Chapter 113 - Back To The Business

"No, ma chèrie, I had not. Unfortunately… The territory where you saw Christina still belongs to the same person it did. From what I learnt, she bought a right to hunt there, at least temporarily." A sigh came from JJ's side of the call. "With how much manoeuvring it took to contact the man, the news feels especially dissatisfying. It was a smart move on Christina's part. Now she can hunt freely and not fear anyone breathing in her neck. It's entirely possible that her main headquarters, a place where she goes to sleep and plan, are in some impossible to find hole anywhere in the city."

"Oh. So we are at square one again, don't we?"

"So we are."

JJ said nothing else, and for a few seconds I just sat in my tent, thinking about Christina. He didn't say that, but I knew without JJ's reminders that time wasn't on our side. If we didn't find her, she would find us, and then we would be in trouble. Though, now that I was part of Nightingale Coven, they would protect me as I was obligated to protect them in turn… The thought made me chuckle.

"What's so funny on your mind, ma chèrie?" JJ asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. I grinned.

"Just thinking that my new coven might end up dealing with one more mad vamp that they ever expected to."

"You speak that in jest, but asking them for protection would be a good idea if our search will continue to be unfruitful. You would be defended better in the coven's headquarters. No doubt, they have defensive spells built into their walls."

I frowned. Leave my shop? I had half of the mind to say a categoric no outright, but then I bit my tongue. Sentimentality was one thing, stupidity was another. Death by Christina's claws wasn't an appealing perspective, but neither was moving out. Good thing that there was no need to make that decision right away. "We can talk about that again when the push comes to shove."

JJ hummed in agreement. "As you wish. But please, keep my words in mind. Now, ma chèrie, I have to go if I am to open the shop on time. Have a good time on your trip back."

"Can't promise the good, but will try to manage a decent one. Hopefully, I will see you before the closing time, and kisses to you."

A humorous chuckle reached me from the other side of the call. "The language developed a lot with the new ways to talk over distance. I imagine you meant something like..," JJ's voice changed pitch, and the sexy French he had disappeared into a surprisingly better copy of my voice as he recited, "'I kiss this letter before I put it in the envelope, but in my mind I'm kissing your lips'? If so, then kisses to you, too."

I laughed, only to break mid-sound for a yawn. Damn, I was too sleepy to feel so good, but that was JJ's company for me. I couldn't imagine not having him around now. Didn't want to imagine, to be more precise. "Yes, that exactly what I would've said if I was a character of Jane Austen's stories. Bye, don't be late with the shop," I ended the call before we could end up in a half an hour long chat about nothing as we tried to say each other our goodbyes. I felt like I was in a big danger of that.

With another yawn, I shook my head. I still had my things to gather and a trek home to make. And then just drop onto my bed…

⠀⠀

Oh, what a bliss it was, to sleep on a soft mattress instead of the ground that was lumpy even with the soft rolling mat and a sleeping bag on top of them. Not to mention, the AC. Even the bites I got in the nature stopped itching as bad as they did in the beginning, as long as I didn't touch them.

When I woke up after a nicest sleep I had since the encounter with Christina, the thing I wanted the most was to just fall back down and sleep some more, but a glance on the clock told me I was just half an hour earlier than the alarm I set for myself, so I could as well be up and shaking off that grogginess.

The first thing I did after my morning routine was finished and my mind grew fresh and awake, was finding JJ and giving him the kisses I promised in the yesterday's call. The ones I gave him when I just returned yesterday early evening weren't quite what I had in mind originally. Sadly, by then I was so tired that I couldn't spare more than a peck.

Now, though, I took my time, and so did he. When we finally separated, I was flushed and breathless, and could feel my heart beating hard in my chest. JJ was as cool and evenly not breathing as always, but his eyes reddened to a half-and-a-half, which caused a surge of some primal pride in me. I found myself thinking that I'd love to make them fully red and see where it goes… Rita's words about no better man to lose one's virginity with rang through my mind as I stared into the man's inhuman eyes, mesmerised.

I caught myself and looked away, blushing even hotter, and reluctantly slid my hand from where it rested on his shoulder. This wasn't the time. Even if it was, virginity wasn't as light of a deal as so many told me. At least in my family, it wasn't. "Let's get to the work. The store won't open itself. Fun… we can have later."

"The store can wait five more minutes, ma chèrie," JJ said in a low, seductive voice that the serpent must've used to convince Eve to try out the apple. His hand didn't leave the place where it rested on my hip. "In fact, it can wait all twenty if we make haste later."

I paused mid-step I was so intent to make just a moment earlier. Reason and impulse fought within me before I gave up and sagged into JJ's chest. "Oh, you charmer."