by Anna Santos
“Don’t you think it feels hot tonight?” she asked, batting her eyelashes and making her most innocent face as he approached their bed.
He threw a pillow at her and rolled his eyes just like she so often did. She let out a husky sound that made his eye-color shift to purple. “Just sleep,” he beseeched, lying down next to her and turning off the light.
They lay face to face in the dark, listening to each other breathe and watching the other’s face.
“What is your policy regarding just kisses?” Jessica asked, breaking the silence.
“I have nothing against them,” he answered after a small pause.
“Good!” She rained down an onslaught of kisses on his mouth, sighing in the tight hold of his embrace and the sweet taste of their kisses.
Chapter Fifteen—Plans for the Future
JESSICA
Jessica woke up with the sweet feeling of a breathtaking happiness in her, for the first time in this life. She had found her mate. It felt surreal. She had dreamt of this moment for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, she had found him. He was alive and they had a loving family. Yet, things were problematic, unexpected, and daunting because she had a whole new set of memories of her past life along with the memories of her current life. The memories had begun to change her characteristics and emotions.
She had been in love with Marcus before. However, after these new recollections surfaced, it felt like she wouldn’t survive if he had refused her. She could feel a lump forming in her throat as her airway constricted just for thinking about it. She pushed away any frightening thoughts. They had worked things out the previous night, as much as they could in one evening, and they both seemed to be on the same page.
Then she became aware that she wasn’t feeling his arms around her anymore. They had fallen asleep late in the night after a hot make-out session. God, he kissed remarkably well! He tasted exceptional better than anything, and being near him was addictive. She’d been aroused over and above anything she had ever experienced in this lifetime. He had done nothing to ease that despite all her attempts to seduce him. She had tried to harass him, making him lose himself to lust, but he was true to his word. All they did was kiss and, by itself, it had been magical.
She sighed whimsically and wondered where he had gone. The bed beside her was noticeably empty and cold now. She didn’t remember waking up when he left. Just that they had slept in each other’s arms like they used to. She had missed that. She had missed everything from their life together. Now, more than ever, she remembered everything she had missed, and it was unbearable to her. She couldn’t help but feel disheartened for all the time they had missed out.
The bedroom door opened and Marcus came in with a tray of food. He wore a pair of leather pants and a white cotton shirt. He looked content and happy with his hair falling freely over his face. She gazed at him and smiled as she held the sheet against her chest.
“Good morning, beautiful! Did you sleep well?” he asked, kissing her lips and setting the tray before her. He sat next to her it was as if he were unable to stop smiling. That was a good sign.
Pleased, she greeted him back, “Good morning, my love. I slept like an angel, and you?” She bit into a piece of fruit from the tray. She was starving, thankfully he had brought her lots to eat.
“I also slept very well,” he said, leaning forward and kissing her again. Then he took a red rose from behind his back and presented it to her, its scent inspiring an even wider smile on her. “It is from our garden. The roses are budding again. It’s been ages since the flowers bloomed, I believe they felt you coming.”
Jessica looked longingly at him while eating a piece of toast and drinking her orange juice. His color and energy were returning. She was delighted with the thought of this because of how beautifully his eyes shone now.
“What?”
“You need to shave and I need to cut your hair. We’ll ask Eric for some clothes to dress you up. Maybe we can go out to town this afternoon, and I'll help you pick out new clothes. What do you think? I could also show you all the new gadgets you’ve been avoiding,” she said teasingly.
“Whatever makes you happy, honey.”
That surprised her so much, she almost choked on her toast. She had been expecting some kind of stubborn resistance on his part.
The king smirked. “Don’t look so shocked. Since I know you are alive, I can’t be waiting for death anymore, can I? I need to adapt to this century so I can make you happy and take care of you. I promise I will be more considerate from now on. Before, I thought I had all eternity with you and didn’t give you the attention you deserved. That was my biggest regret after you were gone.”
“You were always protecting us,” she whispered, caressing his face. “I have a lot of wonderful memories of our life together. I know you loved, worshiped, and treasured me. I know it because I could still feel it in this new life. If it wasn’t so wonderful, Marcus, I wouldn’t have been so desperate and determined to find you so we could be one again.”
“Let’s not talk about that now, we can just plan a whole new future together,” he requested in a sexy voice near her lips. He kissed her and then playfully bit the rest of the toast from her hand. “We have a wedding to plan, darling. I want to marry you this weekend.”
“Wait, what?” she asked, alarmed. “It’s already Monday.”
“So we don’t have much time, now do we? You can’t spend the day in bed. We need to start planning and preparing things. But first we should talk to the children, they’re all downstairs and extremely curious. I attempted to put their minds at ease. Yet, we still need to discuss this with June and her husband. I must also invite some important friends and allies to our wedding and introduce my queen to the people of our town.”
“Are you sure you slept?” Jessica’s head was spinning. “You’ve already done so much of the planning.”
“And I intend to do a lot more with you.”
“Okay then,” she whispered, taking the tray and putting it aside. “But I need to put clothes on if we’re going to do all that.”
“Anna went to pack your belongings to bring to your new home, I asked her to. I hope that was all right. For the time being, you may wear my clothes.” He removed his shirt, showing his perfectly shaped torso and abs.
He handed his garment to her as she took it with a pleased smile. It smelled delicious when she put it on. The shirt felt soft against her skin, and it made her break out in goosebumps.
“Now we can go into the bathroom so that you may shave my beard and cut my hair as you like.” He held her in his arms and kissed her softly. She gasped and hugged him back, unsettled by the way he was teasing her just as she had done the previous night. It was really uncalled for, then she thought two could play that game.
“Did you miss me taking care of you?” Jessica asked, remembering how she used to groom him inside their huge bathtub while talking and laughing after they had made love. The faint memory aroused and frustrated her even more. She had missed him.
“I missed doing all the things we used to do,” he said, easing her out of bed and pulling her hips close to his strong body.
She leaned against his chest and skimmed her lips against his skin. There was a time, long ago, when doing just that would make her fangs come out and make her thirst for him and his blood. But she was no longer a vampire; she didn’t lust for blood. She lusted for love, for his kisses, and his caresses all over her body.
“Do we really need to wait so long to make love again?” she asked, pouting.
“It is only five days. It will go by quickly.”
She sighed, aware that it wouldn’t do much good to insist. She was not going to beg him for his body. He had to want it without her begging for anything. She would respect his means of acclimating to her new self. And she would also need to adjust to his new self. For her, he just looked older, but for him, she was an entirely new person.
“Let’s turn you into a sexy and hot twen
ty-first-century man then,” she whispered, taking his hand and pulling him to the bathroom.
* * *
THE KING
Marcus watched Jessica shave his beard and kiss his skin with her plump pink lips. She was a tease, though he didn’t mind. He liked when she touched and kissed him as she giggled against his mouth. He enjoyed trailing his hands along her back and hips, pulling her close and tickling her.
Every movement seemed to happen in slow motion as she trimmed his hair. Though, he wasn’t sure about cutting his hair so short. Yet, he knew she wanted him to look modern and sharp, therefore, he needed to lose the medieval look. He went along with everything she suggested as he concentrated on her body beneath his shirt, which was almost see through. He could see her whole figure and she was gorgeous. She had perfect curves and mesmerizing breasts. He was hypnotized by them. Her nipples pressed against the fabric as she stood between his legs, just with a small portion of her gorgeous, long, naked legs covered by the shirt. She was bra-less, and it was extremely difficult to resist making love to her. He had barely slept during the night because of his constant arousal due to being by her side. Marcus had risen early in the morning and gone for a walk outside to clear his head; otherwise, he would have woken her up and made love to her as he fantasized about doing.
As she snipped and trimmed, she kept talking, perhaps unaware he was undressing her with his eyes. She talked a lot. She could speak about anything, which he didn’t mind. He wasn’t accustomed to speaking with a living and breathing person lately; since she’d gone. He had been talking to her in his dreams with no idea she had reincarnated.
Her voice soothed him; it was relaxing and made him smile. She didn’t need any reply. She made plans and talked about the clothes she wanted to buy for him. It was relaxing and familiar. She also lectured him for being a recluse and staying inside the palace walls for so many years, neglecting himself. Then, she just hugged him in the middle of a haircut and held him really tight. She asked for his forgiveness for not finding him sooner.
It was no one’s fault. Well, yes, he did blame the person who caused her death. Though he had sworn revenge on him, the king couldn’t be sad any longer. Ellie had come back to him. He still could not quite believe that this was real, and that he wasn’t caught up in some vivid fantasy created by his mind.
“Everything will be fine, my love,” the king whispered to put her mind at ease. She was emotional, he could sense that. “I won’t go anywhere and I won’t let anyone take you away from me.”
“It isn’t just that.” She sat on his lap and sobbed a bit. He stroked her hair and took her face into his hands to survey her weepy blue eyes. She was so gorgeous! He couldn’t deny that. He loved Isobel’s face and her sweet, dark eyes, but this new version of her was also really beautiful.
“What?” he asked in a throaty tone.
“I’m afraid I’ll lose my memories again. It’s happened before. I still can’t remember a lot of things.”
Marcus grew anxious, thinking about the meaning of her words. He thought back to the day before when her memories had returned, and what that did to her. He didn’t want her to have another seizure and possibly die from it. He didn’t want to lose her.
She looked down at him. “I know I’m a bit different and...I can be bossy and rude, but it’s just that I have lived alone for the better part of my life. My parents didn’t want me—they sent me away to be cured. I had to learn to take care of myself, so I have a bit of a problem with...authority. I really don’t like to be told what I have to do. However, that is the product of my education, my new memories, and society. You can’t really blame me for that,” she argued.
“What?” he asked, completely lost in her speech. She was pouting, and he kissed her cheek to ease her mind.
“If you ask nicely, I’ll do anything you want,” she whispered alluringly, and the king smiled, amused. It sounded very familiar.
“Ellie.” He swallowed hard, unsure what name he should call her, though she seemed to like this one. “I will love you even if you lose your memories of us. Don’t worry about that.”
“You didn’t like me when I didn’t remember you and I was stubborn.”
“Actually, darling,” he said, laughing a bit, unsure if he should tell her, “I really like the fire that is burning inside you now. It’s kind of a turn-on.”
She smiled, pleased with his response, and laid her head against his shoulder, hugging him and pulling him closer.
Suddenly, he became fully aware of her breasts pressed against his chest. His hands touched her hips under the shirt and caressed her skin with the tips of his fingers. She felt wonderful. The heat coming from her was enticing; the smell of her humanity and the sound of her beating heart was a turn-on. He could feel his teeth wanting to come out and bite the soft skin in the curve of her neck, where she had a nice beauty mark, the spot where he used to like biting Isobel.
The king used his fingers to brush her hair away and looked at the beauty mark. It was interesting. Her neck was fascinating, too. She sighed with her eyes closed and shivered in my arms. He didn’t know if she was thinking he was going to bite her, but she didn’t seem worried or scared of that. It almost looked like she wanted him to do it. Her body became more relaxed and her breath came out as little pants filled by desire. Her hands clutched his chest, and Marcus could feel her fingers force themselves against his flesh.
He swallowed hard and trailed his fingers from the beauty mark to the top of her breast. She pushed herself against him harder and let a sigh caress his neck. He felt her lips brushing his skin, sending him into a spiral of uncontrollable raw lust. His hand cupped her breast, and his lips fell on her neck, kissing and softly nibbling it.
Damn, they couldn’t be next to one another. It was going to be impossible for him to endure five days without shredding her clothes to pieces and losing himself between her legs.
Chapter Sixteen—Family Reunion
JESSICA
Everyone’s eyes were on Jessie and the king who were holding hands as an uncomfortable silence fell over the office. They had spoken with Anna, Kevin, Eric, and Shane, and confirmed once more that Jessie was Isobel reincarnated. As for Kevin, he had just arrived home that morning and had been in the dark since he wasn’t present when everything happened. Yet, he did not react with much enthusiasm to his grandfather’s revelations and remained quiet with a puzzled look on his face while all eyes were on him.
Jessica held her breath and everybody worried as they waited for Kevin’s reaction.
“Are you all right, Kevin?” Jessie asked, feeling awkward about his blank stare. She didn’t want him to reject her or be upset about the situation. She hadn’t known who she really was until the previous night, but now that she knew that Kevin was her grandson, she regretted being unkind to him on some occasions, even though he could be a really stubborn boy.
“I’m still trying to make sense of what you've said. The world is a bit topsy-turvy since I came out of my coma. I definitely didn’t see this coming! I have to sit down,” he said, dropping on the couch. “My grandfather’s new mate just happens to be one of my best friends and the girl I’ve always had a crush on. Grandpa cut his hair short and shaved, and is now dressed in normal clothes and holding Jessica’s hand. Yes, I need time to absorb all of this.”
“You aren’t going to love me less because of this, are you?” she asked tenderly, approaching to kneel next to him. “You are still like a brother to me. Nothing will change. We will still laugh and fight and you will play tricks on me.” She smiled at him, hoping he would smile back at her. But he didn’t.
“I’ll be fine,” he said to her. But then he narrowed his eyes and looked at his grandfather. He got up with his hands closed into a fist. “So, you knew all this time that Jessie was your mate and you didn’t say anything?” Kevin asked as he crossed the room to confront him. “Why? Because she’s a witch and not a pureblood vampire, like yourself?”
“I unde
rstand your anger,” the king said in a normal tone, making no effort to pick a fight with his grandchild.
“You haven’t changed, have you? You are still the same bastard who rejected his own son for wanting to marry a shifter,” Kevin spat accusingly.
“Kevin, let Grandpa talk,” Anna requested, moving towards her brother until her grandfather raised a hand for her to stay put.
Kevin continued, “Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be Jessie’s mate?”
“Yes, I do. I didn’t say anything because I didn’t know that Jessica was Isobel’s reincarnation. I simply didn’t want another mate. I loved Isobel. I didn’t want to replace her.”
“And do you love Jessie?”
“Yes. Jessica is my queen. She's Isobel and I won't turn her away. She's mine.”
Kevin frowned as he absorbed the king’s words. “Okay, then,” he finally said and turned his back on his grandfather as he reached to bear hug Jessie. “Welcome to the family.”
Caught off guard, she giggled as she hugged him back.
Turning to the rest of his family, Kevin asked, “Now, who is going to pay for my therapy sessions for having sexual fantasies about my grandmother’s sexy new body?”
“Shut up, Kevin!” Anna ordered, rolling her eyes and throwing a pillow that hit him in the face and made him growl. “It is no time for jokes!”
“Who said I was joking?” he asked, apparently offended by his sister taking his words so lightly. “This is seriously messed up! I used to have a huge crush on Jessie, and now I find out that she was my grandmother in another life. I’m sorry, but am I the only one to find all this bizarre? What are the odds? We knew her long before we did Grandpa, and we are her friends. And now we all find out that she used to be the mom to our father?”
“I know it's a lot to take in,” Jessie intervened. Her head started to hurt, but she was not going to call attention to it so not to worry anyone. Telling Kevin the truth made her nervous. “I was surprised by all this, too. But I can’t be sad. I love you two. I’ve always loved you, and we’ve always treated each other like we were family. Maybe deep inside some part of us knew we were related.”
