Jagger (Blood Brothers) (13 page)

Camryn realized she’d have no chance of getting any sleep for the rest of the night and probably the next day if Jagger had any say in the matter. And she didn’t mind one bit.

Chapter Twelve

Adonis pushed deeper into Nya’s snug cunt. He could fuck her a million times, but it would never be enough. His need for her consumed him when she wasn’t around. She had been an obsession for him from the moment he’d laid eyes on her. Her dark skin against the paleness of his created a sensual contrast he found utterly erotic. But she was a quiet lover, gasping and moaning softly. He knew she pretended not to want him, but her wet pussy told him otherwise. One day he’d have her screams.

He shot his seed into her slick channel, filling it before falling on top of her. He captured her plump bottom lip between his teeth, nibbling none too gently. When Nya attempted to turned her head away, he caught her chin and held it firmly.

“Don’t look away from me, my beauty. You’ve denied me your presence for too long. You have been very naughty lately, haven’t you?”

She averted her gaze, lips firming into one thin line. He hated when she wouldn’t give her all to him. Her secrets drove him insane, and he hated that he couldn’t get inside her head. In most circumstances he could, but Nya was the mistress of keeping herself closed off to people, especially to him.

“Look at me, Nya,” he commanded gruffly.

With apparent reluctance, she finally met his gaze, her expression unreadable.

“I wonder what you hide behind those lovely brown eyes.”

“You have my body. I come when you call. That should be enough. My thoughts belong to me.”

“But that’s where you’re wrong. I own you; heart, body, and soul.”

Her eyes glowed. “No one can ever own me! Never again! Get off of me.”

Adonis chuckled in the face of her rage. He preferred her anger to her mock indifference, it demonstrated the passion he so admired within her. “Perhaps it doesn’t suit me to do so.” He leaned over and ran his lips against her throat. “So beautiful.” He allowed his incisors to descend and sunk them into her tender flesh without warning.

Nya cried out as he fed from her. There was no taste quiet like hers and he’d had many. It was only when she pushed against his shoulders and whispered, “enough,” did he stop.

She stared at the ceiling, her eyes slightly glazed. “Please, get off,” Nya said softly.

He smirked. “Since you asked nicely.” He rolled off, licking his lips and savoring the taste of her on his tongue.

Nya didn’t move. He contemplated pulling her into his arms but thought better of it. She could be unpredictable in moments like this. Besides, there were more pressing matters. He needed information. “You’ve been away longer than expected. Where did you go?” He knew very well where she’d been, but for once he wanted to hear it from her lips.

“I...I had something I needed to take care of.”

“What?” he demanded again, losing his patience with her secretiveness.

“Nothing important.”

“That nothing important being your friend, Christine Grimaldi?”

Her eyes widened. Adonis smiled with satisfaction. Other than in bed, it wasn’t often he could wring a reaction from her. “You didn’t think I knew, did you? You may be able to allude the guards I have watching you sometimes, but I have other means of learning your whereabouts. I’m getting tired of your disappearing and coming and going as you please.”

“Leave Christine out of this. Your vendetta doesn’t lie with her.” Nya actually sounded concerned. His heartless femme actually did have feelings it seemed. How touching.

He rolled on top of her, cupping her face in his palms. “My vendetta, as you so quaintly put it, is with the entire Grimaldi family. Hasn’t she just recently mated with Romeo? The very one who foiled my plan with the Council? I plan to pay my little brother back for that one. And it’s my understanding, they have two children. What are their names? Oh yes, Jaxson and Adrienne. It would be ashamed if something happened to such innocents.” He laughed, taunting her with his knowledge.

Nya wiggled from beneath him—only because he allowed it. “Don’t you dare harm them!”

“And what do you propose to do about it? Who’s going to stop me? Certainly not you, my beautiful traitor.”

Nya hopped off the bed and grabbed her clothes, hurriedly throwing them on.

“Don’t think warning her will do you any good, because there’s nothing that can stop what’s about to happen to them.”

She paused in the midst of zipping up her black leather pants. Her tight black T-shirt, two sizes too small, emphasized her braless breasts and showed off her flat stomach. His cock rose once again. He was tempted to pull her back on the bed and fuck her senseless, but decided he’d have plenty of time later.

“What are you planning to do?”

“Why do you want to know, Nya? So you can run and tell my brother of my plans? I think not. You think you’re safe with Giovanni, but I’m always one step ahead of him and my younger brothers. Watch your step, Nya. My desire for you won’t prevent the repercussions you’ll suffer if you continue to defy me by going to him. The freedom you think you have is only what I’ve granted you. Make no mistake about it: I made you, and I can just as easily destroy you.”

“You are twisted.”

“I am what
they’ve
turned me into, but I, at least, know which side I’m on. Whose side are you on?”

She glared at him briefly and, for a second, he almost felt hate emanating from her. Adonis shook his head with a smile. She could hate him all she wanted, but Nya would soon realize his true power.

“Mine,” she said simply. She turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” he demanded harshly.

“Out.”

“When will you be back?”

“Maybe I won’t be.”

“Oh, you’ll be back, or I’ll track you down and drag you back. Don’t stay away so long this time…and give my regards to Robyn.”

She halted in mid-step, but didn’t turn to face him.

“Ah, your other little secret,” he taunted. “Take care, Nya.”

She trembled and her fists clenched at her sides. For a second, he thought she’d turn around and rage at him. Instead, she squared her shoulders and stormed out the door, slamming it behind her. Adonis chuckled to himself. There was so much fire in her. In the nearly two hundred years since he’d found her, Nya had never bored him like many women had in his lifetime. It was one of the reasons he allowed her so much leeway, but there was only so far he’d let her go.

Nya probably believed she was the one in control, but she’d soon fall in line. A smile touched his lips. She likely wouldn’t heed his warning about the younger Grimaldis and would try to warn Giovanni, but it wouldn’t do any good. He chuckled. She could warn them all she pleased because it suited him for her to do so. That way, when his plan was completely implemented, they’d wonder what the hell had happened. He’d waited too long for the perfect revenge, but now the time had come.

He’d ruin all their love, and just when they wished they’d never been born, he’d destroy them. Each and every one of them.

Adonis laughed as he picked up his phone and called one of his contacts. “Ulm, she’s left the house. Follow her and don’t let her out of your sight unless you want to meet your death—I promise it won’t be swift or merciful.” He hung up.

It was time.

<><><><>

Jagger rested his head on Camryn’s lap as she absently stroked his hair. He hadn’t felt this content for a very long time. Being with Camryn like this made everything he’d gone through worth it. After they’d made love several times, he had feared she’d go back to avoiding him but was pleasantly surprised when she didn’t. In fact, she was not only receptive when he made advances toward her, she initiated contact plenty of times herself.

The two of them had volunteered to take Jaxson and Adrienne to the park for a picnic lunch. They had eaten and were now watching the children play. Everything seemed perfect but Jagger could tell something was on her mind; she’d been silent for most of the day.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“Nothing’s wrong but everyone knows what’s happened between us.”

“And you enjoyed every minute of what happened.”

“Of course I did. It was just embarrassing when everyone was teasing us. Mom wouldn’t stop looking at me with that smug grin, I caught Marc snickering a couple times and Romeo has been absolutely merciless. He keeps saying I’m walking funny. I wanted the floor to swallow me when he said that. And you mother, called me daughter. It was just a bit overwhelming.”

“They mean no harm and there’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of Camryn. What we did was natural. No one thinks badly of us. You are my bloodmate. We would have eventually made love even without
la morte dolci
.”

“But under my mother’s roof? If anyone had told me that I’d do that, I would have called them a liar. All the noise we made could have awakened the dead, soundproofing or no soundproofing.”

“You have to remember that most of us aren’t human. We don’t live by human rules, remember that. No one is judging you, I promise.”

Jagger turned his head to see what the children were up to. Jaxson was pushing his little sister on the swings. Adrienne screamed with glee, pumping her little legs and trying to go higher.

Jagger smiled at the scene. “Aren’t those two adorable?”

“Yes. They’re good kids. It will be interesting to see what it’s like for them growing up with Romeo as a father.” Camryn giggled for the first time that day.

“Ah, there is that smile I’ve been looking for. You like children?”

“I love them. Who doesn’t?”

“You’d be surprised. One day, we’ll have a few of our own, but, of course, I’d first have to bring you over.”

“Children? Bring me over? What are you talking about?”

“I’d have to make you immortal before you could carry my child to term.”

She gulped. “You mean make me a vampire?”

“Not necessarily. Remember I’m a hybrid so you don’t necessarily have to be a vampire but our child would be part vampire at the very least.”

“So anyone who mates with an immortal has to become one in order to carry immortal children.”

“Just vampires actually, because of our unique physiology. I’ve heard of cases where shifters and warlocks have impregnated humans and a half bloods are born from those unions. But with a vampire child, so much is required to sustain that life that it could kill a human mother to carry a vampire child to term.”

“I see. It sounds complicated.”

“It is a process but it’s not as frightening as it sounds.”

“Can we slow this down for a minute?”

He sat up, not sure she meant by that statement. “Slow what down?”

“This talk of children and making me immortal. It’s all too much for me to process right now.”

“You don’t believe our future is worth discussing or is it that you don’t want children with me.” Camryn had another think coming if she thought he’d allow her to get away from him again. They belonged together and if he did nothing else, he’d make sure she knew it as well.

“I didn’t say that but…look. I guess we haven’t had a chance to talk about this and now is probably as good a time as any to do it.”

He grasped her hands. “You’re not going to change your mind are you?

“Of course not, just listen okay?”

Jagger’s heart thumped hard within his chest. “Okay, but before you say anything, I want you to know:
Ya lyublyu tebya
, I love you even though those words don’t adequately describe how I feel about you but there it is.”

“You’re making it impossible for me to pull away from you aren’t you?”

“Are you trying to pull away from me?”

‘Would you just listen?”

He sighed. “Okay but whatever you say, won’t change how I feel about you.”

She squeezed his hands back “I know and I’m glad. There’s a reason why I’m a little hesitant about the whole starting a family and being immortal. I’ve never had any luck with love. I didn’t think I was capable of feeling it until you came along.

Jagger’s breath caught in his throat, his heart pounded even faster. “Are you saying…?”

“That I love you, too? Yes, I do Jagger. And it scares the hell out of me.”

He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Why? Do you think I’d hurt you? You have to know I could never do that. You mean everything to me.”

“I want to believe that—I do believe it but you have to understand where I’m coming from. I grew up in a household where my father berated and constantly put my mother down. Day in and day out she’d practically bend over backwards to please him but it was never enough for him. He would constantly cheat on her and I could see how much it hurt her but she stayed for the sake of me and my brother and because he made her feel so worthless she was afraid to leave him.” She visibly shuddered as if the memory still haunted her.

Jagger’s heart went out to Camryn. He could only imagine how she must have felt having witnessed that most of her life. Her father sounded like a complete idiot. His Aunt Maggie was possibly one of the kindest women he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing besides his own mother. “I mean no offense Camryn, but you father is a bully and bullies pick on people they perceive to be weaker than them to cover up their own inadequacies.

“I know that now. For a long time, I blamed myself for mom being stuck in her predicament, because if she didn’t have children then maybe it would have been easier for her to leave him. It strained my relationship with her for a long time. My mom had dreams before she met my Dad but he didn’t allow her to pursue them. I guess what I’ve come to realize recently is that I’ve been holding men at a distance for as long as I can remember. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. This was what I meant earlier about being scared. I didn’t want someone to come along and ruin the plans I have for my future. I don’t want to sacrifice who I am in the name of love.”

It finally made sense why Camryn had been fighting so hard and denying their attraction from the very beginning. Understandably, her childhood had scarred her in a way that made it difficult for her to give her heart to anyone. He was humbled that she was willing to try with him. “Camryn, you don’t have to change who you are to be with me. I fell in love with you just the way you are. From the sound of it, your parents weren’t in love because love isn’t about tearing someone down. It’s about building the one you love up.”

“I know that now but it doesn’t allay my fears. You see, from the moment I saw you, I knew you were trouble,” she laughed. “You were the one who was going to challenge my ideals on love, I might not have recognized it on a conscious level at first, but subconsciously I must have always known.”

“It’s because we are meant to be.
Milaya moya,
you have to stop blaming yourself for what happened in the past. Your parents are not you and me. Look at your mother now. She’s happy with my uncle. She has the kind of life she’s always deserved. But don’t allow the past to hold you back. Instead, use it as a lesson. I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason. If your mother had not married your father, she wouldn’t have had you. And if you hadn’t had the experiences you did, you wouldn’t be who you are. You wouldn’t be the woman I love.”

A tear slid down her cheek which Jagger brushed away. “I want to be with you Jagger. More than you can know but I’m still young. I want to do so many things with my life. Sure I’d like to have children, but I still have a year of grad school left and I’d like to eventually get my doctorate in my field. I’d like a career and see the world and just be selfish for a little while before I take on the responsibility of taking care of another life.”

“What makes you think I’d object to any of that? Believe it or not, before I reunited with my father I had a career myself. I was an engineer and I was quite good at what I did. I, honestly, wouldn’t mind pursing that field again once I get my paperwork in order to establish my residency over here.” Jagger wrapped his arms around her. “It’s true that love sometimes requires sacrifices and compromises on both sides but we can make this work for both of us. I want you to have the things you most desire in life and if you’d like to hold off having children or becoming an immortal, that’s fine. That’s the upside to being with a man like me, we have nothing but time on our hands.”

“You really mean this?”

“I do. I am your biggest supporter. It is my job to make you happy. If you want to finish school in Atlanta, we can get a place down there together.” He shook her gently. “Sweetheart, I’m not asking you to give up your dreams, only to allow me to be a part of them and share them with you.”

Silent tears ran down her face unheeded. He assumed them to be happy ones. “I love you, Jagger. I’m only sorry it took me this long to acknowledge it.”

Jagger felt like shouting his joy to the world. Finally, there were no more obstacles standing between him and his mate. He brought his lips gently down on hers, taking his time to savor the softness of her mouth beneath his. When he pulled away, she had a smile on her face.

“Mmm, that was nice.”

“And there’s more where that came from but we don’t want to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves. Now, I have a confession.”

She raised an arched brow. “Oh yeah? What?”

“Believe it or not, I was scared, too. Love is new for me as well.”

Camryn snorted with apparent disbelief. “You didn’t seem scared. You were relentless.”

“I had to be. I wanted you very badly, and it made me more aggressive than I should have been. I know I should have taken things more slowly.”

“But you were exactly what I needed. You never gave up on me, and if you hadn’t persisted, I’d still be fighting. Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For loving me.”

“Tell me you love me again.”

“I love you, Jagger.”

He grinned so hard it felt like his face would split apart. He loved her so much he could almost burst. He lowered his head to kiss her but she placed her finger on her lips. “Be careful, I bite,” she teased.

Jagger chuckled “I see your love for me hasn’t changed your sense of humor. You see,
milaya moya
, loving me doesn’t have to change who you are. This can work. I promise I’ll spend the rest of my days making you happy.”

He cupped her cheek and brought their mouths together. This kiss was infinitely sweeter than any they’d shared before, because this time their hearts were fully engaged.

The happiness he’d thought he’d never find was finally his. Jagger pressed Camryn down onto the picnic blanket, his cock straining against his jeans. In the back of his mind, he knew they were in a public place, but whenever Camryn was in his arms, he couldn’t think properly. He cupped her breasts in his palms, his thumbs grazing her nipples till they became hardened peaks.

Camryn wrapped her arms around him with a groan, smiling widely. “Mmm, we shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t help myself.”

“Nor can I. Wait until we get home. There’s a bed with our names on it just waiting for us.”

“Mom and Dad do that a lot. They say it’s because they love each other. Do you two love each other?”

Jagger looked up to see Jaxson and Adrienne standing over them. Camryn pulled away from him, a sheepish expression on her face. He refused to let go of her hand, however, unwilling to hide his feelings for Camryn with anyone.

To his surprise, it was Camryn who answered the question. “Yes, we’re in love.”

“Are you going to get married?” Jaxson questioned as if he were the head of the CIA.

Camryn smiled vaguely. “Not yet, but one day.”

Jagger squeezed her hand reassuringly, liking the sound of that. The little boy crinkled his nose in disgust. “Well, I’m not getting married. Girls have cooties and I don’t want any part of that.”

Camryn burst into laughter, Jagger joined her, even though he had no idea what cooties were. It sounded funny, though.

Jaxson didn’t look amused. “Adrienne has to use the bathroom.”

Camryn rose, sliding her hand out of Jagger’s. “I’ll take her.” She held the little girl by the hand and led her to the public stalls.

“Jaxson, why don’t you have a seat with me until the women get back? In the meantime, you can explain to me what cooties are.”

Jaxson sat down, reached into the picnic basket, and picked out a handful of grapes. “Everyone knows what cooties are. Don’t they have cooties in Russia?”

“Obviously not.”

“Well, maybe that won’t be a bad place for me to live. My dad is going to take me and Adrienne to Italy. I’ll ask him to take us to Russia, too.”

“You’ll like it. Tell him to take you to Gorky Park.” Jagger watched as the boy steadily munched on the grapes. “You never did tell me what cooties were.”

“Oh. They’re girl germs,” Jaxson said gravely. “No one really knows what they look like because they’re invisible, but I think they look like ticks. Bobby at school told me that if you get them, your hair falls out or something. Then, you itch like crazy. I’m safe though, because I got my cootie shots and so has Adrienne.”

Jagger was trying hard not to laugh because it was clear the kid actually believed in these things called cooties. “Well, I can assure you that Camryn does not have these cooties you speak of.”

“I’m glad. I like her.”

“I like her, too.”

“Then, you should marry her. A real gentleman doesn’t kiss a lady like that unless he’s gonna marry her.”

Jagger raised his brow. This was obviously not a little boy; he was a grown man shrunken down to child form.