Page 12 of To Crave Darkly
Alec laughed at me again, “You're an idiot. I think you have been closed off for so long you've forgotten what it's like to actually want something other than death.”
I rolled my eyes; Alec was always trying to talk me out of seeking the True Death. It was like a game between us now. He’d think of a reason for me to keep living and I’d tell him to fuck off.
“Look Alec, I only called in to say I might be delayed, not to get psychoanalysed by you,” I snapped at him.
“Fine, I'll tell the team. And Jasper, I say this as a true friend, be nice to her and don't be a dick.”
I merely grunted in response and hung up the phone. I resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room. Who does he think he is? He doesn't know me or how I think. Dammit, I cursed the day I met Lori Monroe. She seemed to be more trouble than she was worth.
Chapter 8
LORI
Sleep wouldn't come to me. I tossed and turned but I couldn't get comfy. I was in a strange place, a strange bed and just surrounded by strange goings-on. But that wasn't even the worst of it. No, the worst thing was the sheer loneliness that sat heavily in my stomach. Everything I thought I knew about the world was wrong and I had no one to turn to apart from a standoffish arrogant asshole who refused to even speak to me.
He was such a jackass. He was overbearing, far too demanding, and yet I still wanted to see what he tasted like. Still wanted to see what was hiding under his shirt. He’d felt so firm beneath me when he carried me back to the cottage earlier. And when he’d pulled me against the length of him in the bathroom, I had yearned to touch every inch of him.
I had never been so affected by a man like this before. Don't get me wrong, I'd dated a few guys but never really found anything serious apart from one guy who turned out to be a total douchebag. His name was Simon and I caught him with his dick in a hooker when I came home early from work. I sure surprised him alright, what a prick.
But Jasper, he made all those guys I'd dated seem inconsequential, insignificant. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was that kept pulling me to him. It was like I had no control over any of my actions. When I'm in front of him and he's looking at me with those wickedly beautiful blue eyes every single fibre of my being just screams out for him and the intensity of it makes my knees weak and my heart flutter. Was it that feeling of dangerous curiosity that incited me to act like an idiot around him? That continuously made me want to piss him off just to see how far I could push him? Perhaps I was drawn to the danger of him; I liked the idea of being held captive by him.
I rolled over and punched my pillow in frustration. Why was I even lusting after a vampire? I should be trying to escape at every opportunity, not imagining how his rock-hard abs would feel beneath my fingertips. Shit. Was I developing Stockholm Syndrome?
That settled it. I was not lying there like a damsel in distress. I was going to get some answers whether Jasper liked it or not. I had every right to know why I was in a cottage in the middle of nowhere instead of in my own god-damn bed.
I stormed down the hallway and shouted for Jasper.
“What is it? Is something wrong?" I heard from downstairs. I followed the direction of his voice andfound Jasper in the kitchen. I hadn’t been in the kitchen yet. It was small but functional, with everything there you would need. As far as safe houses went, this one seemed pretty good. Not that I was an expert in them or anything, but I just imagined them to be sparse and dingy but this one was cosy and felt almost like a home.
My eyes found the vampire and the room felt smaller still, his large frame filling the room as he hunched over the table studying some maps and papers. No doubt they were important, but dammit, I was important too.
“Yes, Jasper, something is wrong.” His head snapped up as he turned his body to face me, worry forcing his body into action. He took a step towards me but stopped abruptly. His eyes met mine and I watched as his gaze travelled down my body. Suddenly, I became all too aware of the fact that I was in a short lace nightie which left very little to the imagination. I would have put my pyjamas back on, but they were ruined from rolling around on the forest floor earlier and I didn’t pack my own bag. This seemed to be the only item of sleepwear that Mr Tall-Dark-and-Brooding packed.
“My eyes are up here buddy,” I said curtly.
“Forgive me, your négligée is very distracting,” he replied gruffly, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the table.
“Right, well... um...” I trailed off, momentarily forgetting what I came downstairs for. Instinctively, I pressed my thighs together as I felt my body start to hum under his gaze. I gave myself a mental shake and took back control of my body.
“I demand to know who is attacking me and why.” I said it as fast as I could, so I'd get the words out before I lost my nerve. Jasper just looked at me and raised his eyebrow. “I think I have a right to know,” I said with more confidence than I actually felt.
“I cannot tell you, Lori, so don't ask me.” He huffed out a breath in exasperation, but a hint of amusement played at the corner of his mouth. He was infuriating; how did he find this amusing? He made me want to stamp my feet like a child throwing a tantrum. I was letting him get under my skin and distract me from what I wanted to find out. I’d come down here with purpose and I needed to know something.Anythingto just help me feel better about this whole situation.
“Can't or won't?”
“I don't care. Pick one,” he replied, turning away from me and looking back at the map on the kitchen table.
Who stuck that poker up his butt? I strode over to him and grabbed his arm, trying to manoeuvre him back to face me but he just brushed me off in annoyance.
“Go back to bed,” he said without even looking at me.
“Hey! You don't get to treat me like this.” I started to hit his arm, trying to get his attention, but he wouldn’t look at me. This was ridiculous. I pushed at him, slapped his arm, but he was solid as a rock. He wouldn’t budge and he wouldn’t take his eyes off the map in front of him. It was like I wasn’t even there.
I looked down at the map on the table and decided it needed to go. With a scream of frustration, I swept the paperwork off the table. It went flying across the room, crashing to the floor in a mess. After I gained control of my anger, it was only then that I became aware of the deadly silence behind me.
Jasper wasn’t making a single sound.
This time when I turned back to look at him, I felt the full force of his intense gaze. His arms were folded across his broad chest and if looks could kill, I would definitely be in an early grave. Yikes, maybe I had pushed him a step too far.
