“That’s not the impression I got last night when you wanted to fuck me.”
“Okay, that’s where I disappear,” Gwen says, standing up. “Night to both of you…” She leaves the room looking like she wants to wash out her ears.
“Uncalled for,” I snap. “I was drunk.”
“I call it like I see it,” he says.
“Is that why you’re here tonight? To see what you could get away with?” I glare at him, dropping the blanket to the side because now I’m too hot for words.
He steps forward and pulls my waist flush against his. I can feel all of him, the hardness in his thighs, the solid chest, the other hardness pressing against my hip. He lowers his head until his lips brush against mine when he says, “I won’t be ‘getting away with’ anything when I fuck you. You’ll gladly let me in.” He leans back and looks into my eyes and my breath catches. His eyes wander down my body and I feel a trickle of sweat crawl down my temple. He catches it with his fingers and my eyes widen when he leisurely licks it off. “I’ve never had to exercise patience before, but you’re worth it. I’ll be right here, waiting, until you can’t function without me inside of you.” His tongue sneaks out and swipes across my lower lip. And then his lips follow so softly, it’s only the barest hint of a kiss.
My insides quiver and I step back. His eyes are feral, assessing mine. A devastating grin takes over his face and heat gathers between my legs. He grins, knowingly.
“I hate you,” I tell him.
I leave the room with his cackle echoing through the hall. It torments my dreams.
THIRTEEN
JACKAL
Flatworms possess both male and female reproductive organs. When it comes time to mate, they fight to see which one will take on which role. Because females dedicate time to their young while the male can simply leave, being in the male role is clearly the most desirable. A mating pair will get in a penis duel, trying to stab the other one and inseminate them first.
I fall asleep on the couch in the wee hours of the morning and wake up with a kid staring at me. I blink and rub my eyes, looking around. Phoenix’s house, I remind myself. The way the light filters in through the windows I know I’ve overslept. I sit up. The girl looks me over and smiles. She must be older than she looks, the way she’s checking me out.
“And you are?” I ask.
She giggles. “Tahira. Gwen told me to wake you up. Said if you have any hope of riding with Phoenix into the city, you better get up now.”
I stand up and put my shirt on. “Where is Gwen?”
“They’re finishing with breakfast...also why I’m waking you up. I made pancakes. Phoenix even ate some!” Her eyes shine and I smile in spite of myself.
“Good work, getting her to eat,” I say under my breath.
I walk into a kitchen full of women and they pause for a moment but then continue their conversation. It’s disconcerting the way they don’t pander to me. My entrance goes virtually unnoticed. It makes me off-kilter as I take the empty seat at the table. A woman with dreads sits to my left and a redhead to my right. I wave and they introduce themselves. Black market girl smirks at me, always smirking. Tahira lifts the plate of pancakes to me, and I pile a few onto my plate.
“Thank you.”
Phoenix has busied herself since I came into the room. She’s already dressed and she picks up her click.
“You’re trying to leave without me?” I ask her.
She flushes and fills her travel mug with coffee, still not looking at me.
I stuff a bite into my mouth and stand up, plate in hand. “Will you please drive me into the city?” I ask her.
Her shoulders lose some of their rigidity and she looks at me. “Sure.”
I smile at her and her eyes soften. Gwen clears her throat and it breaks the moment.
“Be careful, Jackal. Watch your back.”
I nod. “You too. I’ll be back. We need to work out a—”
“We won’t be here,” she says. “Jewel is taking us to the border tonight...”
“Ah, Jewel, finally.” I grin and tip my head toward her. “Are we sure we trustJewelto get you across the border?” I ask Gwen. “And is there anything I can do to help it go more smoothly?”