The Seven Kings of Jinn

“Hey!” she cried out, ignoring the heat of his body and the scent of his spicy cologne as she tried to escape. His grip intensified. “Stop it!” Ari snapped. Up close, his eyes were a vivid green. Not a blue-green or a hazel-green, but green-green. They were darkly lashed and unbelievably hypnotic. She shivered again. “What are you doing?”

“Jai has a rare gift courtesy of his mixed-blood. While his father is a high-ranking Ginnaye, his mother is a lilif — succubus jinn. The latter means his kiss can be used to place a mark upon those he seeks to guard. A connection forms that means he can track you down wherever you go.”

Ari’s eyes widened as she looked from the Red King to Jai. “No!” She tried to get loose. “You are not kissing me, you big l—”

Abruptly, her insult was swallowed in his kiss. His hot, deep kiss that shut down her brain and made her legs like Jell-O. She felt a furious heat rush into her cheeks and swim downward into the pit of her belly. Ari unconsciously gripped Jai’s T-shirt, feeling his heart beat steadily beneath her palm. As if he were waiting for her to soften, Jai took advantage of her momentary daze to flick his tongue against her own, deepening the kiss. Shocked and excited, Ari had to find the strength to retreat. A lot of freaking will power. But find it, she did.

“Hey! Whoa, you are done!” she staggered back from him.

To her utter annoyance, his expression remained the same. Arrogant and serious. Totally unaffected. He turned to her uncle and nodded. “It’s done.”

“You mean you were telling the truth? You can sense me now wherever I go?”

“Yes.”

“Yes. Just yes. Just like that.”

“Well.” The Red King smiled. “I see you two will get along just fine. Remember, kid, call me if you need me.” And in an eruption of flames, the Red King disappeared.

Ari gaped at his sudden departure. Slowly, in a daze, she turned to lock eyes with Jai. She could still feel his mouth on hers. He stared back calmly, his arms crossed over his chest.

“He left.”

Jai continued to stare at her blankly.

“Great. He left me here in the middle of a life crisis with Mute Boy. What the hell am I supposed to do with you? You can’t be here 24/7.”

Jai shrugged, not moving. “My job is to protect you.”

She snorted. “So was kissing me protecting me?”

He sighed, letting his arms fall away so he could lean on the back of the couch. “Look, it was just part of the job. My orders. I apologize and promise it won’t happen again.”

Ari raised an eyebrow. “It’s just part of the job? Doesn’t that make you some kind of whor—”

“Finish that sentence and I won’t be responsible for my actions,” he interrupted, his rough voice laden with ice.

Washing her eyes over his bristling physique, Ari didn’t doubt he could follow through on the threat. She tried to ignore the goosebumps on her arms and shook her head at herself. She wasn’t afraid of this guy. He was there to protect her. Ari narrowed her eyes. “Wouldn’t hurting me go against your orders?”

Jai returned the expression. “Look. We’re stuck together for who knows how long. So let’s lay down some ground rules.”

“Rules?”

“Rules. One: no calling each other names. It’s petty and irritating and I don’t have time for it.”

“I feel like I’m in kindergarten.”

“That’s because you’re acting like you’re in kindergarten.”

“Hey, I’ve had a really tough day.”

Jai exhaled heavily and gave her a brittle nod. “That’s why I’m going to forgive you for the nasty attitude.”

“What are you, forty?”

She had to ignore the strange little puff of warmth that flared up in her chest as he looked adorably embarrassed at her teasing. “No. I’m twenty-three.”

“You don’t act like you’re twenty-three.”

“That’s because my job is a little more important than most jobs twenty three-year-olds do.”

Guessing that was true, Ari made a gesture for him to continue.

“Rule number two: no complaining about me being here. I’m here until my assignment is over, so get used to it. And rule number three: no going anywhere without me. If I have to track you down using the mark, it will piss me off. I’ll be even more pissed if I track you down, only to find you dead. You dead equals me dead. Got it?”

She studied his serious expression, trying to figure out how she could hide him from her dad and Charlie and everyone. Well… not Charlie. She actually needed him for the Charlie situation, and she had every intention of dealing with the Charlie situation in the next ten minutes. Jai’s vivid (and beautiful, she grudgingly admitted) eyes didn’t with waver from her face. He was so intense and grave as he waited for her to agree. When her gaze dipped to his mouth, Ari flushed and dropped it to the floor. Her first kiss in months and it had been with Mr. No Personality.