26. Jasmine

Jasmine sat cross-legged on the floor of the hotel room, the enlarged map of Tibet spread out before her. It was night outside, and the room was dimly lit. The only source of illumination came from the bedside lamp, which was nothing more than an exposed lightbulb screwed onto something resembling a vase.

She"d wanted to bring candles with her for the ritual, but given the practical considerations of space and weight, not to mention the prospect of doing so in a tent, she"d opted to use incense instead.

The sweet, heavy scents of sandalwood and juniper weaved through the stale air of the small room, curling in whispers of smoke from a flickering stick nestled in an incense holder by the window.

The fragrance clung to the threadbare curtains and seeped into her clothing and bed linens, which given the smell in the room was a big improvement.

Jasmine took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind and focus. She imagined the Kra-ell pod, with twenty people inside of it. Now that she had been given more details, it was easier to visualize the alien craft, and hopefully that would help her scrying.

Except, it didn"t.

The more she tried to focus her inner energy into the stick, the less response she was getting from it.

With frustration and disappointment welling up inside her, tears stung the back of her eyes, further obliterating her concentration. She closed her eyes, refusing to admit defeat and let Edgar see her breaking down.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Jasmine sighed heavily and slumped forward, her head hanging low. "It"s no use," she admitted, her voice barely audible over her breathing. "I"ve tried everything, but I just can"t get a read on the location."

Edgar was by her side instantly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "Hey, it"s okay," he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "You"re doing the best you can, Jaz. Spiritual stuff is finicky. You said so yourself. Sometimes it gives you what you ask for, and sometimes it doesn"t."

It was true that she had said that, and yet, she couldn"t shake the feeling of failure that clung to her like a layer of stinky tar. Turning in Edgar"s embrace, she buried her face in his chest and sighed. "I hate letting everyone down."

Edgar held her tightly, one hand rubbing soothing circles on her back while the other cradled her head. "You are not letting anyone down, and this defeatist attitude is counterproductive, especially for this kind of work. You need to believe in yourself, or you will surely fail."

She chuckled. "Your pep talk sounds more like an accusation, but it"s working." She lifted her head to look at him. "If I gave up every time I failed at something, I would never leave my bed."

A smile teased his lips. "I could work with that."

He was such a flirt. Surging up, she captured his lips in a kiss.

Edgar took over instantly, his mouth moving against hers with a hunger that ratcheted her own. Hands roaming and breaths mingling, they lost themselves in each other for a few precious moments, but then the familiar tightness in her chest forced her to pull away, gasping for air.

She still wasn"t doing well in the high altitude, and the smallest exertion resulted in her struggling to catch her breath, spots dancing before her eyes.

Edgar sprang into action, reaching for the canister of oxygen that Julian had given her. "Take a few deep breaths." He held the mask to her face.

Jasmine inhaled gratefully, feeling the oxygen flooding her lungs and easing the pressure in her chest. When her breathing began to even out, she put her hand over his and pushed the mask aside. "I"m good now."

Edgar brushed a strand of hair back from her face. "You are always good. Especially when you are being bad."

Jasmine felt a flush of heat rush through her. "I would love to be bad with you, but I"m afraid I will pass out."

He smiled. "I can think of several ways to pleasure you that will not require you to move a muscle."

Jasmine had a good idea what those methods were. "Are they bad, though?" she teased.

"Absolutely wicked." He lifted her by the waist, carried her to their bed, and set her down. "And they come with the added benefit of a venom bite that will make you feel much better tomorrow." He leaned down, grabbed a pillow, and put it behind her. "Lie down, sweetheart."

As she did what he asked, he hovered over her for a long moment, his eyes roaming hungrily over her body while he traced the contours of her face with a feather-light touch.

"You"re so beautiful," he murmured.

"You are not too bad yourself." She reached up to cup his face in her hands.

As their lips met in a hard kiss, Jasmine lost herself in the sensation of Edgar"s body pressed against hers. His hands roamed over her skin, stripping her clothes off and leaving trails of fire in their wake.

When he kneeled on the floor, she lifted on her forearms and looked at him. "I don"t want it to be just about me."

"Don"t worry." He unzipped his pants and pulled out his shaft. "I"ll do the honors for both of us."

There was something so sexy about what he was offering. "The good news is that we will save a condom."

"That"s the only good news?" He leaned down and swiped his tongue over her slit.

Her eyes rolled back in their sockets. "That"s good news as well."

He licked her again and then entered her with two fingers. "How about this?"

She could barely talk, and it wasn"t because she was starved for oxygen this time. "Yeah, that"s also good. Very good. Keep going."

He chuckled against her wet folds, the vibrations adding to her heightened state of arousal. "Oh, I intend to."

Jasmine wished she could watch him pump his shaft in sync with his licking and fingering, but his head was blocking her view. Still, she could hear the lurid sounds he was making, and that was sexy as hell. Closing her eyes, she let his skilled fingers and wickedly talented tongue wind up the tight coil of her pleasure.

When the sounds of his hand sliding up and down his shaft became frantic, so did his assault on her core and her clit, and as the coil sprang, she felt him sink his fangs into the tender skin of her inner thigh. The searing pain prompted her to scream, but she turned her face and pressed her mouth against her inner arm to muffle the sound, and when the venom entered her system, she climaxed again.

Lost in ecstasy, she shot up to the sky, and the world receded into a distant hum.