He rested his head back again. "I worked hard, so I could be the one in charge, so I wouldn't be powerless to the whims of other men." He sighed. "But Lui keeps coming back, and I'm powerless to stop him. Worthless."
Her heart squeezed in her chest. "Don't you dare say that. You risked your life to save me." She moved up the stairs and sat on the edge of the tub.
"I feel worthless right now. If Lui showed up tonight, I wouldn't be able to fight." Jean-Luc smiled slightly. "Don't worry. I would still protect you."
"I believe you." She knew he'd die if he had to. She touched the soft black curls on his head.
"I have an emergency plan. I'd teleport you and Bethany to Romatech Industries. There's a safe room there, completely encased in silver. No vampire can teleport in or out. You would be safe there."
"I see." She stroked his hair, and he closed his eyes. "Silver's bad for vampires?"
"Mmm." The lines of pain in his face slowly smoothed.
She kept stroking his hair. Now she understood why the silver belts had hurt Louie so much.
"Gregori told me you would heal completely during your death-sleep. You won't even have a scar to commemorate your bravery."
A corner of his mouth tilted up. "It was more like desperation. I couldn't bear to lose you."
"I think you were very brave. I wanted to thank you."
He opened his eyes and regarded her sadly. "We've rescued each other now, so we're even. As soon as I kill Lui, you will be free to go."
She took a deep breath. "I'm not going anywhere."
He stared at her blankly. "You're accepting the job?"
She straightened so she was standing on the bottom step of the stairs leading up to the tub. Her heart began to race. "I'm accepting you."
His eyebrows rose. He sat up.
She slipped the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders, and then peeled the bodice down to reveal her breasts. His eyes darkened.
She had to wiggle a little to get the nightgown over her hips. His eyes began to glow. The nightgown fell in a puddle around her feet.
Her heart was pounding now, echoing in her ears. The fear and uncertainty she'd felt the last two weeks had all melted away, leaving her with a sense of elation. Her mind was made up. She was following her heart. And she was declaring victory over fear. "Remember what you said? You were right about me."
His eyes glimmered bright red. "What did I say?"
"You said I loved you." She ascended the steps, and a glorious feeling of power washed over her.
"And I do." She eased into the hot water.
"You do?" He moved over to give her room.
She settled beside him. "Yes, I do. I was thinking about you all week, trying to get up the courage to follow my heart."
"So you've defeated that fear?"
"Yes. There was a scripture that helped me. The one that says there's a purpose for everything under heaven. I realized you were here for a noble purpose. You protect the innocent from bad vampires." She touched his face. "How could I not love you?"
He gave her a wry look. "You're trying to make me noble?"
"You are noble, you silly goose. Deal with it."
He chuckled. "I love you, too." He glanced at his bandaged arm. "But I may have trouble proving it."
"You don't have to do anything." She nestled against his left side and rubbed a thigh against his leg. "I'm here to seduce you."
"Really?"
"Uh-huh." She planted kisses along his shoulder and up his neck. "I hope you don't mind. I know how you hate feeling powerless."
His mouth quirked. "Strangely enough, I'm all right with this."
"Good." She skimmed a hand down his chest, reached his stomach, and bumped into the tip of his swollen manhood. "Oh. You're not completely out of action."
"No." He hissed in a breath when she wrapped her hand around him and squeezed.
She stroked the shaft, enjoying the way it grew thicker and harder. The tip remained velvety soft.
She kissed his chest. "I never could resist you. From the first time I met you, I wanted you."
"Heather, I love you so much." With his left arm, he pulled her half on top of him. He kissed her on the mouth. A hungry, demanding kiss.
She tasted a hint of whisky on his tongue. She explored his mouth and skimmed her tongue across the edge of his teeth. The sharp points on his canine teeth didn't faze her. She knew who he was, and she loved him.
She straddled him, and they continued to kiss. His left hand stroked her back. She nestled against his erection, rubbing herself against the length. Her breasts moved against his chest.
"Come up higher." He wrapped his left arm around her waist and lifted her up so her breasts were even with his mouth. He drew a hard nipple into his mouth and suckled.
She moaned and arched into him. Tingles spread all over her body, and a deep need flared inside her. Good Lord, Fidelia had been right. A man who had sucked blood for centuries knew how to use his mouth.
Somewhere in the daze of sensual pleasure, Heather realized he'd taken charge. "Hey." She gasped as he tugged on her nipple. "I'm supposed to be seducing you."
"You were wildly successful. Consider me seduced." With one arm, he lifted her out of the water and sat her on a corner of the tub.
Wow, super strength came in handy. Goose bumps prickled her body as cool air caressed her skin and her back came in contact with a cool marble column.
"Hold on." He eased her hips to the edge of the tub.
"Like this?" She raised her arms overhead and grasped the column. She gasped when he buried his head between her legs.
Oh God, that mouth of his. That tongue. She pressed her fingers against the marble. Her heels dug into his back.
He stroked and nibbled till she was panting and writhing with tension. Just when she was ready to explode, he pulled back.
"You're beautiful," he whispered. Then he twirled his tongue around her, and she shattered.
Her body was still shuddering when he pulled her back into the hot, bubbly water. The swirling currents pulsed against her sensitized skin and sent another wave of tremors through her body.
"Oh God." She fell limp against him. "I should seduce you more often."
"Every night, cherie. Hold on."
Everything went black for a second, then Heather felt herself falling back onto his bedspread. He must have teleported them straight to bed.
He zoomed back to the bathroom. She sat up to see him zipping back to her with a towel.
"Here." He dried her back, then pushed her gently onto the bed so he could dry the front of her body.
"Wait!" She pointed at the camera.
He zoomed to the bedside table and grabbed the remote. "Don't worry. The guys are out looking for Lui. No one's seen you." He turned off the surveillance camera, then jumped on the bed.
He leaned over to kiss her breasts, then winced. "Wait a minute." He moved to the other side of her so he could prop himself up on his left arm.
"I have a better idea." She shoved him flat on his back. "You're the injured hero. So just lie there and take it like a man."
His mouth twitched. "You're cute when you're bossy."
"Cute? You think this is cute?" She cupped his balls and lightly squeezed.
He moaned. "I take it back. You're an incredibly erotic seductress."
"That's more like it." She sat beside him and ran her fingers over his body. This was the first time she was getting a good look at him naked. He was lean and muscular. A few scars marked his pale skin. She traced them, realizing they had to be centuries old, dating back to his days as a mortal.
Curly black hair shaded his upper chest. She traced the thin line of black hair down his torso to the thicker patch surrounding his erection.
She stroked the shaft and it twitched. "It's alive!"
He gave her a wry look. "I need inside you."
"All in good time." She leaned over and kissed the soft tip.
He winced. "I really need inside you."
"We have all night." She dragged her tongue up the shaft, then took him in her mouth.
He groaned. "Take me inside you. Now."
She swirled her tongue around the tip, then released him. "Hmm, yummy."
"Dammit, woman!" His eyes blazed red. "Ride me."
She blinked in surprise. "Oh. You're so cute when you're bossy."
"I'm not bossy. I'm dying." He pulled her on top.
She straddled him, then tried to position him in the right place. "I'm not very experienced in this—aagh!" She gasped when he shoved himself into her and pulled her down at the same time.
"Okay, that'll work."
She settled down on him, letting him fill her completely. "You feel so good."
"So do you," he breathed. He caressed her breasts. "Love me."
"I do." She rocked on him slowly, then leaned forward to kiss him.
He pulled down on her hips, urging her to go faster. She did, feeling the tension coiling tighter and tighter. He reached between her legs to rub her clitoris, and she went frantic. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she realized she'd never behaved so wildly before. It was liberating. It was glorious.
He tweaked her as she came down hard on him. Convulsions shook her, and her body went limp. She fell beside him. He rolled with her, then grasped her bottom as he drove into her. He groaned, grinding his hips against her as his climax shuddered through him.