Argeneau Family 12. The Renegade Hunter(38)

"Sorry," Nicholas muttered, making himself resist trying any more until he had the meat from the three pieces he'd selected stripped and cut into small chunks on the plate. He then set the plate on the carpet for Charlie, watched him begin scarfing up the treat, and then turned and pulled out a piece for himself. Nicholas hadn't felt like eating since Annie's death fifty years ago, but now had to wonder why. The chicken was incredible and he was reaching for a second piece before he'd even finished the first.

He'd just have one more and then he'd lie down and try to sleep before Jo woke up and started demanding her answers, Nicholas told himself as he finished the second piece. He hadn't slept since the day before and could really use a couple of hours of shut-eye before trying to explain things that she would no doubt find impossible and upsetting by turn. The bed was big enough she wouldn't even know he was there.





Jo was dreaming. She knew it was a dream because she was back at the party at Sam and Mortimer's place, but the dream was a little different than the reality had been. The buzz of the guests' conversation was incredibly loud yet at the same time muffled, so that she couldn't understand what was being said… and the light was a little off, wavering and almost watery. Jo was alone, walking through the group of men, each of whom turned and gave her the strange silent stare they'd all greeted her and Alex with last night. Their eyes focused briefly on her forehead as if she had a penis growing there and then they turned away indifferently.

Though she knew it was silly, each time one of them turned away it felt like a rejection, and Jo was relieved when her dream took her outside. But here too things were a bit off. The sounds of night creatures and the wind in the leaves was magnified and overloud, and the caress of the cool breeze on her skin was like hands brushing over her skin making it tingle and raising goose bumps over her body. Ignoring that, Jo continued around the corner of the house, completely unsurprised when Bad-Breath Boy, Ernie, came lunging out of the darkness at her. This time there was no fear in her at the sudden attack, and no pain as she hit the wall. In the dream, her eyes were open and she saw Nicholas suddenly appear and drag the man away from her.

Jo leaned against the wall, watching as the men struggled in a strange, slow, violent dance and then bent and picked up the same boulder she had last night and moved forward to slam it over the blond man's head. Ernie's head swiveled around at once, eyes glowing golden and teeth bared, showing long, pointy fangs. Jo stared with confusion because it suddenly felt more like memory than a dream. The magnified sound and watery feeling were suddenly absent, leaving everything sharp and clear. But then the sound came roaring back and everything began to waver again as the two men continued to struggle.

Jo simply stood there in the dream, watching until Ernie fell to the ground and Nicholas stepped over him to get to her.

"I can't read you," he said clearly, grabbing her upper arms, and then his head descended, his mouth closing over hers as his body pressed against hers and his tongue slid out to taste and invade her. Jo forgot about that moment of clarity and fell into the sensations rolling over her. The feel and taste of him forced everything out and brought the desire she'd experienced last night roaring back to life like a fire that had been banked, and then he tore his mouth away and tugged her T-shirt up and Jo gasped as his lips closed over one nipple.

As suddenly as that, the dream changed. They were in the garage now, the stark fluorescent lights overhead burning into her eyes, and the bars of a cell pressing against her back as he ran his hands over her body and his lips drew at the dusty rose nub he'd claimed. She closed her eyes again, running one hand over his arm and shoulder, the other knotting in the hair on his head as his teeth and tongue scraped over the excited nipple.

"Yes," Jo breathed, and then gasped again when one of his roaming hands slid between her legs, pressing against the core of her through her jeans. It was enough to make her wish she wasn't wearing them, that she could feel his touch without their inhibiting presence, and suddenly the jeans were gone, as was her T-shirt. The bars of the cell were cold against her back, a stark contrast to his warm mouth and fingers as he caressed her more intimately.

Jo moaned as his fingers slid over her slick flesh, but when one finger slid inside her, she couldn't bear the assault anymore and tugged at his hair violently, forcing him to release the nipple he'd been teasing and raise his head. The moment his lips were in reach, Jo kissed him, sucking frantically at the tongue Nicholas thrust into her mouth, and then sending her own tongue out to wrangle with his as she reached blindly to find the front of his jeans. Jo found the bulge of his excitement and squeezed it briefly through the heavy cloth, and then started to wrestle with his belt before recalling how nicely her own clothes had disappeared when she wished it. She immediately paused to wish his were gone as well, and suddenly she was touching naked skin. Jo released a relieved sigh and immediately clasped him in hand.