Her libido had turned her into a dumb ass, she decided. She should be planning her escape instead of standing, shaking, in a shower. Her rubbery legs had nothing to do with her massive hangover right now, and everything to do with the memory of the firelight playing across his face last night. The flames had caused his hair to dance with shades of red and orange. That sexy smile of his did strange things to her insides. Butterflies didn’t kick around in her stomach around him; no, a whole car full of clowns kicked around in there.
Had she been wrong all this time? Was it bad men who became bad vampires? Were there good ones out there? Maybe she’d stumbled across some of them, but were they faking?
Her head felt way too foggy to begin to sort through it all; the more she tried the more confused she became. Paige turned the shower off as the water, stored on the roof and heated by the sun, began to run cold. She stood for another minute before stepping out of the shower and toweling off. With a sigh of pleasure, she scrubbed her teeth, brushed her hair, and dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose fitting sweater from the supply Emma had given to her yesterday. She actually felt somewhat human again when she exited the bathroom.
Making her way through the small cabin, she peered into the living room. A crocheted blue and white blanket was folded neatly at the end of the empty couch. She glanced into the kitchen, but she didn’t see him there either. Frowning, she stepped onto the porch and shaded her eyes against the sun. The glowing ball of light was far too cheerful for her liking right now.
Scanning the tree line, she searched for Ian, but she didn’t see him amongst the woods. She could escape; she could walk straight across the clearing, into the forest, and be gone. You’re not a prisoner, he’d told her, but he wouldn’t let her leave here, would he?
Had he walked out of here? Had he left her here and gone back to his life? The idea bothered her more than she would have liked. It didn’t bother her that she was stuck out here all alone; she’d find her way home, but if he had walked out of here she would never see him again, and for reasons she didn’t want to explore too deeply, that bothered her, a lot.
She hated the sick feeling twisting through her stomach; a feeling that had nothing to do with the vast quantity of booze she’d consumed last night. Dropping her hand down, she tried to ignore the disappointment crashing through her as she threw back her shoulders. She turned toward the cabin to gather her things, before taking the long walk to wherever the closest town was. A rustle of leaves caught her attention, freezing her in place on the porch.
As she watched, Ian emerged from amongst the foliage. Despite his massive size, he moved through the leaves and branches as effortlessly as a deer. The realization he belonged amongst the forest, wild and free, crossed her mind. A feral air surrounded him as he moved forward with the easy grace of a predator. And he was a predator, it was easy to forget that when she was around him, but it was true. She reminded herself of this, even as her heart began to race and her mouth watered.
The electric blue tank he wore made his eyes more azure. His jeans hugged the powerful muscles of his thighs; his firm ass looked like it had been carved from marble. Yep, being attacked in the alley and the subsequent events, or maybe it was the Scotch, had completely fried her brain and kicked her sex drive into hyperactive mode.
The sunlight lit his hair, turning it blonder. His eyes sparkled as he placed one foot on the bottom step of the porch and rested his elbow on the railing. She couldn’t resist the smile he gave her. “Good morning, Sunshine,” he drawled. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” she murmured while she eyed the bags in his hand. “Where did you go?”
The scent of something entirely delicious made her stomach growl when he held the bags toward her. “There’s enough food here to get you through at least a few days, but I’m not much of a cook, and I thought you might appreciate something warm to eat this morning.”
“I would,” she admitted. “Where did you get it?”
“I ran into town.”
Her ears perked at his words. “Where’s town?”
His smile widened; he dangled one of the bags from his two fingers before her. “About forty miles east of here.”
“Forty miles?” she squeaked. “You ran forty miles? Did you sleep at all?”
“Like a log.”
She glanced over his tussled hair and the sweat barely beading on his enticing flesh. “There’s no way.”
“There’s always a way. I made it to town in five minutes flat. It was off my average time, but I blame the tequila. Now would you like this bacon, hash browns and eggs, or not?”
The answering rumble of her stomach caused him to chuckle as he climbed up the rest of the steps. She was tall for a woman, nearly five ten, but she still had to tilt her head back to look at him as he towered over her. Her heart beat faster; her fingers twitched as he handed the bag out to her.
“My roommates tell me greasy food is best for a hangover,” he said.
“Your roommates are geniuses,” she replied as she took the plastic bag from him.
Ian couldn’t help but admire the sway of her hips as he followed her into the kitchen. Her lithe body had haunted more than a few of his dreams last night, and left him with a severe case of morning wood upon waking. The run into town had been a good way to burn off some of his remaining lust and the booze still in his system. The booze may be gone, but looking at her made the blood rush back into his dick again.
He placed the other bag on the counter as she settled in at the small table in the kitchen. The damp tendrils of her hair spiraled over her shoulders and dampened the black sweater she wore. The scent of apples drifted from her, pricking his hunger and making his fangs tingle. What he wouldn’t give to run his tongue over her flesh and sink his fangs into her creamy throat. Ambrosia, that’s what her blood would be, he was certain of it.
Forcing his attention away from her, he focused on the kitchen. It had a two-burner wood stove to cook on, and what he assumed people had once considered an ice chest. There were bags of ice stored in the chest, along with the few perishables Emma had bought and stored inside. He’d grabbed a couple more bags of ice while he’d been in town. The ice cracked and broke apart when he banged it on the counter. It clinked together when he dumped it into the chest.
Paige opened up the first Styrofoam container from wherever he’d ordered it. The sight of the crispy bacon made her mouth water. She grabbed a piece and munched on it as he finished unpacking the last two bags. Her eyebrows rose at the sight of the sketchpad and pencils he placed on the counter. Her fingers tingled with the urge to grasp hold of the supplies and open the pad.
“What are you doing with those?” she asked, unable to tear her eyes away from them.
He turned toward her. “You don’t remember telling me you liked to draw last night?”
Paige glanced between him and the pad. Her brain slogged through the memories of last night until it drummed up the one he was talking about. She had told him about her love of drawing sometime during one of their umpteenth hands of cards. She couldn’t recall what had driven her to pick up her first pencil and put it to paper, but she’d always felt the urge to take the images in her mind and put them to paper. It had been a way to escape a world that had been more than a little frightening when she’d been a child.
Looking up, she found him raptly watching her with an almost hopeful expression on his face. “I didn’t think you would remember,” she murmured.
“I remember many things,” he replied with ease. The suggestive gleam in his eye made her toes curl. She ducked her head away and focused on her meal again. “The store didn’t have much of an art section, but I figured with the lack of all things electronic you’d like something else to do.”
She couldn’t help but smile at him. “Thank you. It’s one of the nicest things someone has done for me in years,” she replied honestly.
Ian glanced at the simple pad and assortment of pencils before looking at her a
gain. She deserved far more than these simple things, and he wouldn’t mind being the one who gave them to her. “It shouldn’t be, you deserve far more than this, and you should have it.”
Paige found herself completely speechless as she stared at him. What kind of a murderous vampire bought a girl a sketchpad? He was, without a doubt, the most confusing man she’d ever encountered. She tried to keep hold of her hate and distrust of him, but he kept hammering away at all of her firm resolve.
She focused on her meal and dug into the eggs with the plastic utensils the restaurant had supplied. He closed the last cabinet he’d placed some canned food into before turning to face her. She knew she must look like a pig, but she didn’t care. She’d never been one not to eat or to curb her appetite in front of others; she loved food, all of it. Using her toast, she pushed the remaining eggs onto it and finished off her meal.
“Full?” he asked.
“I am. It definitely hit the spot. Thank you.” His white teeth flashed as he rested his arms on the counter. “You didn’t expect me to run while you were gone?”
“No, I thought you might, but like I said you’re not a prisoner here. I need you to stay here until I know my family is safe.”
“What would you have done if I did run?” she inquired.
“I would have found you.” She had no doubt about that, especially if he could run forty miles in five minutes. Stepping away from the counter, he slid into the rickety chair across from her. “But better me than the grizzlies,” he teased.
“Maybe,” she muttered.
“Are you back to being a Grumpy Gus again?” he inquired. “Perhaps we’ll have to keep you drunk on Scotch the whole time we’re here.”
“Ugh,” she groaned.
“I’ll take that as a no.”
“Absolutely not.”
“I took the canoe down to the lake earlier,” he said as he tapped his fingers on the table. “There’s not much else to do around here, would you like to try some fishing or boating on the lake.” She bit on her lip as she pondered his question. “I promise not to bite,” he cajoled.
A small laugh escaped her. “I’m not sure my stomach is up for water right now.”
“Ah, I see. The pitfalls of being human. We could always go for a walk.”
“I think I can handle that.”
He rose so swiftly, and in such an elegant way that she had to clamp her mouth shut in order to keep from gawking. “Good.” He held his hand out to her. She stared at it before reluctantly sliding her hand into his. The feel of his skin against hers caused a delicious shiver to travel down her spine. He may be one of the undead, but no one had ever made her feel more alive than he did.
“That didn’t hurt, did it?”
The words came out of his mouth like a purr. She had a feeling he knew her body had an instinctive reaction to his. She almost jerked her hand away from his, but she couldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he affected her. Her pulse picked up as she found herself almost pressed against his broad chest. She tilted her head back to look at him.
His eyes were hooded, his mouth quirked as his gaze traveled over her. It had been three days since he’d last had sex, he hadn’t gone this long in a couple of years, but looking down at her he didn’t feel the piercing urge that usually drove his sexual needs with such intensity. She calmed him in ways no one ever had before. She made him feel sane again, made him feel like he had before he’d stopped aging. He’d missed feeling normal; he hadn’t realized how badly until now.
Unable to resist, he brushed back a strand of her damp, curling hair and tucked it behind her ear. “See, I’m really not a monster.”
Words were something she spoke every day, but she found herself struggling to find some as his breath tickled her cheek. The warmth of his body caused her breasts to tingle; she instinctively swayed closer to him as pleasure rippled over her sensitized skin. “It’s still early in the week,” she said.
He laughed, his hand fell away from her face as his thumb caressed the back of her hand. Paige took a reluctant step away. She had to put some distance between them to regain control of herself. “Yes it is, Paige. Yes it is.”
A shiver slid down her spine at the unspoken promise within his words.
Chapter Ten
Ian walked by her side through the woods and toward the lake about a half a mile away from the cabin. He’d done a fair amount of exploring the area while she’d still been asleep, in order to keep his mind occupied. The lake, mountains, and surrounding area reminded him a little of the home he’d shared with his family. A twinge of longing filled him at the thought of the home he’d most likely never see again. He’d called his mom when he’d gone into town and discovered cell phone service. She’d confirmed they’d decided to play it safe and leave Oregon. He’d miss his home, but there was nothing to be done about it, and he didn’t think he would change anything, even if he could.
He glanced down at Paige’s bent head as she walked. A tingle went through him when he spotted the vein pulsing in the side of her neck. He wasn’t used to denying himself, not with women. Indulging in the female race was how he managed to get through his days, but Paige was different. She wasn’t like one of the many other women he’d taken back to his room. She wasn’t one of the women he’d taken into backrooms or some hotel. Mainly because she wasn’t willing to be taken somewhere with him, and also because he knew his one and done rule wouldn’t apply to her. He’d want much more from her.
The sun filtering through the trees played across her chocolate colored hair and brought to life the shades of mocha and sable within it. She glanced up at him from under her sweeping lashes; a scowl curved her mouth when she caught him staring at her. The turquoise color of her eyes deepened before she hastily looked away.
“Did you find it strange to grow up as a vampire?” she inquired.
“Did you find it strange to grow up as a human?”
Her eyes shot up to his; she blinked at him before releasing a small chuckle. “No, I didn’t.”
“Neither did I,” he assured her. “We went to school when we were old enough to control ourselves. I had friends, played on sports teams, went on dates, went to prom, and attended college.”
She stopped walking, causing him to turn to look at her. Her gaze ran over his tall, broad frame as she tried to sort through what he was saying to her. “It all sounds so… normal.”
“It is, for me.”
“You aged like a normal human?”
“Until ten months ago.”
She brushed back a strand of her hair and held it as a breeze drifted over them. “What happened ten months ago?”
“I reached maturity and stopped aging.”
Her gaze raked over him again. “So this is what you’ll look like, forever?”
“Impressed?” he asked with a crooked smile.
She didn’t look at all impressed when she rolled her eyes at him. “You’re so arrogant.”
“Only when I’m right,” he assured her.
“Ugh.” She waved her hand at him dismissively before she started walking again. He fell into step beside her. “You won’t age anymore?”
“No, I won’t.”
“What does that feel like?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean how does it feel not to age? Not to have to worry about death, for the most part anyway, or arthritis or cancer? To know your family and loved ones will always be with you? It must be such a freeing feeling.”
“I never really thought about it,” he admitted.
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t,” she replied.
“I still know loss and grief,” he told her. “I’ve had human friends die. I don’t get to keep the friends I’ve made for long, as they age and I stay the same. I may be immortal, but I can still be killed. The same goes for the rest of my family. I still have a fear of death.”
Paige pondered his words. “Yes, I suppose you do. Just no fear of wrinkles.”
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br /> The muscles in his neck stood out when he threw his head back and laughed. She couldn’t help but admire the way the sun played over his blond hair and chiseled features. His eyes twinkled with amusement when he looked at her again. “I may be missing out on something, I’ve heard men become more distinguished with age.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “You would be the guy chasing women around the nursing home in a wheelchair if you were human,” she admitted.
“Only the nurses, that uniform,” he replied with a wink.
He liked uniforms, did he? The idea of it caused a flutter in her belly. She definitely had to steer them away from this conversation. “You grieved for the friends you lost?”
This time he was the one who stopped walking, and she turned to face him. “I’m not a monster, I have feelings, no matter what you may think.”
The hand holding her hair fell back to her side. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she said. “I was only asking.”
“Yes. I grieved for them.”
She gave him a wan smile before starting down the path again. “I’m sorry for your loss then.”
“Thank you.”
They walked another quarter mile before she spoke again, “What were you going to college for?”
“I majored in early education and minored in psych.”
Paige almost tripped over her feet when she spun to look at him. “You were going to be a teacher?”
“The idea of a vampire teacher a little too much for you?”
Paige thought she might have to pick her jaw up from the ground, but she finally recovered her composure. “Yes, it is.”
“I’ve always liked children, and not to eat,” he hastily added. The hearty belly laugh she emitted brought a smile to his face. Her clear, brilliant eyes radiated light and amusement as she gazed up at him. “One day I’d like to have a family, maybe not as big as mine, but I wouldn’t mind having four or five kids.”
The Vampire Awakenings Bundle: Books 1-5 Page 94
