by JF Holland
“Sit,” he told her, pointing to the leather armchair in the corner and holding out his hand for his coffee.
Jill handed him his drink and put her own on the edge of his overflowing desk, full of paperwork and files. His stethoscope on top of a file, the ear pieces hanging off the corner.
“Right, now tell me what’s going on, so I can get a nap in before I’m due in surgery this afternoon.” With that he blew on his coffee and took a sip, craning his neck to reach it from where he cradled it on his chest.
“Leonard,” she hissed.
“What’s he done?”
“He’s… he’s…” she sputtered, unsure how to continue. I mean, Thomas knew him, but did he really know him? Did he know what he was? She bit her lip as she reached for her coffee, taking a long swallow as she worked out what to say.
“Come on Jill, spit it out, I’m losing valuable sleep time here. Just tell me what he’s done,” he murmured taking another sip of his coffee with a sigh of satisfaction. He put the cup on the floor beside the sofa and then leaned back, his amber gaze now trained on her.
Sheesh, did the man not blink?
He watched her, his staring, unblinking gaze disconcerting and making her fidget where she sat. Feeling like a bug under a microscope.
“Jill?” he sighed.
“You know Leonard, right?”
“Yes, I know Leonard,” he told her carefully, frowning now.
“Do you know, know him, or is he just an acquaintance?” Jill asked, sitting forward and biting her lip, hands twisting in her lap. Thomas’s eyes slit, and he pushed himself up, swinging his legs around and now looking very much awake.
“Explain exactly what you mean?” Thomas asked her, his gaze now trained on her, unwavering.
“Just how well do you know him?’ she asked, unable to let the cat out of the bag if he didn’t know. I mean, the man was a doctor, he could have her strapped into an unflattering and uncomfortable jacket, and have her on the psych ward before she finished the sentence.
“I know him very well, I know all about him,” Thomas told her carefully, watching her.
“You know that he’s a… a…” she hissed, her top teeth showing as she pretended to bite. She rolled her eyes feeling stupid, but didn’t know how else to do it. She could not bring herself to say the words. His eyebrow rose and he blinked, sitting back, and groaning. Jill threw her hands up in the air before covering her face and flopping in her seat. “You didn’t know, did you?” She mumbled from behind her hands.
“I can’t hear you.” Thomas replied dryly from his seat.
“I said, you didn’t know, did you?” She repeated, her head now bowed as her hands dropped and went back to twisting in her lap. “I’ll have to ring him, he’ll have to come here and sort this mess out,” she sighed. “I’m sorry for getting you into this Thomas, but I’m afraid you can’t leave just yet,” she told him forlornly, from her seat. “I knew I shouldn’t have opened my mouth, now I’ve gotten you mixed up in the middle of this. For that, I am truly sorry,” she told him sadly, her head snapping up when he began laughing.
“If you mean he’s a vampire, yes I know. You’re okay Jill, you don’t have to set him on me,” he told her dryly, shaking his head. Then, he began to laugh again, his shoulders shaking with mirth.
“It’s not funny,” she hissed. “Hang on, what do you mean, you know he’s a vampire?” she asked him suspiciously, her own eyes slitting now as she stared at him. His eyebrow rose as he stared back, not breaking their connection as he bent and picked up his coffee. Her eyes widened as they lifted to his mane of hair and then back to his eyes.
“Bollocks, you’re a shifter, aren’t you,” she told him in disgust, then snorted as he just grinned at her and drank his coffee.
“You do know that can’t be real, don’t you?” she told him. “I mean it was a stretch to believe his ramblings about vampires, but he’d bitten me several times at that point so it was a little hard to refute,” she waved her hand as if a done deal.
Thomas just nodded as he drank his coffee and then pulled his mobile phone out of his scrubs pocket. Dialling and lifting it to his ear as it was answered.
“I think you are going to be needed here, in about, oh, 5-minutes.” He went quiet and listened to whatever was said on the other end of the phone.
“God, you are going to have me sectioned, aren’t you?” Jill wailed, but she shut up, her mouth dropping open in shock at his next words.
“I think she will need help as I’m about to save your arse.” Thomas told whoever was on the other end of the phone. He then closed it and put it down on the sofa beside him. Sighing, he picked up his coffee and quickly emptied it in a large swallow, before moving across the room. He put his cup down on his desk, then turned to Jill. He held out a hand, and she took it, frowning as he helped her up from her seat. Next, he walked her over to the sofa, and encouraged her to sit down, patting her knee, once she was seated.
Jill sat there, staring at Thomas, her mind sluggish as she tried to figure out what was going on. Was he just humouring her, keeping her here until they came to take her to the psych ward, because she wouldn’t blame him. I mean, who blurts out words like shifters, and vampires.
I’ve lost the plot.
Then her mind shut down completely as she gasped, staring in shock at Thomas, or what had been Thomas just a minute ago. Now, in his place stood a lion, a big fucking lion, complete with mane and intelligent amber eyes. It stared at her unblinking and she squeaked, the only sound she managed as she scrambled back on the sofa, spluttering and tugging her knees up. Rolling her eyes, I mean what did she thing that was going to achieve. He could still reach her and bite her in half, his head was higher than the sofa, he wasn’t a fucking house cat after all. And thinking about it, even a house cat could get her as they jumped.
Shit, did lions jump?
Her eyes snapped to the very large; actually, obscenely, large cat. The office door slammed open and the lion turned, a snarl leaving it as it dropped back, front end lower and tail swishing in agitation. Jill covered her eyes as he turned, because all his wedding tackle was hanging down, and swaying there for all to see.
God, I’ll never be able to look him in the eye again.
“Really, Thomas, this is your bright idea? Look at her, she’s basically catatonic,” Leonard growled angrily. He pushed past the lion, who made a rumbling sound as it backed up further as he came fully into the room and closed the door again.
As Jill stared unblinkingly, the lion contorted, bones popping and fur vanishing, until Thomas; the man, once again stood there. Her startled eyes jumped to Leonard as he made a noise in the back of his throat. He was now by her side, his eyes shooting daggers at Thomas who now stood with his very human hands in his pockets.
I’m so screwed, because, we are definitely not, alone.
“Jill, baby… I’m,” Leonard went quiet as she held a hand up.
“Excuse me… Just, for a min…” Jill murmured, just as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she began to fall forwards.
“Shit!” Leonard muttered, jumping and grabbing her before she hit the floor, scooping her up and into his arms. He then sat on the sofa, an unconscious Jill now in his lap.
Thomas crouched before them, finger to the pulse in her neck, counting.
“She’s just fainted,” he told Leonard.
“You think!” Leonard snarled. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“I thought I was saving your arse. She thought you were a mental case,” Thomas told him dryly.
“I’d rather she thought that than this,” Leonard sputtered, his chin bobbing towards a motionless Jill, who lay across his lap.
“Yes, but at least she no longer thinks you’re a basket case.”
“No, now she knows that there really are shifters, and Thomas, I can’t take it from her. I can’t read or control her,” Leonard hissed.
“Bollocks,” Thomas murmured, straightening, and r
unning a hand around the back of his neck.
“It’s not your fault. She’s my mate, my other half. Damn, I never thought I’d get to this point,” Leonard told him in surprise. His eyes then dropped to Jill, watching her chest rise and fall in wonder. “I’m just not sure she’ll ever get passed it though, past all the immortality stuff.”
“Take her home, I’ll stick the phone through to reception.” Thomas told him, and Leonard nodded, standing with her still in his arms. “Just use your whammy if anyone stops you in the corridor.”
“Thomas?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for trying, at least.” Leonard told him with a sad smile.
“I wish you well, I hope you can work it out.”
With that, Leonard left his office, picking Jill’s bag up from her own office on the way through.
“Oh, and Leonard,” he turned, looking at Thomas who stood at his office doorway.
“Congratulations, I like her.”
“I’m so glad,” Leonard told him drolly, rolling his eyes.
“Yes, but I also get to keep my secretary, double bonus,” Thomas grinned. Then laughed as Leonard flipped him the birdie with the hand presently holding Jill under her thighs. With a shake of his head, he made his way up the corridor, and not one person saw or stopped them as they didn’t see them. He had her out of the building and into the car within a heartbeat.
After a sleepless couple of nights, after leaving her and helping his friends clean up after the whole Maisie incident; a whole other story. Well, he’d had enough. Everyone was loved up in Lower Lunaton, well either that, or on the mend. He couldn’t be around them, so had spent the weekend rattling around his house. He’d even phoned his mother to get her advice. She’d told him to grow as set and go get his mate, as it was past time that he settled down, and to bring her to visit once sorted. Then, she’d told him she was on her way to the opera and she’d speak soon. No help there then. Even his housekeeper had walked out and told him to ring her once he’d sorted his life out, so that’s how he’d ended up here.
He’d been on his way to have it out with her at work, as she’d told him not to come to her house. He’d just turned into the car park of Upper Lunaton General; where she worked, when Thomas had rung. Which meant, the engine had been off and he’d been at Thomas’s office door within minutes. Being a vampire had its advantages; especially, the prenatural speed.
Sighing, he looked to Jill who was still out of it. He then turned the heating up in the car to keep her warm as he waited for her to come around. In the meantime, he tried to work out what he’d say to her. For the first time in his long life, he’d found something that could make or break his immortality for him. It may be nice living, well, forever in some cases, but being alone, also had its downside. He’d lost count of how many nights he’d spent that way - probably a triple
lifespan of an average human. After a while you could become withdrawn, even from your family. Living on the fringe of society, but by your own rules. That’s where the problem of rogues normally came from, immortals who’d spent too long on their own. They basically committed suicide by killing. It was one sure fire way of having your long life ended. Rogue immortals, whether shifter, fae or vampire, could not be allowed, as it endangered them all. It was down to other immortals to police themselves to keep their secrets, as humans did not have the capabilities to end them.
Jill lay on the warm seat of Leonard’s Maserati pretending to still be out of it. She kept her breathing light as she tried to work out how she felt.
Was she scared?
Of Leonard, no, not even a little.
Of being without him, of never seeing him again?
Most definitely.
How had he gotten under her skin so fast?
“Jill, I know you’re awake, I heard the change in your heartbeat and respiration.”
“Of course you did Drac,” she drawled in disgust. Pushing herself up in the passenger seat, and tucking the hair that had fallen out of her topknot behind her ear.
“Are you ready to talk yet?” Leonard asked.
“How about you take me to pick up Fluffy-Jay. Then take me to yours and to bed, and then ask me?”
“Before or after I’ve been inside and all over you?” Leonard asked.
“Hmm, probably after, I’ll be in a much more receptive mood after an orgasm,” she told him primly.
“I think I can do better than just one,” he drawled, putting the car in gear and tearing out of the car park.
“Are you in a hurry?” Jill asked, grabbing onto the dash board as there was no ‘oh shit bar’ fitted before her.
“Yes, most assuredly,” Leonard laughed, prising her hand off the dashboard and pulling it over to him. He leaned over and kissed her palm, before placing it below his on the gear stick.
Epilogue
J ill stood with Leonard at the door of his friggin mansion. I mean, it wasn’t; more Country Manor, but compared to her place it most definitely was.
“Stop staring,” Leonard whispered.
“I can’t help it, it’s huge. I hit the jackpot. I fell in love with an honest to god, rich sugar daddy,” Jill laughed.
“I’m not your sugar daddy,” Leonard growled as Luc took off.
“Yes, you are, your absolutely ancient,” Jill replied, watching Luc head over the trees. “So that’s Luc?”
“Yes, and I’m very proud of you,” Leonard told her. Squeezing her side as he held her to him and moved her through the lobby.
“What are you proud of?” Jill asked, staring at the marble flooring again as he took her with him up the stairs.
“You didn’t pass out when you saw that my housekeep is a troll, or that Luc has wings and fangs.”
“Ha-ha-ha, very funny sugar daddy,” she shot back, nudging him in the side. “Where are we going?” she asked looking around.
“Well, as I’m the sugar daddy, I thought it was about time you paid me with your body,” Leonard told her turning, eyes sparkling as he flashed his fangs.
“No, no biting,” she laughed as he nodded enthusiastically.
“I’ll let you bite me too.”
“Ooh, in that case, catch me if you can,” Jill laughed, dodging around him and taking off up the corridor.
“I do believe you are caught,” Leonard whispered in her ear as he scooped her off her feet and kept running.
Jill hung on, laughing as he pushed open his bedroom door. Then, slammed it shut and locked it behind them.
“Why did you lock the door?” she asked, nibbling his neck and making him groan as she sank her teeth into his shoulder.
“I don’t want the housekeeper walking in on us.”
“I’m not sure if I’ll ever get use to a woman having a beard,” she shook her head at that one. “Plus, she’s not due back until tomorrow morning and it’s only 3pm now.”
“Exactly,” Leonard told her, heading towards the bed and dropping her onto it, coming down on top of her.
“You mean to keep me in bed until tomorrow.”
“Oh yes, I have lots of time to make up,” he told her earnestly, reaching for the hem of her jumper, she’d changed into when they’d picked Fluffy up.
“We were only apart for two days.”
“It felt longer,” he admitted.
“For me too,” she told him. “Leo, I do love you, fangs and all,” he grinned.
“I love you too, smart mouth and all.”
“Luc let you off for breaking the 5-dates rule?” he nodded. “You’re lucky because technically, we only had about 3-dates,” Jill sighed as she lifted her arms so he could remove her jumper.
“No, I’m counting the chippy after the pub the first night as 2-dates.”
“That’s cheating,” she told him, sighing as he kissed between her breasts.
“No, it’s not, I had to eat chippy chips Jill, it’s miraculous,” he told her raising his head from her belly and resting his chin on her.
“And wh
ere did these other dates come from?”
“The restaurant,” he told her.
“No, that was after the ballet.”
“Yes it was, 2-dates in one, aren’t I clever,” he blew a raspberry on her stomach and made her laugh.
“Stop it, I’ll pee,” she squealed and he laughed.
“Ooh, it’s been a while since I’ve had a golden shower.” He chuckled as she wrinkled her nose, and he blew another raspberry on her.
“Stop it, I give up, I give up, we’ve had 5-dates, your right. I’m sorry, I surrender,” she cried with laughter.
“So is it going to be this easy for me to get you to accept the change?” he asked, pushing himself up and straddling her legs so she couldn’t escape. He pulled his own jumper off and threw it on the floor to join hers where it had landed as it had slid off the bed.
“You want to change me?” Jill asked.
“Yes, well, no, not change you per se. I just want to make you immortal.” Leonard told her, flicking the front catch on her bra and brushing the material to one side. He then stared at her breasts, before groaning and covering them with his palms, kneading and plumping the soft globes. Her back bowed beneath him and he grinned, bending forward and brushing his mouth over hers. “I don’t want to change you; I just don’t want to lose you. Plus, once you are changed
you’ll be able to feed from me,” he told her, against her mouth.
“Really, like blood?” her nose wrinkled.
“Yes, blood, you won’t think of it the same once you are changed. But, there is a down side,” he warned her.
“What?” she asked, her back bowing again as he sat up and again covered her breasts.
“You can’t bite donors only me, like I told you,” he told her.
“Why?”
“Because you will be a made vampire, your body will not produce the oxytocin that natural born vampires produce.”
“I won’t be able to make you orgasm with a bite?” she asked him with a pout.
“I think you probably could,” he grinned. “If you bite in the right place,” he waggled his eyebrows and she laughed. “The other thing is we’ll be able to communicate with each other once you make the change.”
