Rune (27 page)

What the hell?
“Er, run that by me again?”

“Storm, the woman that dared to harm you.”

“She’s dead?”

His lips curled into a wicked smirk. “Very much so, after I fucked her of course.”

Jess clutched her stomach as a wave of nausea rose. “Of course.” She didn’t like the woman, hell that was an understatement, but it was the casualness with which he spoke about it that freaked her out. Scrambling to her feet, she weaved slightly, and then steadied herself. “And now I think we’d better leave.”

§§§

Frustration burned over Rune as he sat with an air of irritation in the lounge of her father’s house. George had told him they were on their way and he was anxious to see Jess. His impatience soared, desperate to see for himself she was safe, and he strummed long fingers on the arm of the chair. His stomach rolled and lurched, and he wished George would shut the hell up. The man went on and on about his ex-wife and his bad marriage; no wonder Jess had such an aversion to building a relationship.

He also noticed that George kept sneaking peeks at him, his little eyes smoking hot. It was as if he were horny, and Rune wondered if he was gay; maybe that’s why he’d split from his wife. Each time George passed him, his hand touched on his arm or shoulder, and Rune knew that if the twat did it again he was about to get punched. He wasn’t concerned about his sexual preferences, as long as it didn’t involve him.

“What time did they say they’d be arriving?” he interrupted George’s tirade about Doreen, not caring he was rude; he had to ensure Jess was unharmed.

“Doreen rang about twenty minutes before you arrived, so should be here anytime now.” At the loud crunch of screaming metal, George peered out of the window. “Oh dear, I hope your car isn’t too expensive.”

Rune rose and looked out at the Lamborghini; a deep dent creased the wing whilst a glaring scratch marked the paintwork. His attention flicked to the car which had caused it. It lay at an angle, halfway across the road, dark skid marks evident on the tarmac. When Rune recognized the figure of Jess keeled over in the front, he flew out of the house and wrenched at the door. Jess groaned and pushed herself from the dash she’d hit, a swelling already making its appearance on her forehead.

“What the fuck happened,” snarled Rune. Carefully cradling her body, he pulled her free from the car.

“What was that monstrosity doing in my parking space?” Doreen quirked a pencilled brow when she recognized him. “Oh, for goodness sake, don’t molly coddle her; it’s her own fault for not wearing a seat belt.”

Rune bit down the words he wanted to say and, in a cold silence, carried Jess into the house. Once inside, he called to George. “Where is her room?”

Jess lay curled in his arms, shock crossing her features.

“Is she okay?” George bounced and hovered beside him; his wig sliding to the side, it covered his eye.

“She will be; now, which room?”

“It’s straight up the stairs. The first door you come across.”

He bounded up them, eager to check her out. Rune couldn’t believe her family, or more precisely her mother.

Doreen’s voice drifted up. “George, stop wasting space and time, make me a G&T. I need it to steady my nerves.”

Rune knew what he’d like to give her.

He laid Jess on top of the bed and searched for a bathroom, discovering a small shower room, dampened a flannel, and returned. Gently, he soothed it across her forehead; there was no cut, but she’d have a bruise come morning. Her questioning glance speared him, and she frowned in obvious confusion.

§§§

Jess blinked into the golden depths of Rune. Was she dreaming? She had to be and muttered. “I don’t know how that happened.”

“That idiot of a mother and her driving, that’s what.” He failed to keep the anger out of his voice.

“Tell me about it, I remember coming around the corner and then she hit…” She slapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh God, it was your car, wasn’t it?”

He nodded and continued to dab at her head.

“I’m sorry, Rune. Is there much damage?”

“Jess, I couldn’t give a toss about the car as long as you’re unhurt.”

She didn’t miss the anxiety clear on his face. A face that she didn’t think she’d see again. “Why are you here?”

“I was worried about you. Why the hell didn’t you stay put on the farm? LeBron could protect you there.”

“How? He was up in Caprice when I left; in that time, anything could have happened,” she reasoned.

“Jess, you know two attempts have been made on your life; what if another comes here?” He soothed his fingers over her cheek.

Unable to help herself, she covered them with her own, burrowing into his palm. “Rune?”
Make love to me?

He hesitated, his features darkened before he rose and turned.

She closed her eyes; okay, he didn’t want her. Jess flicked them open when she heard the gentle click of a key turn in the lock.

“I intend to, sweet bitch, but without any interruptions.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Jess held her breath when he peeled his top off and threw it to the floor, his fingers edged his button, and his zip scratched down.

“Is your head okay?” he faltered, his eyes burned over her.

“Rune, don’t worry about that, it’s not my head you’ll be fucking.” She listened to his deep laugh that sent shivers down her, and suddenly discovered it was a rare sound. Her attention focused on him, she couldn’t tear her gaze away from his erection.

He prowled towards her across the short space, and with a leisurely ease stripped her, tugging at her top his hand cupped her tit. Flicking a thumb across her taut nipple, it grazed beneath the lace of the bra. A twist of his wrist, and it snapped open; his fingers slid to her bottoms, and yanked them slowly off. She lay back, watching him, much like a cat eyeing up a mouse.

Except Rune was no mouse, far from it.

Her knickers tore and fluttered to the floor, the bed dipped and Rune ran his hands over her body. She noticed he spent time searching over her stomach. Still probing, she could sense his unease, and all but screamed when his head bent and his lips teased over her nipple. When he bit down gently, it reminded her of the clamps. She clutched his head holding him tight to her.

Jess was desperate for his body, God but she was a lost cause with this man. He could turn her inside out, in fact did. And when his fingers edged down, curling into her pubes, everything went blank, and she gave in to the sensations he evoked. Every nerve fired hot and electric, not an ounce of her skin remained untouched, his mouth lips and fingers tortured her with a relentless tenacity.

“Rune?” She reached out to his erection, and gripped it soothing her hands up the sheer length, quivering at his hiss of breath.

His body covered her, he took his weight on his forearms and settled between her open thighs. “I want to see your face when you come.”

“Rune, if you don’t hurry up, you’ll see it pretty bloody soon.”

“Ah Jess, that’s what I love about you, your enthusiasm.” He slowly probed, and edged forward, inch by inch he sunk inside her welcoming heat.

At his words she’d frozen, then dismissed it, he was talking metaphorically. And her blank canvass dropped.

It was only then that she realized just how much it meant to her, to hear those words. Yet what if he did say them? What would she do, say yea I love you too but tough we don’t get it together just in case we end up like my parents?

Somehow she knew Rune wouldn’t understand, hell why would he? She couldn’t work out what she wanted herself. God but her emotions confused the hell out of her.

Rune pulled back and drove forward on a long smooth glide, filling her so completely she could have cried. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and then higher, around his neck. He couldn’t tunnel any deeper, she took every centimetre that lunged into her. He thrust with the speed of a locomotive, and she loved it.

She was so her father’s daughter.

A flaming red hot fire burned deep in the pit of her stomach, and a rocket of tiny explosions burst over her. She hitched her hips, taking Rune as he writhed against her. His power driven lunges pushed her beyond the boundary.

“Now, sweet bitch, come with me.” Rune threw his head back, the cords of his neck stood out, and he growled as he spilled inside her sex that clung with a doggedness to him.

Jess whimpered, the rise hitting her and screamed as the white hot blast seared through every particle. Her body trembled with the intensity of the passion they’d shared.

Rune released her legs and dropped down beside her, he placed a tender kiss on top of her head. Holding her close.

“I missed you last night, little one.”

“Me too.” She snuggled into him and wished his chest was soft and squashy.

“Why did you use the safe word to send me away?”

She heard his pain, the confusion, in his voice and tried to work out what to say. Fuck, how could she explain to him she loved him to bits, but they had to end it? God, it made no sense, but then neither did having a relationship. And besides, he’d told her, they could have wicked fucking without one, he wasn’t interested in it, so why was she so pissed?

Jess shrugged her shoulders. “All you want off me is sex, an easy lay.”

“No, Jess, that’s not true, I want—” His words cut off.

“An easy get-out clause,” supplied Jess.

Rune shook his head. “That’s not true, but we’ll discuss it another time. Why did you leave the farm? Where have you been?”

Jess played with the hair smattering over his chest. “Do you really want to know?”

“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.” His reply snapped out sharp.

Bossy bastard.

His hand palmed her ass and slapped it. “Stop swearing.”

She grinned at the ease with which he read her thoughts. “No way could I stay there listening to them having a good time, humping each other stupid. Whilst I had no one.”

“Jess, you’ve got me. I told you that I need time, I have to solve this case, discover who is leading the rogue vampires. And then there’ll be time for us.”

She looked up at him. “And how long will I have you for, Rune?”

His golden orbs mirrored confusion. “How the fuck should I know? Till whenever.”

“Mmmm, I thought so.” She had her answer, not one she wanted, but expected. It was a sexual holiday until he got bored and moved on. She’d be his mistress, another Storm.

“Now, tell me, where have you been?” he pushed.

Jess should have known he wouldn’t let up. “To see my real father, and shit, was that one hell of a surprise.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s not human? Yet why the heck that should shock me now, I don’t know.”

Rune’s eyes dimmed and darkened. “What is he?”

“Try a demon; an incubus actually that lives in a tree with a frigging palace of a place below ground.” She breathed in a shock of nerves.
Had she actually said that?

Rune’s expression held a thread of curiosity. “So, you’re a cambion?”

“Yep, it’s a posh word for a mongrel I guess, but apparently daddy dearest is more than happy because I’m the only normal child he has.” Jess just managed to stop from blurting out the other reason. That she carried his son, Frazer’s grandson.

Rune nodded. “Yep, that goes without saying. I’ve seen some of them ugly bastards.”

“Gee, thinks for the vote of confidence.” She gave him a playful slap. “Yeah, well, you should have seen Frazer, my dad, he is so, well so—”

“Vile?” supplied Rune.

“No, more than that. I passed out when he revealed himself and woke up to Mother and him at it.”

“Gross,” he commiserated with a hint of a smile. “I wouldn’t want to see Doreen in action.”

“You appear to be taking this in your stride. No shock?” She twisted in his arms, pinning her gaze on him.

“No; actually, this explains how you can take me. And also how you manage to blank my reading your thoughts.”

All of a sudden, she remembered. “And, Rune, do you know that Storm is dead?”

He nodded. “Yep, I heard, don’t know who did it though.”

“Well, try daddy dearest; apparently, she pissed him off by trying to kill me.” Jess noticed the shock cross his face. “Yep, his parental duties appear to have kicked in late.” She recalled his opinion on Rune, and no way would she tell him, he was arrogant enough as it was.

“She won’t be missed,” said Rune dismissively.

Jess frowned. “She was your mistress for a long time, how can you be so cold?”

“Storm was an easy lay, nothing more,” he explained. “Her death comes as no surprise; it was one I would have arranged myself after the whipping she’d put you through.”

Jess didn’t like this harsh side of Rune, it scared her. It also made her realize what he thought of her. That she was simply a passing fuck.

And it hurt.

His palm rested on her stomach. “Jess, your period?”

“Still not arrived, but it’s pending, I can feel my back ache,” she lied. “But how come you didn’t use a condom?”

“You’re in town; you can visit a chemist and get the morning after pill again.”

Can I just, you inconsiderate selfish twat.
Again, she’d closed her mind against him and could see him trying to reach her. Along with his irritation that he couldn’t. There were some perks in having a demon for a father, she decided.

“Jess, you will tell me if you don’t come on because, if you are pregnant, then I’ll be forced to marry you.”

She blinked.
What the fuck? Forced? How dare he?
Jess tried to calm herself, to not let rip with her temper and open her mind up to him. Instead, gave him a sweet smile. “Don’t panic, Rune, I’m not pregnant; in fact, I’ve just bought a packet of tampons ready. So, you don’t need to
force
yourself to do anything.”

He flinched. “Look, Jess, maybe my words came out wrong. I am—”

She uncoiled from his arms and finished the sentence. “Just about to leave.”

§§§

“Jess, I’m taking you back to Kitty, where you’ll be safe.” He followed her stiff actions. Rune had known he’d made a hash of it as soon at the words left his mouth. Hell, he’d take anyone, anything on, nothing scared him. Yet she made him feel like a schoolboy, nervous and unsure. And when he actually came out and tried to tell her he loved her, what did she do? Intervene and finish his sentence. For the first time in his life, he was scared. Scared that she didn’t return his love. And he was worried what he’d do about it because he knew he wouldn’t let her go.