Her Mortal Mate

Chapter Twenty Four: Teasing

Adam

Well, there wasn't much I could do right at this moment, however there was one thing I could do.

I reached across her and picked up her plate. She watched me curiously as I picked up the fork and prepared a bite. "Adam, you might want to hold off on eating that yet," she cautioned.

"This isn't for me," I replied, my gaze holding hers.

"You're going to feed me?" she asked.

"Yep! So open up," I smiled, holding out the fork.

She pursed her lips and looked at the offering critically.

"Oh, come on baby girl, you need to finish eating or else they're going to come after me too.” I said jokingly, however I wasn't convinced that couldn't happen.

“That’s not how that works.” She giggled. It brought a certain kind of joy to me when I could make her smile and laugh. It was therapeutic in some ways. Whatever had happened while I’d been in the clutches of the evil wolves, it had diminished that spark of hers that I was so used to seeing. And I’d be damned if they took any more of it.

“I’ll be guilty by association.” I continued on in a conspiratorial whisper.

She laughed. “Well we can’t have that, now can we?” But I still saw the reluctance in her eyes as her gaze moved back to the bite I held out to her. As much as I wanted to give in and tell her what she’d eaten was enough, I somehow knew that wasn’t an option. Finally, she relented.

“Did Caden do this?” I asked after a few minutes went by as I fed her another bite.

“Yes. On many occasions especially at the beginning,” she confessed, accepting another bite. “You don’t have to do this, you know.” She said around her mouthful and I could tell she felt guilty about me feeding her.

“But what if I want to do this?” I honestly didn’t mind. It was satisfying, helping her in this small way. I knew there wasn’t much I could do to help her, mainly because I was a mortal playing in an immortal world. This, however, was something I could do for her that didn’t require any immortal skills. I could ensure she ate and drank enough to remain healthy.

“Why would you want to feed a grown ass woman who can clearly feed herself?” She asked rhetorically but I heard the edge in her tone. The self deprecating kind and my heart broke for her. She was definitely fighting demons at the moment, and she was being stubborn and refusing to lean on anyone.

“For several reasons,” I responded gently, lovingly. “But, first and foremost, I want to ensure you are healthy and well. And a big part of that is ensuring you are eating properly. I'm doing it because I love you. And, I know there isn’t much I can help with when it comes to you and your world, but this… I can make sure you eat. I can help make sure you are taking proper care of yourself.”

I saw her melt at my confessions. “You don’t fight fair.”

“I beg to differ. All’s fair in love and war, baby girl.”

An evil grin spread across her face. “Oh, I’ll have you begging alright.”

And just like that, my insides were like butter and my mind went straight to the gutter right where she wanted me to be. “Now who’s not playing fair?” I asked softly, my gaze holding her mischievous one. Her wicked grin spoke volumes before she sighed heavily and turned down the intense sexy notch a few degrees.

"As much as I may want to jump you right now, your body is still healing from the demons blood."

"You know more about it than I do. But, for the record, I wouldn't mind being jumped by you," I smirked and she almost choked on the bite she was working on as she started laughing.

"You're a little more sassy than I remember," she giggled. "I like it."

"Good, cause the sass stays." Before Leila--my crazy ex wife who'd abused me in every way she could--I had once been filled with sass, life and laughter. I used to never take life for granted. However, after surviving everything she had done to me, I'd lost that vigor and vitality. I'd barely survived. Barely lived after I had successfully divorced her and gained full custody of my littles. I hadn't realized how close to breaking down I'd been until Jadea and her band came into my life and completely and utterly turned my world upside down. If it hadn't been for her getting the ball rolling, I doubt I would have ever sought out the help I needed to become the man I had once aspired to be.

Leila had broken me. She had broken my spirit. And for a time, I'd allowed her to continue to control me, even after having gone our separate ways. I’d allowed myself to live in that victim mentality. Jadea had made me want to pick myself back up and become a better man not only for my children, but for myself. As much as it may have broken me when Jadea had pulled the plug on our relationship last year, it had been the right call to make. I hadn't been emotionally ready for a real relationship. I hadn't been ready for her.

After working on myself and my family for the past year, I was ready to dive right on into life with her. I was ready to go home to her. I was ready to place my heart and soul into her capable and loving hands, because I knew with her I would be safe. I knew my children would be safe and loved. I wanted to share this crazy life with her and no one else.

“So what is the unofficial plan?” I asked her as I set aside the now empty plate.

“Well, from the sounds of it, you’re almost yourself again. I'll probably give you one more day of rest before we start getting ourselves ready to leave the state. The day after tomorrow, we will be meeting with the proper immortal authorities to report what happened to you and your children. Both of us will be telling our stories and what we know about your captors," she explained at my worried expression. As much as I wanted to know everything she knew about my captors, it wasn’t the time. I trusted her to tell me everything in time. If it was something I needed to know now she would have made it a priority.

Regardless, she already indicated I would be brought up to speed in a few days time. "Then, we will take a day or two to take care of your business. Such as talking with your work, talking with your landlord, etc. We will also need to stop by and see Sargent Moore so you can give a statement to him as well. We will get you packed, and finish packing for your children as well. The last thing I will have to do before we leave is go into the underground immortal city below Los Angeles for the council election campaign and debate, which will take at least another day or two." To me, it sounded like she had everything under control, like usual.

"There's an underground immortal city?"

Her smile was bright. "Yes. Though, I'm not entirely convinced I should bring you along."

"Oh no you don't!" I growled at her thoughtful expression. "Just because this happened," I waved my hand haphazardly at myself, "Doesn't mean you get to baby me. I want to support you and be introduced to the immortal world. I want to jump in with both feet, Jadea. I want to support you." Just like she had always supported me. I knew what she had continued to do after we separated and I’d be damned if I didn’t get the same opportunities too, to show my love and support for her.

"We will talk more about it later," she relented, her expression indicating she was reluctant to agree. "For now, you need more rest."

"I feel fine, Jadea."

"Perhaps, but you are still weak and pale looking."

"I've always been pale. I'm white and I hardly see the sunshine because I burn like no other due to my red headed genes."

She couldn't stop her laughter at my goofy explanation of the facts of my life. "Humor me," she pleaded. "And when we wake up again, I promise I won't confine you to the bed or bedroom."

"On one condition," I relented as I stood up and reached down to pull her up on her feet. I gently pulled her flush against me and captured her lips in a lingering kiss that held promises of passion and tangled sheets. "That I get to take you out for dinner tomorrow night."

"Like a date?" she asked for clarification.

"Yes. Like a date."

"Why?"

"Because, Jadea, I want to spoil you. Just because you and I have this freaky bond and we have history that could, technically, get me out of this whole dating business, I want to do this with you. Besides, in our year apart, it dawned on me that you and I never really got to have a proper courting."

She leaned softly into my embrace, her beautiful smile everything I needed. "Has anyone ever told you that you're extremely romantic?"

I shrugged. "I know I'm not the most handsome man ever, which means I've had to compensate for that."

"Adam Lyon!" she scolded, the palm of her hand slapping my shoulder gently. "I never want you to talk about yourself that way again!" She snapped seriously.

"And if I do?" I chided teasingly. "What are you going to do about it?"

That wicked grin of hers told me exactly what she would do. She would tie me up and sexually torture me until I forgot my very name and promised never to say such things about myself again. "Do I really need to answer that?"

No, she didn't.

I chuckled as I leaned down into her and pressed my lips against hers one last time in a drugging kiss. I hoped she felt the insurmountable love I had for her in that kiss alone. I hoped she knew she was everything I ever wanted and more.