Meta:Between the Books: Volume Twentytwo

Volume Twentytwo - New Mansion Compound:
Character(s)	Jose and Juanita
Date	May 2006
After	Inside the Mind of a Vampire Vol. 6
Before	Between the Books: Volume Twentythree
Location	New Mansion Compound: Beverly Hills, CA.
Between the Books Navigation
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Juanita stood in the bathroom of her suite simply staring in the mirror. Her reflection told her nothing. But the depths of her eyes held a story that was fractured. She couldn't remember! Something had happened. what was it?

Thank God the renovation crew sent by The Covenant had stopped hammering and banging, their drills now abandoned for the evening. A piece of her life was missing, part of her mind gone-shrouded in a murky knowing without precision. No one could help her, not even Marlene. None of the team seers had been able to go in and extract what felt like a black loadstone in her head.

Juanita blinked back tears of frustration and tried to apply a coat of sparkling peach lip gloss with shaky fingers. They'd told her not to ask Carlos about it, given all he'd been through and seen. But shit, they'd all been through a lot. Yet, they still acted as if she'd try to do something foul, which pissed her off no end. She'd proven herself, was there for the battles. and like she'd burn Jose like that anyway-never. It was insulting. When would they finally let her in the group, for real?

None of it made sense. Her shoulders slumped as she let out a hard breath and raked her fingers through her hair. The need to talk to Carlos wasn't what people thought. She wanted to speak to him solo because she could sense that whatever was trapped in her head was deeply personal and connected to him somehow. maybe it went back to the past a long, long time ago, a point in their relationship history that they tried to never discuss anymore. But there was definitely something there that she couldn't put her finger on-something that needed to be addressed and dealt with once and for all. True closure was missing. She wasn't crazy, but this was making her feel like she was. Regardless, Carlos was the best seer in the house, if you asked her, and she damned sure wasn't going to beg Damali for help. Good riddance!

Besides, the two lovebirds would be gone all month. Girlfriend had nothing but attitude since Carlos went into apex. whatever all that meant. What was there to prove now, anyway? Choices had been made. She wasn't picked. It wasn't about losing one's life over the matter, besides it was about her and Jose-her real first lover, and the only one in the house who consistently had her back. She loved Jose for that.

Then why was she so upset?

Juanita shrugged off the uneasy feeling, smoothed her peach tank top, and turned to stare at herself in profile, noting the way the shirt clung to her form and exposed her flat abdomen. She set her lip gloss on the edge of the sink with a sigh and turned around further to glimpse her jeans from behind. The snug fit showed off the junk in her trunk, but she wished her body was just a little more. something. Maybe she should have done something different with her hair. Maybe put it up, or twisted it, or whatever? Maybe she'd wear stilettos with the jeans instead of the cute little gold sandals she had on now. The last thing she wanted to feel like tonight was a second choice and second best.

Leaning her head back she stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, blinking away the tears. No. She would just forget about any of that. Tonight she and Jose had off and didn't have patrol. They'd have fun, go clubbing, maybe catch a movie, and eat out at a restaurant rather than family-style cooped up in the new compound. She'd ride on the back of his brand new bike like old times. Maybe he'd want her and they'd make love till dawn. God, please don't let her be a second choice, especially not Jose's.

Juanita walked over to the wall and shut off the bathroom light. Maybe this time he wouldn't think about Damali when he was with her.

* * *

He saw Juanita slip out of her bedroom and gently shut the door behind her. Her beautiful face seemed so sad. gorgeous brown eyes glistening with fresh tears, her luscious bottom lip in a slight pout. what was wrong? He studied the way her silky, brunette hair washed over her toffee-hued shoulders, and then allowed his line of vision to caress every curve on her-damn she was wearing those jeans to death. Her belly-cut tank top was no joke, either. She'd gone all out for a supposedly casual night on the town. Wow. even her bra straps had little rhinestones on them.

Jose stepped out of the hallway shadows and walked toward Juanita as she fumbled with her small, gold purse. Her gasp sliced the silence. He didn't react, just stood very still watching her from a remote part of his mind, attempting to gauge her mood.

"Ohmigod, Jose! Don't do that!" She pressed a hand to her stomach trying to recover. "If you did that outside you could get yourself shot."

"You okay?" He looked at her taking in her beauty, glad that everyone else was in the great room chilling or already out. He loved having her to himself for just this brief, private moment. But he'd have to remember to tone down the little bit of vamp in him that was showing lately. "You seem a million miles away from here, and I was just walking down the hall, not hiding-you just didn't hear me."

"No, don't even try it," she said, beginning to smile while wagging a finger at him. "You came out of the shadows like a vamp and didn't even make the floor creak, man. You didn't have no footsteps, okaaay."

He smiled, quietly pleased. "I didn't?"

"No," she said, one hand going to her hip. "You didn't."

"My bad. I'll try to give more warning next time."

She arched an eyebrow. "Yeah, aw'ight. You do that."

They both laughed.

"So, I thought we were going out?" She twisted her face into a playful scowl, but they both knew she wasn't angry.

Jose looked her up and down with an appreciative gaze. "Yeah. we're going out. But I'ma need to go get some extra artillery."

The expression in her eyes held the question, why.

"As fine as you look tonight, I might have to drop a body." His smile faded by degrees. "You look beautiful, 'Nita. Always do." He took a step closer to her and tilted his head on a long, slow inhale. "You smell fantastic, too."

"Thank you. You look nice, yourself, tonight, I mean-you know what I mean." She smiled shyly and looked away as he rubbed his jaw and leaned against the wall. How had he done that, made her so flustered in three seconds?

"Com'ere for a minute," he murmured, his voice low and inviting.

She hesitated as she looked at his serious expression, and then casually appraised his midnight blue shirt, the way it clung to his chiseled torso and taut muscles beneath it. In reflex her eyes traveled quickly down his body to slide over his black jeans covering his toned physique. Her line of vision caressed him all the way to his silver-toe, black gator riding boots. Everything about him let her know he was ready to pounce on her at any second. Then she studied his heavy-lidded gaze, and saw how his intense brown eyes quietly hunted her. Uh, uh. They were going out, first.

"No," she finally said with a half smile, even though her hands ached to loosen the dark leather bands holding his ponytail. "Maybe later."

"Por que?"

She just looked at him for a moment, trying to remember why not. No. She was not giving in to that deep, sexy voice, or that thick vibe, or those dreamy bedroom eyes surrounded by curly black lashes. No. She would not be swayed by whatever fabulous cologne he had on, or the way he just licked his bottom lip. even though she loved his mouth. No.

Juanita placed both hands on her hips. "Because I want to go out, I want to eat, I want to be around other people for a bit, see a flick, or go to a club-that's why." There. It had been said.

He pushed away from the wall with a sly grin and loped toward her. "No problem. We're going out, like I said." But he stepped in closer and allowed the pad of his thumb to caress the side of her throat.

"Stop. okay," she whispered in an unconvincing tone.

"Por que, baby?"

"You know why," she murmured, moving closer to him and sealing the space between them.

His hands slid over her shoulders as he stared at her, and her palms caressed his back.

"Tell me why, 'Nita. because, baby, I really don't know right now."

His mouth slowly captured hers, his hands spreading sudden heat through her body. She broke the kiss after a dizzying moment.

"Because I wanna go out, Jose," she finally said, too ashamed that her voice had become a childish whine.

He nodded, his intense gaze holding hers as his fingertips sent pleasure chills down her arms. "All right, I'll take you out. no problem. But noise, people, chaos, partying won't bury it. You do know that, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about-"

His swift kiss cut off her words, his tongue sending mint toothpaste and heat into her mouth. It was impossible not to arch as his hands splayed against her back, urging desire up her spine until his strong, graceful fingers found her hair. Her body melted against his, her bones becoming liquefied under his touch.

Oh, God, yes, she knew what he meant. They hadn't been together since Arizona, since before Tibet. since that one, glorious, stolen interlude during her training that wasn't supposed to be. Another lifetime ago, it seemed. Until this moment she'd been too freaked out, felt like something was blocking her passion, muting her memory. But there was that indefinable something in Jose's kiss right now, something crazy like a hot knife through butter. That 'thing' between them just unlocked her from the inside out when his warm body pressed against hers, making her remember that she was alive and what had been slain was dead and gone.

Jose slowly pulled out of the kiss and looked at her. "That's what I'm talking about. This thing between me and you. Can't bury that."

She tried to look away, but his hands were in her hair and he held her firm.

Staring into her eyes his voice was a low, quiet rumble. "You're not a second choice. Not mine, anyway."

Her body tensed. How did he know? Which team seer had clued him in and betrayed her private thoughts? It wasn't fair!

He placed a light kiss on the center of her forehead and smiled a gentle, knowing smile. "You're the seer, not me. but I know how you think, 'Nita. Don't go there. Nobody said anything to me. But I ain't blind." He traced her ear with three soft kisses and then murmured into it low and warm, "I'm not feining for her while I'm with you. I never did that to you. I was always clear."

She tried to look away again, and then simply closed her eyes. The stuff he was saying was turning her knees to jelly. It was bad enough that the kiss had wet her thong. "I'm just trying to sort things out, Jose. to."

A delicate nip against her neck made her words trail off.

"You don't wanna be played," he murmured against the sensitive spot on her throat. He suckled it, feeling the blood rush beneath her soft skin as he breathed in her feminine scent. "Neither do I. Life is too short for those kinda games. We're not second choices. We just had a little history in-between our numero uno choice, that's all."

His arms enfolded her to bring her closer but his palms ached to trail down her supple spine, over the swell of her hips, and the high curve of her ass. Damn he needed her right now-the restaurant or a club could wait.

"I'm not playing you, Jose," she whispered against his neck. It was the stone cold truth. She wanted things to be back to the way they had been so many years ago-BC, before Carlos, and not AD, after Damali.

Her soft words and the rush of heat they spilled against his skin tightened his embrace. Soon it was impossible not to let his hands wander over her gorgeous body. He wasn't playing her or messing with her head. If Juanita wanted to go out, he should have had the presence of mind to get her out of the house before nightfall.

Jose cursed himself as he aggressively nuzzled her hair. He couldn't stop, touching her was reflex. Rider and Shabazz had warned him, so had Marlene. Every seven years it would be like this. He was Carlos's line brother; the vamp-line connection went bone deep. While his homeboy was in a Neteru apex, dragging them both through it by shared vamp DNA, this was all he could think about. Wherever Carlos was, so was he-shit.

But, damn, he also didn't want 'Nita to think that her body was the only thing about her he craved.

Jose kissed her hair harder, his body on fire as he thought about everything he loved about her. her sassy one-liners, attitude, loyalty, tender side people rarely saw. Still, how was he supposed to take her to hang out during the day, when daylight zapped his strength and made him feel sick as a dog? It was gonna be like that until Carlos's apex waned and the cosmic connection between them dulled. But right now the metaphysical changes were kicking his ass. How could he tell his woman something like that, admit something so profound-especially when she used to sleep with the man?

It was too fucked up, is what it was. However, true fact was it was dark outside, now, and he was over the top.

The scent of wet woman filled the hall, his sinuses, his shaft. Her blood pulsed under her skin like a beacon. He took her mouth hard; that was all he could do. Damn this was some crazy shit. A month of a Jones like this and no doubt he'd lose his natural mind.

Metabolism suddenly a blow torch, his shirt was now clinging like second skin. Every sense he owned had somehow keened. Her scent was about to unleash moonlight madness. The feel of her pulse sent spasms through his groin. Every cooing whimper that she spilled into his mouth reverberated through his cells threatening to split him wide open. Common sense told him he was eight generations from fangs removed, but if this was anything like what his homeboy was dealing with, then dayum, much respect was definitely in order.

He had to pull it together to at least show the woman that she meant more to him than she ever knew. First, he had to stop kissing her, stop dueling with her tongue, had to get his hands off her, but nary a cell would obey. Voluntary motor skills were gone, shut down; everything he owned was driving to goal on pure impulse. He just hoped she'd understand that, no matter what it looked like, or what his body was showing her, she wasn't a booty call, far from that. But at the moment his condition was hard to explain.

He finally tore himself out of their kiss breathing hard. "I don't want you to think that this is all I'm-"

She crushed away his words with a demanding kiss of her own, her arms around his neck.

"If you still wanna go out," he said, practically panting, "I'll get my bike-"

Her mouth smothered his, her fingers twined in his hair, her thigh slid over his hip and he almost fell trying to pick her up fast.

"Let's go to my room," she whispered. "I missed you."

Ball game. Forgedaboutit. The restaurant and clubs could wait. They could catch whatever on Pay-For-View, later, if she still wanted to see a movie-but he was packing a blockbuster for her right now.

Jose bumped into her bedroom door with a thud; she turned the knob to get them into the private space. As an afterthought he blindly kicked the door shut behind them. Sweat beaded on his brow.

"You're burning up," she said in a hot wash against his throat.

He couldn't even answer her, could only nod as he strode across the room and dropped her on the bed. Staring at her for a second, he yanked his shirt over his head. Her small gold purse slid to the floor.

She was sprawled in the center of the fluffy, pink satin duvet, her expression somewhat dazed, but unmistakably containing desire. In short order, his boots were gone, pulled off with the quickness. But there was something about the way she held her breath and sat up when he flipped open the button of his jeans that made his stomach clench.

In a slow strip tease, she tossed her head back. Her long, dark hair caught shards of moonlight as she peeled off her tank top. His breath hitched, his gaze cemented to her lacy peach bra.

Instant memory-ache threaded through his palms, carved at his groin, the need to cup her full breasts was so strong. He remembered the creamy texture of her skin, the way her taut nipples felt against his lips. and how she responded when he licked them. Just thinking about it was enough to make him breathe through his mouth. But before he could recover, she unhooked the front clasp of her bra. In acute pain, he watched her peel away the fabric obstruction, exposing her soft mounds, and slightly grimacing from the cool air contact against her overly sensitive skin. Seeing her that hot was his undoing, but he forced himself to give her a moment. Some things were better left unhurried.

As though reading his thoughts, she slowly took off her large, gold hoop earrings, and as if knowing that was best, she dropped them one by one on the nightstand. Good. It was definitely gonna be a wild ride.

Yet, for a moment he was paralyzed, just seeing her nude from the waist up. Memory-infused need continued to stab his groin until he winced. Her eyes never left his hands as he worked down his fly and shoved off his jeans and boxers. By the time he made it onto the bed, she'd slipped off her sandals and jeans, but had left on her peach lace thong as a final unwrapping for him to enjoy. His mouth suddenly went dry.

Oh, yeah, this thing between them was all up in his DNA. vamp and Thunderbird, 'hood rat, blood tracker. One hundred percent Guardian; tonight it was on.

Her lower belly quivered when he found the edge of her thong with his teeth, his forefinger tracing her navel. It had been way too long. The scent of her sweet honey made him close his eyes against vertigo. Didn't she know in the end of days the first would be last and the last would be first? You only got one shot at this life, at true happiness; there was no second choice-what was that?

He found her bud and suckled it through the lace, palming her fleshy bottom till she arched, praying the whole while that she was still on the pill, regardless of what Marlene said about manmade pharmaceuticals.

"Don't you ever forget I was your first," he whispered harshly against her inner thigh. "The past is dead and buried on both sides. It's just me and you now, all right?"

She nodded quickly, biting her lip to keep from crying out while lifting herself to urge him not to stop. But he just softly kissed the place that ached and then looked at her.

"I didn't hear you," he said with a half smile, kissing her belly, her hip, everywhere but where it throbbed.

Her expression serious, she slipped two fingers beneath the thong, her eyes smoky, trapping his gaze. "There's just me and you from now on," she murmured, then dropped her head back and closed her eyes. "I promise."

All he could do for a moment was watch her graceful fingers glide against her slick, soft folds, mesmerized. He wasn't sure if he should finish what he'd started, or finish what she'd started, not that it mattered. Driven by instinct he stripped the flimsy fabric away from her body, then sought her mouth, her breasts, laving her pebbled, cinnamon nipples until she moaned. The need to be inside her was making him hyperventilate, but his mouth found her wrist and the back of her hand as it moved between her legs. all the way to her nail bed, where the tip of his tongue found her sweet rhythm against her bud.

She was so close to the edge he could feel her building, climbing up the wall hard and fast, every breath more shallow, her hips moving in jerky, yearning up-thrusts, her voice now husky, strained, muscles tightening, his name released between moans, a feminine plea that made his balls ache. Just as suddenly, the high wall she'd climbed broke beneath her, the dam gave way, her voice rushed through him, washing his face with her pleasure spent essence. all he could do was hold on and French kiss her agony.

The moment he lifted his head, she slid down his body, her skin like the satin beneath her, and took him in her hand. Her eyes said it all; she needed him inside her. She squeezed hard to let him know that now meant right this second. Pleasure principle had him in her grip. He could only drop his head forward, a groan dredged from his throat, the shudder impossible to stop. He knew he was leaking down her fist and if she stroked him too precariously, it would be all over in a heartbeat.

"Tell me I don't need a condom," he said on a ragged murmur.

"I'm still on the pill," she whispered, her words reassuring as she opened her thighs wider and led him to her.

Salvation granted in a woman's body, the Holy Grail he'd been seeking-on a mission for what felt like years till his cup runneth over. He sank against her tight wetness in one deep thrust, causing both their voices to collide with their bellies. Jesus, deliver him. There was no room in his mind to create sweet endearments. His back was working too hard, his brain single-focused and on smack-down overload.

Cells were splitting, feeling like he'd dissolve inside his own skin. Then not. Crazy. What was this vast, mind-blowing shit that was happening? This thing that made him see better within his head, but trip out on pleasure like a fool on acid, peyote, what-the-fuck-eva. He couldn't stop moving, nearly weeping with each thrust. Por favor, if it didn't stop soon he'd be talking in tongues!

The scent of her sweet sex, her skin, her hair, and whatever fragrance she wore added to the pressure building in his groin. Everything was quickly narrowing down to a single pinpoint of white light in his skull, a soldering point in his groin and sac-white hot metals forcing his head back, damp hair clinging to his soaked scalp. That's right, baby, lemme tear it up. Her palms sent bands of ecstasy across his nipples, then down his back to sweep over his ass until all of her teasing touch shot a rod of fire through his shaft. Every place she landed a kiss left a burning pleasure echo, every thrust threatening to make him go blind. Then he felt her climax wall rising again, and lost his mind adding cinder block thrusts to build it higher.

But the way she arched and suddenly cried out made them both crash and burn. He was cuming in triplicate-past, present, and future, finally releasing so hard that he bit his tongue, then messed around and bit her.

In the distance of his mind he heard her wail his name and felt something like fingernails rake his back. but caught within the vortex of a near pleasure blackout, he couldn't be sure. All he knew for certain was that it felt so good, it had been so long, and he'd needed her so badly he woulda taken a bullet for this. Somewhere in all the madness, her name got chopped up in segments, and folded into a moan, a man stuttering, hollering, till it didn't make sense.

Finally dropping, sweat pouring off him, he rolled over still lodged deep within her, to make sure she could breathe. Her body was trembling as he stroked her back, but he was too done to even lift his head to kiss her.

He lay there for what seemed like a really long time, trying to steady his heartbeat, normalize his breathing, remaining quietly in awe, shaken, and in a very reverent frame of mind. He couldn't tell nobody about what just went down-the depth of this wild-ass connection to his line brother he'd take to his grave. Damn. One thing for sure though, the next time he saw Rivera, all he was gonna do was cross himself and shake his head, if not genuflect.

Juanita held him tightly, her face buried in the crook of his neck. Then, suddenly, without warning, she simply burst out into tears.

Panicked, but in no condition to address anything too deep, initially all he knew to do was rock her in his arms. He didn't know what was wrong, or what he did to upset her, and tried to mentally retrace his actions looking for anything he could have done to offend.

"Baby, don't cry. I'm sorry," he eventually said between gulps of air. "I didn't mean to get so messed up that I bit you." He peered at her concerned, but wasn't able to immediately move.

"Oh, God, it felt so good," she said through a ragged sob, rapidly spilling kisses against his neck and shoulders. Tears were running down her face as she stared at him for a moment. "You really wanted me. me. You've never just totally lost your mind like that with me before." She hid her face against his shoulder and wept hard.

He relaxed and smiled with his eyes now closed, hugging her tightly. "Yeah."

She wiped her face with shaking fingers and sighed. "You wanna order in, like, stay in tonight?" Her voice held strained hope within it, and then she kissed the bridge of his nose, waiting for a response.

He chuckled low in his throat as he petted her back. "Oh. Yeah." He nuzzled the top of her head and then lifted her chin with his finger so he could capture her mouth. Breaking slowly from the kiss, he smiled and caressed the giant hickey he'd accidentally left on her neck. "'Nita, I promise I'll take you out, baby. it's just that right through here."

"I know," she whispered, cutting off his words with a gentle kiss. "This reminds me of when we first met."

He nodded. "I know. just more intense."

She smiled. "That's 'cause we're older and know what we're doing now."

He chuckled and kept further comment to himself. Apex-linked or not, she'd always driven him crazy. The only thing she needed to know was that this was all hers. Choices had been made and life had to go on. He was just glad that she felt the same way, too. He'd hated living in his line-brother's shadow. After he'd rolled up on her and Rivera at Damali's house, he wasn't sure just what the hell was up. It had taken him a long time to even check where 'Nita was at, but he was damn sure glad he did tonight.

The way that 'Nita looked into his eyes now, stirred him. he wasn't a shadow, a second choice, or consolation prize anymore. He could feel it in the depths of her dark brown gaze, see it deep within her soul. Every fiber of her body had resonated what he'd needed to know while he'd loved her hard.

Her graceful finger was now tracing his eyebrow, and even something that benign made him shudder. It was all in her vibe, that he was her top pick-which made all the difference in the world. He just hoped their magic would last once Damali and Carlos came back home. but he'd worry about that later. The future was always an unpredictable bitch.

"Wanna go again while the night's still going strong?" A sly grin captured his face as he looked into 'Nita's pretty, anxious eyes.

She smiled and relaxed with a sated sigh. "Oh, Jose. I thought you'd never ask."

Trivia

• July 02, 2006 is the earliest archived mention of this volume on the official website.

References

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