Anyone Here (10 page)
She couldn’t answer. Her voice choked off. Hearing about Jacob was bringing his image so close, she could almost feel him! And that made the mass in her belly swell somehow, and that put the grief too close to the surface. She should have bolted the moment Akron spoke up.
“You didn’t tell…him where to f-f-find me, did you?” Oh no. She’d stuttered. That wasn’t possible to hide.
“Of course not. I could barely get a word in edgewise, even if I’d wanted to. Doesn’t take a fool to see why you didn’t tell him about us. Not only is he very persuasive, but he believes continual speech is a great negotiation tactic to get a yes answer. I suppose if you’re as smart as he is, it probably is.”
She smiled slightly. The view blurred worse. She didn’t have much time. Any longer and she was going to be prostrate with emotion that only her coffin witnessed.
“That fellow appears to have an inside track on world domination, and he doesn’t care about any of it. Not anymore. He only cares about one thing. One. Hmm. I wonder what that could possibly be?”
She didn’t answer. Her entire form was stiff. Still. Rapt.
“Oh, very well. I’ll just tell you. I did what he asked. No. I shouldn’t alter the facts so injudiciously. I did what that man begged, beseeched, and even offered his entire portfolio to pay me for.”
“What?” The word was croaked. Unintelligible.
“I changed him. You should probably turn around now. I don’t think I can keep him back much longer. Jake! Go gently. She’s more fragile than even she knows. Small. Incredibly precious.”
Cassandra spun, locked eyes with the most amazing sight in the world as Jake sped toward her, and a moment later she was in his arms. Up against his chest. Hugged. Enwrapped. Her legs encircled his hips. Perfectly fitted. At one with him again. If she really did have a heart, it was singing. Flying. Soaring.
“Oh Baby! Oh, Love. Forgive me. Oh, Cassie. I love you, Babe. I’m here. I’ll always be here. Forever. You and me.”
“Jacob?”
“In the flesh. Or…whatever.”
There was a sinfully sexy vibe coming off him now. Altering the elements and enervating the air. Cassandra didn’t know how she’d missed sensing it earlier. He was thinner, but it actually added rather than subtracted - sculpting the muscles she could feel. It also narrowed his face, but all she really saw were his olive green eyes glowing. And then his fangs as he grinned.
“When are you going to call me Jake?” he asked.
His face blurred with tears.
“Oh no. No tears, Babe. I’m here. We’re together. Yes? Nothing’s coming between us again. You hear? Nothing. I mean, if I can get over this undead thing, I’m pretty sure anything else is a given. Yes?”
“Oh…Jake.” The name was sniffed, sobbed, and laughed.
He gave a whoop and spun with her. “You said it! You called me Jake. I heard you. Loud and—”
He would’ve said more. She didn’t let him. She stopped him with a kiss. The moan that surged through them came from both throats. And then Akron’s deep voice drifted across the alley to her.
“Ah. Love. And mating. Must be nice. Well…hello beautiful. May I join you? Buy you a drink? Escort you somewhere? You from here? Great city. What’s your name, gorgeous? Mine’s Akron. Akron Profit. No. No drink for me. I just stopped in for a quick bite...”
-o0o-
Jackie is an Alaskan author who crafts full-length Scot Historical novels for Kensington, while moonlighting with her paranormal series: Vampire Assassin league, available in ebook. She loves hearing from fans, who can contact her at
www.jackieivie.com
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