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Jesse is suddenly in front of me, his movements too fast for even my vampire eyes to track. He takes me in his arms, holding me tightly against him and burying his face in the crook of my neck. I hug him back, and for the first time since I found the necklace, I don’t feel its pull.
“We don’t know what it is or why you feel so drawn to it. It could be dangerous, and I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to you. I just need you to give us some time. Time to figure out what it is and where it came from. Please, Eden.”
“Okay,” I say, unable to deny him when he sounds so desperate. “I won’t touch it again until we figure it out. I promise.”
“Thank you,” he whispers, pressing a hot kiss to my neck. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” I whisper back, my arms tightening around him.
His phone chimes, and I loosen my hold on him so he can go check it. But instead of releasing me, he slides his hands down to my ass, kneading my flesh as one knee slips between my thighs.
“Maybe you just need a distraction,” he says, his lips whispering across the skin of my neck with each syllable.
“Really? What did you have in mind?” I ask, rocking my hips to grind myself against his thigh.
“Well first, I’m going to––”
His words cut off as his phone starts to ring, and we both groan. Lifting his head to meet my eyes, he presses a quick kiss to my lips before taking a step back.
“Hold that thought.”
I nod, and he turns toward the bed. Grabbing the device, he taps the screen and holds it to his ear.
“What is it?”
“Sorry, to bother you, sire, but the front desk called,” I hear Erik’s voice say clearly through the phone’s speakers. “There are two women in the lobby requesting to speak with Stephanie.”
“Did they give their names?” Jesse asks, holding up a hand when I open my mouth to insert myself into the conversation.
At my frown, he mouths the word “sorry,” as he listens intently to Erik’s reply.
“No, they didn’t. And the witch is determined to go down to see who they are and what they want.”
I frown at Erik’s word choice as well as his tone. He said the witch like it’s an insult of the highest order.
“I’m going,” I hear Steph yell in the background.
“That’s her determined voice,” I whisper to Jesse. “He’s not going to be able to stop her.”
“Oh, I can stop her,” Erik replies.
It’s weird, having a conversation like this when the phone isn’t set on speaker mode, but I guess it’s one of the perks of being a vampire. We can hear everything.
“They have to be witches, right? Who else would come here looking for Steph? They could have information about the Grundelier coven,” I say.
Jesse stares at me for a long moment, then says, “Call the front desk to let them know Steph will be right down. Eden and I will meet you by the stairwell in five minutes.”
Pulling the phone away from his ear, he taps the screen to end the call and shoves it into his pocket with a sigh. “Not the distraction I was hoping for, but it’ll do, for now.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t go with her,” I say even as I move to grab my jacket. “If they are witches, they’ll be more likely to talk to Steph if there aren’t a bunch of vampires with her.”
“Even if we believe Steph can keep herself safe, Erik will never let her go alone. So, we may as well be there to hear whatever they have to say, firsthand.”
“Do you know something I don’t?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him. “Have you been reading Erik’s emotions when he’s around her?”
Jesse shakes his head. “Not my secret to tell.”
“You do know something,” I say, my lips curving up into a grin. “Tell me. I promise I won’t tell Steph.”
