TRIAL OF THE CENTURIES ~ CHAPTER 10
Vicki felt another headache reaching her temples, the stress starting to show. She always hated not knowing what would happen next in a case or the feeling that if she didn't find what she needed then she had somehow failed. She never thought of herself as a perfectionist except in her work. For her, unsolved cases were not a option. She would grab hold of anything to get the job done and this case was no different.
"Who am I kidding it's not different?" She muttered while rubbing her eyes under her glasses.
This case was different because of Henry. Everything about it revolved around him, had something to do with him. And that meant it had something to do with her. She let her mind dirft back to their night together, making love on the floor and then his bed. And once in the shower. She had to admit, even if it was just to herself, it had been the most erotic experience in her life.
Vicki had a few lovers in her past. Not many, but enough to know Henry was a master at sex. Mike was a very tender lover and she had enjoyed being with him, had always been satisfied. But Henry made her heart pound, her muscles tremble and her breath get choppy. And that was now, when he wasn't even in the room with her. Yep, she was in big trouble now that she knew his passion first hand.
Tossing her glasses on the desk top, she put her hands on her burning cheeks. "What the hell am I going to do now?" she asked herself.
"Funny. I was going to ask that very question."
Vicki looked up to see Henry in the doorway. His leather coat flung over one broad shoulder, his dark brown curls still damp from a recent shower. He stood still, only his eyes moving, waiting for her to respond.
Knowing she couldn't avoid this conversation, she took a deep breath and licked her lips. "Hey." Well so much for her talking about what happened.
Henry had a small half grin on his face, as if he knew what she was doing. He entered the room slowly. Vicki couldn't help but notice that even his walk was sexual, a predator after his prey. And he was hungry.
As he got closer to the desk, Vicki felt the need to put some space between them, the office feeling suddenly very small. She grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair putting it on. "I was just getting ready to call you." OK that was just a small lie, she would have called him. Maybe next week or next year. "I thought we would take a look at the spots the demon hit, see if he's still hanging around." She put her purse across her chest to keep her hands free and grabbed her cell and flashlight, heading around him to the door. She didn't look to see if he followed. She knew he would.
She made it all the way to the inner door, when he pulled her to a stop, turning her to face him. His hand came up to cup her face under her chin, lifting her eyes to his. Blue eyes met blue eyes.
His filled with love, hers filled with panic.
Henry smiled softly at her. "I know you want to bolt out that door and pretend nothing has changed, but you can't do that Vic. You have to deal with the fact that things have changed. We're lovers now. There is no going back."
Bracing her shoulders as if ready to fight she faced him. "I'm not avoiding anything. We just have so much we need to do with this case. Let's get this over with and then we'll talk." That sounded reasonable to her. How could they talk with so much going on?
Henry shook his head. "So we wait until this case is closed. Then what? There will be another case you get involved in or it will be Mike. Something else will always come first." As Vicki shook her head in disagreement Henry continued. "Yes it will. I know you. Anything you don't want to face you just pretend isn't important or isn't there. Well this is important. Important to me and important to you."
Vicki felt her heart pound. "What do you want from me, Henry?" she asked softly.
He brushed a blonde strand of hair back from her cheek. "I don't want anything more than you can give me." Vicki's eyes snapped to his. "I know your commitment issues so I'm not asking for that. I won't try to get you in front of a priest with a gold ring, asking for anytrhing. I don't want a house with a picket fence and you baking cookies and cleaning. I know that isn't who you are. I just want to take one day at a time. I just want you to give us a chance before you run away. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less."
Vicki, who never felt fear, was terrified. One day at a time scared her to death. Yet looking at Henry and seeing his goodness, his love, she wanted just that. So Vicki did what she had her whole life, she jumped off the cliff and asked God to keep her alive. "One day at a time sounds good to me." She smiled at him.
A small laugh escaped Henry and he grabbed her holding her close. "Thank God. You won't be sorry. I promise." Then he gently kissed her. She could feel his need, knew he wanted more, but he forced himself to pull back. With his eyes shining he spoke. "Let's go kick some demon ass." He turned, then stopped, eyes going black, teeth becoming fangs.
"What?" Her voice dropped to a whisper out of habit.
"Blood. I smell blood." His arm moved in front of her, in spite of knowing she didn't need protecting. They moved together towards the outer door, falling into the rhythm of partners. When they reached the door, Henry opened it and growled a warning.
In the hall the found something unexpected. A large wolf, bloody and unmoving in front of the door.
Henry reached the animal first. "Jordan? Jordan can you hear me? Jordan, can you change to your human form?"
After several deep breaths, the wolf turned into a naked Jordan. Blood seemed to pour out of his body, one arm bent at a unnatural angle. He whispered to them, "I'm sorry. So sorry." He swallowed. then coughed some. "I found Nikos, and he kind of managed to mess me up pretty bad. I didn't know where else to go." He took one shuddering breath. "He'll be able to track me. Get out of here. Now." With that last word he passed out.
"Who am I kidding it's not different?" She muttered while rubbing her eyes under her glasses.
This case was different because of Henry. Everything about it revolved around him, had something to do with him. And that meant it had something to do with her. She let her mind dirft back to their night together, making love on the floor and then his bed. And once in the shower. She had to admit, even if it was just to herself, it had been the most erotic experience in her life.
Vicki had a few lovers in her past. Not many, but enough to know Henry was a master at sex. Mike was a very tender lover and she had enjoyed being with him, had always been satisfied. But Henry made her heart pound, her muscles tremble and her breath get choppy. And that was now, when he wasn't even in the room with her. Yep, she was in big trouble now that she knew his passion first hand.
Tossing her glasses on the desk top, she put her hands on her burning cheeks. "What the hell am I going to do now?" she asked herself.
"Funny. I was going to ask that very question."
Vicki looked up to see Henry in the doorway. His leather coat flung over one broad shoulder, his dark brown curls still damp from a recent shower. He stood still, only his eyes moving, waiting for her to respond.
Knowing she couldn't avoid this conversation, she took a deep breath and licked her lips. "Hey." Well so much for her talking about what happened.
Henry had a small half grin on his face, as if he knew what she was doing. He entered the room slowly. Vicki couldn't help but notice that even his walk was sexual, a predator after his prey. And he was hungry.
As he got closer to the desk, Vicki felt the need to put some space between them, the office feeling suddenly very small. She grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair putting it on. "I was just getting ready to call you." OK that was just a small lie, she would have called him. Maybe next week or next year. "I thought we would take a look at the spots the demon hit, see if he's still hanging around." She put her purse across her chest to keep her hands free and grabbed her cell and flashlight, heading around him to the door. She didn't look to see if he followed. She knew he would.
She made it all the way to the inner door, when he pulled her to a stop, turning her to face him. His hand came up to cup her face under her chin, lifting her eyes to his. Blue eyes met blue eyes.
His filled with love, hers filled with panic.
Henry smiled softly at her. "I know you want to bolt out that door and pretend nothing has changed, but you can't do that Vic. You have to deal with the fact that things have changed. We're lovers now. There is no going back."
Bracing her shoulders as if ready to fight she faced him. "I'm not avoiding anything. We just have so much we need to do with this case. Let's get this over with and then we'll talk." That sounded reasonable to her. How could they talk with so much going on?
Henry shook his head. "So we wait until this case is closed. Then what? There will be another case you get involved in or it will be Mike. Something else will always come first." As Vicki shook her head in disagreement Henry continued. "Yes it will. I know you. Anything you don't want to face you just pretend isn't important or isn't there. Well this is important. Important to me and important to you."
Vicki felt her heart pound. "What do you want from me, Henry?" she asked softly.
He brushed a blonde strand of hair back from her cheek. "I don't want anything more than you can give me." Vicki's eyes snapped to his. "I know your commitment issues so I'm not asking for that. I won't try to get you in front of a priest with a gold ring, asking for anytrhing. I don't want a house with a picket fence and you baking cookies and cleaning. I know that isn't who you are. I just want to take one day at a time. I just want you to give us a chance before you run away. That's all. Nothing more, nothing less."
Vicki, who never felt fear, was terrified. One day at a time scared her to death. Yet looking at Henry and seeing his goodness, his love, she wanted just that. So Vicki did what she had her whole life, she jumped off the cliff and asked God to keep her alive. "One day at a time sounds good to me." She smiled at him.
A small laugh escaped Henry and he grabbed her holding her close. "Thank God. You won't be sorry. I promise." Then he gently kissed her. She could feel his need, knew he wanted more, but he forced himself to pull back. With his eyes shining he spoke. "Let's go kick some demon ass." He turned, then stopped, eyes going black, teeth becoming fangs.
"What?" Her voice dropped to a whisper out of habit.
"Blood. I smell blood." His arm moved in front of her, in spite of knowing she didn't need protecting. They moved together towards the outer door, falling into the rhythm of partners. When they reached the door, Henry opened it and growled a warning.
In the hall the found something unexpected. A large wolf, bloody and unmoving in front of the door.
Henry reached the animal first. "Jordan? Jordan can you hear me? Jordan, can you change to your human form?"
After several deep breaths, the wolf turned into a naked Jordan. Blood seemed to pour out of his body, one arm bent at a unnatural angle. He whispered to them, "I'm sorry. So sorry." He swallowed. then coughed some. "I found Nikos, and he kind of managed to mess me up pretty bad. I didn't know where else to go." He took one shuddering breath. "He'll be able to track me. Get out of here. Now." With that last word he passed out.