Page 14 of The Mating Fire
“Whoa!” Jared grabbed her elbow, yanked her back.
Something rushed through him upon touching her bare skin. Stronger than desire, deeper and intense, it stole away his breath.
No longer could he ignore this, whatever it was. Chemistry, connection. He’d never felt anything like this before and for a sheer moment, it scared him.
Scared him more than the thought of eternal darkness and damnation. It shattered his aplomb, filled him with disquiet. He could not control it.
Harper looked at him, the sodium parking lights seeming to reflect in her blue eyes. Her expression softened, yet she seemed as bemused as him. “Thank you. Have… we met before?”
Jared released her. “No.”
He turned on his heel to leave. “Watch where you’re going next time, and don’t be foolish or you’ll get run over.”
Voice curt, hiding the wonder and alarm he’d felt upon touching her, he dismissed her hurt expression. Yeah, he was a bastard. A right bastard.
Xavier wasted his time, indulging a daughter’s wish for nothing. Jared knew he was beyond saving.
Damn. He glanced at the shrouding darkness, the parking lot lights illuminating the vehicles underneath. Not much time, but he felt an urgent need to correct a certain situation. Maybe he’d dropped the ball tonight with Harper, but he itched to amend rude behavior.
Ruder than his.
That man, Chet. Ruined his chances at making inroads with Harper. He knew the damage a guy like that inflicted on women. Made them distrustful and bitter, less likely to open up to future relationships.
Guy seemed familiar somehow. For a few seconds he recalled the horrible human/Skin who had killed his only real love, Bella. That slime’s name had been Chet as well. Jared narrowed his eyes. He’d dealt that Chet a little justice, enough to make him miserable for the rest of his days on earth.
Only Xavier had stopped Jared from killing him entirely, healing Chet’s wounds as the man screamed and screamed from having his testicles ripped out.
He hadn’t thought of Bella in years. It was too painful to remember her face, her light laughter, how she made everything brighter and happier.
How she had sacrificed herself to save him, diving in front of Jared as Chet tried to shoot him.
Men named Chet are always a problem for me.
Flaring his nostrils, he selected through various smells and mortal scents until picking up the unique smell of the man’scheap cologne. He used his magick to see the scents in the air, and followed the trail to a vehicle. Still here. Guy, Chet was his name, was still around.
Using his powers, he rested a hand on the four-door sedan and detected Chet’s motives. Chet wanted to flirt more with the pretty hostess at the bar, and waited until Harper left so he could return to the bar.
Not only a dull man, but a stupid one. Jared smiled, followed the scent trail to a clump of trees outside the bar and a bench. Yep, there he was.
I could squash you like a bug, but where’s the fun in that?
You squash him like a bug and your last chance is gone. Forever.
The omnipresent voice booming in his head made him wince. Xavier, reminding Jared he teetered on the razor’s edge of eternal damnation.
Approaching Chet, Jared pretended to consult his phone. He glanced at him.
“Hey buddy, got the time? My phone’s all screwed up. Supposed to meet a lady friend here and want to make sure I’m not late.”
Chet glanced at his own cell phone. “Eight-thirty. Hope your lady friend is better than the dog of a blind date I had here.”
“Oh?”
“She thought herself smarter than me.’
A five-year-old is smarter than you.
“Is your date still here?”
