Forever The World of Nightwalkers - By Jacquelyn Frank Page 0,32

saw understanding blossom into her features and eyes like a drop of ink released into crystal clear water. It was understanding and, more important, it was acceptance. He knew that because her other hand lifted to touch his arm at the biceps, and for the first time she wasn’t trying to press her body and everything else away from him. He knew she wasn’t going to completely grasp all of what he had told her for some time, but at least she was now receptive to the information.

As for himself, he was more than a little confused by his own actions. True, he was only just learning about the power that Menes commanded, and of course there had been no way of preventing her from witnessing him in action. They both would have been dead if he had not shown his hand. But what baffled Jackson was why Menes had gone out of his way to make a show of protecting Marissa. He had said himself that those actions were like putting a bull’s-eye on her.

So why had he made it so obvious? And it had been Menes in control at that moment. Jackson’s first lesson in being host to a being as powerful as Menes was to learn when to step back and let the expert take charge of the moment, just as Menes did when in an element only Jackson could manage because of familiarity and experience. It was the more mundane things in life that found them more perfectly blended, and Menes assured him that would only grow and spread over time as they both continued to experience life and each other. But in spite of this Blending being supposedly finished, Jackson felt there was still much of Menes’s mind that he simply could not access, whereas he felt the reverse was much less true. It was a strange thing, this feeling like he couldn’t trust himself entirely.

Stranger still was the way he felt being near Marissa like this. It was as though all of his senses had gone into hyperdrive. The smell of her, something musky yet sweet at the same time, had him wanting to inhale deeper and deeper with each successive breath. He even lowered his head, trying to surreptitiously smell the floral shampoo she used in her hair. What was more, he couldn’t keep himself from touching her, his hands still cradling her face, his thumb running obsessively over her lips. She had the fullest mouth he’d seen on a woman, other than Angelina Jolie. It begged for exploration, for experimentation. His mouth began to ache with the need to kiss her, his heart hurting in his chest as he resisted the urge. She was disturbed enough without having to fight off his advances.

Let go, he told himself fiercely. Just let her go!

“Marissa,” he said breathily. I’m going to kiss you. “I think it would be wise to find me some clothes.”

“Oh,” she said softly, seemingly caught up in the same craving that he was.

She wants it, into her facem“If you Jackson. Just kiss her. Kiss that delectable mouth and taste her.

Jackson stepped back, forcing himself to let go of her. He turned his back to her, closing his eyes as he clenched a fist against the desire riding him hard. It wouldn’t be the first time he got hard from craving Dr. Marissa Anderson. But it would damn well be the first time she would know about it because, being completely nude, he couldn’t conceal the result of his lust for her.

“Go. Out of these woods and to my car. I have a gym bag in the trunk,” he said, keeping his back to her as he pressed hard palms against the wall, trying to erase the feel of her from his hands. “No one should stop you, but if they do just tell them the bag has supplies for taking care of Sargent.”

“O-oh okay,” she said. “I … I thought you said I wouldn’t be safe without you,” she hedged nervously. He glanced over his shoulder at her, turning only just as far as he dared.

“It will take time for the Gargoyle to make it back to his masters. Just do this quickly. I’ll follow behind you and meet you in the woods once you’re clear of witnesses.”

He was so grateful when she nodded in agreement and moved toward the cave entrance that he thought he could cry with relief. He watched her push through the brush guarding the place, and