Who was he talking about, Artest wondered? The Suckers always ran away. He tried to replay the weekend. Had Jordan run away from me twice? He felt he had to say something, but he couldn’t trust Fox to accept his anger as readily as Jahia’s. Jahia was special, even in the eyes of a god.
“Ashanti, Fox? You quote Ashanti as you shame me?”
Fox laughed, taunting him. “Even the Ashanti got it right some times. And I’m not trying to shame you. I’m trying to save you.”
They all looked up to see Ian opening the patio door. When they looked back, Fox’s chair was empty.
Chapter Thirty
Mama May used to talk about a friend of hers as running hot and cold. Jordan thought it was another one of those silly old women expressions, but today, that was how her day was going. She’d thought things were looking up when they got back to Tyler and Jahia’s. The house appeared empty, and she’d envisioned a normal, quiet afternoon getting to know Artest better, with a sizeable portion of the time spent in bed.
They heard noise coming from the back and found Jahia and Tyler on the deck. That would have been a good way to spend some time too, but then Artest said he was going to visit the temple.
Tyler asked her what had happened in their absence. She told him about everything as she saw it, and before long, he and his wife were asking questions and helping her fill in background blanks. She was really starting to enjoy herself when she heard somebody behind them opening the patio door.
Expecting Artest, she didn’t turn around. She was the only one surprised by the appearance of the seriously strange Mr. Fox. When he saw her, he put on his sunglasses, and that made her feel badly about her earlier reaction to his eyes.
He swaggered around the yard, commenting on Jahia’s flowers. With his eyes covered, the man could earn money on a runway. Jahia joined him in the garden when his whispering became too hard to hear. Tyler continued to talk about the school incident, but he was distracted. Jordan thought she was boring him, but then she saw that he was watching his wife interacting with Fox. Who could blame him?
When the two of them returned to the chairs, she could see that Jahia was charmed to the point of giddiness. It looked good on her.
Things remained hot for a short while after Artest returned, but then Fox announced that the Hunters were working in pairs, and the way he’d paired them wasn’t what they’d expected.
Cold.
Jahia stormed off, Tyler looked like he wanted to kill somebody, and Artest wasn’t readable. He sat perfectly still for about five minutes after Fox stirred the pot and popped out.
“I’m going upstairs,” Artest finally said. He took a few steps and looked back at Jordan as if he was saying, ‘aren’t you coming?’
She sat on the bed as he paced around the bedroom.
“I don’t deserve this kind of treatment. I’ve been loyal., Even when Fox was at his craziest, I defended him.”
Jordan knew she was making a mistake, but that had never stopped her before. “Is it that you never work in pairs?”
“No, I knew we were pairing up this time. I’d already told Jahia I would go out with Tyler.”
“You don’t like Ian?”
“I don’t know him.”
“Then what?”
“Fox implied that I haven’t been taking good care of you.”
She smiled. “He should have asked me. I think your care has been excellent.”
Hearing her tone, he stopped pacing and looked at her. When he saw the smile on her face, she thought she had embarrassed him. “Maybe that’s his problem. He thinks I’ve been thinking with the wrong head.”
“Did he say that?”
“No, he would never say that. He believes there’s always time for sex. It’s just a problem for him when it gets in his way or there’s drama connected with it. He wouldn’t understand that what I’m feeling with you is not about sex.”
For Jordan, that statement was one of those heart-skipping moments. She wanted to take him in her arms, but she figured he wasn’t feeling too huggable.
He sat next to her. “I never had a chance to apologize for today. How are you doing?”
“I’m adjusting.”
He rubbed the back of her neck. “You do that well.”
“You take good care of me.”
He stopped rubbing. “Jordan, I believe Fox saved our asses today. Don’t give me credit.”
His funk was back.
“Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, but you’re the one about to get lucky for it.” Jordan didn’t know where that came from. Maybe I’m channeling my inner slut, she thought. Wherever it came from, it worked. It brought back his smile.
He got up and locked the door. “Now what was this you were saying about luck?”
He stood in front of her and held out his arms. She thought he was saying, ‘let me hug you,” but she was wrong. He let her see him taking off his clothes without appearing to touch them.
They disappeared in layers; it was fascinating. “That is so cool,” she said.
He laughed. “I have to admit, it really is.” Then he giggled, which was so cute.
“What?”
“Most Hunters can’t do that. It was a gift from a goddess. I’ve never let a human see me do that. It was fun.”
Since she was still sitting on the bed and he was standing, in more ways than one, her focus was elsewhere. She beckoned him closer. When she could reach him, she put her hands on his hips and pulled him to her. Jordan took his cock in her hands. She rubbed him like she was trying to find the genie. He moaned. She rubbed him against her right cheek, and his knees buckled. She stopped and looked up at him. “You can’t lie down yet,” she told him.
“Yes, ma’am.”
She rubbed him against her left cheek. Then she licked just the head quickly, and before he could react, she lifted him and ran her tongue on the underside. “Jordan,” he moaned. She didn’t think he had anything he wanted to say—he just needed to call out her name. The sound of it stirred her to her soul.
She took his manhood in her mouth and tongue-kissed it. Jordan was not a deep-throater, but she made a valiant effort. What she lacked in depth she felt she made up for in enthusiasm.
Artest ran his hands through her hair, and she sucked a little deeper. While her mouth was busy, she unfastened her blouse buttons. She stopped sucking but continued to caress him. “Would you like to join me?” she asked
“In more ways than one.” He was echoing her thoughts again, but she didn’t care.
To her reluctance, she had to let go of him long enough to remove her bra. He unbuttoned her pants and worked them over her hips. She stepped out of them and her panties while he positioned himself in bed.
Before she joined him, she glanced up and saw his smile. It still surprised and warmed her to see such a beautiful man looking so pleased to be with her.
He pulled her forward as if he couldn’t wait any longer. With the flat of his palms on either side of her neck, he dragged his hands down her body like he was trying to memorize her. Maybe he was. Maybe he was thinking about later.
He touched her between the legs. He remembered from their first night exactly where she enjoyed being touched, and she moaned in gratitude.
“Do you like that, pretty lady?” he whispered.
“Oh yeah.”
He increased the pressure. “Then you’re really going to like this.”
He worked his tongue down her body, stopping briefly at each hard nipple. When he found her clitoris, he mirrored her tongue-kiss move. “Artest,” she moaned because saying ‘oh my god’ would have reminded him of Fox.
He increased his pressure. She felt an orgasm mounting. She tried to think of something else—she didn’t want to leave him so far behind. He started a trail of kisses down her thigh. She thought he was making his way to her feet. Jordan knew feet were suddenly popular, but they didn’t turn her on. Actually, her feet were ticklish. He stopped at her knees and lifted her leg until h
er foot lay flat. Then he licked the back of her knee—right at the bend. She thought she was going to die. How he knew about that spot and why she didn’t know amazed her. It was too much—she had to stop him.
“I need you,” she told him.
“You have me.”
“Up here.”
Stopping briefly behind the other knee, he worked his way up the other leg. He lay on his back and pulled her on top of him. She eased up, lifting her hips, and reached for his erection. He caught her hand and stopped him, and he kissed her palm. “Wait, let me look at you.” He held her face in his hands and stared.
Every part of his face smiled.
“You’re scaring me. This is not goodbye, is it?”
He started to speak but nuzzled her neck instead. His hand found her hand. Together they guided him inside her. He held her still for a moment in a tight hug before his hips started to move. Thrusting to meet each move he made, she marveled again at their seemingly natural, innate, common rhythm—–something she’d never achieved with her intended. Seconds before they exploded in a frenzied crescendo of powerful gropes and strokes, she lowered her hand between them and cupped and gently squeezed his sac—–something she remembered from the first night when he had guided her hand.
He called out her name again when he came. When they stopped moving, trying to catch their breath, he kissed her ear. She found it endearing and returned the gesture with her own nip of his ear.
Chapter Thirty-One
Artest didn’t often feel the anger that he’d heard other Hunters express toward Fox. He didn’t remember why he’d first had the thought, but he’d always felt like one of Fox’s favorites. Maybe it was after the first time he heard Fox say his best two Hunters came from the same family.
Fox didn’t move Artest around as often as the other Hunters, and he visited a few times a month. Some Hunters claimed they went years without seeing Fox—especially the ones who lived in cold places. When the Hunters hung out in one of their online chat rooms, they sometimes teasingly referred to Artest as “Precious” because of his special relationship with Fox. Artest had always considered the nickname good-natured ribbing.
He’d never expected Fox to embarrass him as he did, especially not in front of a woman he was seeing. Artest was sure Fox knew, in his way of knowing everything, that Artest cared a great deal about Jordan. I should probably say I’m growing to care, but I’ve had a long time to get to know myself, and this is the real thing.
She took his humiliation in stride, just as she had everything that had happened since their meeting. By the time they’d spent some time together upstairs and were basking in the afterglow of lovemaking, his mood had mellowed considerably. He knew he owed Ian an apology, and he was ready to return downstairs to deliver it when they heard a knock at the door.
Jordan jumped up. He thought she was going to answer the door nude, and that really surprised him. Before he could say anything to her, she ran into the bathroom. He put on his slacks and answered the door. It was Ian.
“Artest, my brother.” He reached for Artest’s hand, and they shook.
“Ian, I apologize for leaving without greeting you. . .”
“I understand. Fox’s call came as a surprise to me too.”
“Let me get dressed and we’ll talk downstairs.”
He was still standing in the doorway. Artest knew it was rude not to invite him in, but Jordan’s clothes were in the bedroom. He’s my Dogon brother, but I’d sooner gorge out his eyes than let him see her that way.
“Fox told me not to let her out of my sight. He said he was calling you.”
Before Artest could reply, his cell phone rang.
“Hello. . . he’s here now, Fox, that’s not. . .I know, but. . .yes, yes, okay.” He closed the phone and fought the urge to throw it against the wall. He couldn’t remember a time he felt more foolish.
“Ian, I have an errand to run. Fox wants you to stay with Jordan. I know he told you not to let her out of your sight, but she isn’t dressed and . . .”
“I understand. I’ll wait out here in the hallway until you tell me it’s a good time to come in.”
That was unexpected. Artest had been expecting a wisecrack. Apparently Ian was not the cocksure young Hunter Artest thought he was.
“Thanks.”
He took the clothes she’d been wearing in the bathroom. “I have to leave,” he told her.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not sure. Fox told me to meet somebody out front.,” He glanced at his watch. “Now. I need to get out there. Ian is waiting in the hallway. After you’re dressed, why don’t you go downstairs?”
She smiled. “Are you saying you don’t want me entertaining my gentleman caller in my boudoir?” she asked, using a strong, albeit fake Southern accent.
He felt the blood that was already angrily rushing through his body begin to boil. He tried to smile., Artest knew she was teasing, but he imagined his smile looked more like a grimace. “I’m saying he’s not your gentleman caller, and I don’t even like the idea of him standing in the hallway outside your bedroom.”
“Artest, I was kidding.” Needing to say the words inflamed her. “I told you Friday night was my first time doing anything close to that. I’m not a whore!”
He tried to reach for her, but she pulled away.
“Don’t touch me. Just leave.”
“Jordan.”
“No, I want you to leave.”
He didn’t have time to tell her his reaction had little to do with her. He’d lost so much in his lifetimes, the mere thought, even in jest, of losing her made him want to break something or somebody. He knew it was irrational, but that had never stopped the jealousy. He took little comfort in the knowledge that all Hunters so suffered and thus understood.
Artest dressed and stepped into the hallway.
“She’ll be out in a minute, and, if you’ll indulge me, I’ll bring her downstairs.”
He didn’t answer immediately. None of them liked to disobey Fox. It wasn’t that they were such an obedient lot—hardly—it had more to do with it being almost impossible to hide anything from him.
“Okay, but tell her to hurry.”
She was dressed when he went back in there, but her expression told him he needn’t bother trying to get her to talk.
“I’ll get back as soon as I can. If you think of anything you want me to bring back, call my cell.”
For the next five minutes, she was silent, but he noticed she did greet Ian warmly.
“Let’s sit outside and enjoy what’s left of the afternoon,” he heard her saying as he was opening the front door. He wanted to scream.
There was a red sports car on the street in front of the house. Artest hesitated and tried to look in to see if he knew the driver. The windows were too dark. The window came down, and he heard a female voice call his name.
He got in, turned to the driver and got a shock.
“Artest, not Art, we meet again.”
It was Leeana, Jordan’s friend from the bar.
“Fox asked me to tell you what’s been happening over at the college.” She laughed. “I’ve been waiting to see that shock on your face.”
“What are you? I know you’re not a Dogon-Hunter—I would have felt it at the club.”
She turned over the motor and put the car in gear. “No, I’m not a Hunter. Let’s just say I am a friend of the Hunters and leave it at that.”
“Did you know when you met me?”
“Yes, I know the names and faces of all the Hunters.”
“Here in the Sacramento area?” he added for her.
“No, Artest, in the world—past, present, maybe future.”
A chill ran through him. He questioned if Fox knew all of them. Their own best chat room guess was that there were a little less than four hundred active Hunters, but he’d seen Fox stumble over their current names.
He tried to sense something about Leeana, something that he’d missed Fr
iday night.
“Oh shoot,” she said.
He was about to ask her what was wrong, but he noticed she was pulling the car to the side of the street. He looked at her to see that she was studying the fire station about two car lengths ahead of them on his side.
“Why. . . ?” He didn’t get to finish his question before the garage door opened and two fire engines, with sirens blaring, came out and made a right turn in front of them.
Scented Lust Page 17
