Chapter 10

He licked her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue and Jessica parted her lips on a soft gasp. Nick buried his hand in her hair and deepened the kiss.  Jessica was lost in a powerful maelstrom of passion when she suddenly felt her backpack bump against her leg. Concentrating on the feel of her backpack, she ignored the sparks of electricity his kiss was generating and focused on the main objective. Determined to get her revenge, she slid her hands to the back of his head and tangled them in his hair. She kissed him like there was no tomorrow. But she couldn't completely ignore the waves of pleasure his touch sent crashing over her body. Her only consolation was that he was obviously just as affected. Jessica flicked his tongue with hers; he released a low growl and pulled her closer. The vibrations of the sound traveled through her body and filled her with a sense of power. Power that helped her realize that she was almost to the point of no return.  It was time for her to end her little charade and not a moment too soon. She felt like she was standing at the edge of some fathomless precipice, ready to jump and expecting to survive. Things had gone too far and she feared she was close to losing herself, close to forgetting about everything but his touch. It was time for her Coup de grâce. She lowered her hand, slid it down his arm in a gentle caress and when she reached the strap of her backpack she pulled it away, transferring it from his hand to hers. Jessica broke the kiss and tried to step away. He tried to pull her back to him when he finally realized what she'd done. Distracted by the loss of her touch, it took him a second for his mind to register what she’d done. "Lucky for me I can bug my parents ALL on my own" She told him as she stepped back, regaining her equilibrium. Nick dropped his hands to his sides and balled them into fists. As she took another step back, she adjusted the straps of her backpack on her shoulders with one hand and wiped her lips with the other. She couldn't help but smirk when she saw the stunned look on his face. "Two can play your game." She told him, referring to the trick he'd pulled earlier, and turned to go. That turned out to be a mistake. She'd taken two steps when he snagged her backpack and pulled her back to him. He turned her around to face him; ignored her struggles and crashed his lips to her in a bruising kiss. He wrapped one arm around her waist to stop her thrashing and with his other hand he cupped the back of her head to hold her in place. Where the previous kiss had been gentle, this one was violent. If the other one had been a battle, this kiss was a war. He forced his tongue into her mouth and she pushed it back out with hers but he wasn't asking he was taking. He bit her lip-not too hard but hard enough to hurt- and she returned the favor making sure she drew blood. Suddenly he stiffened and released her. "Didn't I tell you not to mess with armed people?" She emphasized the word 'armed' and pressed her knife a little harder against his nether regions. He'd been so preoccupied with punishing her. He'd obviously forgotten about her little toy stashed in the side pocket of her backpack. It gave her immense pleasure, seeing him wince, when she poked his precious jewels with the sharp edge of her weapon, reminding him of it. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and made sure to let her face to show her disgust. A feeling she wished was a little stronger. “Now I’m going home and you are going to stand there until I’m inside.” She instructed, “move at your own risk, got it?” In answer he glared at her but didn't move. When she was sure he wasn't going to try anything else, she stepped back slowly. Facing him at all times, not letting down her guard or her knife. "It's Nick, by the way" She was half way to her front door when his words surprised her. He didn't sound like someone who'd just escaped the monastery. "And I care why?" She didn't quite manage to keep the irritation from her voice. Even when she beat him, he made her feel as if she'd lost. He shrugged, "Just thought you'd like to know my name. Don't you think we should be on a first name basis after your marvelous," The sarcasm she heard when he said 'marvelous' earned him a glare "introduction to our future children?" His smirk had her seeing red and she walked quickly to her door without another word. "I'll see you soon, Jessica." That was a promise if she’d ever heard one.