You could have slapped me silly at this point and I wouldn’t have flinched. I made him lose control? How about the fact I jumped in his car after a whopping half hour conversation? My mind was still trying to process that one.
So was he telling me last night was his attempt at controlling the urge to move onward with our relationship? This was getting more confusing by the minute.
“I could say the same,” I muttered under my breath.
He looked down, hands on his narrow hips. “Tell you what, why don’t we start over? How about dinner tonight?”
Really? He was playing the gallant gentleman when I had been ready to get horizontal anytime, anyplace? Why the screeching halt? I fiddled with my hair as he approached and took his seat beside me again. Just his scent made me want to jump him right on the couch. Had I ever reacted this way to a male before? Not quite. Jax was so different than the others I had dated in the past. There was a mysterious aura about him; something surreal. It captivated me and I wanted to explore the possibilities he offered.
“Looks like I’m giving you another chance Mr. Sparks.” I let the smile spread across my face. He reciprocated. Holy shit! I hadn’t seen him smile yet. I needed to sit on my hands else they would be all over him in a second.
Bracing his hands on his knees, he stood and I had a perfect view of his ass, in those jeans.
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
I rose and his eyes moved over my body. My arms crossed over my ample chest and it wasn’t because I was trying to irk him as before. Without a bra, my nipples tightened and my breasts swelled as the soft cotton tank stretched to accommodate their weight. The arch of his brow coupled with a one-sided grin told me he knew exactly what was going on in my world. I cocked my head to the side then couldn’t help but swing my ass to the door. Two could play at this.
The banging on the door took me right out of seductress mode. Rolling my eyes just thinking about the interrogation, I let Tarah in and promptly stood aside so she could see my guest.
“Hey girlie. Hell you aren’t even dressed….”
I laughed at her jaw-drop expression. It was priceless.
“Tarah, this is Jax Sparks. You remember him from last night? Jax this is Tarah Wiles, my best friend.” I was toying with her and knew she would pay me back later.
Her smile was forced. “Of course.”
My gaze swung back to Jax who stood hands in pockets.
“Pleasure to meet you.”
He strode toward me and my heartbeat accelerated.
“I’ll see you later.” He kissed my cheek then he was gone.
“What the hell is going on?” Tarah asked, pointing at the door.
I walked over to my end table picking up my sparkly clutch. Holding it up reminded her but she still wasn’t liking this.
“I’ll see you later? What’s that all about?”
I smirked at her. “You know my mother ran off to Europe. I don’t need a replacement.”
“Oh no you don’t,” she said, waving her black nailed finger at me.
I rolled my eyes and sat on the couch. “Fine! He apologized. Admitted I turned him on to the point where he lost control. He doesn’t want to do that and asked to start over and take things slower. There, satisfied?”
I wanted to shriek at the slow smile spreading over her face until that damned, evil dimple made an appearance.
“Ok so let me get this right, the owner chooses you out of hundreds at his club, takes you home but decides he wants to take it slow because oh, he can’t control his beastly urges then takes the time out of his hectic schedule to make a special delivery, apologize and ask you out? Did I skip anything?”
I was standing a little straighter as she went on with all that. My chest swelled and I felt tingly inside.
“Sounds pretty fantastic when you put it together like that.” I grinned like an idiot.
Tarah smirked at me, hands on hips. “No shit. Now, what are you in the mood for?”
Thirty minutes later we are sitting at Star Bucks with a Caramel Macchiato in hand, one with whipped cream. That would be mine. My stomach simply couldn’t handle a meal right about now. The only reason I had any meat on my bones was the pints of ice cream I inhaled at night on the couch. Food wasn’t a big thing with me. Since the age of fifteen, puberty had broken my healthy appetite along with a nasty flu. Everything in my body had changed that year. For some inexplicable reason my eyesight was back to normal. I remember my mother thinking nothing of it as she left the doctor’s office. It’s your hormones, she had said.
“You have a whip cream mustache.” Tarah chuckled.
I truly didn’t care. Life was finally getting exciting. Licking the sweet cream off my lips, I leaned back and stuck my tongue out at her.
“We need to shop.”
I nodded my head. “No way in hell am I letting you dress me again.”
Tarah pushed at my shoulder. “Hey. I’m the reason you have this hot date. That leather skirt did the trick.”
Two hundred dollars later, I walked into my apartment building only to find a delivery at the front desk; a stunning bouquet of red roses. Somehow I managed the bags and the roses all at once. Thankfully, the elevator was not empty and someone pressed my floor when I called out. I glanced over my shoulder to thank them and was shocked at the piercing ice blue stare that greeted me. He smiled but his eyes remained cold.
“Thanks,” I croaked and turned quickly when he nodded. Suddenly, the spacious elevator seemed cramped and small. The magic number dinged its’ arrival and the doors opened. I stepped out and cringed when the stranger followed. I pretended to stop and check for something in my purse so he could pass me, which he did; his black leather clad self disappearing around the corner. I opened my door and bolted it shut then placed the roses on the small table at the entry along with my keys.
That was just weird. I shook Mister icy blue off and emptied my bags on the bed. The lacey thongs made me blush. I swear Tarah had a wicked mind. Curiosity got the better of me and I powered on my laptop. Google pulled right up and there in a nice black and white was Jaxon Peter Sparks, Entrepreneur and Business Owner. I read down and continued to be even more impressed with his accomplishments. The man had a black belt for every freaking martial arts in existence; a Masters in Business Administration…Geez and he was only thirty. Maybe he hadn’t slept for the past ten years. Nodding my head in amazement, I shut down.
Walking to my closet, I found the black seduction dress, which was pushed to the back. I shook it out and placed it over my body. The halter top accentuated my large breast. Another Tarah induced purchase. She always insisted I had to show off the goods.
My sexy thigh high boots were next. If these shoes didn’t scream “fuck me” nothing did. I laughed at the raunchy thoughts percolating through my head. Looking at the clock I decided to take a long relaxing bath in my Jacuzzi tub. There was plenty of time before Tarah arrived and started harassing me
Jax
“Who the fuck is this?” Jax growled into the phone. My brother, Cade, shot up from the couch but I waved him down.
“If I told you it wouldn’t by fun anymore, asshole. Now listen closely. I paid a visit to that fine piece of ass you were with last night. She looks good enough to eat.”
I was seconds from blowing a gasket. This psycho knew about Sienna.
“You bastard. I am going to tear your fucking heart out.”
He laughed, the sound grating on my last nerve.
“You will finally pay.”
“What the….” The line went dead and I was furious. Throwing the phone down I motioned to Cade who was pacing like a caged beast.
“What the hell was all that about?” he asked.
“Some asshole threatening me with Sienna. Said I was finally going to pay.”
I had called Cade over to talk to him about Sienna and my reservations. Telling him about my affliction for her only made him more suspicious. In our mission, we suspected everyon
e. Cade was the head bouncer at Red Velvet, a club on the outside but so much more on the inside. He was the perfect man for the job. The Legion needed vampires like him to lead because for real, it was getting pretty nasty. The Insurgents, those rebel motherfuckers led by the dark dick himself, were tearing up the race in a bad way.
“Get someone to watch her. He’s going to use her to get to me.”
Cade nodded and got right on the phone. I heard him talking to his men and felt a rush of relief when it was done. I racked my brain thinking about who I had pissed off lately.
“It’s done. Put Ronnie on her trail. He’s one of the best trackers I know. Now, will you tell me what’s going on?”
Cade made himself comfortable on my couch. He wasn’t going anywhere until I gave him all the deats. His yellow eyes stared at me expectedly. This was going to be an interrogation and he was the master of that department.
“She was here.” I held up my hand and stopped all the “what the fuck” from spilling out of my brother’s mouth. I knew this was a first for me. I had a good eye for a beautiful woman and enjoyed them, then politely walked them to the door. I rarely allowed any woman into the privacy of my home much less a human. That was debatable even to me. Sienna was different. I sensed it from the moment she walked into my club.
“I think she may be a hybrid. An Elemental.”
Cade’s jaw dropped. “That is very rare. Most crossbreeds don’t make it past the transition age.”
“But it is possible.” I began to pace.
“We had a situation.” I rolled my eyes when his eyebrow arched in question.
“I changed while we were…kissing. So I pulled away. She interpreted the act as a dismissal. It began to storm shortly after. She didn’t even flinch when the lightening blasted the tree outside the window. The storm empowered her, gave her courage. I sensed that much.
“But she smells human?” Case inquired.
“Not totally.”
Cade stood and stretched his arms over his head. “More reason to keep a close eye on her. Those Insurgent bastards get a whiff of a hybrid among us and they will be worse than a pack of wolves in heat and that is pretty bad. I should know.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me.
I stared at him, hands on hip, trying very hard not to pound him. As youngsters, it would be strange if we didn’t go a round or two. Through the years I learned to accept his sense of humor because it sure as hell wasn’t going anywhere.
“A lightening storm in January? Hmmmm…interesting.”
Raising an eyebrow, I nodded in agreement. Cade wasn’t opposed to my suspicions. Whoever had called had a bone to pick with me and I didn’t want her getting hurt in the process. Cade and I talked for a few more minutes before he was due at the club.
I walked him out and leaned against the door. I felt better, knowing Sienna had one of his men watching her. Pulling out my phone, I dialed Ronnie.
“Ronnie.”
“Hey Ron. How is the view?”
His chuckle came through loud and clear. “The view is just fine. Your female is lounging in a bubble bath as we speak.”
I growled.
“Hey. I am outside and give me some credit for being a gentleman here. Plus, I only have eyes for one woman and you know that.”
“You better be or I will have your eyeballs for dinner.” I smiled at the dead silence on the other end. Ronnie had settled down since Sylvain had walked into the club two months ago. That was the only thing keeping me from going out of my mind. He was a handsome fucker and most women drooled all over him.
“I’ll be there in an hour.” I clicked end and walked into the bathroom.
CHAPTER FIVE
Sienna
I didn’t like getting angry. Usually, I was pretty cool. Law school taught you how to train your features and when to show emotion. Closing argument was a good time to let it roll. Lawyers were much like actors. We convinced a jury our story was the right one.
I dried off and thought about the previous night. Pissed off was a mild word for how I felt after Jax had pulled away from me. I couldn’t seem to shake off my hurt over it.
Walking to the bed I picked up the black lacey thong and slipped it on. It left little to the imagination. I was surprised when I looked in the mirror. A red-headed temptress stared back at me. The underwear collection in my top drawer consisted of no nonsense cotton in white, tan or black. All this lacey fluff had never been me. Until now. Somehow it mattered that I looked my best. I wanted Jaxon Sparks to lose control when he saw me. Cotton black wasn’t going to cut it tonight.
The black dress flowed down over my generous hips. Turning, I checked out the entire back, or lack of, which dipped down to just above my ass. For the first time in my life I truly felt confident with how I looked.
The doorbell chimed and knew I was in for a battle. I shuffled over, knowing Tarah would be pounding down the door soon. The girl was impatient.
“Wow. You look way hot. Told you the lack of a bra wouldn’t matter. You have perfect boobs.”
I smiled because you just had to with her. “Hello to you and thanks but unless I put my warmest coat on I am going to freeze them off!”
“That’s a minor detail. So did you shave your legs?”
I scowled at her. Just what the hell was she getting at?
“Of course. You can’t wear…”
The wicked dimple popped out. “You’re gonna do him, aren’t you?”
I gaped at her. Why was I shocked? This was the normal lingo with her. Tarah was very blunt and she sure as hell didn’t beat around the bush. I decided to be just as frank.
“Yes Tarah. I’m going to fuck his brains out.” Her response was comical. She opened her mouth then closed it again, not sure what to say. I guess she was expecting my usual indignation. I winked at her and strode to my closet to fetch my get laid shoes.
I was stacked, packed and primed for the night. Tarah was grinning at me so things were looking good. Just for good measure I grabbed my sparkly clutch. Yes, the same one, and walked out to the living room.
“Well, doll. I have to run. I don’t want to be here when you guys fall all over each other. Kiss kiss.”
Ten minutes later my doorbell rang. I took a deep breath and another sip of my just poured wine before opening the door.
Wow. Just wow. Over six feet of muscled perfect stood across from me. No man should look that good in a suit. I could just skip the dinner all together. No problem. By the look on his face, he was thinking the same thing.
“You look amazing, Sienna.”
I dipped my head back and his lips landed somewhere below my jaw in that most sensitive place. My skin prickled with goose bumps. His scent was the most erotic thing I had smelled in my life and it was potent this evening. When he looked out the windows to the view of the city, I noticed his braid was gone. His hair was loose and much shorter.
“You cut your hair.”
He smiled. “Yes. You don’t like it?”
The man would look good bald. “I do.” I reached out and touched a dark lock falling over his brow. He leaned closer, his full lips so close. I closed my eyes.
“We better get going. Did you say we had reservations?” I stepped back, proud to be the first to break the moment.
“Yes. We do.” He grabbed my long coat. Its warmth was stifling. I was overheating and we hadn’t even kissed yet. I said a quick thank you prayer when we made it out into the cold air. A black limo waited and in we went. He was so close our thighs touched. At this moment I didn’t really care where we went as long as we were alone.
I gasped when his hand came down on my knee. Shit. My heart raced and my legs crossed, locking his hand where it was. Reaching over me, he pressed a button and the privacy glass went up and his mouth came down over mine. It was an openmouthed kiss, no time for coaxing or softness. This was all hot and intrusive. His tongue came in and I was ready for it.
He bore down, pushing me back onto the soft leather. I would have a fe
w winkles on my dress. Did I care? Hell no. I loved his weight on top of me, his thigh pushing between my legs. Delicious heat pooled at my core. At this rate I would have him inside of me in a nano-second. My hands dove into his thick hair, pulling and tugging. I could feel his chest rumbling with a pleasure growl. It was sexy as hell. His length pressed against my belly and it was hard not to squirm against it.
Thank God for the slit in my dress, giving me access to move my leg out and over his. His mouth continued to ravish me. He nipped at my lower lip and I seriously wanted to bite him. I pulled back and his canine scored the soft tissue on the inside of my mouth. I tasted my own blood but at this point Aliens could have been hovering above us and I wouldn’t have given a damn. He sucked on the wound causing a tight pull down... Holy shit!!! I climaxed. My body shook uncontrollably, the spasms vibrating through my legs. His arms came around me, holding me tight. Our breathing became harsh and short. Dots danced in front of my eyes. The last thing I remember were the sirens from a fire truck blaring in the distance.
I blinked rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the surroundings. Jax was there, watching me with a worried frown.
“Did I pass out?”
“Apparently so. Are you okay?”
I struggled to get up and he placed a strong hand at my back. The blaring lights behind our limo caught my attention. Two fire trucks blocked the street and battled a raging fire at one of the warehouses.
“Was there some kind of explosion?” Beside the one in my panties?
He nodded, running his hands through my hair. “I’m not sure. Listen. Do you still want to do dinner?”
“I don’t get it. I never pass out.”
I was feeling better but a little bewildered. Then he smiled, his eyes glittering with pleasure. I flushed as it all came back to me, the reason for my fainting spell. This was ridiculous. I blacked out from an orgasm that didn’t even include penetration? I covered my face.
“I am never going to live this down, am I?” I heard his deep chuckle.
“Sienna.” He pulled my hands away and kissed my nose. “I love your passion for me,” he whispered.
A Vampire's Touch (The Red Velvet Trilogy) Page 3
