Chapter 19

Delayed by the delivery mess at the hotel, then unable to find a parking place, Jared turned the corner by Minerva’s shop. Kendra weaved toward him, random energy shooting around her.

He slammed on the brakes and leapt out of the car, leaving it in the middle of the street. Protecting himself as well as he could from her energy spikes, Jared caught her as she was about to go off the curb.

Seeming not to know who he was, she struggled to get out of his arms. “Let me go.” She screamed.

When he held her tighter, she sent an energy charge through him that about knocked him on his ass.

Regaining his balance, again he fought off the spears of energy. “Kendra, it’s me.” He gave her a shake. “What’s wrong with you?”

Her pupils were dilated and her breath came in tiny gasps. Jared could tell she was trying to focus on his face.

“Jared?”

“Yeah, baby, it’s me.”

“Get me out of here.” Her words were slightly slurred.

“Sure thing, but first you have to bring the energy back in. Come on, you can do it. Concentrate. That’s it.” As the energy around her lessened, Jared helped her into the Porsche. He glanced in the direction she’d come from. He saw Adam disappear around the corner and yelled, “Cowardly fucker.”

When they were both in the car, Kendra lay back against the headrest, her breathing settling back to normal.

His stomach in knots at the thought of what Adam might have done, he tentatively asked, “What did he do to you?”

She shook her head. “Who? What?”

“That man you call Thaddeus. What did he do?”

“No, not him. Minerva.”

Jared frowned. “What?”

“Jared, please, I think something was in the punch. Please help me clear my mind.”

“They drugged you?”

“In the punch.”

“I’m going to need you to sit up.”

She did as he asked. He held her face between his hands and looked into her eyes, then cursed. Her pupils were still dilated, but as hard as he tried he couldn’t penetrate through. He gritted his teeth. There was another way he could give her his power. He pulled her close and covered her mouth with his.

When he felt her relax and her breathing become more regular, he broke the kiss. “Better?”

She nodded. “Thanks.”

He brushed the hair from her face. “You were pretty out of it. That kiss was strictly for medicinal purposes. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Not here. Take me home.”

“Okay.” He noticed her bleeding hands and swore. “I’m not very good at this, but I’ll try.” He took each one in his, murmuring softly, until the scrapes faded. “That should do for now.”

For the first time since he’d found her, she gave him a tremulous smile. “My shining knight.”

“Always.” He put the car into gear and pulled out onto the street. Traffic was light so it was a quick trip to her apartment.

She led him up the stairs and into the open airy room that Jared thought was totally Kendra. Napping in a chair, Clementine raised her head, stretched, and yawned, then jumped down and hurried over to rub against Jared’s leg. He crouched down and scratched her behind the ears. “Well, at least she still likes me.”

“She likes anyone who will give her some attention.”

Jared rose. “Typical female.”

Kendra placed her purse on the kitchen counter next to a vase of roses.

Jared frowned. That asshole ‘Thaddeus’ probably sent them. Not wanting to upset Kendra any more than she already was, he kept quiet.

To Jared’s disbelief, she turned and fell into his arms.

“Hold me, Jared. Just hold me.”

“Sure.” He wrapped his arms tightly around her. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to think about it now.” She wound her arms around his neck. “Make me think of something else.”

“I’d be happy to.” His mouth covered hers.

****

Kendra lost herself in the taste of Jared’s kiss and the incredible way he made her feel. In the back of her mind, she knew she was about to make a huge mistake, but for now she didn’t care. She wanted nothing more than to lose herself in the wonderful sensations only Jared could excite in her.

Breathless from his kiss, she gazed into his eyes, dark with his need and his desire. Remembering how he could make her body sing with pleasure, she whispered, “Love me, Jared.”

“I thought you’d never ask.” The wicked smile he gave her had her tingling with delicious anticipation. “Where’s your bed?”

Her pulse quickening, she pointed to an open door.

He picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. The walls were painted pearl gray with white trim. On one wall was a large watercolor of a sunset over Lake Pontchartrain. The furniture was from her apartment, and a rattan fan rotated slowly over her four-poster bed.

“You’ve had this bed for a long time.”

She nodded. “It holds lots of memories.”

His grin widened. “That it does.” He fell with her onto the quilt covered mattress. “I remember sneaking into your bedroom at your parents’. And how I had to muffle your screams.”

“My screams? What about…?” The rest of her words were silenced when his lips covered hers. The kiss was a tangle of tongues as their hunger for each other grew.

Jared fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. “We need to get out of these clothes.”

“I agree.” She unsnapped his jeans and tugged at his shirt. When his chest was bare, she ran her fingers through his thick chest hair.

He skillfully unclasped her lacy bra. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” he said as he placed kisses along her neck. “I’ve missed the taste of you, the feel of you.” He ran his thumb across her taught nipple. “Baby, you have to know how much I love you.” He bent and took one swollen peak between his teeth and tugged.

She moaned his name as her body reacted to this sweet torment. He squeezed and caressed her while taking her nipple deep into his mouth.

Her breath caught. “Jared, I want…”

“You want what?” He circled her nipple with his tongue.

She squirmed, trying to wriggle out of her skirt. “More.”

He nipped at her nipple with his teeth. “We should take this nice and slow.”

“Jared.”

He chuckled and ran his hand down her stomach, over her hip, and across her backside and slowly unzipped her skirt.

She kicked off her shoes as he slid the soft cotton down her legs and tossed it onto the floor. He ran his hand back up her inner thigh to cup the junction between her legs. “Mmm, what do we have here?”

Kendra gritted her teeth. “Damn it, Jared.”

“What, love?” Through the fabric of her panties, he made tiny circles with his thumb. “You like that?”

Her climax building, she gasped. “Stop that and take them off.”

His grin was pure devil. “I’d be happy to.” He slid her panties down, then, as she watched through a haze of passion, he unhooked his belt and let his jeans fall. When he stood before her naked and aroused, her throat went dry. She opened her arms. “Come to me.”

But instead of doing as she asked, he knelt at the side of the bed and spread her legs. “I know what you want. Open for me, baby. Let me taste you.”

“Oh, Mother of the Gods.” Kendra whimpered as she dug her nails into his bare shoulders. His tongue and teeth tasted and teased her female bud until she was writhing against him. “Jared, please.”

He chuckled low. “I’m trying to please you. How’s this?” He slid two fingers inside her and watched her body convulse as she screamed his name. “That’s it. Come for me.”

Before her mind cleared, Jared was over her. “Wrap your legs around me,” he demanded, and in one quick thrust he buried himself deep inside her.

Kendra entwined her fingers in the thick hair at the base of his neck. They moved together until as one their magic merged. A magenta mist blending with dark blue emanated from them, becoming more vibrant as their heat increased and their passion rose.

“Give me all you’ve got, sweetheart,” Jared rasped, his gaze boring into hers as the mist swirled faster and faster. “That’s it; come over the edge with me.”

Kendra let his magic fill her, until as one they soared into oblivion.

Jared buried his face against her neck, as they tried to regain their breath. “Well, that’s a good start. Give me a minute and we’ll take it slower this time.”

“Hmm.” Kendra hummed contentedly as she ran her hand down his back. “I’m perfectly happy right now.”

“I can make you even happier.”

She chuckled. “I doubt that.”

“Is that right? Let’s see.”

“Jared,” she gasped when his warm mouth found the sensitive spot just beneath her ear.

“See, I told you.”

In the kitchen, Clementine’s ears twitched as Kendra’s cell phone rang.

****

Adam slammed his phone shut and threw it across the living room. Blood red energy pulsed from his body. The little bitch wasn’t answering her phone because she was too busy fucking Dupre. The drops of datura he’d put into her punch were just beginning to take effect when she’d freaked and ran from him. It should be him pounding into her, not Dupre. He’d been so aroused as he stood behind her, watching the horror on her face as she looked at the exhibits, he had wanted to take her right there.

He’d planned it all perfectly. Kathleen was to keep Dupre busy and Minerva had agreed to leave and allow him access to the upstairs bedroom. By the time the night was through, Kendra should have been his. He ground his teeth. His cock was getting hard just thinking of the ways he’d meant to have her. He hadn’t thought she’d be clearheaded enough to knock him down and escape.

His eyes narrowed. Well, she’d pay for using magic against him. When he’d rounded the corner and seen her in Dupre’s arms, he should have killed them both. A smile spread across his face. No, that would have been too easy. Before he killed him, he was going to make Dupre watch as he fucked the little bitch silly. He’d keep her until he tired of her, then she could join her love in the afterlife.

He retrieved his phone from the floor. He needed to work off his lust and anger, and he knew exactly how he wanted to do it. He punched in a number. “Kathleen, get over here.”