This is Tangent C, from Tangent B. It goes from 95 to 106.
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95 = Owlet =
Blair gave him a long-suffering look and growled, "No. And I don't want to start now. I said I just wanted to go to a department store. No fancy stuff."
James smiled at him, gently. Blair was just going to have to realize who was the one in charge in this relationship. "If you're going to be taking my money, then you dress how I want you to. Understand, Chief?"
Blair looked at him stubbornly. "No."
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Three hours later, James looked with incresing frustration at the young man weaving on his feet in the middle of the Sears sportswear department. As a last, futile (and, he suspected, more than slightly juvenile) move, he had refused to give Blair any more aid than the use of his credit card as the young man navigated the underwear and shoe
departments, and now he was beginning to regret his actions. He had been experiencing those strange episodes of hallucination/imagination/whatever the hell it was all afternoon, and now as he stared at Blair another sensation settled into him--a fast, unsteady pounding, racing, thready, but still strong and compelling, drawing him in.
It was Blair's *heartbeat*, he realized, and the realization had him frozen in shock. At least, until Blair wobbled carrying his bags. With a muttered curse, James quickly caught up with him and relived him of the burden. Blair gave him a reluctantly grateful look, and they kept going, while James' mind worked furiously.
What the hell was wrong with him?
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96 = Nadine =
Back at James' mansion, he got Blair settled upstairs. Going downstairs to call a nearby restaurant to have dinner delivered, he heard Blair say, "You are a fraud."
James stiffened. Offended, he went back to his bedroom to confront Blair.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Blair blinked. "What is WHAT supposed to mean? I didn't say anything."
James frowned. "I heard you say that I'm a fraud. But I've been nothing but honest with you the whole time."
"I was talking to myself, man, about taking your money for clothes I don't really need." Blair assured. "You heard that? From downstairs?"
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97 = Deb =
"Wow! I never thought I'd ever run into a real live Sentinel here in civilization. Then again, why wouldn't there be? I mean, life in the cities can be just as dangerous as in the jungle. Different kinds of predators that's all...This is so out there, man. I mean what are the chances that we'd bump into each other. It's like kar-mouf!"
The last words were muffled by James' large hand clamping firmly over the still moving mouth. "What the hell are you talking about? What is a sentinel?"
"You. You have enhanced senses...er, or is it just your hearing? Nevermind, we can do tests later. A Sentinel is a guardian. I found one in the tribe I was studying before I got sick. They keep the group safe."
James looked at him in disbelief before laughing in the youger man's face. "The only butt I guard is my own."
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98 = Karen =
Blair looked at him in disbelief. His greatest fantasy (well, non-sexual fantasy, anyways) come to life, and the guy turns out to be a self-centered asshole! Then, he thought about last night. Yes, the guy HAD hurt him. But instead of shoving him out the door, where he probably would have bled to death, he'd taken care of him, offered to KEEP taking care of him, even offered to pay his debts. 'Maybe he just doesn't realize how protective he is,' he thought, dreams of guiding this man to his true destiny dancing in his mind. Then reality came crashing down around him again. 'Right, like he'd let a whore like me show him anything. What have I got to offer this guy, other than sex?'
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99 = Bast =
"You know, when I was still in school, I studied....uh, forget it." A look of pain crossed Blairs face.
"What?" James clenched his jaw and felt a little more than mildly annoyed. Why was he even having this conversation with Blair? "Just forget it. Get dressed. We are going out."
"James, I really don't feel......."
"Dammit Blair!! I don't care how you feel. Do what I tell you."
"I just think I *way* overdid it today, man."
Blair never knew what hit him. One minute he was just standing there there talking to James and the next thing he knew .....
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100 = Nita =
...he was being carried into the bathroom.
"You're right. It's been a long day, and McCay did say you should rest. Get a shower and wrap up in this," he said shoving a heavy terry-cloth robe into Blair's hands.
"Man, you're bossy," Blair mumbled, under his breath.
"Yes, I am. Get used to it." Jim fixed him with a hard stare. "I'll go down and make some supper. *You* stay up here. You probably should be going up and down those damned stairs anyway."
"What are you going to order?" Blair asked, stripping unconcernedly out of his clothes.
Blair resisted the urge to step backwards as James' eyes narrowed, glowing hotly as they ran down his body. "I said *cook,* not order. Get in the shower, Blair. You're not ready for what I have in mind for you."
Ignoring the last part of that, Blair said, "*YOU* can *cook*?!
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101 = Bast =
Yes, both *in* bed and out." James grinned at Blair's look. "Why does that surprise you?"
"Uh...you just don't seem to be the type to cook, man."
James shook his head and went downstairs. Blair started the shower, got the water nice and hot and stepped in.
James stood at the sink and cocked his head to the side, listening. He could hear the water, running down Blair's body. He could almost feel Blair's hands soaping up the exquisite body, lathering shampoo into that hair. He heard some moaning and wondered if he should go check on Blair. Then he realized what he was listening to. Blair was jerking off in the shower.
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102 = Karen Spencer =
The realization hit him like a heat wave. Without any conscious thought, his senses expanded, pulling him in like a black hole, into that sound. The moans from upstairs seemed to be getting louder as the world fell away around him. His sight went gray as he felt himself get lost in that sound, in the little gasps, the brush of skin against wet skin. He couldn't seem to pull himself out of it, and by now he didn't want to.
Suddenly he heard a gentle voice whispering in his ear. He could hear the thread of panic underneath the calm, "Jim, come on back to me now. Come on, that's it, come back, listen to the sound of my voice and follow it back," and his eyes popped open.
'Shit,' Blair thought. 'Guess I should have warned him about zone-outs.'
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103 = the lady of shalott =
James grabbed hold of the counter and stared at Blair, who was wrapped in an oversized robe, his hair tousled and still wet from the shower. "What the hell just happened?" he demanded, a little shakily.
"Um, well, you see, one of the downsides of being a Sentinel is that sometimes one of your senses can overload," Blair explained, tugging James over to one of the kitchen chairs. "Then you can zone out and lose track of all the other senses."
"Where the hell is this coming from?" James rubbed his forehead, lines of tension furrowing across his brow. He raised his head and eyed Blair with some suspicion. "This didn't start until you showed up," he stated coldly. "How do I know you haven't drugged me with something?"
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104 = Bast =
"Man, come on - I was in the *shower*!! How would I have drugged you from in there?" Bair said, running his fingers through his wet hair.
"I know what you were doing in the shower too, Blair." James stared at Blair, watching him run his hands through his hair.
"Huh?" Blair's mouth hung open and his eyes got wide.
James advanced towards Blair, his mind intent on the prey. He had been denied too long. He needed to claim what was his. His eyes took in the rivelets of water on Blair's skin, the smooth curve of his mates body. Now the musky smell of Blair's arousal was overwhelming him. With a growl, he pounced.
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105 = the lady of shalott =
Blair tried to squirm out of James' grip as the taller man pulled him close. "Will you make up your mind already?" he panted, struggling halfheartedly as the hot mouth started travelling over his throat. "First you accuse me of poisoning you, now you want to jump me?"
"Mine," James muttered incoherently, tongue flicking into the hollow at the base of Blair's throat. "Mine." His arms wrapped around Blair's body.
"Yeah, the possessive theme is definitely coming through here," Blair gasped. "Oh man, you are totally out of control."
That accusation broke through when little else would have. James released Blair and turned his back on the young man, trying to ignore the siren call of his body. "Fuck," he snarled. "What is wrong with me?"
"I *told* you," Blair said impatiently. "You're a Sentinel. I don't know why your abilities are only showing up now, but they're normal. You just have to learn how to control them."
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106 = Bast =
James turned slowly to look at Blair. "Control them? What if I don't want to control them? What if I told you I needed you to be my mate?" He advanced slowly towards Blair who clutched the towel that was wrapped around his waist. Blair began to back up.
"Uh man, really, this is not a good idea." Finally what James said sunk in and he said in a yelp "Your mate?" as James pulled Blair flush against his own body.
"Mine. Mine." James nuzzled his neck and began nipping it. He licked and sucked Blairs ear. He moved to Blairs mouth, hot and warm. Blair first struggled and then leaned into the kiss. He dropped the towel and wrapped his arms around James' neck.
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To be continued in Part Seven C