Revelation of Blood (12 page)

Jameson looked over at me and frowned but I
continued. “We’re going to smile and pretend we can stomach each
other for the next forty-eight hours, got it? And if you so much as
look at me cross-eyed in front of him, I’ll tell every female I
know that you have a baby dick.” Okay, so I wouldn’t ever REALLY do
it; that was just too cruel and totally not my style. But what
Jameson didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

“My dick is not tiny!” he growled, causing me
to chuckle.

“You know that, and I know that, but they
don’t know that,” I grinned as I shrugged one shoulder
nonchalantly.

“You wouldn’t dare,” he said quietly.

“Oh, wouldn’t I? You know I’d do anything to
protect those I care about.”

Jameson was silent for a few seconds and then
spoke. “Really? Because you didn’t care enough to protect me from
you,” he frowned before flashing up the steps to the cellar
door.

“Touché,” I sighed heavily and knocked back
the rest of the bottle before slowly climbing the stairs at human
speed.

Archer, Jameson, and I all rode back to the
penthouse together. But because the Audi was only a two-seater, I
had the uncomfortable pleasure of riding back on Jameson’s lap.
When we arrived, I went to take a shower and gave the guys a chance
to talk and catch up. I was tired of fighting with Jameson and
didn’t think I could hold up my end of the ‘we’re friends again’
bargain tonight. After my shower, I blew my hair dry and slipped
into the satin sheets, eager for sleep.

I awoke with a start, gasping for breath, as
I bolted upright in bed; my hands clutching my chest with fear.

“
Cion
? What is it?” Archer asked
groggily as he sat up next to me; his hair rumpled from sleep.

I had just had a nightmare; the first one I’d
had in weeks. I tried to slow my breathing as I took in my
surroundings.
I’m safe. I’m with Archer in Boston
, I
reminded myself as I ran my hands through my hair in relief.

“Talk to me,” Archer whispered, putting his
arms around me and pulling me down to lie on his chest. “What
happened? Was it a nightmare?”

I silently nodded my head and swallowed hard.
“I was in a coffin or a box of some sort and…and my skin was
burning. I-I couldn’t get out and the pain…the pain was
unimaginably horrible.”

“It was just a dream, baby,” Archer purred
reassuringly as he rubbed my back soothingly. “You’re safe.”

I nodded my head and discreetly reached up to
wipe the tears as they fell from my eyes. “What time is it?” I
asked thickly.

“It’s a little after seven. Try to go back to
sleep, baby. It’s still early,” he whispered against my
forehead.

Settling into him, I waited until his
breathing evened out and he was asleep again before I carefully
slipped out of bed. I walked into the large master bathroom,
flipped on the light, and stared at myself in the mirror. My dream
had seemed so real that I was expecting to see charred, bubbling
flesh staring back at me. To my immense relief, my skin was
fine.

Needing to take my mind off it, I got out my
only set of workout gear and quickly got dressed. Archer had a huge
in-house gym and I was intending to put it to use this morning. I
desperately needed to do something physical to distract me from the
unsettling dream.

Throwing my hair up, I grabbed a hand towel
and my iPod and tiptoed out of Archer’s room. I found the gym with
ease, popped my ear buds in as I hopped on the treadmill and lost
myself in Audioslave’s first album and the stretching view of
Boston before me. With each pounding step I took, I drove my
nightmare further and further from me. By the time the album ended,
I’d run over thirty miles. There’s something to say for vampire
stamina and strength; it sure comes in handy sometimes.

I hit the button on the treadmill to end my
session and pulled my ear buds out. To my surprise, I heard the
elliptical machine whirring behind me and glanced over my shoulder
to see Jameson facing the television mounted in the corner,
watching the morning news as he worked out.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I hung
the sound cord around my neck and wiped my face with the hand
towel.

“Same as you, I guess,” he answered shortly,
never looking at me. I sighed and shook my head as I turned to walk
out.

“I couldn’t really sleep,” he said, stopping
me in my tracks.

I briefly wondered why he was having trouble
sleeping and thought to ask him, but reminded myself that Jameson
and I weren’t friends anymore and thus, it wasn’t my business.
“Oh,” was all I said in return.

“Why are you here?”

I thought about lying to him but knew I
couldn’t. “I…uh…I had a nightmare.”

Jameson’s rhythm faltered as he looked over
his shoulder at me; his face did not look happy. He stopped the
machine and hopped off, his sweats riding low on his hips; his fit,
muscular chest bare. “You had another nightmare?”

“Yeah, but it’s no big deal,” I shrugged one
shoulder.

“Was Amun in it?” Jameson asked, his eyes
flashing angrily. “Is he coming to you again?”

“No,” I shook my head, sighing. “It was just
a dream…a regular nightmare I guess.”

He looked thoughtful a moment before he
asked, “What was it about?”

I stared up at him, confusion playing at my
brow. “What do you care? It’s not like we’re even friends. What I
dream about shouldn’t concern you. It’s my problem, not yours,” I
said, not unkindly, just factually.

“I thought we were supposed to act like we
don’t hate each other for the duration of the next two days,” he
said rubbing the back of his neck, his hair having been pulled back
into a low man bun.

I frowned and chewed on my bottom lip
thoughtfully.
Is he really concerned about me? Nah. No way.
Jameson hates me. Is he just practicing being nice to me for when
we have to be around Archer? Likely.
Either way, telling him
about my dream just felt too personal and I couldn’t bear to do it.
Not now after everything that’d happened yesterday. “Just forget
it…it’s nothing,” I sighed as I turned my back and walked out of
the room.

By the time I had finished taking another
shower, Archer was awake and in a playful mood. I had just stepped
out of the shower and had wrapped up in a towel when he smiled,
kissed me good morning, and pulled me back into the large walk
in.

The hot cascade of water from dual, wall
mounted shower heads fell around us as Archer wrapped my hips
around his waist and leaned my back up against the cold stall
glass.

“Good morning,
cion
,” he grinned
against my lips.

“Good morning to you too,” I chucked as I
wrapped my arms tighter around his neck. “Is there a particular
reason why I’m back in the shower again? Did you not find me
suitably clean,
athair
?

“Mmm. Yes, but it wasn’t me that got to wash
you,” he grinned wickedly. Archer growled lowly in the back of his
throat as he rubbed his hardness against the apex of my thighs.
“You weren’t in bed when I awoke,” he frowned, as if just now
remembering.

“I needed a work out. Hagan threatened to
kick my ass if I got soft on him,” I smiled tightly before lowering
my head to his for a kiss.

Archer’s tongue lightly teased mine, barely
giving me what I wanted before taking it back again. I growled and
fisted his hair as I roughly captured his mouth and took it. He
gladly gave it up this time and kissed me with a heat and passion
that left my body begging for more.

“I want to taste you,” Archer growled as he
bit and sucked on my bottom lip. I moaned my desire and nodded my
head.

“Hold on to the top of the shower,” he
whispered and I raised my hands back over my head to grip the cold
metal of the top of the shower stall. I gasped as Archer lifted my
hips up and put my legs over his shoulders; my sex now inches from
his mouth.

He smiled deviously up at me as he lowered
his face. The first lick he made to my throbbing center had me
moaning his name like a prayer. His mouth skillfully made love to
me as I panted, begged, and writhed before him. Archer’s growls of
enjoyment reverberated throughout my entire body. He was devouring
me like I was his last supper.

The way Archer pleasured me had always been
phenomenal, but today, his ministrations went above and beyond. I
came so explosively that my body shook with tiny aftershocks for
the next twenty minutes; of course this made the intercourse all
the more better because I was primed and ready to orgasm at a
single touch.

Archer slid my legs down his body and had me
stand before him. “I love the way you moan my name,
cion
,”
he growled lowly, desire burning in his eyes. “I love the way you
taste…so fucking sweet.” He fisted his hands into my hair at the
base of my head and pulled my mouth to his. The kiss tasted like me
and it drove me wild.

Hitching my leg up, he positioned himself at
my opening as he pushed my back up against the glass once more. “I
need to be inside of you. I can’t wait a moment longer,” he growled
with need as he pushed the length of himself into me.

I moaned at the feel of him stretching me,
claiming me. Archer slowly buried himself to the hilt before
leisurely sliding back out again. I gasped his name, desperately
needing him to fill me; to stake his claim on my body again.

“I know, baby,” he smiled down at me. “I know
exactly what you need.”

He slid into me again and I sighed in relief
as my legs began to shake. Archer quickened his pace and three
strokes into our lovemaking, I was already screaming his name. This
sent him wild and he wrapped my legs around his waist as he pounded
me mercilessly against the wall. I hadn’t had a chance to come down
from the last orgasm before he was giving me another. Some women
say multiple orgasms are a myth, but I can attest to their
existence. Archer gave me two more multiples in the shower before
he slammed into me one last time and came growling my name.

*****

There was a knock at the bedroom door and I
yelled out for the person to enter. Tonight was the big night, my
Sacred Vow Ceremony and I was a nervous wreck, to say the least. I
had done my makeup elegantly, choosing a lighter, natural look and
had set my hair with care, donning a sophisticated mass of waves. I
felt like a glamorous 20s silent movie actress.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t know you weren’t
dressed,” Jameson said and I turned to see him walking back to the
bedroom door.

“Wait,” I called out. “Please don’t go. I
could really use your help with my dress. Archer was supposed to
come back and zip me up, but I guess he got busy.”

Jameson slowly turned around as his eyes
drank me in. I was wearing a black lace bustier, a matching thong,
garters, and silk stockings. He had seen me naked before so I
didn’t understand why he was looking at me like that. I was at
least half dressed.

“He’s uh…getting the itinerary from Beverly,”
he said in a faint whisper.

“Would you mind helping me?” I asked as I
beckoned him with my hand toward the walk in closet. “Please? I
don’t want to be late and I can’t do this by myself.”

Jameson followed and I pulled the evening
gown Archer had purchased for me from its garment bag. The
strapless dress was a beautiful shade of red. It had an empire
waist, was fitted to mid-thigh, and the bottom had a subtle bell to
it that ended with a short, elegant train. The dress was absolutely
gorgeous and I commended Archer on a beautiful choice.

Once I stepped into the dressed and shimmied
it up my body, I held the strapless sweetheart neckline to my
breast and offered my back to Jameson. He stood there for a quiet
moment before he closed the distance and slowly slid the zipper up
for me.

The dress fit like a glove but there was a
slight problem. My breasts were spilling out the top and I looked
down at them dubiously.
Oh goodness.
I readjusted my chest
in a desperate attempt for a bit more modesty, but it was no use;
these girls weren’t going anywhere.

Turning to Jameson, I grimaced and asked his
opinion. “Is this too revealing?”

“Yes,” he said immediately, swallowing
thickly, before shaking his head. His eyes were glued to my chest.
“I mean no. No, you’re fine.”

I sighed and silently cursed the generous
bounty God had bestowed upon me. “Oh, shoes!” I’d almost forgotten.
Grabbing the gold, six inch Highness Stauss jeweled Louboutins, I
balanced on one foot to put them on and nearly toppled over in my
haste. Jameson immediately grabbed my arm and steadied me as I
slipped into the stylish shoes.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, suddenly aware of him.
Jameson dropped my hand and rubbed the back of his neck. I took
that moment to really look at him. He was wearing a sharp, black
tuxedo complete with bow tie, and his hair had been slicked back
into a low man bun. I smiled genuinely and met his eyes. “You look
really handsome tonight.”

Jameson smiled briefly before it melted into
a frown again. “Uh, Archer sent me in here to see if you were
ready.”

“Almost,” I said as I scooted past him and
walked back into the bedroom. I dug around in my messenger bag and
brought out the black velvet box that contained my necklace from
the family. “Can I ask one last favor?” Jameson nodded and I
continued. “Could you fasten this for me?”

I opened the box, took out the diamond and
ruby necklace, and held it out for him. Jameson whistled lowly as
he took it. “Nice. Who got you this?”

“It was a present from the family. They
thought I could use something spectacular to wear for the
ceremony,” I answered as I turned my back to him. “Everyone pitched
in…even Hagan, can you believe it?”