Jack A Grim Reaper Romance (3 page)

Laying her back, he gripped her arse and sheathed himself in her tight warmth once more, while his mouth found hers in a hard kiss, taking and teasing. However, instead of giving her what she so desired, he held her there, her hips pinned steady under his strong grip so she could do little more than shift and grind against him.

Another cry of frustration.

He was like a lion toying with its prey before devouring it. He pulled away just enough to look at her. “What is it you want, my love? For you know, you need only to ask, and I’ll fulfill your wish.”

She could have screamed, but with her hips still in his tight grasp, she’d say just about anything. “Mason, I cannot take much more.” When he cocked an eyebrow in question, she felt ready to strangle him. “Bloody hell! Would you please just finish me?”

And with that he laughed and obliged her.

***

Lilly watched Mason’s naked form pad across the floor, his body bathed in golden shadows from the dying fire. There was an unearthly quality about him, and she thought he looked like a god of old that had come amongst the mortals to seduce her. Perhaps he wasn’t a reaper at all, she thought.

He poured them each a brandy before settling back in bed by her side. The delicious tension she felt whenever he was near pulled at her insides so they felt a tangled mess—not too unlike her emotions. It would be too easy to fall for him—not that he showed any interest in furthering their relationship. Tonight, however, none of it mattered, desperate as she’d been for a distraction. He had served his purpose and served it well.

Truth be told, she had no real interest in something so serious. To fall for him would be a tragic mistake, for he was the one man who could shatter her already fragile heart. It was not a risk she was willing to take, and was happy enough to keep their encounters as nothing more than a casual affair.

“Thank you.” She took the offered glass, and let him gather her in his arms. They drank their brandy in amiable silence, the warmth of the drink seeping through to her very core. She nestled against him, the solid feel of him reassuring, even if it made her miss having a constant companion in her life.

He took her hand and then turned it face up so he could kiss the crescent shaped birthmark on her forearm. “I’ve always loved that spot. You’re one of a kind, my dear.”

A small part of her past, the mark had remained through her death and transformation—a transformation that altered her appearance just enough so she would not be recognized if she came across someone she’d known in life. “I’m glad it did not vanish when I became a reaper. It would have saddened me to lose it.”

“Indeed, it would have been a pity.” He ran a finger over it and gave her a kiss before taking another sip of his drink. He then looked at her. “Tell me more about Jack.”

It felt like she’d been slapped, the breath gone out of her. “Is this why you came in? To find out more about Jack? I cannot believe you, Mason.” She pulled the covers up around her, suddenly feeling all too naked and nothing but a fool.

“Believe me when I tell you, love, what we just did had not a thing to do with Jack.”

“And yet, I don’t believe you. Do you ever leave your work behind or does it take precedence above all else?” She shook her head, disgusted, then hopped out of bed and grabbed her dressing gown. “I think it’s best if you go now.”

“Lilly, I think you are overreacting, given the circumstances.” His nonchalant tone only infuriated her further. “We cannot have a reaper killing innocent people, especially when it’s not their time to die. The consequences could be enormous, so you’ll have to excuse me if I do not set aside my work while a killer runs loose.”

“You’re the most exasperating man I’ve ever met.” She gave her head a shake, but knew he had a point, even if she would only admit it begrudgingly. As chancellor it was his job to make sure order was kept. “You have absolutely no sense of timing, Mason. You could have at least waited until morning to question me, rather than when I’m lying in your arms after you’ve spilt your seed.”

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his tensed muscles. “You may be right, but you forget I’m here on the Elders’ behalf, with business that waits for no one—not even you, my dear.”

Lilly’s eyes narrowed as she cocked her head at him. “So was it the chancellor who just had me or was it you, Mason?”

“They’re one and the same, love.”

“And I’d be wise not to forget it. Is that it?” She turned and started to pace, annoyed with herself.

Had she expected any different? If so, she’d been a fool for doing so. Mason, above all else, was chancellor first—the Elder’s delegate, inspector and enforcer. There was never a time when that role was set aside. He’d made that much clear.

“Lilly…” His voice softened, as he got out of bed and stepped into her path so she’d be forced to stop pacing. He ran a hand down her arm and she felt some of the tension between them melt, making her wonder if it was a skill he’d perfected as a reaper or just his natural charms. “Do you think it’s easy for me? Do you not think I’d like to leave it all behind, even if just for an evening? But I cannot—not right now.”

She sighed and gave her head a shake, cursing herself for letting him melt away her anger. Why she let him into her life and bed, time and again, she knew not. Yet resisting Mason always seemed more difficult than it should be.

“Come back to bed, love.” He ran his fingers down her arm and lifted her hand to his lips.

She removed her hand from his. “No. You wanted to know about Jack? Ask me what you need to know, and then go.”

He tilted his head in acknowledgement. “As you wish.” He found his shirt and threw it on, the length of it covering his nakedness as he took a seat on the bed. “Start with his family, since they seem to be at the source of his discontent and inability to adjust to this life.”

“Don’t you already know all this?”

One brow perked up at her audacity. “Humor me, love.”

She paced a bit, before deciding it was best to get it over with. The faster she answered his questions, the faster she could get him to leave. Taking a seat next to him, she went through her memories, trying to recall the details of Jack’s life.

“He had a wife, a son and a daughter. Unfortunately, the children were quite young when he passed over and became a reaper. The eldest—the boy—couldn’t have been more than ten or eleven, the girl, around eight.”

She let out a ragged sigh at the thought of the children, fatherless at such a young age, and then continued with the information she could recall. “With finances tight, his wife remarried within a year of his death, but Jack knew the man and thought him a right bastard with a mean streak and a temper. Jack worried her new husband would mistreat the children and his wife.”

“It’s never an easy thing to see your wife move on, especially under less than ideal circumstances. Yet there’s naught to be done for it. You need to trust that those you love will find their way.” The gentle tone of Mason’s voice eased the tension between them, so when he took her hand, she let him. “I know how difficult it is to leave a family behind, but he’s been a reaper for more than twenty years.”

Mason had never mentioned his family before, and she now wondered who he’d left behind. If he became a reaper in his early thirties, then he likely had a family. She suddenly saw him in a new light, and the ache in his voice melted away her remaining anger.

“Did you love her? Your wife, I mean.”

He shrugged. “I had a wife and two girls, and they were each my heart. But that was many lifetimes ago.”

“I hadn’t realized.” She looked away from Mason as her throat tightened and she squeezed her eyes shut. Hearing Mason speak of his daughters reminded her of the child she’d given birth to. She’d had but a moment to hold Emma before she was taken away. Lilly died soon after, the child likely going to another family after her death—though Lilly knew not what had become of her.

Corwin MacKenzie, a handsome Scottish sea captain, had been her betrothed. He’d left for a year at sea, their marriage to take place upon his return, unaware that their one night together before his departure had left her with child. With Corwin away, her family refused to let her disgrace their good name, and sent her to stay with an elderly aunt in a small village. Lilly doubted her letters ever made it to Corwin, and she knew most believed she had died in a tragic carriage accident while in France, the lie her father chose to cover up her indiscretions.

“Are you all right, love?” With a finger under her chin, he gently tilted her head up, his brow creasing in worry.

She looked away, and he let her. He twined his fingers around hers, as if to offer her some comfort should she need it.

“I’m fine.” Pushing her emotions to the side, she managed a smile and looked into his hazel eyes to try and reassure him. It was rare for Mason to open up about anything personal, and she appreciated the intimacy, especially when she felt so alone.

“How long ago did you die, Mason?” One did not easily attain the position of chancellor without decades of hard work and dedication, but Lilly was unsure of any of the details.

He leaned in and nuzzled her, distracting her from her melancholy. “Long enough to know that it does one no good to dwell on those left behind.” When she looked at him in question, he gathered her in his arms and laid her back upon the pillows, brushing the hair from her eyes. “Nearly two hundred years, love.”

No wonder he was so skilled. She nearly blushed at the thought, though she could only blame Mason for her wayward mind, as he trailed kisses across her collarbone, his hand just a whisper over the thin silk of her dressing gown. She knew she should push him away, but as he continued to nip and tease, the tingle that coursed through her left her unable to break his spell. Just as she lost herself in his touch, he pulled away.

“What was Jack like when you were together? Did he ever harm you? Lose his temper?” Mason’s eyes were sharp and alert now—a far cry from their seductive glance just moments earlier.

“Of course not. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. He’s not capable of harming a woman, and certainly not capable of murder.” She shook her head clear. It was shocking how quickly he could annoy her.

When he ran a gentle finger down the center of her chest, she shrugged him off, dumbfounded that he could switch between lover and chancellor without a moment’s pause. “Have you no sense?”

“Lilly, you know I must ask these questions, and I’m afraid they will only get more difficult.” He then kissed her shoulder, before going on the offensive once again. “Did he ever frequent prostitutes? Either in life or while a reaper?”

“I cannot believe you, Mason.” She pushed him away and hopped out of bed, needing some distance between them, unable to think straight when he was near.

“Lilly… Come back here, love.” He reached out his hand but she ignored it.

“Even if he did frequent prostitutes, do you really think he’d tell me? Have you gone daft?”

He slipped out of bed and came to her side, but she turned away to keep him from working his charms. His effect on her was most trying and she swore it must be some enchantment or trick, for she could not remember anyone else ever having such an effect.

“A woman always knows, does she not? And you, my dear, are more perceptive than most.” He twined his fingers with hers and bent his head to nuzzle her.

“If that were true, then I’d know to stay clear of the likes of you.” Lilly shifted away from him. She knew his games full well, and she’d not be fooled by his distractions. “This is absurd, Mason. I cannot do this. If the Elders want to speak to me about Jack, then fine. Let them summon me. It will change nothing. I don’t know where he is, and I stand by my opinion that he’s not capable of brutally murdering anyone. I’m not answering any more of your questions.”

It was one thing to help them find Jack, and another to help them build a case against him. She’d not be able to live with herself if she was a contributing factor in his demise.

“Lilly, this is the perfect opportunity to regain their trust. If you don’t cooperate, they’ll have little patience with you, especially after your previous… incident.”

She threw her arms up in frustration. “It’s not as if I’ll ever be allowed to forget it. It’s been nearly ten years, and it was at a time when I was still adjusting to my life as a reaper.”

“Ten years is nothing when faced with an eternity, my dear. I do hope that moment was well worth the trouble it caused you.” Mason’s jaw tightened as he spoke the words, his gaze hardening.

If she didn’t know any better, she’d think him jealous.

“Well worth the trouble and more.” Still annoyed with him, Lilly added, “There’s never been anyone who’s come close to what I had with Corwin—not even Jack.” Her heart fluttered just to think of her betrothed.

She had been devastated to leave him and her daughter behind when she became a reaper—devastated to have their future together ripped from her grasp and crushed to not be there to raise their daughter. When she found out Corwin had business in London several years after her death, she searched him out even though relations with the living were strictly forbidden. With her changed appearance, he did not recognize her when she met him at a party he was attending. However, in the eyes of the Elders, her intentions were clear.