The Heir (13 page)

Christian opened it her hallway door and
Jessica found herself staring at two more strangers. They looked
intimidating and suddenly Jessica was having doubts. “Who are they?
No, I do not like this!”

"Danielle is in her room, a couple of doors
from here." Christian spoke over her protests and pointed down the
hallway. "Go get her."

"You touch my sister and I'll-" Ignoring her
tirade, Christian grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back to
the bathroom, pushed her down onto the toilet seat and went to
stand against the door. "If my sister gets hurt, I'm killing you."
Jessica promised quietly.

"We aren't planning on hurting any of you,"
He reassured her for the thousandth time, not bothering to hide his
exasperation.

What Christian really wanted to tell her was
that she should be thankful instead of contrary. They were putting
themselves between her and her irate -soon to be-mate. Trying to
keep the Alpha from doing something they knew he would regret
later.

But he couldn't tell her that.

He couldn't tell her that if the Alpha got
the chance to slip past them, in the mood he was in, Jessica would
be mated before sunset.

"Let me go you- you buffoon!"

Danielle screamed in outrage; a second later
there was a tap on the door before it flew open and Danielle was
carried in by Jason, kicking and screaming, and dumped in the tub.
Jason turned and made for the door like he was being chased by the
hounds of hell and slammed it shut behind him.

"To call you a troglodyte would be an insult
to a Neanderthal!" Danielle screamed at the closed door.

She flipped her hair back, out of her face,
and Christian felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. Even
though he’d prepared himself for that moment the sight of her still
stole his breath. In all the years that had passed nothing had
changed and never would.

Dani saw him for the first time and she
stiffened but before she could say anything, Jason stuck his head
back in, asking him for a quick word outside. Thankful for the
reprieve, Christian backed out of the bathroom without taking his
eyes off of Danielle and closed the door that would separate
them.

"Nick took the bait, he is going after Shane
but Matt wants her-us- to stay put until we are sure that Nick is
back in control of his wolf."

"Looks like it's going to be a long wait,
maybe one of you should go raid the kitchen for snacks. When you
get back I want one of you by the stairs, the other outside the
bedroom door and I will keep watch out here."

Jason left to do as instructed and Christian
stood against the door and watched him go; trying to bring his
desire for Danielle under control.

Jessica was so relieved to see that Danielle
was unharmed; she forgot her reservations and flung her arms around
her. Suddenly she didn’t care if she’d taken her place in her
family, she was just glad to see that she was fine.

"Oh god, I was afraid they were going to hurt
you!"

"Jessica, what's going on?" They broke apart
and Danielle finally noticed Riley on the floor. "Oh my god, what
did they do to him!"

She ran to kneel in front of him and began to
check for wounds while Jessica grabbed a towel and ran it under the
cold water. "They didn't do anything, Shane did.” Jessica knelt on
the other side of Riley and began to run the towel over his face.
"Christian said he should be coming around any time now.”

Danielle rubbed the side of her head, "I'm
getting confused, and how about you start at the beginning."

Jessica did just that, she told her about her
first meeting with Nick and ended with her running up the stairs
and being pulled into the bathroom by Christian. Before Danielle
could ask any questions Riley began to groan and open his eyes.

"Oh thank god!" Jessica hugged her little
brother and surprisingly Riley hugged her back. She felt tears
forming and she buried her face in the crook of his neck. She was
finally being hugged by her little brother and for the first time
since she'd met him, they weren't at opposite corners of the ring.
When she felt in better control of her emotions she pulled back and
smacked him on the arm. "What the hell were you thinking when you
stepped up to Shane?"

Riley smiled at her and used his thumb to
wipe an errant tear off her cheek. "That you are my sister and no
one else messes with you but me."

Jessica smiled back at him wiped her cheeks
with the back of her hand. "Thanks, but next time don’t get hurt
because of me."

"It looks like it's going to be a long wait."
Christian interrupted them, his arms were laden with food. "So I
brought you some snacks." He set the junk food on the counter and
left again without another word.

"Who the hell is that?!" Riley asked as he
tried to scramble to his feet but Jessica and Danielle pulled him
back down. "And what the hell are we doing in your bathroom
Jessica?"

"It's a long story and if you sit down I'll
tell you everything I know."

Which is not much, she thought and began to
form a plan of escape now that Riley was up and obviously well
enough.

Before that thought was even completed
Christian stuck his head through the door and looked straight at
Jessica, "And one more thing, we've followed you for quite a while.
I'd like to think that I have an idea of how your mind works and I
just wanted to let you know that the house is surrounded, you won’t
be leaving this bathroom without permission let alone the
house."

"What?!" She shrieked "I swear when I get a
hold of Nick, I'm going to shove you down his throat!"

Christian smiled, wished her good luck and
saluted her before shutting the door again.

"Now would be a good time to clue me in."
Riley patted the floor next to him.

Jessica sat and told him the same story she'd
told Danielle.

If there was one good thing that she got out
of the whole experience it was the chance to connect with Riley and
Danielle. For the first time they were talking without being
prodded by their parents and getting along. Jessica wasn't a fool
to think that everything was fixed, but she knew that they'd
finally taken a step in the right direction.

It was just over an hour when they felt
something crash against the house. The whole house shook from the
impact. Jessica had just ushered Danielle and Riley into the bath
tub when Christian rushed in, slamming the door behind him and
bracing himself against it.

"He's here." He was looking at Jessica when
he said it and she immediately knew who he was talking about. After
a couple more crashes the house finally stopped shaking and
everything went silent. Even then Christian kept his guard up.
Tension was flowing out of him in waves and it proved
contagious.

It was just after midnight when Christian
stiffened when there was a knock on the door.

Chapter 9

"Christian, open the door."

He didn't budge.

Then suddenly Jessica began to feel a strange
power stirring in the air. With jerky movements, as if trying to
fight an unknown force, Christian unlocked the door. Jessica didn't
know what to expect but she braced herself and stood up in front of
Riley and Danielle. She would fight like a mad woman if it meant
keeping her family safe.

Then the door opened and Nick strode in,
power and confidence surrounding him like a cloak.

"I need a couple of minutes alone with
Jessica."

Riley and Danielle began to protest when the
other two guys that had been with them throughout the evening came
in and picked them up as if they were no more than a bag of
potatoes.

"Touch my sister and I'll kill you!" were the
last words from Riley as he was carried out of her room.

"Christian, your dedication to her safety
will be rewarded but my patience is running thin, go." He ordered
in that same power filled voice.

With panic filled eyes, Jessica watched him
go. Something was different about Nick and she began to back up
away from him. He followed her until she was cornered against the
wall then bent down to scoop her up. The feel and scent of him was
so inviting, she wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and melt
against him but stiffened in his arms instead.

"Please don't fight me" he murmured against
her neck, his warm breath sending shivers down her body. "I won’t
hurt you, just don't fight me."

His pleas and the sincerity in his voice
convinced Jessica. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he
strode out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.

"Is this your room?"

Jessica nodded.

"It smells like you; fresh without artifice."
He walked towards the bed and laid her down in the middle. He stood
up and looked down at her as he took off his sweatshirt. Jessica
started to get up but he stopped her. "Stay there, please, I want
to look at you."

Jessica eyed him skeptically. "Were you
kidnapped by UFO's?" She asked him and he laughed for the first
time in hours.

"No I wasn't kidnapped by Aliens." He lay
down next to her and pulled her closer to him. He nuzzled her neck
and rubbed slow circles on her back.

Jessica closed her eyes and bit back a sigh
of pleasure. "Don't hold back baby. I want to know what makes you
feel good"

That had Jessica going stiff again and Nick
chuckling. "Not that kind of feel good, at least not tonight,
tonight I just want to hold you. I want to erase his touch from
your body, make sure you are alright."

Jessica nodded and gave in. She was too tired
to fight. She was too tired to fight him, to fight her attraction
to him, to fight herself. This one night she'd give in, and deal
with the consequences tomorrow.

"I'm so sorry baby."

"Sorry about what?" Jessica asked drowsily,
the day’s events were catching up to her and with his warmth
surrounding her, she was finding it hard to stay focused.

"If it wasn't for my stupid ego, that asshole
wouldn't have laid a hand on you."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was, but I don't want to talk about
him right now. Right now I want to kiss his scent off of you. May
I?"

Jessica took a deep breath and nodded. How
could she say no when this was what she'd been dreaming about for
the last six months. Her body had been numb without his touch, and
now that he was back her nerve endings felt alive like never
before. The thought alone, of his lips on her,

He lay on his side, supported his head with
one hand and with the other he lightly traced her face.

"I'm going to start here" He moved his
fingers down her throat and along her collar bone. "Then I'm going
to kiss you here." He moved his hand lower and Jessica held her
breath, anticipating his touch on her breast, but he skipped that
certain area and traced her bellybutton. "I hope you're not
ticklish here, because I'll be kissing you here also." After a
couple more circles around her stomach he trailed his fingers down,
and she held her breath again. When he reached her knee she let out
a frustrated breath, making him chuckle. "Not tonight baby, but
you'll like my kisses there too, I promise." He circled her knees
then trailed her calf, ankle and feet until he reached her toes
than moved to the other foot and treated that side to the same
caress.

Slowly he moved up until they were face to
face again. He smiled down at her and began do what he'd promised.
They were light feather kisses that brought a smile to her face.
Slowly she relaxed more and more and by the time he'd reached her
face once more she was already half asleep.

"I've never bored someone to sleep with my
kisses before." He chuckled as he laid down next to her and pulled
her closer.

"Not bored" She yawned. "So relaxed I can't
keep my eyes open."

He chuckled again. "I think it’s the same
thing."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I'm glad you feel safe enough with
me to fall asleep in my arms."

"Stay with me tonight?"

Who knew that under all that toughness was a
marshmallow? He’d expected her to fight him tooth and nail for all
his highhandedness instead she was purring in his arms. Nick could
find himself quickly getting used to it.

"Yeah I'm staying" he murmured "but tomorrow
we have a lot to talk about."

Nick waited for a response that never came.
He looked down to see her fast asleep. He couldn't help but feel
like she belonged there; lying next to him with her hand above his
heart and her head resting in the crook his arm.

For the first time since he'd gotten the call
from Axel about her confrontation with Shane, his wolf was at peace
and he felt in control again. He closed his eyes, and sleep took
him under faster than it ever had before.

During the middle of the night, the
discomfort of sleeping with his clothes on woke Nick up. Looking
around, it took him a second to remember where he was. The tingling
in his arm had him looking down to see Jessica cuddled up next to
him, lying on his arm. It seemed that she hadn't moved all
night.

With a sigh of regret, he pulled his arm out
slowly from under her and slipped out of bed. He looked down at her
and mesmerized, he stood by and watched her sleep. The moonlight
streaming through the window was his only source illumination but
with his sight it was all he needed.

He could see her as clearly as if it was
daylight.

His eyes lingered on her face for a second,
on her long eyelashes fanning her cheeks and her pouty full lips,
before trailing down the rest of her body. Visually, he caressed
the soft curves of her breast as they rose and fell with each soft
breath she took. His eyes roamed over her stomach and down to the
juncture between her thighs.

The thought of seeing her naked had him
growing hard in seconds and he salivated at the thought of bringing
her to climax with his tongue. He was thirsty and desperate for a
taste-of her. He wondered if she was as wild in bed as she was out
of it.