Chapter 4
Horatio arrived punctually. He had decided to forego the bulky silver work Hummer in favor of his own pearl white Lexus.
Acknowledging his pre-registered identity when he had shown his ID alongside his gold badge, he had easily cleared through the private guard gate and then had slowly made his way along the long and winding brick paver driveway, which was lined on both sides with towering royal palm trees and lush tropical landscaping. He finally pulled to a stop behind a large mermaid-themed fountain, which put him right in front of the massive mansion's front doors.
He had barely put the car in park when a lean, attractive blond-haired man in a tailored grey uniform came trotting out and gracefully opened his driver's door.
"Good evening Mr. Caine," came the respectful greeting. "My name is Donovan. Please allow me to escort you inside."
Horatio exited his vehicle and nodded to the man. "Certainly. Thank you… Donovan."
He followed the blond man through the giant front doors of the mansion and into a grand foyer, where he saw a huge winding staircase leading down from the upstairs. The expansive space was decorated with tasteful pieces of artwork and sculpture.
A gigantic multi-tiered chandelier, made up of layers of crystal and gleaming silver, hung in the center, high overhead, suspended from the soaring ceiling by multiple heavy silver-clad chains. It lit the entire area with a soft, warm light.
Christ, Horatio thought to himself, gazing up at the monstrous light fixture. That thing's gotta weigh more than a couple of our Hummers… Maybe more…
His attention returned back down to ground level as Donovan motioned to a generous sized room just off the foyer. "Please, make yourself comfortable Mr. Caine. Miss Deverau will be right down. Can I get you anything Sir?"
"No, thank you," he replied. "I'm fine."
"Yes Sir." The man quickly left the room.
Horatio took the time to look around and survey his surroundings. The overall décor was contemporary, with a slightly Asian influence. But there was an eclectic factor as well.
Dark, heavy leather chairs and deep toned mahogany furniture were expertly mixed with more modern pieces. There were items in the room that were fairly new, and items that had signs of being extremely old. And from all over the world.
It was so well done that it felt both classic and comfortable at the same time. Everything oozed wealth, but it was tastefully done, and had an undercurrent of reserved class. He was impressed.
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Jade was putting just putting her earrings on when she received the silent message.
'He's here…' Donovan communicated to her. 'In the sitting room downstairs...'
'Thank you Donnie… I'll be right down…' She silently projected her reply to him.
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Donovan, or Donnie, as she affectionately called him, was one of her most loyal and devoted members of her clan.
She fondly remembered siring him all those years ago, during her long stay in Europe. She remembered meeting him in a small out-of-the-way pub somewhere in Scotland… Such a strong, vibrant mortal. And she had thoroughly enjoyed every delicious moment of their intimate pleasures. The thrill of seducing him, and then completely and thoroughly ravaging his body, pushing him to his absolute mortal physical limits, satisfying not only her own deeply insatiable sexual appetite, but nearly driving him insane with the intensity of the pleasure that she drove him to as well.
But that had been so very long ago.
Through time, Donovan had eventually learned what she really was. And once that happened, he began to doggedly demand to be made one of them… She initially resisted, but realizing the inevitable, she had finally relented. After one final night of intense primal satisfaction, she had hungrily bared her teeth and had made Donovan one of her own kind, one of her own clan, for all eternity.
But the burning fire of the passion between them had been extinguished. For both of them. Yes, she had turned to him at times, just for pure physical release. But the fiery drive… the devouring lust… it was no longer there, and they both knew it.
Jade had accepted the fact, but it still left her feeling empty and lonely.
Donovan was contented to be her house servant. He took great pride in taking care of things for her, in gratitude for making him immortal, for giving him the amazing gift of eternal life. He would never, ever betray her. He would be loyal to her no matter what, and he would protect her with his last dying breath.
Standing well out of sight, Donovan paused for a moment, and realized that it had been quite some time since he had seen any mortal male pass through these doors. He couldn't help but smile to himself after meeting this new man. He was impressive, and he could see why Jade had targeted him. Powerful, strong, and virile. And a red-head… which traditionally meant that there was some fire in his soul. So he would possess strength, stamina, and a fierce determination. But Donovan also noted how well guarded he was. Keeping all of his raw desires, hungers and passions completely locked up and tightly controlled.
He smiled again to himself, knowing how easily Jade would smash through those bonds, thoroughly obliterating them and unleashing everything he was holding deep down inside him. She would be the one in complete control…
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Horatio turned towards the doorway as he heard the faint click of heels somewhere behind him. He caught sight of her, slowly descending the massive staircase, and his breath caught for a second. She was stunning. Her long raven-black hair hung straight down her back, like a soft bolt of silk fabric. He pictured running his hands through it…
Her pale green satin dress clung to every one of her luscious curves. If he touched her, he knew he would be able to feel the heat of her body radiating through the thin fabric, until he slowly peeled it from her body… Her warm skin would feel even softer under his hands as he pulled her to him, claiming her mouth with his in a deeply passionate kiss…
Other images began to rapidly flood his mind, each one more lustful than the last.
He felt a rush of desire charge through him, and silently began waging another major battle in his head, struggling to keep himself under control and harness his wildly erotic imagination.
Jade looked over at him, and her emerald eyes immediately locked onto his. He was rooted in place, every fiber of his being focused on the gorgeous woman moving towards him. It felt like she was looking right down into his soul. Her gaze never wavered and a warm smile came to her face as she crossed the foyer. She could feel his craving for her, buried under the surface, building, growing. She reveled in it.
"Hello again Horatio," she purred. "I'm so delighted that you called. I have to admit, I've been thinking about you all day."
Horatio returned her smile. "So have I".
"You have a very beautiful home," he added.
"Thank you," she replied sincerely. "Why don't we come back here after dinner for a drink, and I'll show you around a bit."
"I'd like that." Yet again, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from hers.
"Wonderful," she said smoothly. "This should prove to be a very enjoyable evening."
"It already is," he answered.
She smiled appreciatively.
"Shall we?" She said, motioning towards the door.
"Absolutely," he replied. And ever the gentleman, he turned and held his elbow slightly away from his side.
She curled her arm around his and flashed him another brilliant smile as they walked out to his car.
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Dinner was exquisite. Horatio had chosen one of the more upscale restaurants in the City, but it wasn't too over the top. It was elegant without being pretentious. And he had to admit, he secretly enjoyed the envious looks of the other males in the room as he and his stunningly beautiful date were shown to their table. It was a quiet table for two, comfortably intimate, awash with the pale amber glow of candlelight.
The food was superb, and they took their time, talking easily. Getting to know each other.
He found himself feeling surprisingly comfortable in her presence, which intrigued him. She was so different from any other woman he had ever met. She evoked thoughts and feelings in him that he had never experienced before.
Jade didn't push him, and throughout the entire dinner Horatio was successful at keeping his thoughts from wandering too far below his belt.
Just after they had finished dessert, Jade reached over and placed her hand over his, and softly caressed her fingers across the back of his hand. It was such a small, simple gesture, but it was incredibly sensuous. And it caught him completely off-guard. He felt like a bolt of electricity had just arced through his entire body. And his pulse wasn't the only thing that immediately jumped. A wave of lust and hunger surged through him, and for a moment he actually entertained the thought of launching himself across the table and tearing her clothes off right here.
"You are quite a remarkable man, Horatio," she said as she looked back up at him seductively. She was enjoying the feeling of the sexual tension within him ratcheting up another notch. She delighted in the giddy joy of toying with him like this, slowly turning up the heat and seeing such an intense and immediate reaction from him.
"Thank you," he managed to get the words out as he felt his iron-clad bonds of self-control continue to slip away from him. He found himself captivated once again by those deep green eyes.
The waiter gracefully approached the table to clear away the plates and ask if there was anything else he could get for them. Horatio never responded to him. His gaze stayed riveted on Jade, picturing her laying naked and splayed across the table in front of him. His mind clicking through snapshots of all the things he wanted to do to her.
She decided it was time to back off again. Smiling warmly, she released him. She pulled her hand from Horatio's and acknowledged the waiter, politely informing him that they were done. The man nodded, and said he would be right back with the check.
Horatio snapped out of his erotic trance, and began a valiant attempt to will his rock hard manhood back down to a level that would allow him to walk out of the restaurant without looking like he had a tent in his pants.
He took a deep breath, and Jade let him be. The check arrived, and Horatio paid it. When the waiter had left, he looked over and smiled warmly at her.
"You are an amazing woman Jade," he said sincerely. "This has been wonderful." He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that this fantastic date would soon be drawing to a close.
"Mmmm. I couldn't agree more," she replied. "But the evening's not over yet. I promised you a tour of my home, remember?"
How could he have forgotten that? The thought of spending more time with her thrilled him.
"Ah, yes, so you did. I'm looking forward to it." He finally felt relatively confident that he could now safely exit the building, so he stood up and helped her from her chair.
They walked out into the balmy Miami night air and the valet brought his car around. Horatio pulled smoothly out into traffic and headed back toward Jade's mansion…
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