A Guardian's Salvation

by Stein Willard

  “It’s her, isn’t it?” Gabriella said quietly, her tone in total contrast to the baffled expression on her face.

  Jessica didn’t trust herself to speak. She nodded before looking back at Rissa. The blonde looked almost uncomfortable under Gabriella and Trinity’s scrutiny.

  “Who would’ve guessed? Clarissa and you?” Gabriella threw her arms wide, as she walked over to hug Rissa.

  Jessica stared in shock as the two women embraced each other.

  “Clarissa? Is that your name? Wait…You know each other?” She asked her ability to speak had returned.

  “Yes. We are kind of related,” Gabriella said with a brilliant smile. “What a small world indeed.”

  “How are you related?” Jessica pressed further. What were the odds of her ex being a blood relation to her current love interest? It was scary to say the least.

  Gabriella’s expression suddenly changed, and she quickly looked away, but not before Jessica noticed the flash of panic in the amber eyes.

  “It’s a long story. Let’s leave it for another day,” Gabriella said with forced joviality.

  Thoroughly intrigued by Gabriella’s reaction, Jessica was tempted to force the issue, but another look at Clarissa made her push the urge to the back of her mind. Nothing else matter now, except that Clarissa was back in her life. She took a careful step closer, which brought within a hair’s breadth of the blonde.

  “Do you still want to dance?” she asked softly. She was itching to hold the blonde in her arms again. Clarissa’s eyes narrowed to slits as they looked at her.

  “There is no music.”

  Clarissa was right. The dance floor was deserted. The only discernible noises were ambience sounds with a few loud giggles and chatting coming from the table of Annika and her friends. She turned back to Clarissa. “We don’t need music.”

  She gently tugged on Clarissa’s hand and she smiled when she felt the other woman yield. She led Clarissa to the furthest, darkest corner and pulled the blonde into her arms. Clarissa hesitated, but the moment those strong arms came around Jessica, the tension in her body dissipated miraculously and warm tears of relief silently washed down her cheeks.

  †

  Clarissa’s arms slowly came up and carefully slipped around Jessica’s waist. She felt a shiver run through her at the feel of the warm body against hers. Three years ago she’d taken this woman to bed with the hope of expunging the peculiar lustful attraction she’d felt for her. The one night turned into two nights and still she’d failed miserably in achieving what she’d set out to do. When Jessica took hold of her hand earlier, she had to call on her superhuman control not to gasp at the sudden hunger that speared her starving body at their first touch in three years. She looked into the wet, grey eyes and found them watching her intently. It was almost as if Jessica was trying to burn her image into her memories. Oh, how wonderful it is to see those angel eyes again.

  She mentally thanked Inger for kicking her out of the basement as soon as Paloma arrived. Otherwise, Clarissa would’ve still been there, forced to watch those awful girl flicks. Luckily, Paloma turned up and, with all the romantic movies Inger had been watching, it was evident that she was all too happy to cuddle with her mate. She, however, was unceremoniously shown the door. As soon as Clarissa was ‘set free’, she had scanned for Trinity and tracked them here. She was immediately brought up short at the familiar scent, the minute she entered the bar. Her sharp eyes scanned the patrons until her gaze came to rest on the dark-headed woman sitting alone at a table, her back to the door. The closer Clarissa got to her, the stronger the scent became, until she had to stand a few feet away to get her emotions under control.

  She’d thought of going out and looking for Jessica one day when things had calmed down a bit and Mary was not a threat anymore. It wouldn’t have been difficult, since she was in dozens of magazines over the years. But to bump into her so unexpectedly was not what she ever dreamed could happen. Now here she was, holding Jessica in her arms again. They’d both changed over the years. She, herself, had become harder, tougher, and more dangerous than she’d ever thought she could be. Jessica, on the other hand, seemed softer and more … open, judging from the way she had reacted to this startling reunion. Clarissa had read Jessica’s mind, the moment their eyes met and was stunned by the loneliness and unhappiness the woman was hiding behind a carefree exterior. It seemed the last three years were unkind to both of them.

  “It feels so good to hold you again. I’ve missed being in your arms.” Jessica whispered softly and pressed her face into Clarissa’s neck. Feeling the dampness of Jessica’s tears on her neck, Clarissa tightened her embrace. As scared as she was of opening herself up for more heartache, Jessica’s tears weakened her resolve. The years apart had intensified her love for the photographer and she simply couldn’t bear to see Jessica hurting.

  Jonas had been right. Jessica had changed, just as Jonas had implied all those years ago. Clarissa still hadn’t given Jessica an answer, but even before Jessica had asked the question, Clarissa had known her answer. She was willing to try again, see if they could make it work. She had more than enough time on her hands, after all. She had an eternity to try and make this thing work between them. Wasn’t this what she’d longed for all these years? To love and to be loved? It was time to give Jessica her answer.

  “I will hold you tonight until you fall asleep, and the night after that, and the night after that if you want me to,” she murmured softly and waited for Jessica’s reaction.

  The dark head lifted from where it rested on her shoulder and the wet grey eyes gazed into hers incredulously.

  “Do you really mean it? Even … even after what I did to you? “ Jessica asked softly and Clarissa read the fear and expectation in her mind.

  “Yes.”

  The music started and they both glanced to the stage. The waif behind the microphone sang the first notes of a sad love song in a deep, Irish brogue. Clarissa felt Jessica tightening her hold around her neck, pulling them closer together. Jessica sighed softly and Clarissa felt the tension gradually seep out of Jessica. It was unbelievable the amount of tension this human had kept inside for all these years. They slowly began to move to the deep, sorrowful tune. They were still swaying together minutes later, after the song had ended.

  †

  Seated at the table, Gabriella and Trinity studied the couple, still stunned by the strange twist of fate. Their exes were in love. Gabriella looked at Trinity.

  “Do you think we should tell them?”

  Trinity shook her head and took a hasty sip from her wine. “They will eventually find out by themselves.”

  Gabriella looked unconvinced. “Maybe you’re right.”

  †

  Jessica was ecstatic.

  Clarissa had found her and Jessica was never going to let her slip through her fingers again. They had another round of drinks and danced some more before Gabriella and Trinity left, both still looking a bit shell-shocked. The bar was slowly filling up and when the crowd became too rowdy, Clarissa took her hand and led her out of the bar.

  “I do not like crowded places much.”

  “Me either. Where do you want to go from here?” They had spent two hours together and hadn’t once talked about themselves or what would happen now. Gabriella, strangely enough, had kept the conversation flowing at their table. It surprised Jessica, since Gabriella was not much of the talker.

  The brown eyes slowly trailed over her, before they drilled into the grey depths of Jessica’s eyes.

  “Where do you want to go?”

  “My hotel room, perhaps.” Jessica felt shy, all of a sudden.

  Clarissa nodded and held out her hand. Jessica placed her hand in Clarissa’s and when she looked up into Clarissa’s face, she saw the gentle look in her eyes. How was she going to tell Clarissa that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to have sex with her tonight? Three years of total abstinence had nearly rendered her impotent. Caroline and many other fac
eless women could attest to the fact that she wasn’t able to perform when the stage was set. She looked at their joined hands and closed her eyes. Finally she had what she wanted only to be scared of disappointing Clarissa. She looked up at her, but before she could speak, Clarissa shook her head.

  “We do not have to do anything tonight. We can just talk. OK?

  She wanted to know how Clarissa knew that she wasn’t ready yet, but the tender look in Clarissa’s eyes postponed the question. Her grip tightened around Clarissa’s hand. In a companionable silence, they walked the long stretch across the cathedral square to her hotel.

  †

  Paloma’s tousled blonde head appeared from under the covers. Liquid-silver eyes lovingly looked into Inger’s flustered face, prompting Inger to lift her head and place a soft kiss on the smiling lips. She moaned at the taste of herself on Paloma’s lips. Would she ever tire of this woman? Inger kissed Paloma again. Over the years, she’d seen the respect Paloma commanded from her peers. Their admiration was evident when she addressed them and laid out battle plans. However, for Inger, it was moments such as these that she personally treasured. Moments, when the lethal, silver eyes were warm with love and clouded with desire. She ran her fingertips over Paloma’s lips and smiled lazily.

  “How was your day?”

  “Now that I have seen you …tasted you? My day is complete, my sweet.” The silver eyes flitted over Inger’s naked breasts.

  Inger bit her lower lip and grinned at the leering look. Only Paloma could make a leer look so incredibly sexy.

  “I thought you enjoyed being the Guardian of the Race. What happened?” Her voice was teasing. She casually touched her breast, just over the nipple, just where she knew Paloma liked to bite her. The silver eyes darkened slightly and Inger smiled. She could read Paloma’s thoughts clearly. Her blue eyes widened suddenly with shock.

  “You’re crazy if you think I will allow you to do that to me, Vampire. That’s … that’s immoral, to say the least,” she sputtered. She couldn’t stop the heat that infused her, as her mind conjured up the explicit images. She blushed when she found the silver eyes resting on her, a knowing expression in them.

  Paloma smiled and stroked the younger woman’s thigh possessively.

  “You want to bet on that, Human?”

  Inger did … and lost.

  Chapter 7

  For the umpteenth time Jessica looked at her reflection in the mirror, staring at the laugh lines and the dark circles around her eyes. She had changed over the years. Her body wasn’t as firm as it was three years ago. Her tummy wasn’t as flat anymore and her arms … Oh, heavens how was Clarissa going to react when she saw her like this? She tilted her head and looked at her chin. Was that a double chin or was she just paranoid?

  “You look great.”

  She swung around, shocked that she hadn’t heard Clarissa enter the bathroom. Clarissa was leaning against the door frame, the same somber expression on her face as when she’d first arrived at the bar, earlier that night. Jessica slowly turned away from the mirror and smiled shakily.

  “I thought you were waiting for me in the room?”

  Clarissa gazed at her intensely. The dark eyes slowly looking her up and down.

  “And have you changed into something …” Those devil eyes were wreaking havoc with her insides. “… even more conservative?” Clarissa stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the tank top which stretched over Jessica’s breasts. “On second thought, it is not a bad choice. I am beginning to like it.” She took Jessica’s hand and pulled her out of the bathroom.

  Jessica followed, feeling like a sheep being led to the slaughter. She stood, waiting, as Clarissa pulled the covers back. The one thing that fascinated her most about Clarissa was how unassuming the woman appeared about everything. Here she was doing something as mundane as putting her to bed and she appeared completely oblivious of how poignant this small act was for Jessica. The only other person who had done this for her was Gabriella. Having both grown up in foster care, Gabriella and she had made it a point to take care of each other. Gabriella had struck gold when she landed with the Hansons. Losing her parents at the age of six, Jessica bounced from one family to the other. The lack of stability and her natural restlessness had added greatly to her adopting a more aggressively assertive nature. A few run-ins with the law and sporadic dabbling in substance abuse had landed her on the streets more times than she could remember. As she’d grown up, she’d learned to depend only on herself and her ability to survive. Needing no one, Jessica made sure that no one needed her too much, either. Self-reliance made it easier to cut ties and move on when her restlessness surfaced. That was, until she met Gabriella. She made Jessica want to belong and to give more than she’d ever given anyone else before. They were happy as a couple and would’ve still been together had it not been for Jessica’s inexplicable need to have, not only the best, but also everything else. Cheating on Gabriella was the single most stupid and unsatisfactory experience, ever. In the end, it boiled down to her autonomy. She wanted to co-exist, but at the same time, she also wanted to be in control and set her own path. She truly loved Gabriella, and she’d been lost without her.

  Clarissa was another issue.

  She couldn’t and wouldn’t try to compare the two women. They were both so different and yet so alike in their dealings with her. Jessica had spent six wonderful years with Gabriella and she would always treasure them. Clarissa was still an enigma to her. Even in the short time she’d known the woman, Jessica doubted she would ever scratch the surface that was Clarissa. Hell, she didn’t even know the woman’s full name until a few hours ago. Notwithstanding her lack of knowledge about Clarissa, she knew one thing for sure. She simply couldn’t think of her life without Clarissa in it. Up to this moment, Clarissa hadn’t voiced any expectations about their future, but already Jessica felt that she was giving a lot. She was giving Clarissa the power to take charge. Jessica hadn’t done that so completely with anyone before. Clarissa just made it seem okay for her to take a backseat and let the other woman take care of her, depend on her. There are not many people alive who have the ability to render her tongue-tied. Clarissa might actually be the only person she could think of now. The blonde had a lot power over her. A chill chased down Jessica’s spine as realization struck. Clarissa had the power to break her, grind her into nothingness.

  Clarissa slowly came upright and turned. Her eyes unreadable as she stared and Jessica swallowed hard. Clarissa turned away again and slid under the covers. After a moment’s hesitation, Jessica followed suit. She lay on her side facing away from Clarissa. She was ashamed to find herself trembling slightly. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so anxious about going to bed with a woman. But Clarissa was not just any woman. She was the woman. The one she didn’t want to disappoint. A soft and very embarrassing squeak left her lips when Clarissa reached out and pulled her into her arms. The blonde gently spooned Jessica’s trembling body.

  “I meant what I said earlier, Jessica. I want nothing more than to hold you in my arms,” Clarissa murmured as she tightened her arms around Jessica.

  Jessica turned her head and looked at Clarissa. The dark eyes were warm and tender.

  “I know you.” Her remark produced a small smile on Clarissa’s lips. The smile looked so foreign on the woman’s serious features, giving Jessica the impression that might be the first time the woman had smiled in a very long time.

  “Good.” Clarissa’s smile still hovered on her lips. “Now relax and tell me what you have been up to these past three years. I have read a lot about you in the media.”

  Jessica chuckled as she snuggled deeper into Clarissa’s arms. She wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted to venture down that path with Clarissa. The media made her out to be a hard drinking, wanton, philanderer. That was the last image she would want Clarissa to have of her.

  “I find the latest rumor very amusing,” Clarissa continued.

  “Which one is that?” Jessica raked
her mind for the latest gossip about herself.

  “The one where you had a threesome with those twin sisters while on set in Hawaii.”

  Jessica stiffened. She was surprised that Clarissa knew about that particular rumor. Clarissa didn’t strike her as a person who read tabloids. She slowly turned in Clarissa’s arms. The brown eyes were looking at her calmly.

  “You know about that, huh?”

  “Most of my family members are very much fascinated by today’s all-consuming, starstruck culture and the media craze the lives of celebrities generate. Star News is an excellent point of reference.” Clarissa reached out and brushed an errant lock from Jessica’s forehead. “You do come up now and then.”

  Jessica nodded at the explanation. “As lame as it may sound, most of those stories are lies.”

  “I was wondering, because some of the things sounded too bizarre to be true.” Clarissa’s face pulled in a mask of honest confusion.

  Jessica smiled at Clarissa’s honesty. She’d missed that a lot. Her hand lifted and brushed through the cool blonde locks. When her nails gently scratched Clarissa’s scalp, she felt a tremor run through the other woman.

  “I want to kiss you,” she murmured, already leaning in for the kiss. Clarissa swallowed hard at the lump in her throat and Jessica followed the movement with her eyes. “But if you feel it will be too uncomfortable, then I will wait for tomorrow.”

  “Like hell you will,” Clarissa said hoarsely and Jessica smiled her satisfaction. She leaned in all the way and they both sighed at the first, gentle touch of their lips in three years. They pulled away and looked at each other, and then they kissed again. This time the kiss was longer, deeper and way less gentle. They pulled away again, both slightly out of breath, but only for a second. Their bodies pressed closer as they kissed again.