Satisfaction (4 page)

Chapter Seven

I can’t bite her…
.
I can’t bite her
.

Jace kept repeating those words over and over as he stared at Ashlynn standing in the doorway of her condo. He knew that he told her to wear something sexy, but the fire engine red dress was a sin waiting to get him into trouble tonight. All of his well-laid plans were going to jump right out of the window from all of the gorgeous skin on display for his eyes.

Keeping satisfaction at bay was hard enough when he was within touching distance of her, but his mate was testing all of his control in ways no other woman had or ever would again. Ashlynn was perfect for him, and all he had to do was prove it to her over their date tonight.

“I see you made it on time,” Ashlynn said, smiling at him.

“I promised you that I would, and I never break my word once you have it,” he answered, not taking his gaze off of the beautiful vision in front of him.

“Men have promised me things before and not gone through with it, so honestly I wasn’t holding out much hope for you,” she admitted.

Jace swallowed hard, trying not to reveal his anger at how other men had treated his mate. “I’m not the other jerks you went out with in your past. I would never tell you something and not follow through with it. You belong with me, and I will
always
keep my word to you.”

“How about we get through this date before you start staking a claim on me?” she suggested. “I might want something totally different than you.”

“Does it scare you that I might want a second date?” Jace asked, trying to get inside of her head. He knew she wanted to have sex with him, but that was just natural for a human woman when she first saw her vampire mate.

That instant, the chemical bond was hot and hypotonic. Now, if that was all Ashlynn admitted wanting from him, then he would have a harder mountain to climb than he first assumed.

“Truthfully, I haven’t thought past this date,” Ashlynn admitted to him. “How about we see how well this goes and then we can talk about a second date?”

Jace sensed Ashlynn wasn’t being honest with him, but he couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t want to see how far things could go between them.

Was she scared he would break her heart or hurt her some kind of way? Maybe he would be able to find more out on their date. Something was going on, but he couldn’t invade Ashlynn’s privacy by reading her mind. Not until she accepted him and agreed to be his mate, and then all bets were off.

“Are you ready to go? I have made reservations for us at Sylvester’s. They are holding a table for us, so I don’t want to be late. I heard it’s the hottest restaurant in town.”

Coming up to him, Ashlynn placed her hand on his chest, making satisfaction kick up another unbearable notch as his blood pounded through his veins. What was she doing? Didn’t she know how potent her touch was to his skin?

Was she trying to drive him out of his mind with the need to bite her? He had to get Ashlynn away from here and around people or he might not be able to control himself until he told her everything.

“Would you mind if we stayed here instead? I’m not really into going out tonight around a lot of people after the long day I’ve had at work. I can order us something, and we can use this time to get to know each other better.”

Tell her no
,
Jace’s mind screamed.
You aren’t ready to be in a closed environment with her yet. Satisfaction is too powerful.

“I think we should keep our dinner reservations,” Jace said, but even to his ears it sounded weak. He wanted to stay, and they both knew it.

“Why are you nervous to be alone with me, Mr. Diamont?” Ashlynn teased, patting him in the center of the chest. “Do you think I’m going to take advantage of you?”

Nothing was the furthest from the truth. Now, he wondered how Devin was able to win over Krishell. Did she fight him the way Ashlynn was trying to avoid being honest with him tonight? He was trying to romance her, but he might have to jump right on in and tell her the truth about everything first.

His eyes narrowed as he wrapped his hands around Ashlynn’s smooth arms and pulled her fully against his body. The warmth of her soft flesh was intoxicating, making a spurt of hungry desire spiral through him.

“Are you inviting me into your house?” he asked. “I have to warn you that I’m not nervous of you. In fact, I might have to control my urge to kiss you over dinner. I have been thinking about how your mouth tastes since I first laid eyes on you.”

Easing back from his body, Ashlynn pushed the door open even farther. “Yes, I’m inviting you into my home, Jace. I want you to come in and have a good time.”

The degree to which his mate responded to him spread a fire to his heart. As much as Jace wanted to back away from this, he couldn’t do it. His desire for Ashlynn overrode everything else he should’ve been thinking about.

“I would love to have dinner here with you tonight. Thank you so much for inviting me.” He brushed past Ashlynn and walked into her home, knowing this one step just changed everything between them, and he hoped it was for the better, because before this date was over, Ashlynn was going to know who she was to him.

Chapter Eight

After wiping his mouth with the napkin, Jace laid it down next to his plate on the living room table. Instead of having dinner in the kitchen, Ashlynn talked him into eating on the couch so they could be close while they got to know each other better.

Food had been the last thing on his mind when Ashlynn curled up next to him, smelling like an angel but dressed like the most sinful fantasy a man could fantasize about. He was about to yank Ashlynn across his lap and kiss the hell out of her if she touched his leg one more time.

“You didn’t talk about yourself much over dinner,” Ashlynn said, placing her wine glass next to his on the table. “So, why don’t you tell me what makes Devin’s older brother tick? Why did you come to see him after all of these years?”

“I have owned a nightclub in Atlanta for the past ten years. I really don’t get to do that much, because I spend most of my time there so it will run smoothly. If a mistake is made, I would rather it be made on my watch instead of Clark’s,” he answered.

“Who is Clark?” she asked.

“Clark Kent has been my business partner for the past four years, because I was burning the candle at both ends and needed a break from the ins and outs of my business.”

“Are you serious? His name is really Clark Kent like from the Superman movies? God, I know he must have gotten teased a lot growing up.”

“Clark is able to handle himself in any situation, so I’m pretty sure he didn’t get teased a lot growing up.” Jace made sure to leave out his buddy was built like a linebacker and no one in their right mind was crazy enough to bother him.

“Well, you answered a part of my question. What about the other one?” Ashlynn questioned, sliding closer to him on the couch.

His cock twitched inside of his slacks as his mate’s scent stirred up the beginning of satisfaction again. She really had to stop being so tempting or his fangs would be out before he had a chance to stop them.

“Oh, I came to see Devin because I wanted to work on mending the fence to our strained relationship. The last time he came to me for help, I didn’t act like a loving brother. I shouldn’t have treated him like a stranger, and I feel like I should make up for it.”

“No, that isn’t the question I was referring to. Tell me what makes you tick. What are your turn-ons and turn-offs when it comes to a woman?”

Reaching out, Jace brushed his thumb over her cheek, and she almost purred from the instant pleasure his touch gave her. What was it about him that turned her into a puddle of sexual desire?

“I’m turned on by a woman who is smart, sassy, and true to themselves. Unabashed confidence will keep me interested in her more than hanging on to my every word. I need for her to be her own woman while she’s with me. I need to be able to rely on her to stand at my side.”

“What about a woman who makes the first move? Are you turned on by them as well?” Ashlynn asked, placing her hand on Jace’s thigh.

One eyebrow arched as he glanced down at her hand, then back up into her eyes. “What red-blooded man isn’t turned on by a gorgeous woman who knows what she wants?”

Not needing another sign of encouragement, Ashlynn moved toward him, impelled involuntarily by her own passion. She leaned closer and kissed Jace the second their mouths met, a delicious shudder heating her body.

Gathering her into his arms, he pulled her roughly to him, but Ashlynn didn’t care, because she felt drugged by Jace’s clean and manly scent. One of his wide hands slid down her back and pressed her breasts farther into his chest. She loved how her soft curves molded perfectly to the contours of his strong, hard body, as if they were built for only each other.

The tip of Jace’s tongue traced the corner of her lips, begging for entrance, and she didn’t make him wait any longer. Ashlynn opened her mouth, giving herself freely to the passion of the kiss and the heat Jace was creating inside of her body.

“Ashlynn, you taste so good,” he whispered against her swollen lips. “Like a warm peach.”

She smiled against his mouth. “It’s my lip gloss. You don’t taste bad yourself. How about we get more comfortable and take this into the bedroom? I know there is no way you can fit out here on my couch. It’s too small for the both of us.”

Minutes rolled by while she waited for an answer, and then Jace’s body eased back from her. His large hand took her face and held it gently as he stared down into her eyes. She could see the desire in his, along with something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but she wasn’t getting a good feeling about Jace making love to her tonight.

“Baby, I can’t make love to you. It wouldn’t be right. There is something you need to know about me first.”

Ashlynn slapped Jace’s hand off her face. “You’re married, aren’t you?” She jumped up off the couch and hurried around the table, going straight for the front door. “You need to leave. God, I should have listened to Krishell when she told me to stay away from you.”

“I’m not married,” Jace said and got up from the couch, grabbing her by the arm. He spun her back around to face him. “Will you calm down and let me tell you why I backed off?”

“No, I don’t want to hear anything,” she hollered, jerking her arm away, ignoring the pain that shot through it. “I should have known you were too good to be true. So, if you don’t have a wife, what do you have, a girlfriend or a fiancée? Does she know that you are cheating on her?”

“I’m not involved with anyone. I want to be with you tonight more than anything, but I can’t until you know the truth about me. You have to accept me before I can make love to you.”

“Great, I can’t wait to hear what you are going to come up with for turning me down. Most men would love to have a one-night stand with no attachment or promise of tomorrow from the woman. You aren’t making any sense. Why can’t you do it, and what do I have to accept?”

“Ashlynn, I’m a vampire, and you’re my mate,” Jace said with a straight face.

Chapter Nine

Ashlynn stared at Jace, and then she burst out laughing at the craziness of the situation. In the past couple of months, she had men break up with her for countless reasons. Some men even told her that she was too ambitious for them to even start up a relationship with her, but none of them ever lied about being a supernatural being to get out of having sex with her.

Raising her hand, she wiped the tears from her eyes. Well, at least after Jace was gone out of her life, she would never forget him because of this reason right here. This hands down was the best lie she had ever heard of in her twenty-eight years.

“Okay…sure you are.” She chuckled after she had gotten control of herself better. “Jace, you didn’t have to lie to me. All you had to do was tell me you weren’t interested in more than dinner, and I would have understood, but lying about being a vampire is a little over the top.”

His blond eyebrows drew downward into a frown. “I’m not a liar, and I don’t appreciate you calling me one. I’m telling you the truth. You are the only woman destined to be with me for the rest of your life. You weren’t able to commit to those other men because your body’s instinct knew they weren’t right for you.”

Her smile faded a little when Jace looked at her straight in the eye, as if he believed the words coming out of his mouth. How in the hell did she end up alone in her living room with a crazy person? The next time Krishell warned her to stay away from someone, she would listen better, but first she would play along to get Jace out of her home.

“Okay, if you are a vampire, why didn’t you burn up in the sunlight today? Is that supposed to be the worst thing to hurt you?”

“You are talking about things from folklore.” Jace sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I can be out in sunlight just as long as you. I don’t sleep in a wooden box or run away from a crucifix. None of those things can hurt me. I swear that I’m telling you the truth, but if you don’t believe me, I will continue to suffer from
satisfaction
.”

Jace wanted Ashlynn’s first time with him to be filled with pleasure, and he couldn’t promise it would be if they made love during satisfaction, which without a doubt was the most intense time during a vampire’s life. He had to tell her everything sooner than he wanted to, but she was feeling the pull of their bond hotter than he could ever envision possible.

“All right, let’s say that I believe everything you are telling me, and that is a big
if
,” she said, looking at him. “I want you to prove to me that you are a real vampire. Not like the character Barnabas Collins Jonathan Frid used to play on the old
Dark Shadows
re-runs I would watch with my mother.

“Do you have superhuman strength, hypnotic power to make me do anything you want me to against my will? Or what about those heightened senses that you can smell something from miles away?”

He wanted to be mad at Ashlynn for the way she was mixing up fiction with reality, but he couldn’t, because so many American television shows had been made about vampires that he stopped watching them after a while, but they started getting on his nerves too badly.

“How can I prove to you that I’m telling you the truth?” he asked.

“Don’t ask, just do it,” Ashlynn told him.

“All right, I will.”

Without even thinking about it, Jace vanished from right in front of Ashlynn. “Was that good enough proof for you?” he whispered against the back of her neck.

“Shit,” Ashlynn screamed as she spun around, almost tripping over the chair right behind her, but Jace’s hands shot out and caught her before she hit the carpet.

“You really are a vampire,” she whispered, shaking slightly as she took a nervous step back from him. “This can’t be real. I can’t wrap my mind around all of this. It’s too much. I only wanted to have a hot one-night stand with your fine ass, and now you’re telling me I’m your mate. Doesn’t that mean I’m supposed to be with you forever? I remember that from all of the vampire movies I used to watch, or was that wrong too?”

“No, baby, you’re right about that part. If you accept me and allow me to turn you, then you will be with me forever. You won’t ever age a day older than you are right now, and you won’t ever get sick,” Jace told her.

“What’s
satisfaction
?”

“It’s when a vampire’s body burns to be with his mate. He can’t handle being around her for a long period of time, because it makes the need to turn her more intense, and if he takes his mate during that moment, it may not be very pleasant for her.”

“I can’t handle this,” Ashlynn whispered to herself as she started pacing around the room. “Maybe you’re wrong about me. Could your mate be someone else?”

“No, it’s you. I have been carrying around a picture of you for almost two hundred years.”

Ashlynn stumbled over her own two feet as she pivoted and faced Jace again. He was still standing in the same spot she left him. “Are you fucking telling me that you’re hundreds of years old? How did you even get a picture of me? I wasn’t around that long ago.”

“My father is one of the oldest-living vampires, and he had pictures of Devin’s and my mate locked away. I found mine and went in search of you, but I didn’t know it would take this long to find you.”

Jace took a step toward Ashlynn, but she held up her hand, holding him off. “You’re telling me that Devin is a vampire and now my best friend is one too?”

“Yes,” he answered after a few moments. “Devin probably turned Krishell the first night they made love to keep her safe. That’s why I couldn’t make love to you until you knew all of this. I want you with everything in me, but for more than just a quick fling. Forever is like second nature to a vampire when it comes to his mate. He won’t just fuck her and then leave her.”

“I’m honestly not ready for this,” Ashlynn mumbled, shaking her head. “I…”

“Darling, please listen to me. It isn’t as bad as you think. Let me help walk you through the entire process. I love you, and I swear I will make everything as painless as possible, but I need…no have to be with you for more than one stupid night.”