Blood of the Son (Book #1 in the Skye Morrison Vampire Series) (Skye Morrison Series) (18 page)

He smiled mischievously at me and thought for a second.  “No, I believe I have everything I need,” he said, smugly.

“Good,” I said getting up from my seat and retrieving my messenger bag.  “Then I’m calling it a day.”  I quickly threw the messenger bag over my shoulder and started stomping out toward the back door.  Suddenly, Archer flashed to stand in front of me.  “And, just where do you think you’re going?” he asked.

“I’m leaving Mr. Rhys,” I said, trying to walk around him.

He moved to stand in front of me again, blocking my way.  “I didn’t say you could leave.”

I sighed impatiently and crossed my arms over my chest.  “I just asked you if you had anything else for me to do and you said that you had everything you need.  So, like any intelligent person, I took that to mean that you didn’t have any work for me.  If you don’t have any work, I’m going home,” I said, tightly.

He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled smugly down at me.  “You’re jealous,” he teased.  I rolled my eyes and tried to go around him once again, but he moved to stand in my way.  “Just admit it and I’ll let you go,” he said with that stupid smug grin.

I was starting to get really mad.  I took a deep breath and blew it out.  “And just what would I have to be jealous of, Archer?” I asked, trying to control my temper.

He took a step forward and reached out to touch my face. I jerked my head back and out of his reach.  “I believe you’re jealous of Vanessa,” he said simply.

I laughed bitterly.  “I could care less what you do, and with whom.”  I tried once again to walk around him, but it was no use.  I was thoroughly pissed at this point.  “What the hell is your problem, Rhys!” I said, raising my voice.

“You’re my problem!” he said, equally as loud, pointing his finger at me.

I scoffed, threw my messenger bag down on the floor, and my hands up.  “And just what the hell have I done to you, Archer, huh?” I demanded.

He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated and turned back to me. “What haven’t you done,” he growled. 

I was just about to answer him when he suddenly grabbed my arms and pulled me up against his hard body, kissing me fiercely.  At first, I struggled hard to get away.  I squealed and stomped on his foot, but it didn’t make any difference.  He had his arms locked around my waist and he wasn’t letting go. 

After a few moments, his kisses grew gentler and he pulled away, letting go of me.  I raised my hand to slap him but he caught it midair.  He growled in frustration and, holding that hand above my head, he roughly maneuvered by body backward and up against the wall.  I tried to slap him with my left hand, but he caught that too, and held it up against the wall, above my head with my other hand.  We were both breathing heavily, his face inches from mine. 

He leaned forward and ran his nose up the side of my neck, taking a deep breath in.  “God, you smell so good,” he growled.

“Bite me and I’ll stake you, asshole,” I growled back, struggling against his hold.

He kissed a trail from my clavicle, up my neck and to the back of my ear.  It felt so good and I tried hard to stay angry at him.

“Let me go, Archer,” I said, between frantic breaths.

“Not until you tell me that you’re jealous of her,” he whispered, nuzzling my hair.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my burning desire for him.  “Being jealous of your date would imply that I actually care about you, Archer.  And, I don’t,” I said, a little unsteadily.

He brushed his lips over my neck and took a deep breath in.  “I can smell how much you want me, Skye.  It’s pointless to keep pretending.”

“Go fuck yourself!” I said roughly, mad at my body’s complete transparency.

He threw his head back and laughed.  “I like it when you’re feisty,” he said, eyes burning into mine, his body pressed firmly against me.  “Tell me that you want me as bad as I want you,” he whispered, kissing my jaw line.

My knees suddenly felt weak and my heart raced out of control.

“Tell me,” Archer said, his lips almost touching mine. 

“I…I..,” I whispered, losing some of my fight.

He smiled and closed the small distance between our lips.  He kissed me hungrily and I couldn’t help but kiss him back.  He was an expert in that department and there was no use fighting it.  My mind was saying one thing, but my body another.  He held both of my wrists in one hand above my head while the other roamed my body.  A small moan escaped me, betraying what my mind was saying. 

He let go of my hands, grabbed me by the waist, and dragged me around the corner into the equipment room.  He kicked the door shut behind him and quickly took off his shirt.  I stood there in the middle of the room, eyes wide and chest heaving.  Archer slowly walked up to me, a look of absolute desire on his face.  He ran his hands slowly down my chest, to the bottom of my shirt and lifted it off over my head.  I was dumbfounded.  I didn’t know what to say or do.  Part of me wanted to yell at him and run from the room.  But the other part, the one in control right now, wanted me to throw myself into his arms and let him have his way with me. 

Archer stood there for a few moments staring at my heaving chest.  He bent down and softly kissed the tops of each ample mound.  I grabbed a fist full of his hair and jerked his head up to meet my face.  He growled and seized my mouth with his, kissing me passionately and deeply.  I wrapped my arms around his neck as he cupped my rear with both hands and lifted me up.  I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist as he slammed my back up against the wall.  He ground into me as I moaned into his mouth. 

He ran one hand up my outer thigh, under my skirt, and to my waist.  Archer started fumbling with the band on my tights, trying to pull them down, and it brought me momentarily back down to earth.  “We can’t…we shouldn’t,” I whispered.

He growled, but never stopped his attempt to remove them.  Archer moved from my mouth to my neck, kissing and biting my sensitive spot there.  I threw my head back and moaned again, trying very hard not to grind my body into his awaiting hardness. 

“Okay, Archer.  We have to stop,” I said, unwrapping my legs from his waist.  “We can’t do this.” 

He sat me down on the ground and looked down at me.  “Let me make love to you, Skye,” he growled with need.

With the sudden distance away from his body, and his vampire pheromone influence, came my returning common sense.  “Archer, no.  We can’t.  I can’t.  You just had sex with that other girl, and I’m not like her.  I’m not going to be your quickie.  I’m not like that,” I said, turning around and finding my shirt.

He came up to me and encircled my waist from behind.  “I never had sex with her,” he said softly in my ear.  “She was just a meal, my love.  I pay her for her blood.”

I turned around, incredulous, and yelled at him.  “Then what was the show all about, Archer?  You made me believe that she was more than just a hot meal!”  I grabbed my tank top and threw it on.

Archer crossed his arms over his chest and looked at me smugly.   “I wanted to see if you still had genuine feelings for me,” he said simply.

My mouth opened in shock.  “This isn’t a game, Archer!  I am a real person and I have real feelings, damn it!”  I stomped around him and opened the door. 

Once out in the hall I grabbed my bag and turned to face him as he was coming out.  “No matter how I feel about you, Archer, I shouldn’t act on those feelings.  I CAN’T act on those feelings.”  I rubbed my forehead and sighed.  “You’re my boss AND Jameson’s maker.  Being with either of you will just complicate my life more than it needs to be.”

I walked up to him and looked deeply into his eyes.  “
I can honestly say that I have never wanted anyone more, physically, than I want you right now.  But, my mind is saying one thing and my body another.  I shouldn’t get involved with someone when I feel so conflicted.  It’s just not meant to be, Archer.  Your relationship with Jameson is something I never want to interfere with again,”
I told him silently.  “
He is your child, and I am your employee.  It’s just way too messy.  It’ll end in disaster and I can’t have that happen.  I really need this job.  And besides, you are both a part of my life now.  I’d like to make sure it stays that way.
” 

I softly kissed him on the cheek and turned to leave.  “I’ll see you Thursday night at Drop Kick’s,” I called over my shoulder as I opened the back door and stepped out into the evening sun.

I had so much built up sexual tension that I desperately needed to channel into something else.  I quickly stopped by my house and changed into my work out clothes.  I drove the ten minutes over to the gym and hopped on the treadmill.  I ran for eight miles and still felt frustrated, so I decided to hit the bag a few times.  I went into the boxing room and gloved up.  I was kicking and punching away at the bag when I heard a voice behind me speak.

“You’ve got really nice form,” the man said.

I turned around and saw a man about my height wearing baggy red basketball shorts and a white tank top.  He looked to be about my age and he had a buzz cut and green eyes.  His muscular arms were covered in tattoos and he had a nice smile.

“Uh, …thanks,” I said, stopping the swinging punching bag.

“Would you like me to hold that for you?” he asked politely.

“Yeah, I guess.  If you want.” I shrugged my shoulders.  “Did you want to take a turn?”

He chuckled and walked over to me.  “Sure, but I’ll go after you,” he said, walking behind the bag and holding it for me.

I did a few roundhouse kicks, combo punches, side kicks, and knee jabs.  The guy held the bag steady for me the whole time.  After twenty minutes or so I had burned off most of my frustration.  I was sweating profusely and my muscles burned, but in a good way.  I stepped aside, took off my gloves and stretched.

The man walked over to me and smiled, impressed.  “Man, you’ve got some power behind that little body.”

I shrugged my shoulders, coming out of the stretch.  “Yea, I guess.  Thanks for holding the bag for me.  Would you like me to hold it for you now?” I asked, willing to return the favor.

“That would be great, if you don’t mind,” he said, picking up a set of gloves and gloving up. 

I got up off the floor and made my way back over to the bag.  “Ready,” I said, once I was positioned behind it and had a firm grip on either side of the bag.

He started off doing some simple punch combinations at first.  By the way he was hitting the bag, I figured him to be just a boxer.  Soon, he was doing spinning back kicks and roundhouses.  His technique was flawless.  After his set, he went over to the bench and stretched.  “Thanks for partnering with me,” he said, stretching his hamstrings.

“Anytime,” I said, meaning it.  “Your technique is amazing.  What do you practice?”

He smiled and looked over at me.  “I mostly do Taekwondo, Judo, and Krav Maga, but I enjoy boxing every now and again too.” 

“That’s awesome.  I have a weekly Krav Maga class that I go to with my best friend,” I said, grabbing my towel and wiping off the sweat. 

We talked a bit about where we practiced and which studios were the best.  He seemed to like it as much as I did.  “So, what’s your name anyway?” he asked me as we were walking out of the boxing room.

“It’s Skye,” I said, looking over at him.  “What’s yours?”

“Gavin,” he said, holding his hand out.  “Nice to meet you.”

I took his hand and shook it.  “Same here,” I said.  I looked around the gym and back to Gavin.  “Well, Gavin, I have to split.  Thanks again for holding the bag in there,” I said, turning to go.

“Hey, hold up,” I heard him call.  I turned around and looked at him.  “Can I get your number or something?” he asked, a little shyly.  “Maybe we can spar sometime.”

I studied his face for a few seconds and then thought
why the hell not
.  I reached into my bag and pulled out a Drop Kick Dan’s business card and wrote my number on the back.  “Here’s my cell phone number,” I said, handing him the card. 

He smiled and looked at the front.  “Do you work at this bar?” he asked curiously.

I smiled and threw my messenger bag strap over my head, securing it around my body.  “Maybe,” I replied cryptically.  “Catch you later, Gavin,” I said and turned to leave.

The drive home was much mellower this time around.  I had worked out hard and didn’t have any pent up aggravation or frustration left.  I stopped by the corner grocery store and grabbed a few things for dinner.  I felt like having a fresh spinach salad with pecans, feta cheese, and fresh strawberries.  I also picked up some things for Styvi Nix. 

When I got home, I pulled my car into the garage and walked in the side door.  Styvi came bounding through her doggy door to greet me.  I set my bags down and sat down on the floor to play with her.  I gave her the new tug rope that I bought and she was ecstatic. 

After a few minutes of playing, I got up and put the groceries away.  I brought my bag upstairs with me and turned the shower on to heat up.  I got undressed and threw my clothes in the hamper.  The water was nice and hot.  After quickly showering and blow drying my hair, I dressed in a Kelly green tank top and short black boy shorts.  I grabbed my clothes hamper and went downstairs to start a load of laundry.  I quickly fixed dinner and sat in front of the television to catch up on a few of my shows.