Chapter 10 – The Heat Is On

Hyde thanked whatever power was watching over him that he managed to drive back to the Playboy Mansion without crashing his car. Parking the Camino, he pulled Jackie out of the car and asked her if she could walk. Her response was to start climbing his body like a bear climbing a tree until her legs were anchored around his waist. He knew he was never going to get beyond the parking lot in that position so he peeled her off him and slung her over his shoulder, making for one of the service entrances where he could sneak in unnoticed. But if he thought he had disabled her seductive abilities, he learnt his mistake as her hands grasped his ass.

"Jackie, quit it," he growled. Jackie just giggled and squeezed him tighter. He gave her a sharp slap on her rear end to discourage her at which she gasped and then giggled, "Oooh, do that again!" Hyde started to sweat – where the freaking hell was his room? If he didn't find it soon there would be nothing left of them but a smoking pile of ashes in the corridor.

That night Hyde discovered new depths to Jackie's lust and the lengths she would go to satisfy it. Suffice to say that by the time the dawn light crept into his bedroom he was lying next to his naked love slave (one of the games they had played last night) with a fatuous smile and a bad case of cockburn. He surveyed Jackie's naked form as she slept the deep sleep of exhaustion. She was lying on her stomach above the sheets, her legs carelessly spread and her bottom slightly raised from the way the sheets were bunched up under her. As he watched that perfectly curved ass gently bobbing up and down with her breathing, he was seized with an irresistible temptation. He had established his possession of her in every way but one last night – all that was left was the written word. He reached into his bedside drawer and found a black felt-tip pen – perfect! Careful not to wake her, he inscribed in clear block letters PROPERTY OF STEVEN J. HYDE high up on the outside of her right cheek, encircling the brand with a heart. With satisfaction, he spooned up against her back and drew her sleeping form into his arms. Of course, Jackie would spit fire if she ever found out what he had done – he had some scary memories of her rage after he drew a unibrow on her. He must remember to wash it away when they showered together so she would never know.

Still, he had a feeling that no matter what he did he was in for a reckoning once she woke up. Truth to say, he did feel more than a little guilt over taking advantage of her artificially heightened desire. Maybe he could have resisted her if she had not looked at him with eyes suddenly clear and used the "L" word. That had proved to be his breaking point. Therefore, he reasoned, if he was going down he may as well go down in style.

An hour later Jackie felt the morning sun on her face. She knew she had to open her eyes but for some reason her eyelids felt too heavy. Then she felt a warm male body warming her back and a hand circling her, cupping her breast. Nick, she thought, wondering what had led to them having sex. Somehow it didn't seem likely. Then her body registered the smell of this man, the width of his bicep and the size of his cock which was becoming turgid along her backside. With a shriek, she bounded out of bed.

"Steven! What the hell!"

"Morning, doll," Hyde yawned, running an appreciative eye over her naked body. Jackie grabbed a pillow to hold against her front. "It's a little late for modesty, sweets," he said in amusement.

"What the hell happened? Where am I? What's going on?" she demanded in rising fury.

"Now, don't tell me you don't remember. After the work I in put in last night, that would be a real blow to my self-esteem." Hyde was enjoying himself – he had his zen back.

Jackie grabbed a sheet from the bed and wrapped it around her so it came under her arms. This had the outcome of revealing Hyde's nudity but he did not seem to share her shyness and made no effort to cover himself. As Jackie took a step away from him she suddenly felt an intense muscle strain running from her thighs to what seemed like every muscle in her pelvic region. She gasped with the shock not only of the pain but what it meant. "We… we had sex?" she asked, outraged. "How is that possible? I would never sleep with you!"

"Beg to differ, sweet cheeks," Hyde drawled. "You were begging to sleep with me last night. It was all "Oh Steven, you're my hero! Oh Steven, please take me again!"

"Hero?" A memory of raising her arms up to Steven and being overwhelmingly glad to see him came back to her. "I was at a party," she said slowly, remembering.

"That's right," Hyde agreed cheerfully. "And it was a hell of a shindig!"

"I was at a party with Dexter." The memories were rushing back now. "He put something in my drink and he was going to… but then you came in…"

"To the rescue," he finished for her. "No need to thank me, babe. We covered your gratitude pretty thoroughly last night."

Suddenly Jackie sprang on him and began pounding him with her fists. "You swine! You complete and utter creep! How could you take advantage of me like that!" She had trouble getting the words out, she was so choked with rage. Hyde grabbed her wrists and rolled himself on top of her, which triggered some more vivid flashbacks.

"Calm down," he ordered, figuring it was time to quit teasing her. "Nothing happened last night that you didn't want to happen."

"Want to happen? You think I wanted to be mauled by a scruffy loser like you?" Jackie spat.

"Well, you seemed to very much want it for two and a half years," Hyde replied, his temper starting to rise. "And for the record, you were the one doing the mauling last night. I just gave you what you begged for."

Jackie's face burned in embarrassment as she remembered her uninhibited actions last night. "That wasn't me," she said in denial. "It was the drug Dex slipped me." With a shove she pushed Hyde off her and then hurriedly pulled up her sheet from where it had slipped down.

"Yeah, by the way, what's up with that? I seem to remember warning you yesterday that Dex was a bad seed and you saying you knew what you were doing. So was last night all part of your plan, babe?"

"You just can't resist a good I-told-you-so, can you Steven? You're such an Eric sometimes." She knew attacks on his masculinity to be the most stinging burn. "What happened with Dex was unexpected. He's always treated me with courtesy before. I wasn't to know he would pull a stunt like that."

"Give it up, Jackie. I know why you're really going out with Tanner," Hyde said.

"What? How could you know?" Jackie said in surprise.

"I was bound to figure it out eventually. It's a story isn't it? You're getting close to Tanner so you can expose him for what he really is." Jackie just looked at him, surprised he had guessed so close to the truth. "It's not worth it, Jackie. The guy's too dangerous. I know you want another big exclusive but it's not worth risking your life."

"You were really worried about me, weren't you?" Jackie said softly.

"Yeah, well, whatever," Hyde said, suddenly awkward.

It occurred to Jackie that as time ran out on Sharon's execution date, Nick had become more willing for Jackie to take risks. Yesterday he had not even asked what kind of event Dex had invited her to, just instructing her to make sure her tape recorder battery was charged and to call him if she learned anything. She had overlooked his lack of concern for her because she knew how worried he was about Sharon, but she could not help comparing Hyde's determination to keep her safe with his preoccupied indifference. She felt her anger fade away.

"Actually, Steven, there's a lot more at stake than just a story." Jackie explained to him Sharon's sad dilemma, Dex Tanner's role in her downfall and the deadline she and Nick were racing to find something to exonerate their friend. Hyde was amazed at the tale, especially by Jackie's loyalty to her friend. It seemed a far cry from the self-centred princess of Point Place. As he realised the seriousness of what was at stake, his objections were overcome.

"Alright, Jackie, if you have to do this you're not doing it alone anymore," Hyde said with authority. "From now on, I'm your backup." He reached over and took her hand, a loving gesture which caused a wave of guilt to wash over Jackie as she remembered that Hyde didn't realise she had a boyfriend.

"Um, Steven, there's something I have to tell you," she began, gently pulling her hand away. "You see, that thing where Nick and I broke up – that never really happened." Hyde looked at her blankly. "You see, we just pretended to break up so Dex would feel free to date me, but we're still…you know…" Even as she said it Jackie wondered how truthful she was being; Nick had felt more friend than boyfriend for a while now. Still, she was officially attached to him and she did not want to compound last night's accidental betrayal by allowing Steven to think she was available.

Hyde was incredulous. Did Jackie really think she could be anyone else's girlfriend after last night? "Jackie, that's crazy. Even if that used to be true, you know after last night you could never belong to anyone but me." The fierce possessiveness that had soared in him last night made it ludicrous that she could conceive of such a thing.

"Belong?" Jackie repeated, taking offence. "Steven, don't go all caveman over me just because of last night. I don't belong to you!" she said, getting off the bed so that her sheet revealed for a moment a certain love hearted statement on her rear end. She did not understand why Hyde suddenly got the most obnoxious smirk on his face at her declaration.