Rock n Roll Promises (YAE) (Rock n Roll Paraphantasy Series) (12 page)

“You think so? A family line dating back
centuries of supernatural hunters is normal? Besides
that, I am a special breed of human. Not all humans
have my family’s strength. We are like the Hercules
of humans.”

“Is that why you are so strong? I thought it was
because you worked out.”

 

“Nope, just keeping up appearances.”

Her mouth covered his. Heat flashed across her
skin as desire filled her body and fueled her craving.
Hands in his hair and a leg wrapped around his, she
pressed herself into him. She talked around his kiss.

“I think I need more of you, now!” She felt him
break the kiss and she saw the lust in his eyes when
she looked at him.

“You wanna do that here over a grave, or you
wanna go inside? I would prefer not over the grave,
but hey I am not picky.”

She placed a wicked smile on her face. “I’ll race
you!”

 

“To where? The house or your room?”
“The house.” She turned and bolted, laughing the
whole way.

 

Chapter 10

She felt her heart beat against her chest and the
air pull through her lungs as she started the
awakening process. Her muscles unlocked and
flexed, giving her mobility and free movement. At
last her eyes fluttered open and her ears picked up
the sounds of music and moans. Bent at the waist
and hands in her lap, she sat up in bed. A little
confused and bit disoriented, she wiped the matte
from her eyes and shook her head slightly.

I wonder how long I have been out. The candles
are still burning, but knowing Paige, she could have
replaced the burned out ones with new ones.

She threw the covers back and flung her feet
over the bed. She got up and shuffled through the
door. With her arms at full length and mouth open,
she stretched and yawned as she walked to the
living room.

Oh that feels good. My muscles are always so
stiff after the trance.
She rounded the corner. As she stepped into the
living room, a huge surprise awaited her. Stopped
dead in her tracks, her eyes bulged a bit, at the
scene before her. There on the floor, buck naked,
were Ozzie and Paige doing the nasty.

Really? Ugh. I am going to have to replace my
carpet!
A wicked idea crept into her brain and made her
smile.
Huh, a bit of revenge, I think.

“That is way more of you than I wanted to see,
Ozzie.”

She tried to keep a straight face as the two on the
floor jerked their heads around wearing shocked
and embarrassed expressions. To her surprise, not
only were their bodies locked together, but
apparently so were their comments as they both
spoke.

“Anna!”
“Busted! I am going to turn up the radio and go
make some coffee. When I return I sure hope Ozzie
is wearing some clothes. Although, I have to say,
Paige, you were right. He is well proportioned in all
the right places.”

She almost laughed out loud at the expressions
they wore. Ozzie was embarrassed and Paige was,
well, she looked a bit confused. The sparkle in her
eyes seemed to say ‘I know, right?’While the rest of
her expression said, ‘Shut up now!’

The sound of the door being flung open caught
her attention, and she noticed as she raised her head
that the two on the floor did so as well. The sunlight
burst through the open door, and she had to cover
her eyes and shade her face. With her hand on her
forehead, she peered at the large shape in the room.
It stood tall, breathing heavy and still held onto the
door, taking in the scene. His eyes went from face
to face. Her eyes met his and she just about blew a
gasket.

“Jaxson!”

 

“Jaxson?”

“Jaxson! What are you doing here? Sweet Jesus!
There is too much going on before I have had my
coffee.” She dropped her hand. Soft, plush carpet
formed around her feet as she walked around the
still naked couple on the floor and passed the man at
the door. Standing in front of the radio she
demanded, “Jaxson, close the dang door!”

She watched his face go from her to the couple
on floor and back. She turned away, ignoring it all
and turned up the radio. “Crazy on you” by Heart
blared through the speakers and vibrated the
windows.

An oldie but a goodie. Now, time for coffee.

Her back to the commotion in the room, she
strode to the kitchen. Skirting the countertop, one
hand on the handle and the other on the water
knobs, she grabbed the glass pot and placed it under
the running faucet. Water splashed her hand when
she slammed the glass pot on the counter because
someone had touched her radio and turned down the
music. Storming into the living room, the scene had
changed, thankfully. The naked couple had
disappeared and Jaxson stood with his hand on the
remote.

“What in the world do you think you are doing?”

 

“We need to talk.”

“Well, I need music and my morning coffee.”
She walked over and snatched the remote from his
hand. “Don’t touch my radio. I will hurt you over
that!”

She tried not to, but she laughed when he raised
his arms in surrender and laughed.

“I will keep it low enough we can talk in the
kitchen, but it has to stay on.” She pressed the
button on the remote and raised the volume some,
but low enough to carry a conversation.

“I know! I remember. I wasn’t turning it off, just
down a bit.”

 

“You remember what?”

 

“That your vampire craving is music. Instead of
blood, lust, or sex, for you, you feed off music.”

 

“Since you remember, give me a dang minute.”

She closed her eyes and let the beat of the music
seep through her pores and into her bones. The
tempo traveled through the air and played in her
ears, snaking its way down to her core. It swam in
her veins and strengthened her might. Her feet
tapped to the music and her muscles flexed with
vitality and life. It was glorious. She felt stronger by
the second and happier with each note. She inhaled
deeply and slowly, as if to meditate. Her heart beat
steadied and pulse pounded against her skin.
Finally, she opened her eyes and exhaled once
before she looked at the man next to her.

“Do you feel better?”

 

“Yes. Now it is time for coffee and conversation.
You are right, we need to talk.”

She strode to the kitchen and the smell of fresh
brewed coffee wafted into her face. She stopped and
took in a big breath, savoring the scent of French
Vanilla and fresh coffee.

“I decided to finish the coffee while you feasted
on the music. You are pretty grumpy, and I know
how much you need both. You need the music for
your cravings and the coffee to chase away the
drowsiness of sleep.”

“Thank you, that was very thoughtful.”

Opening the cabinet, she pulled down two coffee
mugs and filled them with coffee. Handing over one
of the mugs, she sipped her coffee one handed. The
hot, smooth taste of coffee was just what she
needed.

Aah, that’s what just what the doctor ordered.

 

She turned her eyes to Jaxson and walked to the
table. “Sit. I have questions.”’

She watched his muscles flex as he moved to the
table.
Man, I swear he is going to burst out of that
shirt. I like it. Nothing like a cotton shirt stretched
over a muscled chest and arms.
Smiling inwardly at her lusty thoughts, she
sipped more of her coffee and tried to focus on the
now. It wasn’t too long before his question brought
her back.

“Paige said you went into your trance. Did you
find what you were looking for?”
“I found out who you are, if that’s what you
mean.”

“And who am I?”

“A pain in my ass, as usual.” She smiled around
her coffee cup. “What were you expecting me to
find?” She sipped her drink waiting for his reply.

“Why these games, Anna? Why not just answer
the dang question?”

She set her cup on the table and responded, “It
sucks when someone talks in riddles and answers
cryptically, doesn’t it?”

“So this is what…payback?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then what is it?”

“OK, yeah, it is a little payback, but you deserve
it. Why didn’t you just tell me? I mean, why the
secrecy? I hate that. You know that is why I left
Australia in the first place and came back home. I
despise Sebastian for what he turned me into, but he
drove me crazy with all his secrets and lies and you
know that!” She pointed her finger at him. “Why
did you change your appearance and modify your
name? Why not just tell me who you were from the
beginning when you met me at the airport? Instead
you introduced yourself as a taxi driver and offered
me and Paige a ride here. I don’t understand.” She
dropped her arm on the table and cupped her hands
around her mug.

“Before I explain all that, I want you to tell me
exactly who I am and how you figured it out. How
far back did you go and when did you find me?”

“I went back to the night I met Sebastian, where
this life began. It took me until the night before
Paige and I left to come home to figure it out; the
night Sebastian told me about my guardian.”

“And who is your guardian?”

 

“You, or Jack as you were known to me back
then. Now it is your turn.”

“Well as you will remember, I, as your tattoo left
you that night. Sebastian called to me while you
were sleeping. I removed myself from your back
and went to him. He told me of your conversation
and I completely freaked out. I knew I had blown
my chance.”

“Blown your chance for what?”

 

“I rescued you once before, do you remember?”
“Sort of, yes, but still, don’t know how…oh,
right. You were on my back.”

“Exactly. I was terrified for you. I was afraid I
had surfaced too late. That is why those men didn’t
die right then and there. I got them off you and
rushed you away. But you barely remembered I was
there at all. I had hoped that one day you would see
me as your knight in shining armor, so to speak, but
after Sebastian taught you how to pull forth your
vamp powers and fight for yourself I really wasn’t
necessary. I stayed on your back anyway, just in
case. Then when he told me about telling you, he
said you flipped your lid and you were leaving. I
was afraid if I revealed who I really was to you, as
in Jack your guardian, that you would shun me as
well, so I cut my hair, changed my style, which, by
the way, I am so glad you know now because I
hated wearing those preppy boy’s clothes. Baggy
pants, polo shirts with the sweater draped over my
shoulder, and glasses. It really isn’t me.”

“I can see that. I have to say, I much prefer this
jeans and T-shirt look you got going. The shirt is
tight, but the jeans have a snug fit to them. I like it.
Anyway, finish what you were saying.”

“So I changed my looks and followed you here.
Anna, I am in love with you and I always have been
from the first moment I saw you. That is why I was
furious when Sebastian targeted you. That’s what
we were arguing about when you first woke up as a
vampire. I was angry he turned you, but I felt
betrayed because he knew how I felt about you and
he slept with you anyway, and to top it off, he had
to give me all the details.”

“Is that why you were always in and out for
months at a time?”

“Yes. I couldn’t stand to see you two together,
but I always came back because it was torture to be
away from you.”

“See us together…Jaxson, we weren’t together
as in boyfriend and girlfriend. I had to stay. I had
nowhere to go and for a long time, I had a lot to
learn.”

“I know that, but at the same time, you seemed
to get where you tolerated him, and for a while
maybe even liked him. I was afraid you would
change your mind and…at worst I thought you
might date him or even sleep with him again. I
couldn’t stand to see that.”

“OK, but it still doesn’t explain why you just
didn’t tell me when we were at your house. Why not
explain it then? Why this charade?”

“Because, I figured if you did it this way, when
you found me, you would know that when I say I
love you, I mean it. I wanted you to see there has
only been you. I wanted this to prove what I said is
true, I will always be here for you and I always
have. If I had just told you, would you have
believed me?

“Yes… no... Maybe, I don't know.”

“Say what you will, but nothing I would have
said would have changed your mind. You had it in
your head that I was a lowly human and we couldn’t
be together. Now that you know the truth, you will
be more objective to my proposal.”

“And what proposal is that?”

 

“Well, for starters, we date…exclusively. No
more friends with benefits for you. I want you all to
myself. I am tired of sharing you.”
“Tired of sharing me…what…who…”

“I didn’t mean it the way you are obviously
taking it. I am not calling you a garden tool. I just
mean that you have went on dates with other men
where I have always just been your friend. Well,
with the exception of the other night. I want to be
the steady fella in your life and someone else can be
the ‘friend’.

“No more lies?”

“No more lies. I promise. You can ask anything
you want and I will tell you the truth.”
“I am not saying yes, but I am not saying no,
either. This is a lot to think about. I hate being lied
to and you have been doing it for years.”

“No I haven’t. I just didn’t tell you exactly who I
am. Anything I ever told you has been the truth.”
She drank her coffee and thought about all he
had said. She understood his intentions and
motivations, but still, in the end, there were lies and
secrets.

I hate lies and secrets. I understand sometimes
it’s necessary, but this…I wouldn’t have been mad
at him. It was Sebastian I was furious with and I
totally agreed with the need for protection. I was
just upset because he didn’t tell me. Granted, it
turned out OK. I understand it would have ended
badly with Edwin, but if I had known, I wouldn’t
have entered into relations with him in the first
place. What do I do with Jaxson? I couldn’t help
but fall in love with him. Should I tell him? Does he
already know?