m controlling what’s going on. I wouldn’t have let you enter my mouth.”
He’d let her lead because there was no other way she could get close to him.
“And then you started talking about taking it further, and I was totally on board with that. But in a situation like that, when I’m aroused, my fangs elongate, and my eyes glow, and you would’ve freaked out.”
Tessa tried to imagine Jackson with fangs and glowing eyes, testing the image to see if it was scary, but it wasn’t. His fangs and his glowing eyes weren’t half as scary as his hands and what was between his legs.
“If your fangs get longer when you’re aroused, does it mean that you always bite during sex? Not only to activate a Dormant?”
“Yes.”
“How the hell did you keep that a secret from your partners? I would assume it hurts pretty bad. Not something they might’ve not noticed.”
“First of all it only hurts for a second or two. When the venom hits, the euphoria it brings wipes away any pain. It’s the most intense pleasure possible. Later, I thrall the memory of the bite away. Make them forget.”
“Thrall?”
“Yeah, like in the vampire movies. That’s our survival mechanism. We can get into humans’ heads and make them forget things, remember things that never happened, and so on.”
She narrowed her eyes, pinning Jackson with a hard stare. “Have you ever done it to me?”
“No. And I never will.”
That was a relief. “Thank you.”
He smoothed his hand over her new hairdo. “I never felt right about thralling girls after I’ve been with them. But we have no choice.”
Even though it wasn’t a newsflash, Tessa cringed every time Jackson mentioned his past lovers. She couldn’t help it. The jealousy would rise, and no amount of self-talk helped make it hurt less.
