Obsession

Sorry for any glaring errors. It's been a long time coming, but here it is. Some things that aren't clear in this chapter may come to light in the next...Let me know what you think. ;)

~~~~~~~

Kyan growled under his breath, but he knew both his sister-in-law and his brother heard him.

"Kyan, don't let him get to you," Jasmine urged.

"I'm trying not to, but he's pushing it."

Kyan turned to look at his best friend. Jasmine was currently sitting up in her hospital bed, her hands folded over her large belly, giving him an encouraging smile.

He had come to check on Jasmine, as she had been admitted to the hospital the day he dropped her off. It turned out that Kiran had insisted on Jasmine coming to the hospital for a check-up because he had sensed her pain, the pain Jasmine was trying to both hide and ignore.

Jasmine was put on bed rest almost immediately and no amount of protesting was going to convince Kiran to let her get up, especially since one of the quads was now being monitored. There was some concern about the position of his umbilical cord, but it wasn't enough to induce labor or have an emergency C-section. They were trying to wait as long as they could, but Kiran had already let him know that it was likely he would be an uncle very soon. The stress it was putting on Jasmine's body was also a concern. Four babies was a lot to handle, even with her being a vampire.

Kyan had come in and, after checking on Jasmine, he immediately started to fill them in on the rest of his time with his mate. She was spectacular and he wasn't afraid to tell the world, starting with the two that were closest to him. The problem came when he had mentioned the date that Natalie had asked him on. The moment he had said the word 'beach', Kiran had burst out in raucous laughter.

"I'm sorry, brother, I meant you no disrespect, but the beach? You're a vampire. I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but our kind tend to shy away from prolonged contact with the sun. I know we can handle being outside during the day at our age, but we are still vulnerable to the sun's effects," Kiran explained.

"You think I don't know that, Kody? The words were out of my mouth before I had time to think about it. If I was thinking right, I would have hedged and found a way around it, but I wasn't, so I'm stuck. She reduces my mind to a pile of goo when she smiles at me," Kiran snapped.

Kiran grinned. "I know the feeling. I'm no better when I'm with Jasmine and she gives me that 'I want it bad' look...but enough about me. More about what you're going to do. You can't be out in direct sunlight for more than a few hours before it will start to have a real effect on you. And I'm pretty sure that Natalie won't find you so charming when you start getting cranky. Not to mention what it would do to your body, especially if you're in nothing but swim trunks. "

Kyan blew a deep heavy sigh out and looked down in despair. "I don't want to cancel. I need to be with her. I can't get her out of my head. She's been with me for months. I've been dreaming about her and her sexy little body... She's become something of an obsession now. I can't stop thinking about her and I don't want to."

Kiran grinned. "An obsession? Well, that's not surprising. We Channings do have a tendency to be consumed with our mates and I speak from experience. What about calling and telling her something came up and meet her after their day at the beach? Or meet her later on the beach, after the sun starts setting."

"I don't know..."

"Tell her you want to stay close to home because there's a good chance that the babies will be born soon and you promised to be around for the birth. See if she'd change the location of the date. I mean, if she's as into you as you say, you'd think she'd be willing to do that for you."

"That's not a bad idea, Kody. Thanks. I'll try that and see what happens." Kyan gave his brother half a smile before he turned his attention back to Jasmine.

"Anything you need, Jazzy, before I head home for the evening?"

"No, but thanks, Kyan. Besides, Kiran would just tear anything you gave me apart and go get one himself. He's been damn possessive lately, even more than usual."

Kiran gave her a wolfish grin. "Possessive very, my love."

Kyan chuckled. "That's the protective instinct kicking in. I doubt he'd rip anything I brought apart, but I'll remember not to give you a hug on my way out. I'd hate for Kody to lose a limb. He won't be able to help you with all those babies you're about to pop out if I rip his arm off."

"Ha ha. Whatever. Why don't you go sort out yourself and your woman and leave mine alone?" Kiran asked testily.

"Alright, I will. Take care of Jazzy and let me know when my niece and nephews are going to make their appearance, 'kay?"

Kiran nodded and shook his brother's hand, before grabbing him in a quick embrace. "Sweet dreams, dear brother."

Kyan laughed. "If they're anything like the last few, they will be much more than that."

"Too much information."

"Whatever. See you two later."

Kiran watched his brother leave and turned to his wife. "So what are the chances he's mated by the end of next week?"

"Kiran, I'm not playing this game with you," Jasmine replied.

"Twenty bucks and a backrub says that he won't make a move for another two weeks at least."

"Kiran, seriously. I'm not betting on your brother's ability to make a move on his mate. He'll take his time and do it right and we'll just have to hope that your bitchy sisters don't make an appearance too soon and scare her off."

"Fair enough. I'll put you down for under a month. You think the triplets want to get in on this action? I'll have to call Gideon."

"Kiran. Fuck off. And leave your brothers out of it," Jasmine stated, glaring at her husband.

"Oh, baby, I love it when you get sassy with me." Kiran grinned and halted any other retorts Jasmine might have had with a deep kiss.

********

Kyan looked at his phone and took a deep breath. Just as he scrolled down to Natalie's name, a familiar smell wafted past his nostrils. He turned around quickly and practically ran to the source. Kyan forced himself to slow down before he turned the corner into the hallway where she was standing, talking to another nurse. Kyan waited until the other nurse walked off and Natalie was left alone, looking over a chart. He took a fortifying breath and strolled down the corridor.

"Kyan! What are you doing here?" Natalie asked, her eyebrows shooting up as she saw him.

It was hard not to notice when he entered the hallway. His size was so imposing and he was just so damn sexy. She wanted to run her fingers through that thick black hair and grab on to it while Kyan was between her thighs. She wanted to kiss every single rippling muscle she could see and was dying to wrap her lips around the one she couldn't. Natalie called on her reserves of willpower to help keep her from jumping him in the middle of the hospital hallway.

"Hi, Natalie. I was visiting Jasmine and then I took a walk and got a little turned around." Kyan was proud of his ability to think on his feet. Telling her that he followed her scent to find her probably wouldn't have gone over so well.

"I didn't know you worked here, Natalie."

She smiled. "I don't. Well, not usually. This is actually my first week here. For my program, I need at least a year of work in a Neonatal ICU and more practical knowledge about neonatal care. The hospital I usually work in has a much smaller neonatal care facility and it's not as advanced as it should be. So, my advisor called in a favor and had me placed here."

"Oh, well, that's great. My brother works here, you remember Kody, right? He's usually working in the ER, but now that Jasmine has been checked in, you'll probably find him up on the maternity ward most of the time. If you need anything, I'm sure he'll be glad to help."

"I've already heard all about the sexy Dr. Channing," Natalie said with a laugh.

Kyan gritted his teeth. What did she mean? His brother was sexy? "Oh?"

"That was probably one of the first things that this one nurse told me. That there was a very sexy doctor here named Kody Channing and that he used to respond to her flirting, but would never cross the line into being unprofessional. And that once he got married, it was all over. Poor woman is put out that she can't even get a single look from Kody, let alone the time of day. He's a one-woman man, but she and a couple others still try every once in a while. She even gave me tips on how to proceed, in case I wanted to give it a go."

Kyan tried to contain his growl of jealousy, but it was fast becoming a useless battle. Natalie noticed the grimace on his face and giggled. It was cute, the way he was trying not to be jealous of his brother. Of course, there was no reason to be. Kyan Channing was the one she wanted almost more than her next breath.

"But, of course, I think I've found the sexiest Channing brother, all on my own. Tall, dark haired, extremely handsome and he's not even taken, for some reason."

Kyan felt his face relax, along with his fists. "I am taken."

Natalie's eyes widened. "What?"

"Taken by a hot, sexy, independent and smart woman who I just can't stop thinking about since the day I met her. What was it, three days ago now?"

Natalie grinned widely at the implication and nodded.

"Oh yes, I'm taken by you, sweet Natalie." Kyan approached her slowly, giving her time to stop him if she wanted to.

He watched as she backed up, pressing herself against the wall and looking down the hallway to see if there were any people around. There were plenty of people milling about, but Kyan couldn't bring himself to care. He couldn't hold back any longer. He had watched those lips with a singular purpose and it consumed him, the need to capture those lips with his own.

When she looked up into his eyes, watching them cloud with lust, Natalie found that she couldn't even spare the brain cells to remember just where she was. Her entire mind and body was focused on the man who was coming so close, she could feel the heat off his body and it threatened to set her on fire and burn her alive.

She gasped as his fingertips brushed against her cheek before his hand ran back through her hair and gripped her head, tilting it back. His grin was positively predatory and Natalie wasn't even sure she could stop him anymore. If he wanted to strip her down to her skin and ravage her there, she probably wouldn't object. Her willpower was long fucking gone.

"Open for me," Kyan growled softly, his deep honeyed voice making her melt.

The first touch of his lips was like the soft whisper of a promise. The second was nothing less than a claiming, body and soul. He devoured her with his lips, his teeth and his tongue. He explored every crevice that her mouth had to offer and then invited her tongue in to his own mouth to do the same.

Her tongue entwined with his was the sweetest feeling she could remember and she could feel the juices pooling in her panties. It would be embarrassing if she came just from the feeling of his lips on hers, his hand gripping her hip tightly, the other wrapped in her hair.

When he pulled back, he held on, somehow knowing that he had reduced Natalie into a puddle of flesh, panting and trying to regain some semblance of composure.

"I wasn't too forward, was I?" Kyan murmured as he looked down into those dark chocolate depths.

"Not nearly as forward as I had hoped, but probably more than was appropriate for work."

"Sorry, Natalie. I couldn't help myself."

And it was true. He felt like she was challenging him to prove that he was the more worthy Channing, and he rose to the occasion. There was little doubt in his mind that he had put it down so good with just that kiss that there was no room for another man in her thoughts.

"Well, I'll forgive you this time. Next time, I'm just pulling you into the closest empty room and having my way with you."

Kyan grinned. His cock was rock hard and pulsing against his jeans in a rather uncomfortable way, but he had made significant progress with his mate...and she wanted to have her way with him.

"Until next time, then."

Natalie nodded. "Are we still on for Friday?"

Kyan grimaced. "Jasmine is about to pop and they asked me to stay close because she could go at any time. I know the closest beach is about a 4 hour drive, so that's a bit far right now."

Natalie nodded. "That's understandable. I wouldn't dream of keeping you from your family, especially at time like this. You said Jasmine was admitted here?"

"The same day we dropped her off, she was admitted. Apparently, she was hiding some significant pain and one of the babies has some things going on that they are monitoring, so they kept her. They want to give the babies as much time inside as they can, but Jasmine's looking pretty ready."

"Why don't you just show up on Friday around 2 o'clock and we can go from there. As long as you're okay with making plans on the fly with Kyle and I, that is."

"That sounds good to me. I look forward to it."

Kyan pressed a kiss to her lips one last time, savoring her flavor and swallowing her sighs. He pulled away, mostly because he could feel his grip on his control slipping, and said goodbye.

Natalie watched as he walked away, admiring the way his jeans cupped his bottom. He had a nice round ass that she couldn't wait to get her hands on. With a chuckle, she turned and went back to work. She had some babies to see.

********

Friday found Kyan preparing for his date with Natalie and Kyle, and he was nervous. He didn't know what to expect. Kiran had called to give him an update on Jasmine's status and a pep talk for his date, but it wasn't much help. Kiran had met and wooed Jasmine under totally different circumstances and their sisters had played a major part in making things difficult. This time, it was on Kyan to make it work or have it blow up in his face.

Knowing them as he did, Kyan had warned his sisters that if they even looked in Natalie's direction, he would try his hardest to make the rest of their long lives a living hell. If he suffered, then they would suffer much worse. He wouldn't do it on his own, he would have Candace and Jasmine help and those two were very effective.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone. "Hello?"

"Kyan?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"It's Gideon. We heard the good news, though I have to say, I'm a little put out that we didn't hear it from you."

Kyan smirked. "I didn't know I had to fill you three in on every aspect of my life."

"Only the major ones and finding your mate counts as major. Kameron, Kylie, and Kristina knew before us. It's hardly fair."

"I told them because I wanted to make it clear that they are to stay away from her. I felt it necessary to let them know that if they didn't stay away, I would forget I was a man and try my hardest to end them. You can remind them of that when you see them again."

Kyan heard Gideon's loud laughter over the phone and couldn't help but break a smile. He did love his little brothers, even if they could be pains in his backside sometimes. Getting along with the triplet boys was a trial when he was younger. Gideon was the oldest, followed by Gabriel and then Garrett. Gideon and Gabriel were identical with fiery red hair, while Garrett shared Kyan's dark black locks.

"I'll get right on that, big brother. It'll be fun to see their reactions to that. I can just see it now. 'I want to remind you that Kyan will end you if you even look at his mate.' How much you want to bet that Kylie will try to slap me?"

"I wouldn't take that bet. There's about a 90 percent chance that she will, Gid, so be careful and protect your eyes in case she decides to scratch them out."

"If I'm going risk bodily harm for her, I think you should tell me your mate's name and what she's like."

"I'm busy right now. I don't have time to gossip about my mate."

"No time? Not even to tell me her name? What, you got a hot date today?"

Kyan sighed. His brother was so transparent sometimes. "You already know the answer to that. You called Kody first, didn't you?"

"I did, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to hear it straight from you. Take pity on your poor nosy brothers. Hey, I know. To make it up to us, you can call and tell us all about your date when you get back...if you get back tonight, that is."

"Gideon, butt out or I'll end you too."

Gideon laughed. "Alright, Kyan. Have a good date. We'll see you soon."

Kyan hung up, smiling despite himself. Gideon was always good for a laugh and knew how to make him smile. Kyan had a hard time remembering why he had gone off and stayed on his own for all those years. He had missed his family.

Kyan spent the rest of his time getting dressed in a t-shirt with a black button down shirt over it and jeans that were made to put his butt on display.

He showed up at Natalie's house early and was surprised to find that Kyle hadn't arrived yet. But, he didn't let that fact distract him for long. He ravished his mate's mouth, even as she tried to explain what the plan was for the day.

They had taken their make-out session to the couch and just as Kyan had decided that he was going to lay her back and feast on more of Natalie's lush body, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Shit."

Kyan laughed. "My thought's exactly. I'll let you get it."

Kyan helped Natalie off the couch and watched her lovely ass sway as she walked to the door. Then he reached down and adjusted his sizable hard on, trying to think decidedly unsexy thoughts to help it go down before he embarrassed himself.

Natalie wasn't exactly the woman that he had imagined when he thought of his mate over the many years of his life. He always figured that his mate would be white. He pictured dark brown hair, maybe green eyes and slim. His mate was nothing like that.

Her chocolate skin was so soft and smooth; he would be surprised if it didn't melt in his mouth when he got the chance to lick her all over her body. Her hair was dark, sure enough, dark enough to be mistaken for black, but in the moments that he had been so close to her, he saw that it was a dark brown, with natural reddish highlights running through it.

And her body...oh, her lovely, smoking hot, body. He could barely find adequate words to describe its perfection. Her face was round, her brown eyes were almond shaped and the way her long lashes fluttered when she was getting shy with him almost made him want to cream his pants. Her neck made him hunger for a deeper taste, and the way her body curved had him panting, begging for more.

She was probably a bit larger than Jasmine, but she had the coke-bottle shape that men drooled over. Her breasts were ample enough to fill his large hands, her waist was small enough that he could probably wrap his hands around it without trouble, and her hips were made to be held onto in the throes of passion. It was safe to say that Kyan wanted to put his hands all over that hot little body. The way he felt, obsession might be putting it lightly.

He smiled when she came back, holding Kyle's hand, but it quickly faded when he noticed how upset she was.

"Natalie?"

She gave him a grim smile and turned back to look towards the door. "Hey, Kyan. Do me a favor and take Kyle to his room? Just turn on the game for him. I need to talk to his mom for a sec and I think you might want to be down here for it too."

"Okay, no problem, love."

Kyan stood up and grabbed Kyle's free hand. "What game do you want to play, little man?"

Kyle smiled. "The one with the ABCs on the front."

Kyan had no idea what that meant, but he'd find it when he got Kyle upstairs. He did as he was asked, setting Kyle up with the game console and the correct game before he returned to find Natalie sitting on her couch with a tall, thin blond woman that he instantly knew was Mindy. Kyle looked a lot like her.