The remote hit the coffee table and skidded to the carpet.
"All right!" Benny and Luke jumped up.
"We've got ourselves a challenge, boys." Drac rubbed his hands together and his grin was full fanged. "Let's find this hunter. What's his name again?"
"Westwood. Brent Westwood. If you can take him out, I'll personally pay a sizable reward." Jerry smiled grimly. "I expect you to bring me proof, of course."
"Ah, I love it. I say we chop off his head. That would be excellent proof. Right, Blade?" Drac actually had the nerve to slap Jerry on the back. A look from Jerry sent him back toward the couch.
"Hey, Benny, did you bring your ax?" Drac picked up a black cape and threw it over his shoulders.
"Of course. Never travel without it. You know, I was afraid this trip would be boring. Let's get the hell out of here." Benny and Luke threw on similar capes, Benny pulling a lethal-looking ax out of his. He grinned at me. "What do you think, Gloriana?"
"Uh, awesome." I refused to cringe when he sliced the air near me.
Lily looked at Jerry and me and rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I'll go with them and make sure they clean up any messes they make." She sat down and slipped on black suede boots, then picked up her own black cape and followed them toward the rear of the house. We heard the back door slam.
Jerry stepped away from me as soon as the men left the room. He picked up the remote and turned off the television.
"Why does she run with that crowd?"
"She says they amuse her. But it goes deeper than that. She made Drac over a hundred years ago and feels responsible for him. And his gang keeps her on her toes and away from her mother. You heard her attitude about Mara."
"Yes." I looked toward the staircase. Would we still go up to his bedroom? I wasn't sure if I was for or against that idea.
"Why did you come, Gloriana?" Jerry sat in a chair, not even waiting for me to sit somewhere. Still not treating me with respect. And not heading upstairs.
"To apologize. I'm very sorry that you saw what you did out there. I made a mistake. Ray and I set up a phony engagement. To protect me from Simon. Anyway, we knew we were on video in that sunlight room. Things obviously got out of hand." My knees felt weak and I sat in a chair across from Jerry, where I could see his face.
"I know what I saw. And things don't get 'out of hand' unless you're feeling something." He glanced at my hand. "Where's his ring?"
"I just wear it for show, Jerry. It's part of the act. And what you saw" Here was the hard part. I looked him straight in the eyes and opened my mind to him. "Okay, I admit it. I'm attracted to Ray. It's a lust thing. That's all. But I'm not in love with him." I bit my lip and felt sappy tears well in my eyes. I blinked them back, determined not use that old female trick to soften him.
"I've loved you for a very long time, Jeremiah Campbell. Even you have to admit we've gotten comfortable together." I took a steadying breath. "Ray was something new and, for a while there, maybe I forgot how special you make me feel. And how I feel about you." I got up and walked over to Jerry.
I couldn't read his expression but he was watching me. There wasn't exactly warmth in his gaze, but none of the chill that had frozen me in the sunlight room either. Here it was. If he rejected me now, I guess it was all over.
"Jeremiah, I know you have a lot of pride. So do I. You hurt me deeply when you called me a whore. I feel that you've wronged me too. I have not made love with Israel Caine. I've been true to you. To what we have. If you don't believe me, then I'll leave and that's that." I stood very still and breathed through that urge to cry again.
Jerry stood. I didn't try to read his mind. That would be cheating. If he wanted to read mine, fine. He'd see that I'd told him the truth. To accept me or reject me, he was going to have to say the words. I didn't breathe again. Just waited.
"I do have a lot of pride, Gloriana. It's how I was raised as heir to the laird of Clan Campbell. Maybe it's made me arrogant, but I thought that I was enough for you." He shook his head.
I wasn't about to comment. Arrogant? Some would call Jerry confident. Whatever, it was one of the reasons I knew I could lean on him, why he made me feel safe when no one else could. I felt myself sway toward him but resisted the urge. He wouldn't look at me, but stared at a spot over my head. Not a good sign. I let my hand fall to my side.
"I know we've taken breaks before. Usually by mutual consent. This time, I thought we were still together when I left here. That's why when I saw you like that with Caine, it hit me like a knife between the ribs." Jerry put his hands on my shoulders and finally looked into my eyes.
I held very still, afraid that this was sounding like a kiss off. Oh, God, no. I wanted to close my eyes, but couldn't, in case this was the last time he'd let me this near to him.
"I consider you mine, Gloriana. He had his hands on you. Your breasts were touching his body. God damn it, woman, those beautiful breasts should be seen by no man but me, touched by no man but me." He crushed me to him and took my mouth with his.
I stopped thinking and tasted him, tasted blood where his fangs scraped against my tongue. And I didn't mind. If I was his, then he was mine. No love words yet, but I could wait for those. Or could I? He slung me up into his arms and carried me toward the stairs. I grabbed the post at the bottom and stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait. I have to know, Jerry. Do you believe me? Or is this just a territorial thing? If we're not okay, you can put me down right now." Yeah, maybe my timing sucked, but once we hit the sheets, I didn't want to have to rehash things. I wanted this settled.
"Aye, lass, I believe you. I think I'd know in my gut if you'd lain with another man." His smile was rueful. "Maybe that's crazy."
"Which is it, Jerry? Do you believe me or your gut?" I stared up at him.
"Gloriana, I want us to be together. You came here. To me. Not to Caine. That's all the proof I need that I'm the only man you want. Now can I carry you up the damned stairs or not?"
"One thing." I nipped his neck, not entirely satisfied with his answer but willing to let it go for now.
"What?" He growled and stroked my backside.
"Let Valdez in off the porch, will you? It's cold out there, and I don't want Drac and his buddies to get the idea that he's fair game."
"That shifter deserves to freeze his balls off for letting you go out to the EV headquarters unguarded, but as you wish." Jerry carried me over to the front door and reached around me to open it. "Inside. Don't say a word. The lass here thinks you should have a place by the fire. I'd as soon you had icicles on your arse." He kicked the door closed and carried me up the stairs. I waved at Valdez over Jerry's shoulder and the dog winked at me before he ambled over to settle in front of the fireplace. Jerry stepped inside his master suite and slammed the door shut behind him. A fire was going in the fireplace near the king-size bed and provided the only light in the large space. The bedclothes were rumpled, like he'd flung out of bed at sunset and hadn't bothered to straighten the covers. As if he would.
I expected him to lay me on the bed. Or toss me on the bed as he'd done a few times before. He did neither. Instead he carried me to the rug in front of the fireplace. It was a fur throw, dark, soft and probably cost the earth. Didn't matter. I lay back and watched the firelight play on the contours of his face, waiting for what Jerry would do next. He sat beside me and stared into the fire.
"You said we were comfortable together."
"Yes. It's a good feeling." I sat up, well aware that the black miniskirt I'd put on in hopes of stirring some lust in Jerry had ridden up to panty-revealing heights. And those panties were of the skimpy-thong variety. I tugged off my black leather coat and tossed it aside. If Jerry bothered to look, he'd see a red satin blouse that I'd unbuttoned to the edge of the corset I wore underneath. The shiny fabric glinted in the firelight. Not that Jerry was noticing.
I crawled over, pressed myself against his strong back and put my arms around him. "That seems to bother you."
"Hell, yes, it does. Comfortable to me means boring, predictable." Jerry took my hands and pulled both my thumbs to his lips.
"Caine must not be any of those things."
"We will not discuss that man in this room." I used a vamp move to leap over Jerry and land in his lap. "I never said you bored me. Right now I can't wait to see what amazing things you'll do to me." I unbuttoned my blouse. "Especially when you see this." I pulled off the satin and flung it across the room.
"You do have a most interesting wardrobe." Jerry fingered the lacing between my breasts, his eyes dark.
"Occupational hazard. Vintage clothing is my specialty. This little number was worn by a courtesan in New Orleans in the eighteen nineties." I arched my back when he cupped my breast.
"I'm not here for a history lesson. But why don't we visit that den of iniquity?" Jerry leaned forward and ran his tongue along the edge of the corset.
"Umm. I like the way you think. But can you afford me, monsieur?" I pushed him back, stood and walked away from him, twitching my bottom as I circled the foot of the bed.
"Depends. What services do you offer?" Jerry grinned and was suddenly behind me, his hands making quick work of my skirt. It dropped to the floor and I kicked it away. I kept on my high heels, liking the way they added a sexy sway to my walk.
"Everything, of course." I looked back over my shoulder. "Well, almost everything." I winked. "I'm not really into pain, but if you want me to hurt you "
Jerry ran his hands up my thighs to my waist, then turned me to face him. "I'd like to see some of your tricks."
"I am very particular about my clientele." I pushed on his chest and backed up. "You wear too many clothes for me to judge whether you are even worthy to see my price list." I clapped my hands twice. "Undress. I must judge your, um, attributes."