“Melinda!” I heard a voice exclaim, as I looked around in confusion. My eyes widened when I saw who was calling my name. Caleb? How the hell is he here? What is he doing here? It is way too dangerous for him to be showing up in front of Jace!
My jaw nearly dropped as I saw him in the distance, with a clearly unnerved Nick following close behind. Oh dear god. “Caleb?” I asked softly.
I could feel Jace tense up beside me, as his dark eyes fell upon Caleb as if he were some bug that needed to be squished. I gazed at him for a moment, wondering what he was going to do.
“Stay away from her.” He said boldly, as he finally appeared in front of us. Nick had a look of pure worry written on his face, as he stood beside him.
“Mr. Turner, what a pleasant surprise.” Jace said, his voice sounding eerily dangerous. I glanced at him, afraid of what he was going to do. “I must admit, you took longer to show up than I expected. Is Melinda not worthy of your rescuing anymore?” He questioned, as Caleb narrowed his eyes.
“Fuck you.” Caleb spat, and I looked at him as if he were crazy. What is wrong with him? Coming here when Jace wants him dead? “Melinda is not staying with you, do you understand me?”
I fearfully glanced at Jace, and saw that his expression was unreadable. “Is that so?” Jace retorted, his voice chillingly calm. Too calm.
For a second, everything seemed to stop. There was an unpleasant stillness to the world, and everything seemed quiet. Yet in a mere second, Jace had his hand around Caleb’s throat, as he slammed him to the ground.
I let out a scream, as I brought my hand up to my mouth. “Jace no!” I cried out, as I jolted towards them. Caleb was pinned to the ground, and Jace’s gaze was cold and hard. “Please Jace, don’t hurt him!”
“You will not speak to me, your king, in such a manner. Do you understand me? I will not tolerate it. The only reason I haven’t ripped you apart is because of Melinda.” I could feel both Nick and Caleb’s gaze fall upon me, as I swallowed hard.
I stepped forward, as I gently grasped Jace’s arm. “Jace please, let him go.” I said softly, my eyes digging into his. His eyes met mine, and some of the coldness began to evaporate. Slowly he released Caleb, who quickly rose to his feet. “Thank you.”
He looked away from me for a second, and back at them. “Why are you here?” He commanded to know.
Caleb clenched his jaw. “Why do you think I’m here?” He stated roughly, still challenging Jace. Caleb, quit with the macho attitude! I sighed heavily, not wanting to have another showdown between the two of them.
Jace was about to speak, when I beat him to it. “Jace, can I talk to Caleb please? Alone, just for a minute?” I asked, my eyes pleading. He seemed hesitant, as his eyes flickered at Caleb and Nick for a moment. “Please Jace.” I said lower, as I smiled gently at him.
Finally he nodded his head. “You have two minutes, Caleb. Don’t try anything, because if you do I assure you the consequences will be severe.” And with that, he turned and walked away towards the mansion.
I let out a sigh of relief. “What the hell is wrong with you Caleb?” I exclaimed loudly. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
Caleb narrowed his eyes slightly. “What’s wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with you Melinda? That’s Jace you’re getting all cozy with! You know, the guy who murdered your parents? Remember?”
I pursed my lips, my anger rising. “Oh I remember, Caleb, very well as a matter of fact. But I don’t understand why you two are calling Jace out! Are you crazy?” I snapped.
“He is.” Nick stated, pointed at Caleb, who in return glared. “Look, we came to get you the hell out of here Mel. Jace is a psychopath.”
I let out a dry laugh. “No he is not. He’s not the monster you all think he is.”
Caleb scoffed. “Oh, is that so? It must be, seeing as you were all over him. You two are awfully chummy now, that didn’t take long.” He said harshly. My jaw-dropped at the comment, as I tried to keep myself composed.
“How dare you Caleb. You don’t know a damn thing about my relationship with Jace. Because if you did then…”
Caleb cut in. “Ah, so you have a relationship now? How sweet. The innocent girl falls for a cold blooded killer. How long will it take before you end up in his bed?” A loud smack was emitted into the air, as a shocked Caleb gazed at me in surprise.
“You watch your mouth Caleb. I don’t know who you think you are, but don’t you dare think you can talk to me like that.” I spat angrily, and that was when Nick stepped in.
“Look kids, maybe we should just take a breather and calm down. Caleb means well Melinda, he’s just worried. We both us. Please come with us.”
I began to shake my head. “No, I’m not going with him. He clearly has no respect for me, and I’m actually having a nice time with Jace.”
I could tell Caleb was growing impatient. “Dammit Melinda just come with us! I’m sorry, alright? Please, let’s just go and we can talk about it later. Come on.” He tried to pull me along, but I jerked away. He groaned.
“No, look Caleb I’m fine right now. But you guys won’t be if you don’t get the hell out of here. Please, I don’t want anything to happen to you two and you know we won’t make it out of here if I run with you guys. I’m okay, please. Just go for now, I beg you.” I said, as Caleb gazed at me deeply.
He stared at Nick for a moment, and it seemed as if they were having some kind of silent conversation, because he walked away.
“Melinda please, I need to protect.” He urged, moving closer to me. His voice got quieter. “I care about you, okay? So don’t make me beg. Just come with me.” We were only a few inches apart, and I looked into his comforting eyes. “I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if anything ever happens to you. Please.”
I didn’t even realize that he was grasping my arms tenderly, and I could feel his sweet breath upon my face. “Caleb I…” Before I could finish my sentence, I heard footsteps, as Jace reappeared.
“Times up, Caleb. I will count to five, and if you are not gone, you will be punished. Do you understand? That goes for Nicholas as well.” He stepped beside me, and I could hear the seriousness in his voice. Slowly Caleb released me, and took a small step back.
I could see that Caleb didn’t want to leave, when Nick grabbed him by the shoulders. “Come on, man. We need to go.”
As they were walking, Caleb stopped, and turned back around. “I will be back for her, Jace. You better keep that in mind. She’s not yours, and she never will be.” And with that, they took off, disappearing from sight.
I exhaled softly, unsure of what to say or do next. I gazed off in the direction that they left in, and suddenly could feel Jace’s eyes upon me. “Are you alright?”
Slowly I brought my eyes to his, nodding my head lightly. “Yeah, I just…wasn’t expecting that. At all.” I confessed.
Jace reached out, his cool hand cupping my cheek as he stroked it with his thumb. “I’m so sorry if they upset you, or if I was too…hard on them.”
I let out a sigh. “Jace, you were a lot calmer than I thought you would be. And you let them leave…alive might I add. So thank you for that.” I replied, as I covered my hand over his. “That meant a lot.”
For a minute, he almost seemed choked up. As if he was not expecting my words. But in a flash, he was back to his normal, composed self. “I care about you, Melinda. I don’t want to hurt you anymore, and I just want to make you happy. And now that you’re letting me, I want to prove to you that I do have humility and kindness in my heart. And I will keep showing you.”
I smiled at this, yet for some reason I felt emotional. Jace was being so…sweet. So different than what I thought he would be like. And every day I’m with him, I feel myself wanting him more and more. He intrigues me, and sparks this…passion within me that I didn’t know I had.
But when Caleb showed up, and obviously expressed his feelings, it made me feel warm inside. I like him…a lot. Yet, I like Jace just as much. I am so conflicted, that I have no idea what I’m supposed to say or do.
“Jace you are so…god I don’t even know what to say. Different. And I want to thank you for being so good to me.”
I could feel butterflies in my stomach, as he leaned forward and planted a soft, tender kiss on my lips. It nearly took my breath away, as my knees wobbled. I inhaled sharply as he pulled away, keeping my eyes closed for a few extra moments. I wanted to savor the feeling.
“Let’s get you inside; I’m sure you’re exhausted from our long day.” He finally said, as he dropped his hand and cradled it in my own.
It was a small gesture, but it made my heart skip a beat.
I followed him inside, and as we got to the corridor I stopped. “Actually, I think I need to relax a bit. If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to go have a bath and go to bed. If that’s alright.” I said to him.
He chuckled. “Hmm, I suppose I can let you go and relax. Although you are asking for a lot.” Jace added with a wink. I felt myself blush, and I leaned forward and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
“Goodnight Jace.” I murmured against him.
He shot me a sexy smile. “Goodnight Melinda.”
Excusing myself, I headed down the hall towards my bedroom, as I moved inside. I walked towards the bathtub, as I found bubbles and began to draw the water. Peaking in the cabinets, I found some scented candles. Wow, Jace sure has it all.
Stripping my clothes off, I stepped inside the tub, bubbles everywhere. The water engulfed around me, as I tied my hair up. All of my muscles began to relax, as I closed my eyes. The room around me was dim, except for the illuminating candles.
I felt at peace, and even though I tried to clear my mind, my mind drifted to Jace. Before, I was so sure that Caleb was the one for me, though I wouldn’t admit it. And I care about him, as does he me. That hasn’t changed.
But now, being so close to Jace and getting to know him, I’m falling for him. Badly. I have been thinking about him so much, and have been, we’ll….wanting him on all levels possible.
My god I am such a mess. How in the hell did I manage to fall for two vampires? That does not happen, not in the real world. I am so messed up.
I heard a soft tap at the door, and my eyes opened slowly. “Yes?” I called across the bathroom.
“It’s Jace, may I come in?” I debated for a second. Okay, I’m naked, sitting in a tub, and a vampire wants to come in and see me.
But…he’s sexy and alluring and I like him. He makes me feel so alive when he’s near me. So….screw it, what's one more bad decision? “Um, sure.” I answered finally.
The door quietly opened, as Jace stepped inside. For some reason, I wasn’t self-conscious when his eyes fell upon me. I was actually anxious for him to come closer to me. Elegantly he moved across the room, and stopped a few feet from the tub.
“I know you said you wanted to relax and were tired, but I was wondering if you perhaps wanted some company.” My eyes grew wide, as I felt the color rise into my cheeks swiftly.
“You mean, in the tub?” I questioned aloud.
Jace let out a musical chuckle. “Well, I meant conversation wise but that would be positively delightful as well.” He said with a mischievous grin.
My cheeks burned even more. “No, the conversation idea works great.”
He smirked, as he came and sat beside me by the tub. “I wanted to let you know that I will be throwing a ball this weekend, and that I will have many associates coming. I was hoping you would attend it with me as my date.”
A ball? That actually sounded like fun. “Do you even have to ask?” I answered, as a handsome smile surfaced upon his face.
“Well, I am going to take that as a yes then. We’ll have to get you a gown, something that is worthy to be worn on your body.” Man he had a way with words.
A pleasant silence formed between us, as I looked over at Jace. “I have a question for you.” I said suddenly.
“And I have an answer.” He retorted, and I rolled my eyes at him. “What is it?”
I paused. “Have you ever…been in love?” I asked rather shyly.
Jace was quiet, and at first I didn’t think he was going to answer. “Yes, I have.” My ears perked up, interested. “Once, when I was 12. I had a crush on our servant’s daughter. She was…beautiful. Her name was Annaleise. She had this long golden hair and these stunning hazel eyes. She was always singing, and I just thought she was so special. Of course, she was a human and far below me in my father’s eyes.”
I waited for him to continue on. “So one evening we were out in the fields playing, and I kissed her. I remember how big her smile had been after I did it too. The next day, I awoke and found out my father had sent them both away, and threatened to have them killed should they return. My father had said I was not to play or associate myself with commoners. And he said falling in love and having compassion is a sign of weakness.”
My mouth hung open slightly, shocked. “Jace I am so sorry. Is that why you were always so…harsh?”
He sighed. “I suppose that is some of it. It’s strange, I haven’t thought about that in a long time. Or Annaleise for that matter.”
“What do you think happened to her?” I inquired.
“I imagine she got married, had some children, and lived to be an old woman. That was many, many years ago.”
I reached out my hand, and placed it over his. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
Jace’s dark eyes dug into me longingly. “And what about you, have you ever been in love Melinda?”
I took a breath. “I’ll get back to you on that.” I said softly, as his eyes burned into my own. It’s like he was staring into my soul. I loved when he did that.
“Here, let me help you.” I froze, as he reached and grabbed a sponge, slowly bringing it up to my back. Gently he rubbed, water trickling down my bare back. His fingers grazed my skin, and inhaled sharply. His touch drove me wild.
Though the act was so simple, it felt extremely sensual at the same time.
And I liked it. A lot.
The bubbles were now becoming scarce. “I…I’d better get out. I’m getting all pruney.” I said softly. “Could you get my…towel?”
There was something I couldn’t read in his eyes, but it was a look of pure intensity. He silently nodded, as he stood up and grabbed a white towel. I watched him move back towards me, as I licked my lips.
He held it out, as I stood up in the tub, my knees shaky. Quickly I wrapped the towel around me, as Jace helped me out of the bathtub. He stood without saying a word, and I could feel my whole body burning with a fire I wasn’t use to.
“You…have your towel now.” He muttered lightly.
I nodded. “Y-yeah, I know. Thank you.”
More silence, as he continued to look at me with those gorgeous eyes of his. “Would you ever be willing to fall in love…again?” I asked finally.
Jace reached out, running his thumb slowly over my bottom lip. “I already am.”
Something inside of me took over, and without a second thought, I grabbed onto Jace, pulling him into me. “Kiss me.” I whispered, my fingers going through his hair and our foreheads touching. “I want you to kiss me Jace, really kiss me. Because I think that I may…be falling in love with you too.”
His hands dropped to my waist, as he pressed me into him. “Well, when you say it like that.” He said, his voice husky and full of hunger.
And with that, his lips met mine, and I felt myself melt into him.