Untamed (Vampire Awakenings, Book 3)

by Brenda K. Davies

  She cared for him, she didn't want to hear the words that this would end within the next three weeks, that he already knew she wasn't the one. He wasn't into one-night stands but three weeks together wouldn't be considered a one-night stand. And that was if he even intended to continue seeing her after this. There'd been no promises between them; there were no guarantees. Emma shook her head to clear it of her rambling thoughts before she became a bumbling, clingy mess that drove him out the door right now.

  "We didn't use protection," she muttered.

  He almost laughed out loud but managed to stifle it before he upset her. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell her that no disease would be able to survive in his system. "I've been tested, I'm clean," he assured her instead.

  She swallowed heavily. "I'm on the pill but we still should have used something more." She'd considered going off of it after Tristan but it had helped with her acne so she'd chosen to stay on it.

  He nuzzled the side of her neck and kissed her. "It's ok Emma."

  "Ethan..."

  "It's too late to worry about it now, we got carried away, but we will deal with it if the time comes."

  She leaned back to look apprehensively at him again but he kissed her nose before she could offer any further protest. Though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he lifted her up and reluctantly pulled himself from her. He placed her on her feet and helped her to adjust the straps on her dress. Clasping her cheeks in his hands, he tilted her face up and kissed her.

  "Why don't you go get out of these wet clothes," he suggested. "Where are the towels?"

  "There's some in the hall closet, I'll get them."

  "I'll grab them, clean up out here and I'll join you in a few minutes." She looked as if she was going to say more but he turned her toward the hall. "Go on," he urged.

  She glanced back at him as she stopped outside of her bedroom door, but he waved her onward. She hesitated before slipping through the doorway to her room. Ethan pulled his jeans up and buttoned them before grabbing the towels from the closet and using them to wipe up the water. He grabbed her ruined panties from the floor and hurried down to the room she'd disappeared into.

  She was already lying in the bed, she watched him as he entered the room. Her damp hair spread out around her, the white t-shirt she wore was baggy on her small frame and made her appear extremely vulnerable. The thought that he would enjoy seeing her like this forever hit him and he stopped to savor in the sight of her.

  "There's a towel on the chair for you," she informed him.

  He stripped out of his wet clothes and toweled off before crawling into the bed beside her. "Ethan, what does this mean?" She hated asking the question, hated the desperation that she felt by having to say the words, but she couldn't go to sleep tonight without at least some sort of resolution.

  "I don't know," he admitted.

  "You said with the other girls you told them in the beginning..."

  "You're not like them Emma, this isn't like those other times. I don't know what any of this means, not yet, but nothing that has happened between us is anything like what I've experienced with any other woman. I wouldn't be here right now if it was, I would have already walked out of here and gone home."

  Emma couldn't help but smile as her finger slid over his chest and entwined in the curly hairs running across the top of it. She wasn't expecting forever but at least he wasn't telling her that there was absolutely no hope for them. The chances of this lasting past the end of the month were slim, but she would take those chances if they were able to have the next three weeks together. She stifled a yawn as she rested her head on his chest.

  Taking her into his arms, he held her close against him as he breathed in her scent. Yes, he could spend every night like this, he decided as she relaxed against him. He was well aware of the fact that that thought, and the certainty that followed it, could spell doom for them both.

  CHAPTER 9

  Emma's eyes were sluggish to open the next morning as sleep clung to her. The powerful body pressed against her back swept away the last dregs of sleep. The rhythmic sound of his breathing caused a smile to curve her mouth before she rolled over to look at him. He was stunning in the early morning sunshine filtering through the blinds. His arm was thrown over his head; his black hair was in disarray as it curled around his forehead and cheeks. Her heart melted at the sight of him and memories of what they had shared flooded her.

  She'd never experienced anything like what she had experienced with him last night. Sex with Tristan had been pleasant, but she'd never really understood what the big deal about sex was. She'd never lost such complete control of herself with him, never known such a feeling of rightness, and reckless abandon before. She'd thought that she'd had an orgasm before but she knew now that she'd been wrong. The time she'd spent with Ethan had been far shorter than her time with Tristan and yet she'd given herself more freely to him than she ever had to Tristan.

  From the kitchen she could smell coffee brewing and the scent of bacon frying caused her stomach to rumble. She brushed back a strand of his hair before placing a kiss on his cheek. The stubble lining his jaw was rough against her lips, but she found the sensation enjoyable.

  His emerald eyes were on her when she pulled back. Heat crept into her cheeks as his eyes ran over her face. "Good morning," he greeted in a tone of voice that caused her stomach to do a strange little flip.

  "I didn't mean to wake you."

  He chuckled as he wrapped his hand around the back of her head and pulled her toward him. "The rumbling of your stomach woke me," he said against her mouth.

  She laughed but she was already losing herself to the feel of him as his lips slid over hers and his tongue brushed against her own. A quickening of her pulse was just beginning to spread through her when he pulled away and kissed the tip of her nose. "Let's get you something to eat before your stomach wakes the dead," he teased.

  "Ugh," she groaned in protest.

  He grinned at her before rolling away. Propping her head on her hand, she admired his chiseled ass and the carved muscles of his back and thighs as he walked away from her. The tattoo on his arm flexed as he stretched out his shoulders and back. She admired the black flames on his wrist that licked upward toward the black phoenix on his upper bicep.

  "Does the tattoo mean anything?" she inquired.

  Ethan glanced absently down at his arm. He'd gotten it because he'd relished in feeling the pain from the needle. He'd been determined to punish himself for his endless thirst for blood and to drown out the insanity begging to be heard within him. It had taken almost three days to complete but he'd sat patiently in the chair as the vampire tattoo artist repeatedly went over the lines until his body stopped healing itself and rejecting the ink. The tattoo artist had assured him that after a few hours the ink would begin to stay in, but it had taken days longer than the artist had expected, probably due to his purebred heritage. Even though it had taken much longer than expected to be completed, it hadn't been enough pain for him and it had done nothing to drown out his incessant bloodlust.

  "Eternal life," he said to her over his shoulder. "Rebirth. A new start."

  She frowned at him and he could understand her confusion but he didn't know how to explain that he'd hoped the pain would somehow cleanse him of what was inside of him. He should have known it would never work. Looking at her now though, for the first time he felt cleansed, he felt free. He walked over to her, and brushing the hair back from her face, he bent to kiss her. He fought against the blood flowing into his dick, all he wanted was to climb into that bed with her and lose himself again, but she was hungry. Anyone within a hundred feet of her would know that, and her needs came first.

  He reluctantly pulled back and walked away before he couldn't do so anymore. "It was something to do," he said as he pulled on his underwear.

  "I like it," she murmured.

  He lifted his jeans to examine them before pulling them on. They were still wet but not soaking and he r
eally didn't have any other choice unless he was going to walk around in his boxers. He buttoned them up before turning and holding his hand out to her. She slid her hand into his; he helped her to her feet and held her against him.

  This man could do the most amazing things she'd ever experienced to her; he could also make her feel like a child, especially since he was so much larger than she was. She had to tilt her head back to get a look at anything past mid-chest. The spread of his shoulders was almost three times the size of hers. The thought that he could kill her in a second hit her but even with that realization, she felt immeasurably safe in his arms.

  His fingers brushed over her neck as he pushed the hair back from her shoulder. She detested her stomach as it began to grumble again loudly. He chuckled, took a step back and grabbed his shirt from the floor. He flicked his shirt at her, hitting her lightly on the butt with the tip of it. "Get dressed," he said with a grin.

  She frowned at him but still gathered her clothes and stepped into the bathroom that her room shared with Jill's. She brushed her teeth and took a fast shower before dressing in her tank top and cutoff jeans. She didn't bother to blow dry her hair, as she was eager to get back to Ethan and eat some breakfast. He was standing by the window, leaning against the wall and staring outside when she rejoined him. His head turned toward her and a lazy smile spread across his lips before he stepped away from the wall and strode toward her. Taking hold of her hands, he pulled her toward him and kissed her forehead.

  "You look lovely." She shrugged his words off with a little snort, but even still a thrill went through her at his sweet compliment. "I was thinking about taking a trip today, and exploring some of the island, would you like to come with me?"

  "That sounds like fun."

  Goosebumps erupted over her skin when his mouth brushed hers again. She really didn't have to eat right now; she found her appetite for him was far stronger than her one for food as her hands encircled his biceps. His eyes were nearly black when he ended the kiss and she could feel the evidence of his arousal against her belly, but even still he stepped away from her.

  "Food for you, fresh clothes for me," he informed her with a grin.

  "Food is overrated," she muttered.

  He chuckled as he took hold of her hand and led her toward the door. Pulling it open, he made a sweeping gesture with his arm as he stepped back to let her move into the hallway first. He walked with her toward the kitchen. They stepped into the narrow living room that ran parallel to the small kitchen just beyond. Mandy was sitting at the breakfast bar that divided the two rooms, eating eggs as Jill continued to fry bacon at the stove. The fork paused halfway to Mandy's mouth when she looked up and spotted them standing in the living room. Emma thought she should feel embarrassed, she'd had sex with him up against the wall to her left last night after all, but there was no embarrassment as he stood by her side with his shirt in hand.

  Jill was chattering on about something and hadn't noticed them yet. She turned with a plate of bacon in hand and approached Mandy with it. Jill frowned as Mandy ignored her and finally followed Mandy's gaze over to where they stood in the entryway. The plate clattered against the granite as she practically dropped it onto the counter.

  "Uh hey," she greeted awkwardly, something that Jill never was. "You hungry?"

  "Starving," Emma admitted.

  "I should get going," Ethan said. "I'll be back in an hour."

  She hated the disappointment that filled her at the thought of him leaving, but she forced herself to smile. "Sounds good."

  He kissed her cheek before slipping out the door. Taking a steadying breath, she braced herself before turning to face her friends again. They were both staring at her as if she were a piece of meat they couldn't wait to sink their teeth into. Oh hell, she was in for it, she realized with a sigh. Resigning herself to the barrage of questions she knew were about to unfold, she climbed down the steps and walked over to join them.

  "I guess we know why you're hungry," Jill said as she heaped eggs onto a plate and placed it in the empty spot next to Mandy. "And why you didn't join us last night."

  "We got caught in the rain," Emma told her as she bit into a piece of bacon.

  "Oh, I bet," Mandy said as Emma settled onto the stool next to her.

  She grabbed a handful of bacon and dropped it onto her plate. "We did!" she protested.

  "You are going to be telling us much more than that!" Jill declared as she danced away to get more eggs. "You had better spill."

  "Jill..."

  "Not the disgusting details but give us something here Emma."

  She shook her head at Jill and dove into her eggs. Their eyes bored into her as she ate, she knew she was going to have to tell them something, but she really had to put some food in her belly if she was going to have the strength to deal with them. With her stomach full, and their patience fraying, she finally wiped her mouth with her napkin and lifted her head to meet their inquisitive gazes.

  "It was the best night of my life," she told them honestly.

  "Well that's definitely something," Mandy said with a laugh.

  ***

  Ethan wasn't surprised to find Isabelle waiting to pounce on him when he returned to the living room after showering and changing. Her arms were crossed firmly over her chest; her foot was tapping on the floor as her eyes locked on his. "Where were you last night?" she demanded as she followed him to the fridge.

  He pulled the door on the fridge open and grabbed a bag of blood from it. "I was out," he answered absently.

  "I was concerned about you Ethan."

  "I'm a grown man Isabelle," he said as he tore the top of the bag off with his teeth.

  "Damn it Ethan!" she yelled as she stomped her foot. "You're a grown man but I'd still like to know that you're safe and alive!"

  He took a deep breath as he leaned against the island. He hadn't meant to worry her, he simply hadn't even thought of her while he'd been with Emma. Looking at her now though, guilt tugged at him as she rang her hands before her. "I'm sorry, but I didn't think mom was here." She wasn't at all amused by his teasing words or his playful tug on her hair. "Come on Issy, you can't stay mad at me. You know it's impossible."

  Some of the unease went out of her as she finally gave him a smile. "That's true. Were you with her?"

  Ethan paused in the middle of drinking the blood; he brought his head back down to look at her. The relaxed, good-natured temperament he'd been experiencing vanished as unreasonable hostility began to take its place. "She has a name and it would be better if you used it."

  He was a little perplexed when Isabelle didn't become riled up by his tone. She simply tilted her head to the side to study him. "I meant no offense," she told him. Movement drew his attention to the patio doors when Stefan stepped through them. Stefan's gaze searched the two of them as he strode gracefully across the floor toward the kitchen. "Were you with Emma?"

  Ethan finished the bag of blood off and dumped it into the trashcan, normally one satisfied him but it wasn't going to be enough today. "I was."

  "You really like her." Isabelle stepped aside when he opened the fridge. He lifted his head to look at her as she began to ring her hands again and shifted from foot to foot. Isabelle wasn't nervous by nature, in fact she was one of the most steadfast vampires he'd ever known, but something had her extremely agitated right now.

  "I do," he admitted as he closed the fridge.

  "She's human Ethan," she said as if it were some big secret.

  "She is," he agreed as he tore the top off the bag.

  Stefan stopped behind Isabelle and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I've never seen you spend this much time with a human before. I uh... are you ok?"

  He grinned at her, consumed the bag and tossed it into the trash. "I've never been better Iss; you have nothing to worry about."

  "Ethan..."

  "I know what you're thinking so just stop." Ethan tapped his fingers on the counter as he thought over what Isabelle had be
en about to say and the reality that was growing within him. "Truth be told, I've thought it too."

  She inhaled sharply and even Stefan's eyebrows shot up at that one. "You're being really calm about this for someone who never wanted to be mated," she muttered as her doubtful eyes ran over him.

  How did he tell her that the idea of being mated had been a far less concern to him than it had been to her? He was more concerned by the fact that he would rip a human's throat out and drain every drop of their blood than he was that he would find someone to spend eternity with. Isabelle was never going to know about what he harbored inside of him though, she could never understand, not with her tender heart, but Stefan would.

  They'd butted heads more than a few times when things had been unraveling between Stefan and Isabelle, but Stefan was the only one that would understand any of what he secretly dealt with day after day. Stefan was far older than the rest of them, wiser, and a killer. Ethan lifted his gaze from his sister to the man standing behind her. Stefan's brow furrowed as his eyes searched him. Ethan remained unmoving while he waited for Stefan's gaze to come back to his. Those onyx eyes were filled with dawning understanding when they latched onto him again and Stefan gave him a brief bow of his head.

  "I was never as terrified of it as you were Issy, I just didn't like being around humans," he told her.

  She folded her arms over her chest. "But you said you didn't want it."

  "And I didn't," he said. "And I'm not even sure if she is my mate or not. It's only been a week, I enjoy spending time with her, but you're talking about something that might not even be."

  "If she is your mate than her being human adds a whole new layer of complication to something that is already complicated."

  He knew she was only looking out for him but he could feel his patience beginning to wear thin. He wasn't a child, he'd heard the stories of what had happened between his parents; he'd seen firsthand what had unfolded between her and Stefan. "I know that Isabelle."