Tempted in the Night (26 page)

"I didn't drink the tea."

He stared at her, looking confused. "Excuse me?"

"I said I didn't drink the tea. I don't have any of the plant in tea form—it's all in concentrate. And I couldn't take any from Charles because then he'd know I wasn't returning home. I was afraid he'd try to stop me." She hurried through her explanation, willing him to understand. He stared at her, his eyes practically shooting sparks of fire. She didn't think he felt lust this time.

"Are you telling me that you went out there with no protection?" He spoke slowly and distinctly.
"After I expressly told you not to go out?"
He leaned over her until his face was inches from hers. "Do you have any idea how close you came to getting yourself killed?" He was nearly shouting as he leaned over the table, bracing himself on his clenched fists.

"The sun was still up," she tried to explain. "I wanted to find the house in the magazine, and I did. It's just on the other side of the cemetery. And the
chupacabras
are there on the roof, just like they were in the picture."

John barely let her finish. "I don't give a good goddamn about any house or
chupacabras
. I do, however, give a damn about you, although why I should, I don't know. You obviously don't give a damn about yourself." He grabbed her by the upper arms and hauled her to her feet, holding her so she couldn't move. "Don't you ever do something like that again, do you hear me?"

"I won't. I—"

The rest of her words were cut off when he pulled her close and covered her mouth with his. He might have meant the kiss to be punishing, but the instant his lips touched hers, Jessica felt herself go up in flames. She kissed him back with an intensity that surprised her.

When he released her arms, she wound them around his neck, pulling him close. Like a cat demanding attention, she rubbed herself against him and was rewarded when she heard his groan. At the juncture of her legs, through the barrier of her robe, she felt his erection press against her.

She couldn't remember ever before having felt this aroused, and knowing he wasn't unaffected made her act with an unfamiliar daring. She tugged at the hem of his sweatshirt until she could run her hands beneath it, stroking the hard planes of his chest.

It wasn't enough—she pulled the sweatshirt up until he took the hint and pulled it off. The minute it was gone, she pressed her lips to his chest,
savoring
the feel and taste of his skin against her lips and tongue.

He leaned his head back, taking deep breaths as if standing still for her ministrations was costing all his self-control; control she wanted desperately to make him lose. When she reached for the waistband of his jeans, he sucked in a breath. She dared a glance at his
face,
saw that his jaw was tightly clenched and paused. Had she misjudged his reaction?

At her hesitation, he opened his eyes and gazed at her from the depths of twin blazing infernos.

"God, Jess. You have no idea how bad I want you." Her robe had fallen open and he pushed her away until he held her at arm's length.

It was her turn to stand still as he ran his hands along the tops of her shoulders, pushing back her robe until it fell to the floor, leaving her completely naked. His gaze
traveled
over her like a physical caress and she shivered beneath it.

Then his hands were on her breasts, gently
molding
and lifting the twin globes. His thumbs flicked back and forth across her nipples in rapid succession, and Jess felt them tighten into hard buds even as her breasts seemed to swell and grow heavier. He bent and took a nipple into his mouth, playing his tongue across the hard bud as he gently suckled her. Though he was careful not to cut her with his fangs, she felt their tips scrape across her flesh as he took more of her breast into his mouth.

While he worked magic on her breasts, one hand held her still while the other stroked its way down her side and slipped between her legs. He gently manipulated the folds of her swollen flesh and she knew he'd find her moist and ready. He played with her opening, spreading the moisture to ease the entry of first one, and then two, fingers. She clutched at his shoulders as he filled her and couldn't stop the small gasp of pleasure from escaping.

He stepped away briefly then to shed his jeans. When he gathered her to him moments later for another kiss, she felt his hard member pressing into her.

His mouth left hers to trail kisses from the base of her ear to the nape of her neck. "If you don't want this," he whispered hoarsely, "now's the time to tell me. I'll stop. I swear I will."

He paused long enough to look into her eyes, letting his words slowly penetrate the lust-crazed fog of her mind. She knew that he meant what he said. As aroused as he was, he would stop if she asked him to, but the delicious tension building between her legs said she'd be crazy to ask him.

"I want this," she told him, feeling ridiculously shy under the circumstances.

"Then put your arms around my neck." He gave her a lascivious smile and before she could anticipate his next move, he'd grabbed her behind the thighs and literally lifted her off the ground,
maneuvering
her legs so they went around his hips. She wouldn't have thought he could hold her, but there were advantages to being stronger than the average man and he held her easily.

In this position, with him between her spread legs, she felt open and exposed, especially when she felt his stiff member probe the sensitive flesh between her legs, seeking entrance.

Then, with bated breath, she waited as, with almost excruciating slowness, he filled her. Farther and farther, her body stretched to accommodate him. Suddenly, he stopped and his gaze sought hers, alarm showing in his eyes.

"Jess?" he
croaked,
the strain of not moving causing his muscles to tremor. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I was afraid if you knew I was a virgin, then you would stop."

"Damn right." He started to ease out of her, but she locked her ankles behind his back, refusing to let him move.

"Jess, I don't have the strength to resist you for long, so you need to let me go."

She felt so self-conscious, she almost couldn't force out the words. "You don't understand. I want my first time to be with you."

He groaned and she held her breath, waiting. She wasn't aware he had moved until she felt the wall against her back. He held her in place with his hips slowly pressing into her as he gazed into her face. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He kissed her then and surged forward, breaking through the thin barrier of her maidenhead and capturing her cry with his mouth. He gave her body time to adjust before gradually pulling out. Before she could protest, he pushed into her again.

He repeated this action, each inward stroke causing an exhilarating tension to build deep inside her.

Every nerve in her body sang until she felt ready to explode.

When his fangs scraped against the unmarked side of her neck, the small pain jerked her back to reality. She didn't want him to bite her. The old fear rose with a vengeance, totally destroying the lust she'd felt moments earlier. Now, the only thing she wanted was to be left alone.

"Stop," she told him, using her hands to push at him. He was still buried deep inside her, and being pinned against the wall left her fighting a growing sense of claustrophobia and panic.

John, unaware of the emotions battling inside her, was lost in the moment and continued to drive into her. When she felt his fangs scratch along her neck, she lost all sense of control and panicked.

"John, stop." She shoved at his chest, trying to push him away. "Let me go." Her voice started to break. "Please…"

It took a minute for Jess's sobs to break through his passion-drugged mind, but when they did he froze.

"Jess?"
He didn't understand what was going on. She seemed desperate to get away from him, so he reluctantly eased himself out of her. With one arm wrapped around her waist to steady her, he released her legs, letting her slide to the floor. Immediately, she stepped away from him.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, searching the floor for her robe.

"Are you all right?" The sudden Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde change in her
behavior
had him worried.

"I'm sorry. I just realized that I can't do this." She pulled on her robe, and seemed unusually focused on the act of tying the sash, pointedly avoiding his gaze.

John rubbed his face in an effort to wipe away his frustration. "I don't understand. A second ago, you were begging me. Now, suddenly, you've changed your mind?" He was angry and confused—and so ready to finish what they'd started that he ached with need. "At least tell me what's bothering you. Tell me if I did something wrong."

She shook her head a little too quickly. "I'm just—I'm tired and sore from Brody's attack. I'm still feeling a little weak." She briefly looked up and he supposed it was to see if he was buying her explanation. He wasn't.

"Talk to me, Jess. We can't work through this if you don't talk to me. A few minutes ago, you wanted this as badly as I did. What changed?"

She hesitated, but this time, she didn't look away, meeting his gaze and holding it. "You did." Then she walked out, leaving him standing in the kitchen feeling confused, frustrated, and pissed.

Grabbing his clothes, he headed upstairs to the bathroom to take a very long, very cold shower.

When John woke up, he still felt tired. He assumed it was from the way things had ended with Jess the night before. Climbing out of bed, he dressed and then checked his phone mail. He had two messages.

The first was from Harris, telling him what he'd found at the house where Brody had been staying. John had called him while Jess showered, to fill him in on what had happened. Harris had volunteered to run by and check it out, though neither of them expected Brody to still be there.

The second message was from Charles.

"John, I haven't heard from you, son, and no one answered the phone at the manor when I called. Is everything all right?" John had taken the phone off the hook before going to bed to ensure that both he and Jess got the sleep they needed. He made a mental note now to put it back. "If I haven't heard back from you by eighteen hundred hours, I'm calling the
New Orleans
authorities while en route to your location."