Meta:Between the Books: Volume Twentyseven

Volume Twentyseven
Character(s)	Krissy and J.L.
Date	December 2006
After	The Forsaken
Before	The Wicked
Location	La Paz, Mexico… at the hacienda
Between the Books Navigation
Previous That First Kiss	Next Volume Twentyeight

Quickly showering and applying a favorite perfumed lotion, she crept down the hall in nothing but her robe, tip-toeing past her parents’ room, and then slipped behind JL’s door. But the moment she gently pressed the door shut behind her, disappointment slumped her shoulders. Too late. He was gone.

The awareness that he’d gotten up even earlier than the dawn to go work out carved at her insides. Didn’t he know what this felt like? She wondered how he could stand the separation as she left his room and trudged back toward hers. Tears had risen in her eyes the frustration was so bittersweet.

Yeah, yeah, yeah… she’d heard his lecture a thousand times about how awkward it was with her parents there. She toyed with the small jade charm he’d given her feeling her quickened heartbeat in the hollow of her throat. True, her mother had superpowers, her brother was a budding wizard, and her dad was an ex-cop—and one helluva marksman… but still. She was legal, she was grown, they were practically engaged anyway, and it wasn’t like her father didn’t know him. It wasn’t like he was using her, or anything. JL was the salt of the earth. They were in love and she was of age, an adult, didn’t that count for anything? It wasn’t their fault that everybody had to live under the same frickin’ roof because of the weirdness in the world!

Krissy hugged herself on the other side of her bedroom door, trying to steady her breathing. It wasn’t like her dad was all hung up abut races and cultures—he wasn’t like that. Okay, so he was a tad old-fashioned, her mom not much better, when it came to her having a very steady boyfriend and sex. But they could be really, really quiet. She closed her eyes and allowed her head to lean against the door. Oh, God, when they were really, really quiet…

Her stomach did a tiny flip-flop before it clenched and squeezed more hot moisture into the folds between her thighs. It was bad this morning, really awful, the ache for him. She couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to be sanctioned to be with the one she loved. Complete freedom and zero guilt. To be able to blithely say that she was going to turn in for the night with her husband. Oh, man… her husband. Damali was soooo lucky.

Krissy pushed away from the bedroom door and went to hunt for her bathing suit. Images of the wedding still gave her goose bumps—it was totally romantic. Damali was so beautiful, and Carlos, oh, my God! A light tune filled her that became a gentle hum as she stripped her robe and got dressed, pulling her wet hair into a ponytail scrunchie. One day it would be her turn, maybe Inez and Juanita’s, too. Heather and Jasmine were a definite. She could just see it now; all the brides would be so pretty.

Smiling, having cheered herself up with the pleasant memory, she fished in her drawer for the one thing her mother and Marlene would have had a fit about. New powers coming in or not, some things were simply practical. Juanita had told her that much, even though Inez had rolled her eyes. Krissy popped a pill out of the dial, then pushed it way back on her tongue, swallowed, and looked in the mirror. This was passive-aggressive mutiny. Whatever.

“I’m not a Neteru, okay. Gimme a break,” she whispered, looking in the mirror and imitating Juanita’s sassy ways. “Oh, no. A chica can’t be playing that.” She snapped her fingers with a quiet giggle and then hid her stash.

With a quick smear of pink lip gloss she stole down the hallway and welcomed the bright morning rays and gentle breeze. Although she wanted to run toward the figure in the distance, she kept her gait to a happy jog. But before she came close enough that she’d interrupt his routine, she slowed and simply watched in awe.

After a while, she wasn’t sure if she was leaning on the rocks just to rest from the short half mile jog, or to hold herself up.

He was magnificent; she loved to watch his slow, controlled Tai Chi moves. It was like watching a fluid, graceful dance under the rose-orange dawn that had kissed his tawny skin golden brown. A thin sheen of perspiration coated his sinewy, naked torso. His gray cut-off sweat pants had a deep V of dampness over his tight buttocks that simply drew her gaze. As he turned she felt her mouth go dry, and then watched a trickle of sweat run down the center of his chest, between each brick of his abs, and disappear into his navel. It was a good thing that his routine made him turn, because she wouldn’t have been able to look away.

She licked her lips, the sun now felt like pin-pricks of blue-white flames licking her skin. It was shameless, but she had no pride when it came to JL. She wanted him, had so badly after the wedding… had only been able to slip away once before he’d become thoroughly unnerved by her dad’s evil-eye. Yes, she understood discretion, respect for their elders—her parents, and him not wanting her father to lose face—but damn. She was only human. Couldn’t there be some compromise? A consistent one that wouldn’t leave her feeling like this?

As he bent and turned, and then stretched upward, oblivious to her presence, she watched sinew move like ropes of liquid steel beneath his skin and nearly sighed. Every aspect of him was gorgeous, she felt. From gentle, gentle soul to his jet-black hair and kind, brown eyes, to his utterly handsome face. His touch was surreal… and his body fit against hers in a way that made her see stars. Just thinking about it caused her breath to hitch.

A compromise was definitely in order. She’d thought about this thing from his perspective, and could understand. If his parents were alive and living with them, yes, surely she would die a thousand deaths if his mother heard them—much less suspected. Krissy let her breath out hard in defeat. JL had a point, there. Hell, even if they were married with three kids and his parents heard, she’d just die of total mortification.

Hypothetical scenarios roamed unchecked in her head as she watched him move like a powerful, fluid waterfall, his muscles flowing over his bones like they were rocks, his skin seeming as though it were the current. And despite all their conversations, all of JL’s logical protests, there were times when it was just impossible to fight the attraction.

Like now…

Her body was on fire just from thinking about him, had dragged her up at dawn, had plunged her into the shower with the hopes of a rendezvous. Had put tears of anguish in her eyes, and now that she could witness his body in motion, she could barely breathe. Plus, him being her best friend, her source of comfort, the one who would throw himself in front of sure peril didn’t hurt at all, not one bit. How did you come to love someone so much, laugh with them so hard or so privately, touch their very soul, and remain physically aloof?

Through great agony and the severe torture of discipline—that was the Tao of loving Krissy, his mind shouted as he turned and continued working out. Oddly, he’d heard her question loud and clear. The connection he had to Krissy was so tight it was bizarre. He’d heard her gentle footfalls in the sand, and didn’t trust himself to open his eyes. It would have thrown him off, messed up his focus, would have made him literally forget where he was in his routine. She had that effect on him; in fact, that’s why he was out here this morning. Had to beat the dawn, had to get himself under control—had to walk in the opposite direction down the hall away from her room.

Didn’t matter than he and Dan were peace now that Heather was on the scene. Didn’t matter that Bobby had always been cool. Didn’t even matter that Marjorie would turn a kind, face-saving, blind eye when he and Krissy wanted to be alone. It was all about the girl’s father—Berkfield didn’t play that shit. Nor should he.

Some things were instinct, Rivera had said, and then made him laugh remembering all the times every man on the team tried to get a shot off to smoke him, especially ‘Bazz. It wasn’t even Rivera’s vampire status that upset them most, he had to admit. Damali had antibodies, could purge a vamp nick.

No, it went deeper than what each male in the compound in the early days claimed. This was a thing of principle, a matter of honor. A rogue male had invaded their camp to take a sister, a daughter, a female under their protective care. It was the fact that this male had boldly taken Damali’s body… so every brother and any father figure in the house was in battle mode. Now, when it came to Krissy, he had to remember how it had been.
Rider admitted as much, told him how even though in the back of his mind, Berkfield knew they were going at it, as all fathers instinctively know at some point—Berkfield would definitely freak out if it got too out of hand… so they couldn’t press their luck. It was all about balance. JL pivoted and lifted into crane pose. Delicate, discreet, balance and allowing the old tiger to save face. Had to be discreet above all things. That’s what he was trying to do. The wedding had turned up the pressure, too.

JL turned, continuing with the subtle Tai Chi movements designed to transport the mind, body, and spirit to higher, non-thought realms. But being in Krissy’s presence took his mind and blew it. His spirit was entwined with hers, and she practically owned his body. His motions were getting choppy, everything becoming rigid. He stopped moving and just shook his head. It was hopeless. She was gorgeous. He opened his eyes to stare at her gentle smile and for a moment had to remember to breathe.

“I didn’t mean to intrude on your workout… it was just so beautiful to watch,” she said quietly, pushing off the rocks.

“It’s cool,” he said, trying to smile through the sudden agony she caused. Light danced across her pink, shimmering lips. “No problem.”

“Maybe one morning we can come out here and work out together.”

“That would be cool.” His stomach clenched at just the thought of shadowing her moves, making his shaft bounce beneath his sweats.

Embarrassment singed him and he turned and walked toward the ocean. He hoped she hadn’t seen that, much less felt it. His charge was trying to break free and practically strangling him.

Now the sun’s rays beat down on his scalp, back, and shoulders with a vengeance. The sweat that streamed over his skin felt like it was hot wax coursing down his body. He needed to cool down, needed to back away from her. She looked so good in her skimpy, white bikini…skin tanned, hair like golden corn silk, cheeks flushed from the morning heat. Her breath catching ever so often as her wide blue eyes drank him in.

“I like watching you… sun dancing. The Tai Chi is awesome… like a slow, sensual dance.”

His back stiffened. How did he answer that? His brain was already wrapped up in an image that it couldn’t release—her heaving beneath him. Yeah… he liked watching her, too. “I don’t mind… you watching me.” He’d tried to sound nonchalant, but his voice was halting, raw.

“Hey, JL,” she said running in closer.

He could tell where she was because her feet were wet now, had slapped the wet sand. She was on the shore, he was wading deeper, had to at least submerge waist deep so she wouldn’t see how hard he was.

“Yeah?” he called over his shoulder, not turning.

“I was thinking maybe we could have breakfast together?”

He just stared at her for a moment over his shoulder, trying not to allow his gaze to slip down her cleavage or to notice how taut her nipples had become under the stretchy, white bathing suit fabric. Her flat belly trembled slightly, as though her heart-beat terminated there.

“Yeah, we can have breakfast together… maybe go into town, or something, if you feel like it?”

She lowered her gaze, her beautiful, golden lashes sweeping down like a Thai fan. “That would be nice… some time alone, with just me and you.”

He swallowed hard and walked deeper into the water, allowing the surf to crash against his torso. “Yeah, it’s been a while since we’ve done that.”

She nodded quickly. “I’ve missed you so much.”

He made a fist with both hands and simply nodded, then turned and walked into the water waist deep with a grimace. Hell no, he couldn’t go back into the hacienda to get Jeep keys in this condition. No way could he just go into town and eat without staring at every hotel in sight like a starving man might stare at a steak dinner. No.

Keeping his back to her he almost moaned out loud as the tepid water covered him, soothing the burn a little. Yeah, he could do this. She was his best friend; he had to keep the lover part at bay.

She stood on the shore watching him go far enough out that he was past the rough part of the tide. His body had submerged into the jewel-turquoise water where he bobbed chest-deep like an aimless buoy. But a ripple of blue-white arc had tumbled away from him, balled up and tangled in a wave and had rolled to shore to caress her bare feet. Krissy covered her stomach with one flattened palm and covered her mouth with the other to keep from crying out.

Her eyes slid shut as she walked forward and allowed the water to thrash her thighs. He’d felt the same thing this morning, so it wasn’t just her. Beyond the breakers now, she glided forward in an easy breast stroke and swam up behind him. The moment she touched his shoulders, he shuddered.

“I was trying so hard,” he whispered harshly against her cheek as she rounded him and floated into position to wrap her legs around his waist.

“So was I—I went to your room,” she said, her voice coming out in fits and starts as he cradled her against him. Her arms around his neck, she took his mouth. “JL, I can’t stand it.”

He nodded, kissing her more aggressively. “Were they awake?” His question broke like a wave of heat down the side of her neck as his hands slid over her backside.

She quickly shook her head no, clenching her stomach, tightening her legs around his waist. He looked over is shoulder toward the hacienda, a question in his eyes as blue-white static crackled around them.

“Right here,” she gasped, his tactical charge making her wanton. She didn’t care, the beach was deserted. Her head dropped back; all she could focus on now was how badly she wanted him to bring his sweet lips to her breasts.

Her moan slaughtered him, he was already conquered. Had been since he’d woken up needing her. But the sound of her voice as he’d drawn a wet nipple between his lips undid his resolve. The taste of salt water and her skin, fused with her incredible perfume as he laved the taut pink pebble, thumbing the other one making her writhe, was more than his discipline could take. He loved to get her there, to this point, where she became wild and touched him with pure abandon. Her graceful fingers trembled as they traced his nipples and petted his hair. He could feel the muscles along her inner thighs contracting, pulling, trying to start the motion of the dance they both wanted so badly to begin.

Saving face would be impossible now, if anyone spied them. The buoyancy of the water was lacerating his soul each time her fleshy bottom grazed his shaft as they bobbed up and down with the water’s natural rhythm. Each pass was like a gentle caress… a warm wet kiss until he lost his mind and began fumbling with his pants.

Hugging his neck tighter, her breaths were quick, savage pants in the crook of his neck while he pushed her bathing suit bottom aside and gently rode into her on the next lift of wave.

She kissed him so hard their teeth bumped, and he was sure he would drown them both as he swallowed her moan with his, the urge to thrust crazy was so acute. But aware of the possible threat in the hacienda that loomed larger than any worry about sharks, he held her waist firm to slow her bucking hips.

“Let the water do the work,” he said breathing hard and pulling back to stare at her.

She looked like she wanted to cry. Her eyes shimmered with sudden agony and he forced himself to smile before allowing his lids to slide shut.

“I know,” he murmured. “But if they come out here to see where you are, this doesn’t look so bad—all right?”

She nodded and kissed the bridge of his nose and quietly groaned as a swell of waves lifted them up and lowered them. “Oh, God, JL… this could take forever.”

“Yeah…” he murmured. “I know.”

“You’re so mean,” she whispered, allowing her forehead to fall against his.

“Uh, huh, but it’s better this way.”

“Yes… oh… it feels so good.”

A sob caught in her throat and stopped her words; he felt it directly in his shaft and clutched her back with a low, agonized groan, then after a moment, slowly relaxed summoning control. Her graceful fingers parted his hair and became a fist against the relentless tide. Blue-white arc crackled in the water around them, and every cell within him felt like it was about to explode.

Although he’d tried to keep breathing steadily, evenly, though his nose, her dewy, satin sheath won out, sending her breath bursting through his lungs in short pants. She was so tight and he’d needed her so badly. Beads of perspiration rolled down his temples even though in cool water. His relaxed grip tightened again, agony was clawing up his shaft and contracting his sac as she suddenly bore down hard and took his mouth.

He lost it, finally unable to continue to just float along and let the ocean help them make love. His tongue dueled with hers and his hands sought her wet hair, then held her back, and finally anchored over the swell of her hips, his tactical current lapping her with each forceful thrust until she wailed.

But he hadn’t factored in the extra potency of seawater taking a charge. The pleasure jolt that ripped through him was white-light blinding as he felt her begin to climax.

Drowning was not impossible; the ecstasy seizure that hit made him feel like they’d been struck by lightening. This was so different than in the shower. The natural elements fused to the charge, drew on all the power of the sea, drawing on all the feminine fluid in her eighty-percent-saline-water body… her heavenly, trembling, climaxing body that was connected to his, sending white hot rods of orgasmic rush down his spine to implode in his sac and spew molten pleasure up and out of his pulsing shaft.

Oh, God! He couldn’t even articulate her name; they had to get out of the water before he lost his mind. Wave after wave jerked them, twitching limbs. He’d hollered till he was hoarse. Couldn’t have held it back if he’d wanted to. The only thing he prayed as she shuddered against him, her voice like a knife on the wind, was that the booming surface behind them and the distance of the hacienda would shield them. Even if Mike heard and gave him one of those smiles, as long as Berkfield was oblivious, he could live with the ribbing from the guys.

Rag-limp, Krissy held onto his shoulders as he tried to fight against the tide’s pull out to deeper water, forcing them in the opposite direction toward the shore. Blood was coming from somewhere, and it wasn’t until he licked his lip that he realized it was from him. He’d cum so hard he’d split his own lip trying to hold back the holler. Damn.

Protecting both their dignities, he slowly withdrew from her with a hard shudder and shifted their clothes back into place before he carried her to shore. The look in her eyes almost made him drop her on the sand to take them off again, but he glanced at the house, then glanced at the height of the sun. Nah…

“You’re bleeding,” she murmured, touching his mouth.

He wanted her again so much he couldn’t even answer her.

“I need all day, don’t you?” Her eyes searched his face; her voice broke with a fractured plea.

He nodded. Tears were standing in his eyes.

“I’ll go get a cover up, will grab you some sneakers and sweats… will get my bag and tell them we’re going into town for breakfast. Okay?”

He closed his eyes, his body still fighting tremors, his conscience obliterated. “My wallet is on the bureau with my credit cards. Need that and ID to get a room.”

“I’ll be right back,” she promised on a tight whisper.

Totally unraveled, his blue-white tactical arc slowly coated them both, and soon he could feel her magnetic pull begin to soak it into their skins.

“Krissy, baby… hurry up,” he groaned, now thoroughly understanding why she needed all day. If she was gonna play with her power, then forget a casual drive-by love-making session while Berkfield was asleep.

“One day it won’t be like this,” she said trembling.

He nodded quickly, saying any and everything she wanted to hear. “When we get married, it’ll be more legit.”

“You mean it?” She stared at him, shuddering from the afterglow pleasure that still washed through the charge.

He looked at her in pain. “I wouldn’t joke around about something that serious. It was always the plan… we just gotta drape it on your old man in stages.” That was the truth, no bullshit in the equation. He couldn’t say it any plainer. Really couldn’t think right now.

She hugged him hard and kissed him quickly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” he managed to breathe out, reeling from a combination of the tactical charge and her pull.

She slid down his body and lingered there making him burn. “Go get in the Jeep. My dad can’t see you like this.” She kissed his busted lip. “You gonna be okay?”

He shook his head no smiling as she kissed his cheek and raced away. Her ponytail swung, her beautiful breasts and behind bounced, and all of it made him remember that among everything else awesome that she was, his girlfriend also came from a long line of women with spellbound powers.

Oh, yeah, he was definitely under her enchantress spell this morning.

Trivia

• This volume was written due to a request by a fan known as "Preye" who requested a volume featuring Krissy and J.L.
• This was the last between the books volume written in 2006

References

• L.A. Banks' blog post (archived)
• Official website (archived)

	Edits to this page before January 1, 2021 use CC-BY-SA-licensed content from the Fandom Vampire Huntress Legend Series Wiki.