Yes, I did. And there was that note in his voice, that tone, that said he was all right with the violence that I did. Hed watched me kill Chimera, and hed been just peachy with it. There were so many reasons that Micah and I worked as a couple. One of those reasons was a certain ruthless practicality in both of us.
I would go home to see your folks, Micah.
Would we bring Nathaniel, too?
That stopped me. We all three lived together, butI dont know. I guess that would be your call.
Ill think about it, all of it, the family, and whether I have the guts to show up after all these years with you and Nathaniel. Put that way, I could sort of see his problem. It was sort of similar to Jasons problem, actually. Perception is all.
Im sorry if my going off with Jason bothers you.
Im sorry it bothers me, too. I need to work on that.
Micah, I love you.
I know, and I love you, too. Give my love to Nathaniel. You better start packing.
Micah, I
No, its all right, Anita, really. Do what you need to do for Jason. But I guess I really would like to introduce you to my mom and dad, my brother and sister. I just never thought it was possible.
A lot of things are possible, Micah.
I guess. Ive got to go. I love you, Anita.
I love you, too.
Give my love to Nathaniel.
I will.
He hung up, and left me not sure how to feel. Guilty that it bothered him, yes, but more puzzled. Hed almost never mentioned his family. How was I supposed to know thaTHE even wanted to see them? Sometimes the hardest part of dating this many men was juggling everyones emotions. People talked about the sex, because sex was easy; hearts were hard.
Chapter Eight
JASON HAD SAID he lived in a small city. I hadnt understood what that might mean for the flight. What it meant was that we would have been on a freaking prop plane. The only thing that will get me on shit like that is life or death, as in a police investigation, where if I dont go more people will die.
Maybe the panic showed on my face, because Jason made a second call to Jean-Claude. I keep forgetting thaTHE owns a private jet. I dont know why I keep forgetting, but I do. I think Im just a little uncomfortable that Im dating someone who owns one. It just seems a little too idle rich for me. Of course, Jean-Claude is about as idle as I am, which means hes always working. He manages his little growing empire of preternatural businesses, and is good at it. I raise the dead and slay bad vampires. Busy, busy, busy.
But it meant that I didnt have to brave a puddle jumper to do the favor for Jason. If Id had to get on a tiny prop plane, well, I couldnt think of a sexual act deviant enough to make up for the phobia abuse. Luckily for both of us, the private jet, though small by commercial standards, wasnt horrible. If I hadnt been both claustrophobic and afraid to fly, it might even have been comfortable.
The last time wed been on the plane Jason had been jumping all over the place, teasing me about my phobia. This time he stayed in the swivel seat beside me, staring out the window. Of course, last time hed been wearing a T-shirt and jeans. Now he was wearing one of the Italian-cut designer suits that Jean-Claude had had made for him. The suit showed the broadness of his shoulders, the narrowness of waist, the sheer athleticism of him.
He was wearing the navy blue pinstripe. Other than the cut it was a conservative suit. A blue shirt made his eyes even bluer than they actually were, with a darker blue tie, complete with gold tie bar. I knew the tie was silk. I knew that the shoes that gleamed on his feet cost a hell of a lot more than my high heels. I refused to pay hundreds of dollars for yet another pair of uncomfortable high heels. They were good shoes, but not as good as what Jason was wearing.
Hed dressed carefully. He might hate coming home, buTHE wanted to impress them. He and Nathaniel had chosen my clothes, too. I didnt care. If it was in my closet I was usually okay with it, or it wouldnt be there. There was a section of stuff that Jean-Claude had bought me that was more club or fetish wear, but other than that my closet was fine.
I was wearing a royal blue skirt suit, with a silk shell that actually matched. The only thing Id added to the skirt to sort of ruin the feminine look was a wide black belt. It matched my shoes. The belt also held a Browning BDM at the small of my back at an angle, not up and down. I didnt often carry guns at the small of my back. I usually favored a shoulder holster, but I didnt go anywhere unarmed, and Id worn the gun this way before when my boss thought being armed was a little too scary for clients. If they had a metal detector at the hospital Id flash my federal marshal badge.
I had more guns and holsters in the luggage, but I figured for the hospital visit Id try to be low-key about my job and the whole violence thing.
Frankly, I never thought about going home to meet anyones folks, let alone Jasons. But Id play by the rules. Rule one had to be not to scare the prospective in-laws. Yeah, Jason and I both knew that we had no plans for marriage, but I was the first girl hed brought home, to my knowledge. People would assume a lot, and I wasnt sure how much Jason wanted them to assume. My only goal was not to lie outright to anyone; beyond that it was all game.
Jason let me keep a death grip on his hand, and complained only once thaTHE was losing feeling in his fingers. He was too worried to tease, which made me worry about him. Jason teased the way he breathed. Solemn wasnt his thing.
I tried to comfort him. He finally turned to me with a smile so sad it made my throat tight. Its okay, Anita. I appreciate the effort, but I cant think of anything you can say that will make me feel better.
He raised my tense hand to his face and rubbed his cheek against my knuckles. The horrible tightness inside me eased just a touch.