A Bite to Remember (29 page)

“Well,” Christian said once the debriefing was over, “if we’re done here, the boys and I should get moving. Aunt Elaine and Uncle Roberto are expecting us for dinner.”

“The boys mentioned that while you were gone,” Jackie commented.

Christian was speaking of Elaine and Roberto Notte. Elaine was Stephano and Neil’s mother. Roberto was Neil’s
father and Stephano’s stepfather. The couple had flown to L.A. from Italy the moment they’d returned home from a business trip to hear the news of Stephano’s injury and turning. Vincent had invited the couple to stay at his home, but they’d decided there really wasn’t room for them all and had checked into a hotel, taking a suite so that Neil and Stephano could stay with them while Stephano completed and adjusted to the turning. Christian and the boys had decided to continue staying at the house.

Christian glanced from Jackie to Vincent and raised an eyebrow. “Now that the boys have taught you to keep your teeth in, maybe while we’re gone, Vincent can teach you how to get them out.”

“How to get them out?” Jackie asked with surprise. “They come out on their own. Or try to,” she added, since she’d now learned to force them back and not extend.

“Only when you’re extremely hungry or the scent of blood is around,” Christian pointed out. “You want to be able to feed when you need to. You need to be able to bring your teeth out at will so that you can arrange your feeding around your life, rather than arranging your life around your feeding.”

“For instance,” he said, “you’ll wake up hungry, just like mortals, and at those times, probably just the sight of bagged blood will be enough to bring your teeth on. But what if you have a stakeout or something to see to? You’ll want to feed before you leave so you don’t need to take blood with you. But what if you aren’t hungry? At this point, your teeth won’t just slide out when you wish them to. Will they?” he asked, then raised an eyebrow. “Try to bring them on for us.”

Jackie hesitated, then ran her tongue along her teeth and concentrated on trying to bring them out. Nothing happened, and she frowned. “How do you—?”

“Eventually, you’ll be able to bring them out and put them away at will,” Marguerite assured her. “As with keeping them from coming out, making them come out is a learned task.”

“Until then,” Christian said, “there are three things that will bring on your teeth. The sight—or sometimes even just the thought—of blood when you’re extremely hungry.”

“Like with Tiny when I first came down after the change,” Jackie muttered, casting him an embarrassed and apologetic glance.

Christian nodded. “Then there is the scent of blood which works even when you aren’t hungry.”

“And what’s the third thing?” Jackie asked.

“Sex.”

“Sex?” she echoed uncertainly.

Christian smiled, stood and rounded the table. Pausing at her side, he held out his hand.

Jackie hesitated, then took it and allowed him to draw her to her feet. Her gaze slid to Vincent as she did. He’d gone stiff, his expression flat as he watched with narrowed eyes. It seemed to her he knew what Christian was going to do and wasn’t at all happy about it. Jackie didn’t get the chance to analyze any more than that as Christian suddenly tugged her into his arms and kissed her.

Christian was a good kisser, all masterful technique and thrusting tongue. Unfortunately, Jackie was too aware of their audience to appreciate it much. She stood stiff and still in his arms, aware of Vincent’s eyes drilling into the back of
her head. She even thought she heard a growl from his direction, but then Christian broke the kiss and pulled back, frowning.

“Your teeth aren’t coming out,” he commented with a frown, and Jackie supposed he’d know. He’d just given her teeth a thorough examination a dentist would be proud of, though he’d done so with his tongue.

“Relax,” Christian instructed, his voice soothing, then he kissed her again, this time toying with her lips briefly, nibbling before deepening the kiss. It was well done and Jackie was convinced he was the second best kisser she’d ever met. Unfortunately, Vincent was the best and was sitting just three feet away. She was positive that now constant low sound she was hearing was him growling. It was just too distracting to allow her to relax as Christian had instructed.

“This isn’t working.” Christian sounded bewildered as he again broke the kiss.

“Perhaps Vincent should try,” Marguerite suggested mildly.

Vincent was on his feet and had whirled Jackie out of Christian’s arms and into his own so fast, she gasped with shock as her body was suddenly plastered against his. Once again, Vincent proved that while he was pretty laid back about most things, kissing wasn’t one of them.

He peered down at her for a moment, his eyes intense. Jackie didn’t know what her expression was, probably simple bewilderment, but whatever he saw made him relax and his expression softened. Then, he lowered his head, allowing his lips to drift first over each eye, kissing them closed,
then he kissed the tip of her nose lightly before pressing his lips to hers.

His mouth was soft at first, questing, then abruptly became firm as he slid his hand into her hair and tilted her head to the angle he wanted.

Jackie gasped and moaned as he urged her mouth open and plundered its moist depths. This time, she forgot all about having an audience, her mind and body focused on the excitement and want Vincent was engendering in her. Pressing closer into his embrace, she slid her arms around his neck, tugging at him just as demandingly as he was holding her. It wasn’t until her own tongue caught on one of her fangs and she jerked in surprise that they were both recalled to the kitchen and the people watching them.

“Are you all right?” Vincent asked with concern as he broke the kiss. He’d obviously tasted the bit of blood drawn by nicking her own tongue.

Jackie was breathing heavily, but nodded.

“Well,” Christian said dryly. “It seems Vincent would be the better one to teach this lesson.”

Jackie glanced at the man and felt herself flush. She almost wanted to apologize for her teeth not coming out when he kissed her, but managed to keep from doing so.

“It’s for the best anyway. We have to go see Elaine,” Christian went on, glancing at Marcus and the twins. The three men immediately moved to leave the room and Christian followed, saying, “We’ll be back as quickly as we can. Call me on my cell if there are any problems.”

Vincent looked annoyed at the man’s words, but didn’t comment. Jackie knew the four men were staying at the
house in the hopes of deterring any further attacks on anyone, or perhaps in the hopes that they were around to catch the saboteur if there were any future attacks. They were all keen to catch the saboteur.

Marguerite was the next person to move. Getting up from the table, she announced, “All the mind reading tonight has left me with a bit of a headache. I think I shall have a lie down and try to get rid of it.”

“I’m ready for bed myself,” Tiny announced, getting up as well.

Jackie glanced from one person to another with a touch of panic. She was suddenly shy of being alone with Vincent after what had just happened. Taking the coward’s way out, she slipped out of Vincent’s arms and moved for the door, saying, “I should go give the office a call and see if there’s anything needing my attention.”

She rushed out of the kitchen ahead of Marguerite and Tiny. It wasn’t until Jackie had reached the office that she realized that had been about the stupidest excuse she could have used. It was midnight in California. Only 3
A.M.
in New York. The office wouldn’t be open yet.

“Coward,” Jackie muttered to herself as she stopped at the desk and blew the hair out of her face with an upward blast of air from her lips. And she knew it was true, but dear God she’d been all set to climb Vincent like a dog in heat when her fangs had made their appearance and ruined everything. She’d completely forgotten their audience. And now she found herself embarrassed by her own behavior.

Leaning against the desk, Jackie peered with disinterest at the papers and messages on the wide surface and wondered
if Marguerite had mentioned her theory of their being life mates to Vincent. And if so, what did he think of that, she wondered.

The sound of the office door opening interrupted her thoughts and Jackie turned to find Vincent standing in the doorway, a bag of blood in hand.

Fifteen

“I thought you might be hungry,” Vincent said as he closed the door.

“I am,” Jackie admitted. The boys had said she needed to be able to control her teeth while hungry, that it was the true test of her control and so she hadn’t fed all evening. She was now famished, though she’d been so distracted, Jackie hadn’t realized it until she turned and saw the bag of blood in Vincent’s hand.

“Are you hungry enough that just the sight of it will bring on your teeth? Or do you need some help?” he asked, stopping before her.

Jackie ran her tongue over her teeth. Her fangs had receded during her embarrassment after the kiss, and—despite her hunger—didn’t appear to be thrusting themselves out now at the sight of blood. She blushed as she realized she’d need help.

“I’m sorry,” she began with embarrassment. “But I think I need help.”

A slow smile curved Vincent’s lips as he set the bag of blood on the desk, then he slid his arms around her. “Trust me, there is
nothing
to apologize for. Surely, you can tell that I’m quite happy to help with this?”

Jackie blinked as he pressed his lower body against her and she felt the proof of his being happy to help. She obviously wasn’t the only one affected by their kisses. However, while her teeth had slid away in the embarrassment that had followed, it seemed his erection hadn’t. That knowledge made excitement pool between her legs and she felt the pressure and shifting along her upper jaw. Without even thinking about it, Jackie used the skill she’d just mastered and forced the teeth back. It was a subconscious action, but one her body wholly approved of if it meant she would enjoy more of his kisses.

“More than happy to help,” Vincent said softly as his mouth lowered to hers.

There were no tentative kisses to eyes and nose this time, no slow workup to a proper kiss. Vincent claimed her like a victor claiming spoils, his kiss aggressive and hungry. Jackie moaned and found herself arching against him, her arms around his shoulders and hands burying themselves in his hair as she opened to him and did a little demanding of her own.

Until meeting Vincent, no one had been able to compete with Cassius when it came to exciting her. While she knew it had all been mind control and that he’d placed that excitement inside her, still it had felt like true passion and Jackie
had decided long ago that real passion would never be able to compete. Yet, Vincent could, and did, and won hands down and she knew he wasn’t placing those thoughts or feelings in her head. Her body simply went up in flames at his touch, sending warm juices to her nether regions as if to try to douse the fire, but that simply made it worse.

Jackie was pressing against him, trying to get as close as she could. Every inch of her body ached to feel his against it, but their clothes were in the way. Fortunately, Vincent appeared to feel the same way, for he began to tug at her clothes. Jackie murmured encouragement against his mouth and trembled in his arms as he pushed her t-shirt upward. His fingers spread over the flesh of her stomach, then curved over her breasts through the silk of her bra. It wasn’t enough though and she briefly broke their kiss to help him remove the t-shirt altogether.

The moment it was off and flying into a corner of the office, Vincent covered her mouth with his again as he began to work on her bra. Much to her relief, it was gone in seconds. Jackie shuddered and gasped as his warm palms closed over her aching, erect nipples.

She murmured into his mouth, then knotted her hands in his hair, her kisses becoming desperate as he fondled and kneaded her breasts. Within moments, she was breathless and panting, desire shooting through her like lightning. Growing unbearably excited, she let go of his hair and dropped her hands between them to begin working on the buttons of his shirt.

Jackie wanted his naked flesh against her own, she wanted to feel all of him. When she ran into trouble with the buttons,
Vincent left off caressing her to help her, then the shirt was undone and she was able to push it off his shoulders.

“God, Jackie,” Vincent gasped against her mouth as they came together again, the scattering of hair on his chest brushing her erect nipples. He kissed her once, hard, then pulled back to work at the knot of the drawstring of her jogging pants, muttering, “You remember how I said that sex was one of the other things I’d grown bored of over the centuries?”

“Uh-huh.” Jackie began to work on his belt.

“Well, I’m not finding it boring anymore,” Vincent informed her grimly as he finally managed the knot and began to push her joggers down.

“Thank God for that,” Jackie breathed.

Vincent got the joggers to her knees, then apparently grew impatient with the task and grabbed her by the waist to set her on the desk. Her bottom had barely settled on the desktop, when he whipped the joggers the rest of the way off and stepped between her legs to kiss her again.

Jackie sighed into his mouth, then bit aggressively at his lower lip as her body plastered itself against his and his hardness pressed against her through his jeans. Her teeth were well out now, but both of them ignored that until Jackie—not used to having fangs—nicked herself again and the tang of blood entered the kiss.

Vincent immediately paused and Jackie almost groaned aloud with disappointment. She didn’t want to stop what they were doing. Apparently, neither did Vincent, for he merely reached around to grab the bag of blood, and popped it on her teeth.

“Hold the bag,” Vincent instructed and Jackie reached up
to take over holding the bag to her teeth. The moment she did, he scooped her up off the desk and carried her to the couch. By the time he’d set her down on the sofa, the bag was empty. Vincent took it away and tossed it on the table beside the couch as he knelt between her legs.