In Blood and Worth Loving 2: Lost Without You (8 page)

“Give me a moment to shower and I’ll come with you.”

He finished dressing before he shook his head. “Thanks, but I don’t want or need company.” He walked toward the door and left.

On the drive to the mansion, he wondered if it were time to give Toni her walking papers. She appeared to be getting a little too possessive lately. Jealousy in a fem was unattractive and potentially dangerous.

Just before he arrived home, she called and apologized. Hearing the regret in her voice, he decided he’d overreacted because he was missing Eliza.

At home he found Conner in the living room lying in a recliner reading from the e-book reader Rayna had given him for Christmas. “Home alone?” he asked.

Conner nodded. “Adrian, Brandi, and Rayna are spending the weekend with the Stoners.” That surprised him. Adrian and the Stoners weren’t particularly close. “Really?” Conner put his e-reader on the table beside him and sat up in the recliner. “Actually, the original invitation was for Rayna alone but you know Adrian. He wasn’t about to allow Rayna anywhere near Max Stoner without one of for Rayna alone but you know Adrian. He wasn’t about to allow Rayna anywhere near Max Stoner without one of us in tow. So he invited himself and Brandi to watch over our little girl.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t go as well.”

Conner shrugged. “Adrian and I discussed it and decided I’d better stay home.”

“Why? Because the moment either Max or Sebastian Stoner looked at Rayna with lust in his eyes, you’d go ballistic?”

Conner narrowed his gaze. “You say that as if you’d be any more open to the idea of her and Max Stoner than I would be.”

Jayvyn shrugged. “You’re right.”

“Sebastian is okay—I guess, but Max is too damned crazy. There’s no way in hell I’d allow him anywhere near her.”

Jayvyn nodded. “I agree.”

“And so did Adrian.”

Jayvyn frowned. “Do you think we keep too tight a rein on her, Conner?”

“She’s not a horse. She doesn’t have a damned rein, but the world is filled with crazies she needs protection from.”

Jayvyn nodded. “I know, but I think she’s beginning to feel as if we’re a burden that impedes her love life.”

“She’s only fifty! She doesn’t need a love life!”

He stared at Conner. “That’s a little old for a human woman to be without a regular man in her life.” Conner shrugged. “But Rayna is no longer fully human. She has at least—what? Another hundred years ahead of her before she needs to worry about being old?”

“But maybe it’s time we loosened up a little and let her live, Conner.” Conner sighed. “You think I’m overprotective?”

“I know we’re all overprotective of her and I think it’s starting to take a toll. We have to let her fly a little or risk losing her.”

“To who? To what? We’re her family and no one could love or cherish her more than we do.”

“I know, but she wants a man in her life who we don’t find excuses to scare away.”

“Are you saying she’s unhappy with us?”

He saw the alarm in his older brother’s eyes. While they all loved Rayna, Conner had always been just a little more fiercely protective of her than he and Adrian. It was Conner who insisted she be home schooled and who had then taught himself everything he needed to know to become her teacher. He had done such a good job that when Rayna finally convinced him to allow her to enroll in a private high school, she had graduated first in her class and been class valedictorian.

“No. I’m not saying that, Conner. I’m saying it’s time we let up a little. She is fifty-one now.” Conner sighed. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

“Great.”

Conner tilted his head. “How are you?”

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“As you must know by now Rayna has her sights set on you.”

“I know but that doesn’t mean I plan to cooperate.”

“Hmm. I believe that was also Adrian’s stance and look at him now—hog-tied and happy as a pig in slop.”

“I’m not Adrian.”

“Meaning what, Jay?”

“Meaning I’m not ready to settle down like he was.”

Conner shook his head. “Surely you don’t think that will matter to Rayna?”

“It’s time we stopped allowing her to dictate to us.”

Conner laughed and clapped. “Well said. Now you take the lead and see you don’t fall in with her plans for you or I’m done as well.”

“I’m not falling for her friend.”

“And yet you’ve been sending her roses and unless I’m mistaken, you took her out tonight.” Jayvyn shrugged. “She helps relieve my boredom while I wait for Eliza to return.”

“I thought that was Toni’s job.”

“I thought that was Toni’s job.”

“She’s not nearly as entertaining as Cayenne.”

“That’s a bad sign, Jay.”

He sprawled on one of the sofas. “Why?”

“Finding a human more exciting than a fem—especially one as eager to please you as Toni is, means you’re half way there.”

He closed his eyes. “I like her,” he finally admitted.

“Oh, damn.”

He opened his eyes and looked at Conner. “She intrigues me.”

Conner sighed. “Pretty?”

He nodded. “And funny and sexy and doesn’t take herself too seriously.”

“And fond of you?”

“Not so you’d notice—at least not yet.”

“Ah. So you’re wooing her the old-fashioned way?”

“I didn’t say I was wooing her at all.”

Conner arched a brow.

He closed his eyes. “Okay, so maybe I am—but—”

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Opening his eyes, he saw Conner standing over him. “Believe me, I know how persuasive Rayna can be, but there’s a reason we stopped dating human women. They can be very exciting. No doubt about that, but they’re also needy, clingy, easily hurt, and can present all kinds of problems for us that we’re no longer emotionally capable of handling.”

“I’m doing Rayna a favor.”

Conner sighed and slapped his cheek. “You keep telling yourself that until you find yourself hog-tied and happily wallowing in martial slop with a woman who insists she’s not going to allow you to take her humanity from her.”

“I’m not going to marry her and her humanity is none of my concern.”

“Hmm. So where the hell is your car?”

He shrugged. “I gave it to her.”

“You gave a woman you’re not going to get serious with a $70,000 car on your second meeting? The same car you only grudgingly allowed Rayna to drive?”

“I can do as I like with my car.”

“I can’t argue with that assertion. So when do we get to meet her?”

“There’s no need. She’s just a distraction.”

“Then you wouldn’t mind if I shared the distraction?”

He sat up slowly. “Share it how?”

Conner shrugged. “If she means nothing to you and you’re not seriously interested in a relationship with her and she’s pretty, I might like to meet her. I’m at a loose end at the moment and—” He bolted to his feet.

Conner stepped back, a brow arched. “Something?”

“She’s in no state to have two of us…”

“Yes?”

“She’s in no shape to try to handle two of us.”

“Okay. Then why don’t I save you from Rayna? I’ll help liberate her from her ex and you’ll be free to pursue other interests.”

“Thanks, but I have it,” he said.

Conner stared at him.

He stared back.

“I’m sure you do.” Conner clasped a hand on his shoulder. “Adrian says to give him a call when you need to talk.”

Not if? When? “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m not going to fall in blood with a woman who thinks so little of herself.”

“So she’s a silly, little—”

“She needs assistance, Conner, not to be called names,” he said coolly.

“She needs assistance, Conner, not to be called names,” he said coolly.

“Feeling a little protective?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I am.”

“Damn! You’re going to fall harder and quicker than Adrian did. At least he put up a nominal fight.” He bared his incisors.

Conner placed a hand on the back of his neck. “All kidding aside, Jayvyn, it’s probably time to let another woman have a crack at what’s left of your heart.”

“Even if she happens to be human?”

Conner sighed and then shrugged. “Marrying Brandi has made all the difference for Adrian. I’ve never seen him so happy. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t do the same for you.”

“Except that Eliza already owns what’s left of my emotions that are worth having.”

“Does she really? I seriously doubt that. What male, even a vamp could really fall for a woman who feels the need to screw around like she does? I sure as hell couldn’t and I doubt you could either, but we’ll see. In the meantime, join me for a moonlight ride tomorrow night?”

“Thanks, but I have plans already, old man.”

Conner laughed. “I’ll just bet you have. What’s her name?”

“Who?”

“This woman Rayna has picked to be your blood.”

“I’ll pick my own blood!”

“We both know how well that thinking worked for Adrian.”

“Look, Conner—”

“What’s her name?”

“Cayenne Pepper.”

“Is it now? Interesting. Give her my regards and tell her when she tires of your ass, I’m available.”

“Don’t hold your damned breath,” he said and walked out of the living room with the sound of Conner’s laughter in his ears.

He went up to his suite to change into jeans and a tee-shirt before he went to his workshop. It was located in a large brick building he’d built behind the house. He’d built a walkway between it and the house since Rayna often came to watch him work in the middle of the night if she couldn’t sleep.

He worked for several hours on a custom-made built-in wardrobe he was making for a customer before he showered and went to bed. Even after several hours of manual labor, he thought about Cayenne for far too long before he finally fell asleep.

“So what are you wearing tonight?”

Cayenne and Desiree sat over lunch the next day in her kitchen. “I’m not going out with him.”

“What?” Desiree put down her fork and stared at her. “Oh, come on, Cay. This is getting ridiculous.”

“How is my not going out with him tonight ridiculous?”

“You’re driving his new car.”

“He insisted on leaving it and he took mine so it’s not like I have much choice,” she said.

“Oh, girl, please!”

Cayenne compressed her lips.

Desiree glanced at the two dozen roses that had arrived that morning. “The car aside, he’s attractive, attentive, and so romantic he’s spent a fortune on red roses and he sings to you! And he clearly has the hots for you. What more can you possibly want in a man?”

She shrugged. “Well, maybe I don’t have the hots for him.”

“Then what was all the grinding going on last night?”

“Okay, he’s sexy and he got me hot, but I think he’s all show and no go.”

“Oh, no! Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yes. I never once felt anything and believe me, he was aroused.” Desiree sighed. “Well, there are other ways he can get the job done—even if his equipment is a little on the Desiree sighed. “Well, there are other ways he can get the job done—even if his equipment is a little on the small side. I don’t think that’s a reason not to see him tonight. Maybe he has a very talented tongue to atone for his other shortcomings.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no. If he ate me, he’d expect me to eat him.”

“Sounds fair to me.”

“That’s not happening.”

“Why not?”

“There’s no way I’m sucking any man’s cock.”

“Have you ever tried it?”

“No and I’m not going to.”

Desiree traced her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Then don’t knock it. I admit it takes some getting used to but when you’re really into a man, it can be a real turn on. I can’t believe Michael never wanted you to—”

“Who says he didn’t?”

Desiree arched a brow. “You mean he wanted you to and you didn’t?”

“That’s exactly what I mean. So you know that if I didn’t do it for Michael I sure as hell am not going to do it for anyone else.”

“Michael didn’t deserve it, but maybe your sexy Cherokee might and that’s all I’m going to say about it. Now let’s talk about what you’re going to wear tonight.”

She shook her head. “I’m not going out with him tonight.”

Desiree sighed. “I wish you’d reconsider and I think you would if you were aware of how your eyes sparkle when you talk about him.”

She stared at Desiree. “They don’t.”

“Trust me, Cay. They do.”

She glanced away. “I didn’t say being with him wasn’t exciting. I’m just saying I really can’t go for him. Hell, for all his flirting, he’s not that into me either.”

“How can you say that when he gave you a car that costs more than we both make in a year?”

“I can say it because he didn’t even try to kiss me. If I’m going to risk losing Michael for good, it’s going to be for a relationship with a man who’s so filled with lust for me that he can’t keep his hands off me. And unfortunately, that’s not Jayvyn Redwolfe.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

* * *

After Desiree left, Cayenne called Rayna and asked her to tell Jayvyn that she couldn’t have dinner with him that night. To her surprise, Rayna made no efforts to change her mind. “If you’re sure you want to cancel—”

“I am.”

“Then I’ll tell him unless you want to tell him yourself. Do you have his numbers?”

“No, I don’t have them and I’d rather not talk to him. Tell him I’ll leave his key fob in my mailbox.”

“I’ll let him know and I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Thanks, Rayna.”

With the call made, she felt restless and uncertain how she’d spend her night. She overcame the urge to call Michael and decided to go out and pick up Chinese and then spend the evening reading. She would not worry about Jayvyn’s reaction to her canceling their date. After all, he hadn’t actually asked her. He’d told her. He had no one to blame but himself.

* * *

Jayvyn and Macarik were in his workshop stripping an antique dining room set Rayna had found in a thrift store she wanted to replace a more modern one in her Center City condo when she walked in.

“Hi handsome,” she smiled and waltzed across the workshop to link her arms around Macarik’s neck.