My smart girl 3. Rewriting our stars

But… after that, something went wrong. Hearing the teasing note in my voice, Jay squeezed my waist tighter, then let out a low growl and bit me hungrily on the neck, noticeably sinking his teeth into the curve of my shoulder. I squeaked in fright, completely not expecting anything like that from my relaxed, sleepy tiger, and immediately heard his quiet laugh. I hissed indignantly and smacked the bandit hard on the shoulder. “Hey! What are you doing?! Have you lost your mind?!” Jay laughed again but didn’t let me go. He kept me close and immediately started kissing the bite mark with soft lips, whispering hoarsely: “Careful, kitten… Didn’t you know you can’t pet big bad tigers against the grain? Especially since your bad tiger’s desire to devour you hasn’t gone anywhere.” Of course it didn’t really hurt, but I was deeply offended by his deceptively harmless appearance that hid real treachery. I grumbled resentfully: “So this is how devious you really are… and you were accusing *me* of it… How can you behave like that? That’s it, I’m kicking you out of bed — sleep wherever you want. And in the morning I’ll complain to my brother. Then you’ll know!” Jay gasped in mock horror, pressing a hand to his heart. For a couple of seconds we stared at each other, biting our lips, until we both burst out laughing at the same time. Our muffled laughter filled the dimly lit hospital room. “You can’t do that to me, Bambi… I only bit you very lightly… Forgive me, baby… I couldn’t help myself… You’re so sweet…” he whispered with a smile, leaning down to me. He gently cupped my chin and kissed the tip of my nose. I snorted, wrinkling my nose, and tried to push him away again, grumbling: “And you call that ‘lightly’? I’m going to have a huge bruise there tomorrow!” Hearing this, the culprit of all this midnight mischief just smiled and pulled me closer again. He softly kissed the sore spot and whispered: “Come on, my love… I would never hurt you. Does it… really hurt?” My first instinct was to reassure him that it didn’t, because it truly didn’t. But not wanting to forgive this hooligan too quickly, I bit my lip, hiding a smile in the corners, and nodded: “Very much…” Jay raised an expressive eyebrow — as always, seeing right through me — and, without taking his eyes off mine (warm sparks dancing in their golden depths), asked mockingly: “Oh really? *Very* very much?” “Very-very-very… It hurts terribly, Jay,” I whined pitifully, barely holding back laughter and happily joining the new game he had started. Understanding that I was playing along, he leaned over me, cradling my face in his warm palms, and purred hoarsely: “Well then, since my main patient is in so much pain, as her attending physician I’ll have to take measures and begin intensive therapy. The most intensive kind…” A nervous giggle escaped my lips and I asked suspiciously: “What kind of… *intensive* therapy?” Jay, staying perfectly in character as a cunning seducer in a white coat, smiled daringly, tilted his head, and whispered against my neck, his warm lips almost touching my skin: “Why are you so nervous, baby? I haven’t done anything yet.” I bit my lip, involuntarily covered in goosebumps from his warm breath on my skin. I mentally noted that he had already done more than enough today to give me nonstop tachycardia until morning. Still, I only breathed out: “It’s just that… you can be really scary when you want to be… and your intensive therapy usually involves undressing and all sorts of… indecent things.” Jay smirked knowingly but toned down his dark sex-appeal generator a little. He stroked my cheek and whispered with a soft smile: “I didn’t think that was a problem, since I’ve already seen you naked… But don’t worry, little one… If you don’t want me to undress you, I’ll just kiss you — and it’ll pass…” His lips were already almost touching mine, caressing them with warm breath. So I decided to slightly adjust the direction of his healing efforts and smiled, informing my attending physician: “Hey… actually, it’s my *neck* that hurts, not my lips, Doctor.” Jay froze for a moment, caught red-handed, but quickly pretended that was his plan all along. “Preventive measures, Bambi. Besides, one doesn’t cancel out the other, right?” he whispered with a smile. He still stole a quick kiss from my lips, then flashed his golden tiger eyes, tilted his head, and began lazily trailing his slightly parted lips over my defenseless neck. I shivered and broke out in goosebumps with every kiss, helplessly clutching his broad shoulders and arching into his slow, tender caresses. My sweet sighs sounded louder and more eloquent than any words. “See? I’m right, as always. So don’t argue with your attending physician, sunshine… I know what you need…” Jay purred against my lips. He finally left my neck alone and loomed over me again. This time I couldn’t escape his long kiss. “You know *everything*,” I grumbled, happily squinting and refusing to let him pull away, locking my fingers behind his neck. He rubbed his nose against mine and whispered with a smile: “That’s what I studied for, darling. Or do you doubt my qualifications?” “Qualifications in seducing your own patients? Oh yes, you’re an absolute pro at that,” I raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a teasing smile from under my lashes. He just rolled his eyes and replied with a quiet snort: “God… I don’t need any patients. I have a wife.” Then he added with a soft smile, leaving a light kiss on my lips, “The most beloved and desired one… Even if she’s a terrible pest and spoiled brat…” “But you… still love me… right?” I whispered almost soundlessly, wanting to hear those words from him again, even though he had already confessed dozens of times. Jay smiled incredibly tenderly, stroking my cheek, and whispered hoarsely: “Of course I love you, Bambi. Never doubt that. And nothing will ever change it, no matter how much you act up.” His lips covered mine again so I wouldn’t ask any more silly questions. But they didn’t stay there long — they began slowly moving lower, kissing everything in their path. I closed my eyes, holding onto his shoulders and breathing fast and shallow. Even though he wasn’t doing anything too serious, his kisses alone were enough to rob me of the ability to breathe normally — not to mention the other things he did to me in bed, which it was better not to think about right now since they were impossible. After brushing his velvety lips over the hollow between my collarbones, Jay trailed tender kisses back up my neck and whispered hoarsely in my ear: “You’re trembling all over… Don’t be afraid, sweet girl… It won’t hurt anymore…” His hand buried itself in my hair, turning my head to give himself better access to more bare skin. But contrary to his soothing, gentle whisper, a moment later I felt his teeth on my neck again. This time it didn’t hurt at all — but it was so hot and arousing that… damn. I was already almost breathless, and this demon only smiled lazily and continued slowly, expertly driving me crazy with nothing but kisses, making me melt in his arms. “You know… I’ve long suspected you were a vampire, but today… I’m finally convinced,” I smirked, feeling another kiss-bite in the curve of my shoulder. My Count Jaycula just chuckled cheerfully, not even thinking of pulling away from my neck. He sank his lips and teeth into it again to stop me from talking and distracting him from this fascinating activity. “Why such strange conclusions, Bambi? Am I cold and sparkling in the sun?” I giggled, running my palms over his shoulders. Once again I confirmed that he was definitely *not* cold. I willingly offered my neck to his hot lips and told him: “No, but… First, you bite. And second… you’re just too perfect, Jay… and your face is prettier than Edward’s. You don’t even need the gift of persuasion to charm absolutely everyone who falls into your orbit. Not to mention that insane charisma that overflows and constantly knocks me off my feet.” Jay listened to my conclusions with a perfectly serious expression, but then couldn’t hold back and laughed quietly, burying his forehead in my shoulder. “God, Bambi… You’re something else. How did you even come up with that…” “You can’t blame me,” I smiled and stroked the back of his head, drawing another contented sigh from him. “You really are too beautiful for this world.” “You think I’m beautiful?” he asked, smiling into my shoulder. He stayed there, literally demanding more pets with his obedient, relaxed appearance — which I already knew was extremely deceptive. Still, I decided to indulge his whims a little and happily buried my fingers in the dark silk of his hair. This always turned my bad tiger into something just as silky and completely tame. Rolling my eyes at such a silly question, I kissed the top of his head and grumbled reproachfully: “Don’t pretend you don’t know how good-looking you are…” “Really?” he whispered against my neck, warming my skin with his breath and leaving another weightless kiss along with a smile. “Bandit… Fishing for compliments? Seriously? Are you really *that* insecure, hm?” I grumbled with a smile, looking at my husband who was now smiling so brightly, as if no one had ever told him this before me. I ran the pad of my thumb over his soft lips. They parted, letting out a quiet sigh. He closed his eyes again and quietly admitted: “It’s just… so much nicer to hear it from you, baby.” I sighed, feeling a pang of guilt, and stroked his warm cheek, whispering: “I’m sorry, my love… I know I say it extremely rarely, but you really are very beautiful… outrageously… sinfully… criminally beautiful… So beautiful it should be illegal… Aren’t you ashamed? Take responsibility for my weak heart — it can’t take it anymore… and not just because you won’t let me sleep.” Jay covered my hand with his large, warm palm, pressing it to his lips. Then he pulled me closer by the back of my head and gently kissed my forehead. Closing his eyes, he whispered: “I took responsibility for it a long time ago, little one… from the very first day.” His voice was quiet and serious as he looked at me with that same loving gaze Lina had once told me about. Now it was my turn to ask silly questions. “Really?” “Really, kitten. That very morning when you first fell into my arms, I already knew you would be mine.” His voice was soft and tender, but his smile was so smug it was almost indecent. I couldn’t help but tease him. I snorted with a quiet laugh: “What outrageous self-confidence! And what if I hadn’t agreed to be yours?” But Jay only smirked again, possessively pulling me closer. He nuzzled into my neck and purred hoarsely: “But you did agree… And now you’re mine, forever… So in the end, everything turned out exactly as I wanted, right?” I smiled, understanding it was pointless to deny the obvious. The main proof that everything had gone exactly as he wanted now sparkled on my ring finger. So I decided to go even further and whispered into his hair: “Want me to tell you a secret?” “Are you even asking?” Jay froze, sensing something interesting was coming. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and blurted out on one breath the thing I thought I would never confess to him under any circumstances: “When I first saw you in our kitchen that morning, my very first thought was…” “That a thief had broken into your house and you urgently needed to neutralize him? Personally?” he helpfully suggested, already grinning widely with laughing eyes. I shook my head, smiling, stroked his cheek, and pressed a finger to his lips so he wouldn’t interrupt my confession of the century. “No… That was the second and third thought. The first one went something like this—” I took another deep breath, squeezed my eyes shut, and rushed out: “Oh my God, what a gorgeous man!.. I want to have his babies!” Until then Jay had been biting his lip, desperately trying to hold back a smug smile. But at the word “babies” he couldn’t contain himself anymore. He laughed, shaking his head, then leaned over me, trapping me in his embrace. He cupped my face in his big warm palms, raised an eyebrow, and still chuckling, grumbled: “Wow, Bambi. Why am I only hearing about this now, almost six months later? This is priceless information.” I smiled carelessly and shrugged, but didn’t answer. I couldn’t admit that if he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have given me a moment’s peace and his enormous ego would have flown straight into the stratosphere. But now I could confess it — just like I could confess that I… loved him… more than life itself… Jay didn’t let me say anything else. He thoughtfully chewed on his lower lip and declared with an outrageously self-confident smile: “Actually… I suspected for a long time that you liked me. But you denied it for so long and so stubbornly that in the end even I started doubting it. Well? Was it worth running from me for so long just to eventually fall into my arms and end up right where we are now? You could have spared my nerves and self-esteem and agreed to date me that very first evening instead of snorting those formal ‘Mr. McFells’ at me.” I rolled my eyes with a quiet snort, once again glad I hadn’t told him my first thoughts earlier. The effect would have been exactly like this. Smiling, I grumbled: “Where did you get such self-confident cheek from?” Jay smirked, eyes sparkling, and kissed my nose. “From Dad, Bambi. And trust me, he’s even worse than me. But neither of us considers it a flaw — and neither does my mom. Good genes, remember? Good genes that we still have to pass on to our children… all three of them.” He whispered these words in my ear, trailing slow, tender kisses down my neck. I froze, feeling him breathing softly against my shoulder, occasionally touching my skin with his lips. Sensing it, Jay pulled back slightly, looking at me with concern, and gently stroked my cheek: “What is it, baby? Did I say something wrong?” I shook my head, biting my lip, but the words still slipped out: “It’s a shame I… didn’t get pregnant that night.” Jay closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled raggedly, as if my words caused him physical pain. Then he cradled my face in careful palms, pressed his forehead to mine, and whispered hoarsely: “Not now, my love… In your current condition it’s… very dangerous.” “I know, but…” I wrapped my fingers around his broad wrists, gently squeezing and stroking them, and whispered almost soundlessly, “Still… it’s a shame.” Jay pulled me tightly against him, kissed my forehead, and whispered: “We’ll have everything we dreamed of, baby… I promise you. I promise.”