Jezebel's Lion (2 page)

Standing up Jess stood back and smiled as she looked
at her reflection. She looked pretty. The dress complemented her very shapely
figure, bringing the focus to her large breasts and her legs. Jess may not be
tall, but she did like her calves.

Reaching back to the table she gathered her ID and
cash and stuffed them into her bra. Glancing at the mirror she straightened her
shoulders and walked out of her room and down to Zeck and Travis, whom she
found in her kitchen shoving pizza into their mouth. When they saw her Travis
choked, and Zeck spat his pizza out.

“Jess, what happened to you? You look really pretty,”
Zeck muttered.

Travis groaned and elbowed Zeck. Jess couldn’t
believe Zeck.

“What do you mean what happened to me, I look pretty?
Do you mean I usually don’t?”

“Yes … no … argh. It’s just you’re just Jess.”

“Oh man, Zeck, just shut up now, buddy,” Travis
moaned.

“You’re an asshole, Zeck.” Jess couldn’t get over
Zeck’s behavior and on her birthday, too. Walking past her friend she went to
the front door, opened it, and walked to Travis’s car. No way was she going in
Zeck’s car after the way he’d acted tonight. The car beeped to say the doors
were open, and she sat in the front passenger seat and did her seat belt up.
Seconds later Travis got in the driver’s seat and did his seat belt up.

“You know he didn’t mean to sound so rude, don’t you,
Jess? Zeck is just cranky ‘cos his thing for Sasha will never go anywhere. He’s
just taking it out on you.”

Jess’s anger deflated a bit. She felt sorry for
Zeck. “Yeah, I know. He’s still an asshole though.”

Travis nodded. “I think you look beautiful, Jess.”

“Thanks, Travis. It is a special day, you know.”

Travis smiled and started the car. “Come on, we’d
better go. Zeck’s taken his own car, so he can leave when he wants to. I think
it’s so he can leave quickly when Sasha’s boyfriend comes home.” Travis
chuckled, and Jess giggled feeling calmer.

The drive to Sasha’s house was done in quiet, and
when they pulled up they could see Zeck’s car and another car. Travis parked on
the curb, and they went together to the door. Sasha answered the door with a
glass of what looked like red wine in her hand.

“Come in. You look great, Jess. I’m so happy you’re
here.” Sasha pulled her in, and Jess almost stumbled in her shoes. “I have
chips and wine on the table. Come on and celebrate. Britney and her date are in
the lounge room with Zeck. I’m just about to teach them some moves.” She swayed
her hips. “Let’s get you a drink first, and then we’ll get our groove on.”

Jess laughed and followed Sasha into the big lounge
room. Britney sat on the sofa talking to a gorgeous dark headed man, and Zeck
stood in the dining room.

“Jess and Travis are here. Jess, you know Britney,
and that is her date, Cullen.”

Jess smiled at Britney and her date. Everyone knew
Britney. She was head cheerleader and the most popular girl in school. She was
also Sasha’s boyfriend’s sister.

“Hi, Britney.
Nice to meet you, Cullen.”
 
They both nodded at her and Travis in acknowledgement.

“Okay now, Sasha, everyone is here. Teach us how to
dance,” Britney said as she stood up.

Britney took the glass of red wine off Sasha and
passed it to Jess.
“Drink.
Have fun.”

Taking the wine Jess took a big sip. She intended to
have fun. It was her birthday. If no one remembered she’d have enough fun that
she didn’t care.

****

They’d been at Sasha’s house for over an hour. Jess
was feeling quite tipsy when the doorbell rang and one of Britney’s scrumptious
brothers walked in. He must have been the one a year or two younger than
Savron. He was tall, muscular, and blond. His eyes were the darkest green that
Jess had ever seen. He was divine. He walked into the house like he owned it,
and Jess stumbled in Travis’s arms as his gaze landed on her. He talked quietly
to Sasha, and she hugged him. Then he stalked over to her.

“Hi, I’m Brandon. And your name is?” He stared
straight at her, and his green eyes flashed so they looked almost gold.

With her tipsy mind in a scramble she muttered,
“Jezebel, Jezebel
Dibson
.”
Oh God
. Why had she given her full name? No one call her that
except her parents and grandparents.

“Jezebel.
I
like it.” His sexy deep voice had her shivering in pleasure as he slowly said
her name like he was savoring it. Brandon’s presence was making her body do
funny things. She felt warm all over, and the huge lounge room felt small. Jess
moved out of Travis’s hold and backed away to the table and got a wine as
Travis introduced
himself
.
 

Jess needed to stay away from the godlike man that
now shook Travis’s hand. She’d been having fun. Brandon’s arrival had
interrupted the easygoing atmosphere. Pouring a large glass of wine she downed
it and poured another. The liquor warmed her in another way, and she shook off
the strange feeling she had around Brandon. He was way out of her league. Not only
was he gorgeous, but he was a good deal older than she was. Jess wouldn’t pine
over a man she knew she could never have. She didn’t want to end up like Zeck.

****

Brandon had gone to his brother’s house to check on
his brother’s mate was, but what he found was a small party and his
own
mate. As soon as Brandon walked into
the house his lion had gone crazy. He’d broken out of his cage and was prowling
around purring that their mate was here. When he hit the lounge room, a jasmine
scent surrounded his senses. Looking around the room his gaze settled on a
couple standing near the dining room entry, dancing. He dismissed the male and
focused on the curvy woman. She was beautiful, with long flowing chestnut hair,
flawless olive skin, full plump lips, and a body that was all
woman
. Images of him holding her tight and slamming into her
welcoming body flashed before him.
 

In a lust filled daze Brandon introduced himself,
but since then she had stayed as far from him as she could. So Brandon now sat
and watched his mate, Jezebel, dance with her friend, Travis, while he sat on
the sofa and brooded because his mate was not only human, but didn’t seem to
even acknowledge him.

As he sat glaring at the couple dancing in his view
his brother Savron came home. Seconds later yelling started, and Brandon stood
up and walked to his mate. It was time to leave.

“Come on, Jess. It’s time for us to leave.” Travis
pulled Jezebel towards the front door only to pause. “Do you think we should go
help Zeck?”

Jezebel shook her head then clutched it and groaned.
“No. I thinks
it’s
best
theys
sort it outs between themselves.”

Jezebel pulled herself out of Travis’s hold and
stumbled towards him only to pause and realize what she’d done. She spun and
almost fell, but her friend Travis’s arms came around her to steady her.
Brandon bit his cheek so he didn’t growl. His mate was drunk.

“Let’s
gos
.
Cans
I
crashs
at your houses tonight?
Mys
parents
woulds
be homes by now, and I don’t wants
them to sees me like this.” Jezebel moved out of Travis’s
hold
and took a couple of steps to the door.

“No.” Brandon snarled and had had it with her
ignoring him. He went to his mate, who was about to fall.

“Sure,” Travis said, beating him to Jezebel.

Brandon wanted to take her home. He didn’t want her
friend to take her to his house. Jezebel was his mate. She wasn’t staying at
another guy’s house. He snarled at Travis, “You have had alcohol. I have had
none. I will take Jezebel home.”

“Jess.”
Brandon turned to his mate. Her gaze was narrowed on him, and her hands were on
her hips as she swayed. “Only my mother and father call me Jezebel. My name is
Jess.”

“Why did you introduce yourself as Jezebel, and not
Jess then?”

Jezebel’s hands fell from her waist, and she
shrugged. “I
don’ts
know. I didn’t thinks you would
want to takes me home or sits watching me all night. Why have
yous
been watching?”

Jezebel swayed drunkenly. She was gorgeous even in
her state. He debated what to tell her. Brandon had watched Savron and didn’t
want to make the same mistakes he’d done. “I’ve been watching you because
you’re beautiful.”

Jezebel snorted. “I thought you said you haven’t
drunks. I think you haves, and you
needs
to adjust
your beers goggles. I not beautiful, not
likes
you.
I’m shorted and fats. With plain brown hairs and eyes that can’t decide if they
want to be greens or blue.”

He growled as she gestured with her hands. Brandon
glanced up to see what Travis’s reaction was to his mate’s cruel words about
herself. Travis’s brows furrowed and he was frowning, but Travis didn’t say
anything to assure Jezebel.

Wrapping his arm around Jezebel as she took a step
towards the door, Brandon steadied her. “Come on, sweetheart. I’ll take you
home.”

Jezebel weakly pushed him away. “I don’t know
youz
.
I’mz
not going with you.”

Ignoring her, he picked her up. She squealed, and
her arms wrapped around his neck to stabilize herself.

“Put me downs before you hurts yourself. I’m too
heavy.”

Brandon cradled her in his arms. “No. I like you in
my arms. You don’t weigh much.”

Jezebel snorted, and it turned into a giggle as
Travis followed behind him.

“Thanks for picking her up. She was about to fall.
Can you put her in the passenger seat of my car?”

“No. I told you she’s not going home with you. I
want her safe. You’ve had a drink. I’ve seen you.”

“I can’t go homes.” Jezebel hiccupped as she spoke.

“Why not?”
Brandon asked.

“’Cos I’m drunks.
Even
though it’s me birthday they get really
madz
.”

Travis groaned beside him. “Jess, I’m so sorry. I
can’t believe Zeck and I forgot.”

Brandon felt Jezebel tense in his arms. “I can’t
believe you guys forgot either. I think the god that’s carrying me is right. I’ll
get him to take me homes. He smells real goods. His body is likes I thought I it
would be, too. If I
goes
home at least I get to have a
birthday
perve
, which is better then
nofing
.”

Travis’s eyes
widened,
and
Brandon chuckled at Jezebel’s drunken ramble. “I smell good, do I, sweetheart?”

“
Mmm
,
I’ma
gonna
have sweet dreams tonight. I used to fantasize about
yous
brothers, Carl and Tyler.
They
me brothers’ friends.”

His lion roared in his head that they would rip
their litter-mates apart. Brandon wouldn’t ever let them near his mate. “No
more of them.
Only me.”

“
Uha
.
You
the best of the lot, I
thinks
.”
 

He come to his car and let one of his hands fall
from his mate as he opened his passenger door. He gently placed his Jezebel in
and shut the door. Travis got up in his face as he turned to go to the driver’s
side.

“You can’t take her home. Her parents will freak if
they see her in this condition. Drive her to my house. She can stay with me.”

“No way is my mate staying with you.”

“I mean it when I say she can’t go home. I know what
you are.”

“She won’t go home. I’ll take her to my house.”

“No way, man.
She
can’t stay with you. Jess doesn’t know you. I don’t know you. I know you’re a shifter,
but that doesn’t mean you won’t hurt her.”

“She is mine.” Brandon’s lion was starting to take
over, and he didn’t like another man telling him he couldn’t have his mate.

“No, she isn’t. Bring her to my house, and I’ll
message her parents to tell them she stayed with me. They know me.”

“I said no fucking way. Jezebel will stay at my
house. I’ll message her parents on her phone and tell them she stayed at
Sasha’s. Jezebel is my mate. I will look after her. You didn’t even remember
her birthday.”

Travis took a step closer to him, his face red and
his fists clenched. “We have had a lot going on, and she usually reminds us. If
she doesn’t, her mother does. I wonder why she didn’t.”
 
Travis frowned and took a step back and
looked into the passenger seat then back to him. “I can’t believe I’m about to
say this, but here it goes. It is her birthday. I think it would make her night
if you were nice to her and she got to say at your house.” Travis scrubbed his
hand over his face. “If you could be really nice and give her a birthday kiss
that would be even better.” He groaned. “I can’t believe I actually said that.
Oh God. Please don’t tell her I said that. Um … just forget what I said.” He
backed away and then turned and ran to his car and got in.