Guardian of the Earth House (15 page)

Raiden came up behind Chason.  “You see?”  He said, softly.  “There’s always another war starting.”

She, too, had elements in her character that were

somewhat bewildering to an honest young man.

Robert Barr- “The Face and the Mask”

Midway through
Track of the Moon Beast
Tessie realized that Job was a geek.

He might wear Wall Street ties and have unlimited cosmic powers, but he was also –like- one step away from hanging out in his buddy’s comic book store, passionately debating Kirk vs. Picard.

So far, she’d shown him
Aliens
,
Star Wars
, and now this silly, low-budget flick… And he’d loved them all.  She could tell.  Job’s brows would draw together ever so slightly in rapt attention, lawn green eyes focused on the screen.  Every gruesome alien death or otherworldly explosion was studied and filed away in his organized mind.

Tessie could actually
watch
him being swept up in sci-fi fandom.

It was, by far, the cutest thing she’d ever seen.

“This plot doesn’t seem as cohesive as the other films’.”  Job said, not looking at her as he chewed on his popcorn.  “I don’t understand the motivations of some of these characters.”

“There are no motivations, honey.  Paul got hit by a meteor and now he’s a psychotic moon beast.”  Tessie cuddled closer to him.  “Very sad.”

“There must be a way to cure him, though.”

“I doubt it.  B-movies aren’t big on the happy ends.  It’s all jiggling women and reptilian monsters.  People don’t go to movies like this to analyze the plot.  They go to make out in the dark theaters.”

That got Job’s attention.  He glanced over at her.

Tessie fluttered her lashes, innocently.

Apparently deciding that she’d just been making a general observation, he turned back to the TV.

Sucker.

Tessie ate some more popcorn and bided her time.  She’d raided the deserted Earth Kingdom video store, so, if need be, she could keep luring him in with bad movies all night long.  The two of them were watching the films in his living room, a red and black tartan blanket spread over them.  The bluish glow from the television screen was the only light in the room.

Something hit against the French doors and Tessie jolted.  Her head whipped over to stare at it in alarm.

Job instantly got to his feet and went over to investigate.  He sighed as he peered out the glass.  “I’m sorry.  It’s that planter blowing over, again.”  He headed back over to the sofa.  “Tomorrow, I’ll get rid of it.  I’m not going to have you scared every night.”  He sat back down, kissing the side of her head.  “You’re safe here, Tess.”

Tessie blinked.

Job just implied that she’d be here for
more
nights.  That she was welcome to stay.  Not sure what to make of that, she looked at the TV, again.  “I… um… I’m sorry that I’m such a pain about Kay.  If you’d known my mother, you would have seen a
real
Quintessence.  She wasn’t afraid of anything.”

Of course, her mother had been a lot harder to kill than Tessie was.  Tessie inherited her human father’s dark hair and breakable-ness.

“Your mother was the Quintessence before you?”

“Yeah.  It passes from mother to daughter.”  For generations, some said all the way back to Gaia herself, the Keeper of the Quintessence had followed a straight line of decent.  Like the Elementals powers, the Keeper of the Quintessence was almost always matrilineal.  “I don’t know what will happen to it after me.  I can’t die until I have a daughter and I won’t do that until I’m sure that she’s safe from Kay.”

Job’s jaw tightened.  “I can’t have children.  Not unless I have a Match and that will never happen.”  His flat tone had her chest tightening.

Tessie glanced up at him.  “Humans have artificial methods of insemination.”  There was no reason to say that, except she couldn’t help herself.  “I think it might work on anyone
sort
of human, too.  You could fall in love with somebody and maybe she could get pregnant that way.  Maybe.”

Job stared at her.

Tessie flushed.  “I mean, could you care for a child that wasn’t biologically yours?”

“Yes.  I would.”

“So, no problem, then.”  That had really not been her smoothest conversational gambit.  Tessie couldn’t stay with Job for long.  She knew that.  It put him in danger and all these feelings were part of the fake Phazing, but still…  She cleared her throat.  “We both have a lot of time to worry about that.  Being immortal sort of resets the biological clock.”

Job didn’t respond to that.  His finger came over to trace the edge of her neckline, pulling her chain free.  He examined the necklace for a beat.  “You like jewelry?”

“All women like jewelry, no matter what their species.”  Tessie tilted her head, so she could study the pendant, too.  “My mother gave me that.  It’s part and parcel of the Quintessence gig.  Kay has one for the Khaos, too.  It’s like an ATM code and a vessel and a fashion accessory all rolled into one.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“No.  Well, not unless I get really pissed at you.”  Tessie waggled her eyebrows.

His mouth curved.  Lawn green eyes met hers and Tessie felt the Phazing energy building to ever higher levels.

Job’s gaze went to her red lipsticked smile and she saw him swallow.

All of a sudden, he was finding her a lot more interesting than
Track of the Moon Beast
.

Tessie’s grin turned more feline.  “So, you wanna play a game?”

“A game?”  He repeated faintly.  “Like what?  Doctor, again?”

“Hey, the kitchen sex-venture was your idea.  And no, not doctor.  This one’s called ‘lap dancing.’  Fun for the whole family.”

“I love it when you sit on my lap.”  Job tried to follow her as she stood up.

“No.”  Tessie shook her head.  “You have to stay still.  You can’t touch me, alright?”  She turned the TV off and the nearest lamp on.  “That’s in the rules.”

“I see.”

“Oh, you will.”  Tessie had brought her iPod along for just this activity.  She scrolled down to
Pour Some Sugar on Me
by Def Leppard and set it on repeat.  “The stripper’s anthem.”  She reported as the baseline started.

“There’s a theme of strippers in your life.”  Job was already visibly aroused and Tessie wasn’t doing anything more than standing there.

This was going to be beautiful.

“I told you, it wasn’t strippers on
Days of Our Lives
.  It was a pornography studio.”  She moved so she was directly in front of him.  “I tended bars in some interesting places over the years.  You’re about to benefit from my keen observational skills.”  Tessie had never really done this
herself
, but she’d seen some incredibly talented women bring men to their knees with it.  “Ready?”

“God yes.”

“Remember, no touching.  That would get you kicked out of human clubs.”

“Don’t worry.  I’m very good at following rules.”

“Promises, promises.”  She bent down to remove her shoes.

“Leave them on.”

Tessie hesitated.  “I don’t think you understand how this is gonna work.  They’re six inch heels.  They’ll go right through your sofa.”  She gestured to the leather upholstery.

“I absolutely don’t care.  Leave them
on.
”

Tessie straightened up, again, her body beginning to sway with the music.  “Alright, but I warned you.”  Her hands went to her hair as she moved.  The weight of his gaze set her own arousal spiking.  “No cheating with your energy, either, and making me lose my concentration.”

“Concentration…?”

Tessie’s top came off and Job stopped talking.  The red strapless bra underneath of it was all about seduction.  His eyes went to her breasts and stayed there.

Tessie smiled wickedly.  God, it was like seducing the valedictorian or something.  Corrupting one of the nice boys.  And Job was such a willing victim of her badness.  She’d never seen any man so fascinated.  The confidence that gave her fed into her own arousal.  “I used to think you were such a gentleman, Joby.  But, I’ve been noticing that you spend an awful lot of time staring at my chest.”

“Imagine all the times you don’t even
catch
me staring.”

She laughed at that and slid her hand down her body to the zipper of her skirt, going with the rhythm of the song.  The hard rock beat made it simple to send the denim falling with a few twists of her hips.

Job’s pupils dilated as he took in the red thong.  “Jesus.”

Feeling incredibly powerful, Tessie glided closer so her body was touching his.

Job’s hands clenched.  “Tess?”

Her foot came up so it was planted on the sofa cushion.  Sure enough, the sharp heel of her shoe went right thorough the leather as she leaned over him.

Job didn’t appear to give a damn.

“Jesus.”  He got out, again.  Tessie’s breasts slowly passed in front of his eyes as she straddled him.  Her nipples were plainly visible through the lace and his breath shuddered out.  Job really did love her breasts.  She could tell that from their earlier encounter and from the way he watched them sway.  Like he was starving.  Tessie added an extra little shake into her dance, just to torture him.  Her hair fell forward over both of them and Job dragged his attention back to her face.  “Can I touch you, yet?”

“Nope.”  Her other leg came up so it rested on the back of the couch.  Slithering upward, Tessie tiled her body back, so the red lace of the thong was directly in his line of sight.  Job’s gaze went to the junction of her thighs as she rocked in time to the music.

The Earth powers slipped, hitting against her, and Tessie whimpered.  “What did I say about the energy thing?”  She panted.

“I can’t help it.”  He leaned forward, nuzzling her inner thigh.  “God, you’re gorgeous.”  His mouth brushed against the thin fabric of the thong and he groaned.  “Tess, you’re getting as turned on as I am.  I can feel it.  Just come here and let me…”

“No.  Not yet.”  Tessie bit her lower lip and stood up before he distracted her.  “I’ll stop, if you can’t follow the rules.”

“I’m trying.  Believe me.”  Job let out a frustrated sigh. “You’re a tease.”

“I
so
am.”  She turned around, so she was facing away from him.  In one smooth movement the bra came off and she tossed it aside.  It landed on a tasteful bust of some serious looking Elemental aristocrat.  It was a sure bet its marble eyes had never glimpsed anything so scandalous before.

Job’s hadn’t, either.

“Tess, I can’t see.”  Job moved his head trying to glimpse her naked breasts.

“Really?  Well, I can fix that.”  Still not facing him, Tessie braced her legs apart and bent at the waist.  She slowly removed the thong, pulling it down so he could see everything.  “Better?”  She braced a hand on the ground and rocked her hips to the rhythm.

The sound Job made was pure torture.

Tessie grinned at him through her own legs and straightened again with a toss of her hair.

“Tess, I need you, now.”  He ground out.  “
Right now
.”

“But, the song’s not done, honey.”  She met his wild gaze over her shoulder and eased backwards so she was sitting on his lap.

“It’s started
over
already… Oh God.”  Tessie’s naked body stretched out along the front of his and Job let out a strangled breath.  “Humans actually endure this?”

“Not with me they don’t.”  She could feel the hard ridge of his erection beneath her and she pressed against it, undulating her body.

His head fell back.  “You’re killing me.”

“I know that, silly.”  She found his hand and drew it across her stomach, down to the throbbing center of her.  “Don’t move, now.”  She pressed his fingers exactly where she wanted them and moaned.  “Right there.”  Every time she rubbed against him, the friction sent them both higher.  Up and down and up and down.  “Job.”   She moved harder, trying to find relief.  “Please.”

Tessie was supposed to be in charge of the game, but Job reached the end of his patience.  She was obviously a terrible influence on his upright, forthright life, because his control snapped.

Job’s free hand found her breast, massaging it as it bounced.  “Game’s over.  You win.”  He spun her around so she hit the sofa cushions, his body on top of her.  “Next round is mine.”

Her eyes went wide.  She automatically opened her legs to make room for him as he rocked against her core, both hands on her breasts, now.  She could feel the hard length of him right through his tasteful trousers.  “Oh God.”  It was a gasp.  She lifted her body against him, pushing her nipples into his palms as a sensual bribe.  “Job, let’s just call it a draw and finish it.  Please.”

“When I said ‘please’ you kept teasing me.  I’m going out of my mind.”  He pressed against her harder and she saw stars.

“I know.”  She licked her lip.  “I’m bad, bad girl.”