The males had all stopped to stare. Their eyes tracking the females as they jogged. Their bodies tightened, fists clenched. He was sure he caught a whiff of pure testosterone in the air. Thank fuck, none of them made any comments or attempts to approach the females.
This had to stop.
He couldn’t have her here. Besides, what he had seen seven months ago meant that Jenna most definitely had lied on the questionnaire. She might not have a mate anymore, although it wouldn’t surprise him if she did, but she most definitely did have a child and that automatically disqualified her from the program.
Gideon couldn’t take the torture anymore. It was still with extreme reluctance that he pulled his gaze away from her mouthwatering form.
He had to do something about this, had to rectify the situation as a matter of extreme urgency. Brant would want to know. There was no way in hell that she was here for him. Taking big, long strides, it wasn’t long before he was in the waiting area of Brant’s office.
Allison looked up at him. “Can help you?” She stuck the end of the pencil she was holding into her mouth.
“I need to see Brant, please.”
She removed the pencil from her mouth, twirling it in her fingers. “Is it urgent? Can I ask the nature of your meeting request?” She raised her brows, keeping her eyes on him.
“It’s in connection with one of the human females, I believe she lied on a questionnaire.” He decided the best way to approach this would be to stick to the facts and to say only what was required.
She nodded. “Give me a sec.” She buzzed Brant and relayed the message before turning back to him. Allison nodded. “Go on in but be aware that his next meeting is in five minutes. That’s all I can give you.”
Gideon nodded, feeling relieved. Hopefully this nightmare would soon be over. Jenna could leave and he could get on with his life. “Thank you.” He pushed out a deep breath.
Opening the door, he walked into Brant’s spacious office and stood in the vicinity of his desk.
Brant made him wait a full minute before even acknowledging him. His king gestured for him to take a seat.
“Thank you, my lord.” He sat down. “I won’t take much of your time.”
Brant glanced at the watch strapped to his arm before lifting his dark eyes back to Gideon. “Good, because you’ve got four minutes. I have an important conference call.”
Gideon nodded. “It’s about one of the human females…I believe her name is Jenna. I’m not sure of her surname.” He lied.
Brant’s eyes immediately narrowed and darkened. “What of her?”
Gideon sat back in the chair and forced himself to take a calm breath before releasing it. Hoping he looked better than what he felt. “I recognized her when I first saw her…that’s why I questioned her. It’s only just occurred to me where I saw her before. She lied on a questionnaire.”
Brant frowned. “In what way?” He barked. “And since when have you been mingling with human females?” He raised his brows while leaning forward.
“We need to enter Sweetwater from time to time. It was on one of those trips that I ran into this female. I recognized her scent. Like I said, it has taken me three days to place her. I have not mingled with any humans.” He lied again. “Her belly was swollen with child and she was with a male…I’m sure he was her mate.” Everything in him tightened and he had to force himself not to clench his teeth or to growl.
Brant smiled, glancing at his watch for a second time. “You were mistaken. This can’t be the same human. I never relied on the information from the questionnaires. I am well aware that humans sometimes lie. Every single female was checked. Certificates, medical records, prison records, you name it and we checked it. None of the females currently within the program are mated and none of them have children. Some of them were previously mated. This is common amongst humans. No females have children. Of this I am certain. Now get the fuck out of my office.” He gave Gideon a broad smile. “I bet you are wishing you joined, after all.”
Gideon shook his head. “No way,” he growled, using a little too much force.
Brant’s smile widened. “Like fuck. Have you taken a good look at those females? They are all spectacular. You should consider joining in on the next round.”
Gideon shook his head again. “I don’t think so, my lord.”
Allison stuck her head around the jamb. “Your conference call is waiting, my lord.” Her beautiful catlike eyes moved to Gideon.
Gideon nodded. “Thank you, my lord.”
“I hope that clears things up then?” Brant raised his brows.
“Are you certain proper checks were done? I don’t want one of our males falling for someone who is already mated. Even worse, a female who has a human child. It could complicate things.”
Brant shook his head. “No chance in hell. I’m thorough. I know what I’m doing.”
Gideon struggled to believe it. He knew exactly what he had seen. This was not a case of mistaken identity. The only problem now was finding another way to get Jenna out of the program. To get her out of his life once and for all. First, he needed answers though.
****
Lunch had been delicious as always. If she carried on eating like this, she’d be back to her previous weight in no time. It was wonderful living without fear. Not having to worry every second of every day. Jenna, did however, live with continuous tension.
When was she going to see Gideon again? Would he speak to her? Would he believe her in the end? She was beginning to think that it wasn’t going to happen.
She pulled her lip between her teeth and bit down.
“I can’t believe you’re not into any of them.” Julie walked next to her. It was good to get out and to enjoy the beautiful, country surroundings.
Jenna sighed. “Oh well, it’s just one of those things. How are you doing? Are you interested in any of them? More importantly, are any interested in you back?” She and Julie quickly became friends after their arrival. It wasn’t difficult since Julie had a carefree smile, and an easy way about her. She wasn’t like a lot of the other women who were willing, it seemed, to do anything to snag themselves a vampire. Most importantly, she didn’t pry or try and get Jenna to talk about her past.
Julie ignored the question. “What about Lazarus?” She asked, her eyebrows raised. “You guys seem to spend a lot of time together.”
Jenna shrugged. “I like him…but only as a friend. It’s not like that. Not at all. He really is a nice guy.” She raised her brows at Julie.
“Oh, no.” Her friend shook her head. They continued to walk down a cobblestone path. “He so totally is not my type. Just too big and far too scary.”
“Like I said, he’s really nice.”
“He drank a glass of blood at dinner last night. He has so many knives strapped to his body that I’m surprised he can even walk despite his size. Also, I’ve never known a guy to growl so much, and what’s with the incoherent grunting?”
Jenna had to giggle. “He’s a vampire. Granted, Lazarus is probably a little more vampire than most but all those things you mentioned are vampire traits. If you’re not happy with the blood drinking then you’ve got yourself a little problem.”
Julie clenched her jaw for a few beats. “It doesn’t bother me really, it’s just that the person I like is not into me.”
“Oh my word!” Jenna gushed. “So you do have your eye on someone.”
Julie gave her a half smile. “I quite like Lance.” Her cheeks instantly turned a little rosy and her eyes darted to the lake where the swans glided effortlessly.
Jenna didn’t know what to say to that. She knew his type well. Good looking, arrogant although it would come across as confident, charming.
“What is it?” Julie asked.
Jenna shook her head. “I just think that there are a lot of nicer guys in the group.”
“I don’t think he’s as rough and tough as what he projects. I think that there is more to him.” Her eyes were clou
ded in thought. “It’s not like I have a shot with him or anything anyway. He seems to hang out with that girl Vanessa.”
“Yep, and I’ll bet you anything he doesn’t proceed to the next round with her. That he’s just using her for sex.”
Julie made a face. Jenna could see that she was trying to mask a hurt expression. “I would say that the using goes both ways. Vanessa is far from an innocent, sweetie pie.”
“Sweetie pie…” Jenna snorted at the concept. “Not by a long damned shot.” She instantly regretted speaking this way about another person. She knew firsthand how easy it was to misjudge someone and to be misjudged right back. She sighed. “Then again, what do we really know? Neither of us knows Lance or Vanessa well enough to make judgment.”
Julie spat out a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and snort. “I’m not saying it’s not possible, but I highly doubt we’re misjudging anything. Although, I still think that there may be more to Lance.” The other woman ran a hand through her shoulder length blond hair. “Anyways, I think we should just really enjoy ourselves while we’re here because I’m not sure that we’ll still be here in a couple of days.”
Some of the women would move on to round number two while the rest of them would be sent home. The vampires in the program were each allowed to pick one woman. The reality was that some of the guys might pick the same woman, while others - she suspected Lazarus would be one - weren’t going to pick anyone. At best, ten out of the twenty-five women in the program would go through to the next round. Jenna’s heart raced at the thought. Her hands turned a little clammy. Julie was right, neither of them stood much of a chance. Jenna had made zero effort with any of the guys. There was no way she was pretending to be interested in someone just for the sake of staying in the program though.
At least if she was forced to leave, she would get a small payment from the vampires. It would be enough to buy her a bus ticket and maybe cover her living expenses for a month, six weeks if she was really careful.
Though it would be a fresh start, it would also mean that she would lose any hope of getting back with Gideon. The thought was too painful to contemplate. She still had a few days to try and change his mind. She had been looking out for him, but she’d only seen him once or twice and he had continued to keep his distance. She knew that if she tried to reach out to him, in any way, it would draw attention that he wouldn’t want.
It had been made clear to them that any interaction with guys outside of the ten, was strictly forbidden.
“I’m going to head back.” Julie gestured in the direction of their hotel. Although the vampires insisted on calling it the human accommodations, Jenna had come to think of it as a hotel because, that’s what it was. Only, they didn’t have to pay.
She didn’t feel like going back just yet. There always seemed to be some or other group of vampires practicing either fighting or swordsmanship. Or just doing some sort of drill. It reminded her quite a bit of what she imagined guys would be doing if they were training for special forces. Right now, all was quiet. Tranquil, relaxed and calm. Just what she needed. “I think I’ll stay for a bit.” She smiled at Julie, who nodded.
“I’m going to go and read at the pool. We still have quite a few hours before we have to get ready for tonight. Dinner and dancing…” She rolled her eyes. “I struggle to imagine all those big, burly vampires strutting their stuff.”
Jenna swallowed thickly, she forced a smile. “They might actually surprise you.”
They said their goodbyes and she watched Julie walk away, her mind firmly on one and a half years ago when she’d first met Gideon. Her lips curled into a small smile.
Jenna wasn’t sure how long she had stood there, staring at the swans, remembering that first night with Gideon. Remembering how she had gotten sick all over him.
Her cheeks still heated at the thought of how she had covered him…them both in warm, stinking vomit. The only consolation was that it was mostly watery with the odd piece of what looked like a bit of carrot but couldn’t be since she hadn’t eaten any. The evidence had still been on her clothing the next morning. The next morning…she closed her eyes thinking back again…Her cheeks heating…
The morning after the puke episode was forever engraved in her mind. She could still remember every detail. She had woken up, head pounding. Her mouth tasted like she’d been sucking on a sewage pipe. Jenna took in her immediate view of the room without actually taking anything in. It hurt too badly to think clearly, she put a hand to her forehead and groaned. Her empty stomach lurched.
What the hell?
She was never drinking again. Especially if they were drinks that were pink and tasted like harmless soda or if they came in a little glass. Forget it. She licked her lips but her tongue was dry. The harsh light through the white curtains made her squint. Hang on just a darned second. Since when did she have white curtains? Since never. One of Jenna’s guilty pleasures was sleeping in on the weekend. Her curtains had always been dark, ideally black, purple or navy blue.
These were white. She squinted against the heavy light as the material billowed through the open window. Tastefully decorated. There was a desk and chair in the corner. On the side table was a landline phone, note pad and pen. This was a hotel. Her frown deepened.
She sat upright and the sheet that covered her pooled around her hips. Oh God! She was naked, as in butt-ass, like the day she was born, naked.
She gasped.
Then all out shrieked as a chuckle sounded from next to her. Jenna grabbed ahold of her boobs, whipping her head to the right so that she could see who the hell was with her.
Holy hell.
Jenna could remember meeting him and jumbled bits about their conversation. “Forget a ten, you’re at least a twelve,” she blurted.
The big guy from last night lay spread out on his back, his hands behind his head. The sheet barely covered his package which she could tell was damned big. Her already dry mouth became desert like. A lazy half smile took residence on his face. The gold flecks in his dark eyes glinted. Stubble shaded his masculine jaw, accentuating the cleft in his chin. Forget the ten, even if she gave him a twelve, it would probably be too conservative. He was off the charts hot.
He was also very naked and a complete stranger. She couldn’t even remember his name. Jenna glanced down. Her hands still cupped her breasts. They were both completely naked. “Oh no! Wait a minute…did we? Did you and I…”
Crap!
He shook his head. “I would never take advantage of a female that was under the influence of alcohol. I have more honor than that.”
Jenna squeezed her thighs together. She wasn’t sore or sticky down there, but that didn’t mean anything. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you think I was born yesterday? We’re both naked and in a hotel room. Something must’ve happened.” Although the thought of having sex with a guy this steamy didn’t sound quite as bad as what it should. He was a complete stranger. Might even be a mass murderer. She wasn’t in the least bit afraid of him though.
The big guy sat up, muscles bunched and corded. The sheet fell dangerously low around his hips. His ripped six pack was enough to make her all out gape. He had a pair of well muscled forearms and biceps that made her want to weep. All set on wide shoulders. Her eyes snapped back to his, one of his brows was raised. “I can see you weren’t born yesterday. That much is very clear.” His eyes dipped to her breasts and she felt her nipples harden under her palms. Her twins seemed to be trying to pop out from under her hands. Not happening girls.
His eyes lifted back to hers. “As to what it is that happened last night…you blacked out after covering us both in your stomach contents.”
The heat started around her chest area moving up her neck and onto her face. She had to work to maintain eye contact. “Sorry about that. I don’t normally drink and hadn’t eaten anything since lunchtime, which only consisted of a small salad. I’d be happy to pay for your dry-cleaning.” She forced herself to snap her mouth s
hut. “Are you sure we didn’t…you know?” She raised her eyebrows at him.
He chuckled. The sound was rich and deep. She swallowed thickly as her nipples hardened up even more, threatening to poke holes through her hands.
He shook his head. “I couldn’t just leave you there. Unconscious and vulnerable.” He shrugged his big shoulders. “I decided to bring you back here with me so that you could sleep it off. I had to undress you, sorry to have to say this, but you stank really badly…we both did. I didn’t touch you though. If I had, you most certainly would’ve remembered.”
Something deep inside her stomach clenched and her clit practically throbbed. Jenna pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Somehow, she just knew that he was right. If this guy had so much as touched her with one little finger, she would’ve remembered. Drunk and half passed out, she would totally have remembered every second. Disappointment blossomed inside her but she quickly tamped it down. He was a stranger. Gorgeous, sexy, masculine…but still a stranger, she reminded herself.
Jenna did not have sex with strangers. Even seriously off the charts sexy ones. She had an eight date rule. No sex until she had dated a guy at least eight times. Jenna had only had a one night stand once and it was the biggest waste of her time. It had been wham bam thank you ma’am sex. Over in less than two minutes, the guy had proceeded to dress and leave immediately afterwards. He’d smirked at the door, throwing her a wink. “Thanks, babe.” And with that he was gone, leaving her to finish herself off. No thanks! Not again.
The big hunk in the bed next to her, glanced back down at her hand-bra. “I’ve seen you naked, you do not need to be concerned with modesty.” The tall, dark haired stranger, that she’d known for five minutes, pulled the sheet to the side and stood up with his back to her. He stretched, arching his back and raising his hands above his head.
Lord help her.
Her eyes were drawn to his well shaped ass and then down to his thick brawny thighs before moving back up to his wide expanse of muscled back. She must’ve made a little bit of a choking noise because he turned around.
A Mate for Gideon (The Program Book 2) Page 6
