In Blood and Worth Loving 2: Lost Without You (21 page)

“And that’s all I got out of him—one lousy, albeit blistering kiss. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s playing with a full deck.”

full deck.”

“What are you going to do about him?”

“What can I do? Every time I try to leave, he gets me to stay. I guess I’ll have to resign myself to friendship without benefits. But enough about Conner. How are things between you and Jayvyn?”

“We spent the night together but I’m home now. I need to decide how to handle the situation between him and Michael.”

“Which way are you leaning?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Don’t you, Cay?”

She sighed. “Life would be so much simpler if I could have them both. So you’re okay, Desi?”

“I’m fine and having a great time. Who knew I’d like riding a horse so much?”

“I don’t think I’d like it.”

“Don’t knock it until you do it with a big handsome hunk seated behind you.” She laughed. “Noted. How are you getting home?”

“Bancroft Grayhawk went back with Conner. He’s going to drive my car here and I’ll head home after dinner.

Rayna is going to spend the night. Are you sure you won’t join us? The house is full of big handsome Cherokee hunks. Braden and Raven Elkhorn are here as well. He’s almost as hunky as Conner.”

“Who?”

“Braden. He has a bad boy aura around him that’s sexy as hell. Too bad he’s already taken. Can you imagine spending a long, hot night with him and Macarik? Oh, hell. The thought almost made me come!” Cayenne laughed. “You’re impossible, Desi.”

“Horny is more like it. Be still my heart. Raven Elkhorn is headed this way. He has a gleam in his sexy eyes. I think he’s going to ask for a fuck or at least a dance.”

“Desi!”

“Don’t Desi me. Gotta go, girl. Bye.”

“Bye. Have fun.”

“Oh, girl. I intend to.”

* * *

The ringing phone woke Cayenne from a restless sleep in the early morning hours. Rolling onto her side, with her eyes still closed, she reached around on the nightstand until she encountered her cell phone. “Hello?”

“I’m sorry, sweet.”

“Jay!” She opened her eyes and sat up. “Jay! Are you all right?”

“No. I’m not.”

She bit her lip. “What can I do to help?”

“You can wait for me. I know I’ve been a pain in the ass to you and that I’ve probably frightened you, but I’d never really hurt you, sweet. Please. I know it’s a lot to ask, but please wait for me. Please.” He hung up without giving her time to respond—not that she knew what she might have said given the opportunity.

She put her cell phone down and lay back on the bed while tears streamed down her cheeks. “Oh, Jay, I don’t know if I can.”

* * *

“I don’t understand what you see in her.”

Jayvyn put his cell phone down on the nightstand by his bed and glanced over his shoulder.

A naked Toni lay on her side on the bed with an annoyed look on her pretty face.

“When I want your opinion, I’ll ask for it,” he told her coolly, rising.

She reached out to catch his hand. “What good is she if you have to avoid her when you’re in need? Why keep her around when I’m willing and able to satisfy all your needs?” He turned to face her.

She sat up and reached out to cup her hands over his cock and balls. “I’ll satisfy you,” she whispered and bent her head.

He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes as she slowly took his fully erect shaft between her lips. Within minutes, her expert cock sucking had him doing something he could never do with Cayenne, coming in her mouth minutes, her expert cock sucking had him doing something he could never do with Cayenne, coming in her mouth without any fear that she’d choke. When Toni finally allowed him to slide from her mouth, she stretched out on her stomach with her parted legs and her hips propped up on a pillow.

Crawling between her damp thighs, he did something else he loved to do but could never hope to do with Cayenne, he drove his entire cock up her tight, warm ass with one hard, powerful thrust. He went on to do several other sex acts he enjoyed but couldn’t hope to do with Cayenne for some time yet. Toni eagerly welcomed and fully participated with him each time. Yet it was Cayenne he thought of as he came and who he longed for before he fell asleep.

* * *

Before she left for work on Monday morning, a courier arrived with a package for Cayenne. When she opened it up she found a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet inside. The accompanying card read,
Please wait for me, sweet, JR.

Below he’d written his phone number.

She entered it into her contact list and went to work.

She spent the next five days avoiding Michael’s attempts to sleep with her and hoping Jayvyn would call.

Rayna was non–committal when Cayenne asked her how Jayvyn was. Bowing to Desiree’s insistence, she went out clubbing. To her surprise, she had a great time and returned home with a nice buzz just after two in the morning.

She undressed, took off her makeup, and gratefully climbed into bed. Just as she was dozing off, a furtive sound sent her bolting up in bed. She turned on the light and screamed as she saw two huge rats run across her bedroom floor and disappear behind her drawer.

When her heart stopped pounding, she grabbed her cell phone, jumped out of bed, and rushed into the living room. Her hands shook as she called Michael.

He answered on the fifth ring with a desire-filled voice. “This is a bad time,” he told her. “I have company.”

“I don’t care. There are rats running around my house!”

“Rats?”

“Rats!”

“They’re probably mice.”

“They’re rats and I need you to come over and—”

“And do what, Cay? I’m not an exterminator and a few mice aren’t going to hurt you. I’ll be over with some bait and traps tomorrow.”

“No! You have to come tonight.”

“I’m busy tonight, Cay. I’ll see you in the morning!”

He hung up. When she called back, her call went straight to voicemail. Damn him! She glanced around the room and decided to spend the night on the sofa. After getting a blanket and a pillow from the linen closest, she settled down on the sofa and fell asleep.

A scraping sound jolted her awake. Wrapping the cover around her body, she called Michael again. He didn’t answer. She called Desiree.

“Girl, you know I’m not coming any place where rats are running loose. Call Jayvyn and let him make himself useful.”

“I can’t call him!”

“Call him or come over here for the rest of the night.”

“I’m too tired to drive.”

“So am I or I’d come get you. Call Jayvyn and let me know how things go tomorrow.” She ended the call and sat shuddering in the corner of the sofa until she saw a rat scurry into the room. They were stalking her! She sat shivering through several more rat-like scurrying sounds before she finally called Jayvyn in desperation.

He answered immediately. “Sweet? What’s wrong?”

“My house is overrun with rats, Jay! I’m so scared. You have to come. Please.”

“Rats? Four-legged rats?”

“Yes! Rats! Please come.”

“Of course I will, sweet. Give me about an hour to pick up some traps and poison.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Of course, honey.”

* * *

Jayvyn ended the call on his cell phone and sat up in bed.

“What’s wrong?” Toni, lying beside him asked.

He told her.

She stared at him with a look of disbelief on her face before she laughed. “Human woman are unbelievably needy.”

Jayvyn nodded. “Yes. They are.”

She laughed again and rolled onto her back and parted her legs in an open invitation.

He pressed a quick kiss against her lips and bounded up from the bed.

“What are you doing?”

He slipped on his brief and his pants. “Can’t you tell?”

She sat up. “Surely you’re not leaving to go take care of her rat problem?” He pulled on his shirt and buttoned it. “As a matter of fact, I am.”

“Why? Can you imagine a fem being so helpless?”

He pushed his feet into his shoes. “No. I can’t.”

“Then why go chasing after a helpless, needy human?”

Because the helpless, needy human in question was important to him. He slipped on his jacket and picked up his keys from the drawer stop. “Because she needs me.” He crossed the room to the door.

“Should I wait?”

He glanced at his watch and shook his head. “I don’t expect to be back before dawn. I’ll call you.”

“Don’t go, Jayvyn. Please.”

“I’m going.”

“You’re becoming too attached to her. Please stay and let me take care of your every need.”

“Begging is unbecoming in a fem, Toni. I’m going.”

“Fine. Go. If you’re not interested in my company, maybe that big, handsome friend of yours will be.” The Stoners were all six foot plus vampires able to take care of themselves. The Grayhawks were human but he sensed a darkness in some of them that would probably be enough to fend off a young vamp like Toni. That left the Elkhorns and…He turned at the door to stare at her. “Who are you referring to?”

“Macarik.”

Macarik was the one male other than his brothers that he would risk his life to save. He stalked across the bedroom to stare down at her. “He’s not interested.”

“So you say. Maybe he’ll say differently.”

He shook his head. “I’m only going to say this once more. He’s not interested. If you do anything to change that, you’ll be sorry.”

“Oh? What will you do? Spank my ass? You know I’d like that.”

“No.” He leaned down to stare into her eyes. “I’ll kill you.” She gasped.

He straightened. “You’ve had your only warning. Don’t make the mistake of thinking I won’t kill you. You stay the fuck away from him or be prepared to die.” He turned and stormed out of the condo.

* * *

Fifteen minutes from Cayenne’s house, his phone rang. Eliza’s ring. He ignored it. No one, including her, was going to keep him from answering Cayenne’s call for help. There was no answer when he rang the bell on his arrival at Cayenne’s house. He took out his cell phone and called her.

She answered immediately. “Jay! Where are you?”

“Out on your step, ringing your bell. Let me in.”

“I’m afraid to get off the sofa. They’re loose in here, Jay.”

“Do I have your permission to let myself in?”

“Don’t kick my door in because then I’ll have rats
and
a broken door. And I’m scared enough as it is.”

“Why? Your knight in shining armor is here to rescue and protect you.” Chapter Twelve

At the sound of his voice inside the room, Cayenne looked around. Jayvyn, dressed in jeans and a cream color pull–over stood in the living room door. “Jay!” She jumped off the sofa and rushed across the room to him.

He embraced her.

She burrowed against him, trembling. “You came!”

“Of course I came.” He brushed his cool lips against her ear. “I’ll always come when you need me, sweet.” She heard the rats running around the room and pressed closer. “There they are. The rats!” He picked her up and carried her across the room to the sofa. “Those are not rats, sweet. They’re mice.” He sat her on the sofa. “Leave them to me.” He tilted his head and glanced around the room. “There’s none in here now.

Stay here while I find where they’re coming from and rid the house of them.” She nodded and curled her legs under her on the sofa. Knowing he was in the house gave her a sense of calm assurance. Her eyelids fluttered down and she fell sleep.

When she woke, the sun shone in the room and she was sprawled across Jayvyn’s lap on the loveseat. Noting a wildness in his gaze, she knew she’d need to be very careful. “The rats?” He caressed her breasts. “They were mice. I took care of them and sealed their entryway.” She shivered at his touch. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Thank you, Jay,” she stood up.

He caught her hand and pulled her back onto his lap, burying his face against her neck.

She closed her eyes, feeling her desire heighten. “Jay—”

“Shh.” He kissed her and slowly unbuttoned her pajama top.

She took his hand from her bra and kissed his fingers. “I’m sore, Jay and…”

“And what?”

She hesitated and then realized she could smell the remnants of perfume on him. Even though she decided not to mention it, it did dampen her desire. “And tired.” And she needed him out of her house before Michael arrived. She feared that an encounter with Jayvyn would prove fatal for Michael.

She stood up.

He drew her back onto his lap.

That time she could feel his cock under her ass. His arousal didn’t bode well for her trying to talk him out of her house. Nevertheless she had to try. “Jay, can we make a date for later on?” He nibbled at her neck. “Why not now?”

She bit her lip as she leaned away from his mouth. “I’m expecting company.” He tensed and lifted his head. “Who?”

“Michael.”

He released her.

She rose, moistening her lips.

“You want me to leave so he can come?”

“No, but he’s coming and it’s not a good idea for the two of you to meet.”

“Then call him and tell him to keep his ass wherever the hell he is.”

“Jay—”

“Why the hell didn’t you call him last night instead of me?!”

“I did,” she admitted.

“Then where the hell is he?”

“He was with a woman so naturally—”

He rose, curling his lip. “So naturally what? How the hell do you think I was spending my time?” She sucked in a breath. Suspecting he was with a woman and having him confirm it were two different things.

“Then what makes you any different from him?”

“The difference is when you needed me, I came! He didn’t.”

There was no mistaking the jealous edge to his voice or the truthfulness of his statement. “And I’m so thankful you did, Jay.”

His gaze narrowed and he tilted his head.

“What’s wrong?” she asked moments before she heard Michael’s voice in the house.

“Cay, baby, it’s your daddy come to rid you of vermin and get some of the best pussy in the world as a reward.” Oh, no! She reached for Jayvyn’s hand.

He shook his head and jerked away.