by Zoey Marcel
“Then why isn’t she with you?”
“I eliminated your problem.”
Her eyes widened and possibly misted. No, they couldn’t have. Tears were a sign of weakness, and her magnificence wasn’t weak.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“I terminated Jade Flowers for you, divine goddess of inspiration.”
Her mouth fell open, too pleased with him to speak apparently.
“You killed her?” she shrieked.
“Yes, your holiness. Jade Flowers is no more.”
Tears filled her eyes. No, her eminence was mighty and strong, not weak and pathetic.
“You were supposed to find her, not kill her.”
“The female broke allegiance to your awe-inspiring reign. Jade Flowers had to be dealt with. I dealt with Jade Flowers.”
Her mightiness’s evident sorrow turned to vexation. “Stop saying her name. Get out of my house.”
“You no longer require my faithful services, my liege?” Her greatness was exiling him? That was unthinkable. She needed him. He needed her.
“No, just get out! You failed me. I didn’t want this.”
“Do you desire a cup of tea?” he asked. Her majesty loved tea. That should reconcile him to her.
“No, I don’t want tea, just get out!” she shrieked at him and held the door open, demanding he exit.
He made his way out the door and paused. “Would it please you if I brought you the corpse of Jade Flowers?”
She burst into tears and slammed the door in his face. Apparently he was banished, but he must win the entity of greatness’s favor back. He would, and he knew exactly what he had to do to regain her good opinion of him again. He must bring her the body of Jade Flowers.
Chapter Three
Jade needed to bite Kellan. She didn’t know why, but she wanted to sink her teeth into his fleshy man shoulder and leave a nice pretty mark. Well, that wasn’t very nice of her, wanting to hurt him like that, but for some reason she couldn’t help herself.
Kellan pulled over by the side of the road, parked the car, and shut the engine off. He filled the lonely gap between them on the seat with his hard, breathtaking body and gently cradled her chin with his fingers as he gazed into her eyes.
“I have to kiss you,” he whispered. “That and I want to give you an orgasm as a way of saying thank you for giving me one.”
Her body heated, and Jade tensed with pent-up needs she couldn’t even begin to identify. Her eyes closed when his lips molded against hers, firm and determined. They became soft and tender as he slanted his lips over hers and nibbled her mouth until it opened for him. His tongue penetrated the space between her lips…as she hoped his cock would eventually penetrate the space between her legs. Her pussy moistened and ached at the lascivious thought.
He kissed her slowly, deeply, until her capability to reason vanished and she became like putty in his arms. Wild spirals of energy zinged through her system when his palms cupped her breasts possessively. The nipples strained against the cups of her bra, wanting desperately to reach his hands and feel his skin against hers.
Sharing Kellan’s breath while their mouths exchanged the wet, sensual warmth of their saliva was powerful and moving. Her blood heated with carnal longing when she felt him unbuttoning her pants. The quiet, titillating sound of the metal teeth coming apart thrilled every nerve in her body.
“Wow,” he breathed with a charming grin that made her heart flutter. “You’re already making me hard again.”
Jade smiled, feeling suddenly bashful. “You’re a really good kisser.”
“Mm, so are you, baby.”
He called her baby. Notes of jubilee played through her when his mouth captured hers again in a slightly more aggressive kiss. She lost her breath when his fingers dipped down into her panties and fondled her cunt.
Kellan broke the kiss and moaned with delight. “Holy shit, you shave your pussy.”
She bit her lower lip, unable to hide her grin. It pleased her to know that he seemed driven mad by her bare mons. “I guess I do.”
“I love it. I want to see.” His light-blue eyes were feral and enchanted as he lowered her jeans and panties down her thighs just enough to expose her naked cunt to him. “Sweet Jesus, I think you have the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.”
Jade smiled despite the sadness she felt. “I bet you say that to all your playmates.”
His focus lifted from her crotch to her face. “What? No. I was being completely sincere, Jade. You really do have the prettiest pussy I’ve ever seen.”
His earnest expression was one hundred percent genuine, and it touched her to know he meant it. “Thank you. That’s really sweet.”
He winked at her. “Well, then, if you liked that, you’re going to absolutely love this.”
She gasped when his fingertips teased invisible patterns all over her private flesh, awakening every nerve they caressed.
“You like that?”
“Uh-huh,” she breathed and nodded, unable to think of anything but the digits stroking gently across her bare labia.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Jade. I’m so glad I happened across you.”
His appreciation moved her, and she slowly melted into the pleasure his roaming fingers brought her. They slithered down to settle into her damp cleft, and she let out a sudden shrill gasp.
“Do you like my hand on your pussy, sweetheart?” Kellan whispered.
The heady sound of his hushed voice got under her skin, and she had a feeling he was slowly becoming an addiction she’d never be able to break. Jade’s breathing became rough and broken at the feel of his pointer finger rocking gently back and forth through her creamy slit as he spread her moisture.
His entrancing blue eyes radiated with fire and awe over her. “My Jade.”
A tortured cry wrung from her throat when his finger pierced into her vagina, sliding easily through her wetness as he finger-fucked her. “Oh, Kellan, that feels so good.”
He gave her a sensual smile, and his blue eyes sparkled like the reflection of sunlight hitting the surface of clear waters. “Are you going to come for me, baby?”
Jade whimpered helplessly as her pussy leaked onto his inserted finger. He called her baby in a soft, loving whisper. Well, it had the affectation of love at least, which was exactly what she needed after the trauma of suffering a trauma she couldn’t even remember.
“I hope so,” she squeaked.
He threw her a playful glare and an amused grin. “You’d better come.”
“Okay.” She had no doubt he could make her come if he had a mind to. The second finger he stuck up her cunt felt like too much. “Oh, Kellan, I feel so full. I don’t think—”
“Shh.” His lips reinforced his order, commanding her silence with a deep, drugging kiss that turned her mind away from her uncertainty.
Her insides turned to mush as she surrendered to his conquering mouth and relaxed her vaginal muscles so his questing fingers sank deeper into her channel. The way his thumb grazed her clit had her reeling toward some unnamed place. Jade knew she was close to an orgasm, but with her current state of forgetfulness, she didn’t know if she’d ever had one or not. She certainly doubted Bane Kennedy gave her one when he attacked her last night.
She pushed all thoughts of him aside. This was the moment she wanted to live in. This little slice of heaven on earth was all she craved right now. Sitting with Kellan Brooks in the front seat of his truck had her seeing stars and feeling woozy with primitive urges.
Higher and higher the pressure inside her built while his fingers directed her on the path he wanted her to go down. Rich sensation sparked over her nerve endings, and her veins raced with liquid fire. Carnal awareness flooded every cell in her heated body as she came suddenly, crying out in wild, desperate hedonism. Her cunt constricted around Kellan’s thrusting fingers and his thumb continued to play with her clit as she climaxed long and hard. Her juices washed over his fingers, but he seem
ed turned on by her release.
Jade collapsed back against the seat, feeling sated and boneless as she struggled to breathe again. “That was amazing.”
“Yeah, it was. You look so fucking gorgeous when you come, Jade.” Kellan sucked his fingers clean and groaned his elation over the flavor of her nectar.
She needed more of him. Her fingers swiftly slipped the buttons free on his flannel shirt, gaping at the hard, hot skin peeking at her from beneath the material. She only had the topmost buttons open, but his chest was solid and he had a light dusting of hair over his pectoral muscles. Sheer perfection.
Jade didn’t know whether she preferred bare-chested men, some hair on them, or big, hairy apes. All she knew was that Kellan was just what she needed.
The flesh of his shoulder called to her for some reason. She must taste him there and sink her teeth into him. Jade didn’t know why. She just knew she had to. He smelled way too damned good for her to simply let him slip through her fingers.
Her eyes felt like they changed shape, and she planted a tender kiss on the place she intended to nibble. Teeth lowered—sharp teeth that didn’t feel human.
She thought of how Kellan admitted earlier to being a player. No more. The hos could burn in hell for all she cared. This man was hers. She opened her mouth and chomped down on the coveted piece of skin.
* * * *
Kellan freaked. He was all for biting, nibbling, and hair pulling, but the woman just drew blood and sank what felt like tiny knives into his muscle. He tried to push her off, but Jade only growled and bit down harder, refusing to let him go. She growled. The freak actually growled at him like a motherfucking animal.
“Jade, that doesn’t feel too good. Could you get off please?” He could remember his manners once in a while. His mama would be proud.
Except Jade didn’t stop. The tip of her tongue flicked at his torn flesh as if savoring the taste of his blood. Her tongue felt different now, thinner and strangely animal-like.
“Jade, you’re getting a little rough. Now knock it off.” He gritted his teeth at the blistering pain of the powerful bite. Her hand came up to rest on his chest, and he saw her nails morph into sharp claws.
Okay, fuck manners.
He yelled out in fear and shoved her off with enough strength to pry the woman off and force her back against the seat.
“Jade, what the hell are—Jesus!” He flew back away from her, nearly jumping out of his skin when his elbow hit the horn.
Jade’s eyes were a light shade of brown now, and she had fangs. She looked like a crazy person or some kind of demon-human freakish mutant. The rest of her was still the same, though.
She chortled like a lunatic, seeming drunk with happiness and quite proud of herself. “I bit you, Kellan. You’re mine now, all mine. Make love to me.”
He shrieked and held his hands up to keep her at bay when she leaned toward him. “Get back! Look, I don’t know who or what the fuck you are, but you’re really starting to freak me out. I know you’re not human, so why don’t you just tell me what the hell you are?”
She looked at him like he was the crazy one. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with your fucking face?”
She flipped the visor down, and her shrill scream sounded pretty damned convincing. “What’s wrong with my fucking face?”
“I don’t know,” he said in an equally loud volume.
They looked at each other and screamed. Her eyes, teeth, and tongue became normal again as she put the visor back up and fumbled for the lock on the door. “I have to go. I need a therapist or an exorcist or something.”
“Yes, go. Get help,” he urged her, shooing her away with his hand.
“Will you pray for me?” she asked.
“What? Yeah, sure. I guess.” He grabbed some napkins from the glove compartment to mop up the blood on his shoulder. “I’m not really religious, but I’ll pray to whoever is listening to help you with your issues.”
“I appreciate that. Oh God, I think I might have swallowed some of your blood.” She spat on the ground, looking wide-eyed and panicked. “Oh God, you don’t have any diseases, do you?”
“What? No. I get physicals regularly. My last one was about a month ago. I’m clean. What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You fucking bit me!” he shrieked. “Your eyes and teeth got all jacked up. You don’t have some kind of satanic rabies, do you?”
“What? No, Kellan. I’m not a dog or a demon.” She sounded rather offended, and he couldn’t really blame her too much.
“How do you know? You can’t even remember who you are except for what your driver’s license tells you. How do you know you have a clean bill of health?”
Jade’s blue eyes became saucers, and her jaw dropped. She grabbed her head with both hands. “Oh no! I could have all sorts of funky diseases and not even know it!”
“And then you just passed them on to me!”
“I know!”
He held up a hand. “Now wait a minute. Let’s just calm down and think about this for a second. There’s a town coming up. We can stop and see if there’s a hospital. We’ll get you a CAT scan, I mean checked out, to make sure you’re sane, I mean clean, and I’ll get checked for rabies, I mean issues.”
She nodded uneasily and reached for his hand, rolling her eyes when he flinched away. “For heaven’s sake, Kellan, I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Said the woman who just bit me,” he snorted.
“Now, Kellan,” his confounded mother rebuked him in his head. He sighed. Darn her.
He extended his hand and helped Jade back up into his truck. She sat on the passenger’s side and closed the door. Kellan reached into the glove compartment for the Purell.
Jade rolled her eyes. “Well, isn’t this a lovely turn of events. One minute you can’t keep your hands off me and the next you’re using Purell after holding my hand.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just freaking out here. I’ve never been bitten by a woman before. Are you sure you’re not some kind of demon?”
“What? No! Are you crazy?”
He forced an uneasy half smile, but his skin was crawling. “No, but I think you might be.”
* * * *
Jade was relieved that the doctor told her she was fine, but still it frustrated her that all the tests she took were negative and they could find nothing wrong with her. Well, obviously something was seriously wrong with her.
Kellan was fine, too, but she knew she had probably just scared off the cowboy for good now.
They went through the drive-thru of a burger joint for lunch, trying to process all that had happened.
“You’re not a vampire, are you?” he asked.
She snickered. “No, Kellan. I’m not a vampire. They don’t exist.”
“Well, I was just checking.” He took a big bite of his burger and spoke before he finished chewing. “Of course you didn’t burst into flames in the sunlight, so I guess not.”
Jade would have thought seeing a man chew with his mouth open would be a turnoff, but the sight of the sexy cowboy talking through his chewing reminded her of something. A Carl’s Jr. commercial. She felt a renewal of hope over the tiny memory. True, it was merely a fast-food advertisement, but it was something, and that was definitely a start.
“So you don’t remember anything about your past, anything at all?”
She took a sip of her iced tea and shook her head. “No. I’ll understand if you want to just drop me off somewhere.”
“Hey, look at me.” His features softened, and his voice came out tender as he placed a reassuring hand on her thigh. “You have a black eye, no memory of your identity, and some strange supernatural qualities. I’m not just going to dump you off somewhere. It wouldn’t be safe for you…or the rest of society.”
Jade slapped his arm for the playful insult and then placed her hand over his. “Thank you. That means
a lot.”
He took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “We’ll arrive at the ranch in a few hours. You can spend the night there, and in the morning I’ll drive you to Riverside if you like.”
Jade felt relief warring with disappointment. She wanted to go home and find out more about her past, but the thought of saying good-bye to Kellan made her sad for some reason. “Thanks. If you want to wait a couple of days to drive me back, I don’t mind.”
He flashed her a toothy grin. “We’ll see what happens.”
She glanced down at their joined hands. “Do you want some Purell?”
He chuckled. “Nah, that’s all right. Sorry I freaked out earlier. You just surprised the hell out of me, that’s all.”
Jade dusted some of the salt off her French fries. Had they always been so dang salty? “I’m sorry I bit you. You just smelled so good.”
He smirked. “Thanks, I guess. Just do me a favor. When we get to the ranch, don’t do anything weird in front of my brothers. I want them to like you.”
“Okay.”
What did it matter whether or not Kellan’s brothers liked her? After tomorrow, she’d never see any of them again. Maybe he just didn’t want her to embarrass him or cause problems. Hopefully she didn’t.
Would they have a problem with her punk look? What if she went feral again and started biting everybody like a rabid dog the way she had earlier with Kellan?
Chapter Four
Jade became nervous when they neared the Brookses’ ranch. She didn’t know why. She certainly didn’t seem like a shy person, but for some reason she wasn’t looking forward to meeting a bunch of new people.
The sign that hung from the top of the wooden ranch gate said “Brookses’ Ranch,” and it reminded her of a Western movie. They drove down the long, dusty gravel road until the large house came into view. It was a Spanish Mission-style house with a terra-cotta roof and earth-toned stucco siding. It was a rather large house surrounded by the desert landscape and the bright-blue canvas draped above. There were plenty of cacti on the premises, mainly the stately saguaros, but there were several other varieties as well. Sagebrush and aloe vera plants made an appearance, and there were a few trees that had been planted that she didn’t know the name of.
