Boxed Set

by Brenda K. Davies

  "Nice," she said, but she was more interested in his reaction to the gang of three trying to chat up her friend. "Do you know those men?"

  "No, I don't."

  Emma frowned as she studied the contours of Ethan's profile. "You don't seem to like them much for people you don't know."

  "No, it's not..." he shook his head before giving her a rakish grin that made her smile in return. "I thought I recognized one of them, but I was wrong."

  "Oh," she said as Mandy and Jill turned away from the bar and walked over to join them again.

  "We thought we'd check out the bar down the road. You coming with us, Emma?" Mandy asked.

  She glanced over at Ethan. She didn't want to leave him, but she didn't feel comfortable staying here with a man she barely knew.

  "There will be dancing," Jill coaxed with a smile.

  "Dancing sounds like fun," Ethan said to her. "I'm sure Isabelle and Stefan will probably come too."

  Emma blinked in surprise as he rose beside her. Did he intend to come with them?

  She wasn't sure how she felt about that. He affected her in such a strange way, and she would like a minute just to breathe. But then, she'd been breathing her whole life, and she would continue to do so for the rest of it, breathing was boring. Maybe it was time to hold her breath and take the plunge. She could always breathe again when she went home.

  Jill and Mandy looked like two kids who were just handed a giant bag of candy as they watched Ethan walk over to the bar. "Well?" Jill prodded eagerly.

  "Well what?" she asked.

  Jill rolled her eyes. "What do you think, of him?"

  Emma stood up from the table. "He's nice."

  Jill slid her arm into hers. "Nice? Chocolates are nice, Emma. That man is delectable, and he's into you. A little fling with him before becoming an adult won't kill you."

  "I don't fling, Jill."

  "I know, but for that guy, I'd fling just about anything."

  Emma couldn't help but laugh as Jill squeezed her arm before releasing her. Isabelle and Stefan moved away from the bar and walked over to join them. They were one of the most striking couples Emma had ever seen as they stopped before them. Even Jill, who was never shy, appeared a little nonplussed as she took a step back from the overwhelmingly large man and the stunningly beautiful woman at his side.

  It wasn't often Emma felt insecure about her looks. She knew she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world, knew she was considered cute by most people, but she wasn't ugly. Standing across from this woman though, she felt like a child, small and unbelievably young, but they appeared to be about the same age. Isabelle was a good five inches taller than her and possessed an aura of confidence that made her seem older.

  Then Isabelle smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Isabelle, and this is my husband, Stefan," she introduced as Emma shook her hand.

  Stefan's black eyes were assessing as he took hold of her hand. "Hello," he greeted.

  Emma swallowed nervously and instinctively moved closer to Ethan. She got the distinct impression Stefan could snap her neck if the mood struck him. In fact, looking at them, she had the distinct impression there was more to them than met the eye.

  She shook the thought off as Mandy and Jill finished introducing themselves. They were just a normal family on vacation together. She was only feeling overwhelmed because she was so much shorter than they were. It was bad enough being around Mandy and Jill, but now she felt like a sapling in a grove of Redwoods with the three of them around her too.

  "Let's go then," Jill said.

  Chapter Five

  Ethan liked going to clubs about as much as he would like having his toenails ripped off. He just wasn’t willing to walk away from Emma yet, especially after the three vampires entered the bar. They may not be killers, but they could still use her for blood. He moved protectively closer to Emma as she weaved her way through the crowd. The music wasn't overly obnoxious, but it still aggravated his acute hearing.

  A man stepped forward to grab Emma's arm. She shook her head and took a step away. Ethan didn't know what possessed him, but he moved rapidly forward to insert himself in between her and the man. The man opened his mouth to protest, took one look at him, and retreated into the crowd. Ethan stayed by Emma's side as Stefan and Isabelle led the way toward the bar.

  They found a gap in the crowd of people at the bar and moved in to order a round of drinks. Emma stepped closer to him to escape a woman who was dancing as if fire ants were attacking her. Ethan eyed the woman, unable to understand what she was trying to accomplish as she danced away from them and moved back toward the main dance floor.

  The bare flesh of Emma's shoulder glistened in the lights flashing around the bar. Unable to resist the temptation of her skin, he settled his hand on her shoulder. Her gaze shot to him, and her abrupt intake of breath caused her breasts to rise temptingly in the simple dress she wore. His thumb stroked over her silken shoulder as he stepped closer to her. His chest pressed against her shoulder; through his shirt, he could feel the warmth of her body. Fortunately, she was forced even closer to him when the fire ants dancer returned and bumped against her.

  A surge of possessiveness rushed through him. She was so small, so weak—so human. That thought did nothing to ease the tension building in his chest as he pulled her closer and further away from the dancing bodies. For the first time, the stress building within him had nothing to do with the numerous people or his craving for blood. Instead, it had everything to do with keeping her out of harm's way.

  "This isn't usually my type of place," Emma told him, though she enjoyed being forced so close to him by the worst dancing she'd ever seen. Ethan pulled her back another step as the woman's hands flailed crazily about her head. Emma didn't know if the woman was on drugs or if she thought what she was doing could be considered dancing. Either way, Emma was convinced the woman would knock someone out before the night ended.

  "Or mine," he told her. He spotted Isabelle and Stefan again amongst the crowd; they'd managed to get a table. Isabelle stood on her tiptoes to wave at him over the sea of heads. "Do you want to sit?"

  "Yes!" she shouted. She gestured to Mandy and Jill to let them know where she was going. Ethan slid his hand away from her shoulder, but he kept it on her elbow as he steered her safely through the crowd.

  Stepping next to the table, he pulled a chair out for her and held it while she sat. She couldn't help but smile at him; it was such a sweet gesture, and one she'd never experienced before.

  "It's crazy in here!" Isabelle shouted over the music.

  Stefan looked about as pleased to be here as he would have been to stick his hand in boiling water. In fact, given a choice between the two, Ethan thought Stefan might choose to stick his hand in boiling water rather than endure this noisy crowd.

  "Sit," Emma urged and patted the seat of the empty chair beside her.

  Ethan grabbed the back of the chair; he pushed it in again and moved closer to Emma as a couple nearly fell into her chair. He tried to shake off the overprotective urges he was feeling, but he couldn't bring himself to move away and leave her exposed again.

  His gaze ran over the people in the building. He didn't sense any other vampires amongst the crowd, but he had a feeling the three from the bar would eventually make their way here. There were more people here; they were drunker, and it was poorly lit. This club was prime feeding ground for vampires. He spotted Mandy and Jill dancing with a couple of guys. A waitress came by to take their order and disappeared into the crush of people.

  Ethan leaned closer to Emma as her fingers tapped along to the beat of the music and she began to sway. "Would you like to dance?" he asked.

  Dancing wasn't something he did often, or well, but the idea of getting the chance to hold her was too appealing to resist. She frowned for a second before smiling and jumping to her feet. She was small, but she moved with easy grace as she came around the chair to stand beside him.

  Her hand was swallowed within his
when he took it and led her out to the dance floor. He kept her away from the horde of people as he steered her to a less crowded section. They weren't playing a song meant for slow dancing, but he still wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Her body fit snugly against his frame as she moved with him.

  He didn't notice any of the other people on the floor as everything within him became focused on her. Her tantalizing scent filled his nostrils as his other hand settled onto her lower back. The feel of her breasts against his chest caused blood to rush into his cock. He adjusted his position so she wouldn't feel the evidence of his obvious arousal.

  Overwhelming sensations of safety and protection filled her as she rested her head on his chest. She found herself tuning out the beat of the music and focusing on the solid, reassuring thump of his heart. Maybe it was because he was so much bigger and stronger than her, or maybe it was just the tender way he held her, but she felt incredibly secure in his arms.

  Unable to resist, Ethan lifted his hand to her hair and let the soft strands of it slide through his fingers. The bloodlust that had yet to be stirred by the crowd around them now slid through his body as the fruity scent of her shampoo drifted up to him. His canines tingled; he fought to keep them from extending as his gaze drifted to the vein in her neck.

  Just a little taste, she didn't even have to know, and he could take the memory from her after. The idea was so enticing, he briefly considered pulling her from the club and out into the night, but even as the impulse crossed his mind, he knew he couldn't do that to her.

  Her forehead furrowed as she studied him with assessing eyes he found entirely captivating. He bent and placed a kiss on her forehead. He meant to pull back afterward, but his lips lingered against her warm skin as his fingers slid beneath her chin. His lips moved leisurely down her cheeks before brushing against hers.

  Lust crashed through him, the heat of her lips burned against his, and the strawberry taste of her mouth suffused him as his tongue swept inside. It was the first time he'd ever kissed a human, he didn't know what he expected, but it certainly wasn't this urge for more. He had to go easy so he didn't accidentally hurt her.

  That thought frightened him, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away from her and put some distance between them. Turning her away from the crowd, he backed her into a wall and pressed her against it as his kiss became more demanding.

  Her fingers curled into his forearms, and at first she seemed hesitant, but she gave herself over to him with a small sigh. The music and people around them completely vanished as lust consumed him and he completely focused on her. He was close to lifting her dress and taking her right there to relieve himself of the pressure she created within him.

  He was seriously considering doing just that as his hand cupped her handful-sized breast. Her breath sucked in; her teeth nibbled at his lower lip as he swirled his thumb around her hardened nipple through the thin material of her dress. Lifting his head, he met her passion-clouded eyes and savored in the desire playing over her face as he continued to tease and fondle her breast. Ever so slowly, he bent his head to hers again. He seized her swollen lips as he released her breast to slide his hand over her belly and down to her thighs.

  Emma gasped as his hands left a trail of fire over her body. Her mind spun as she tried to understand what was happening, but she was so swept away by the feel of him that she couldn’t recite the alphabet, let alone form a coherent thought. Her heart hammered as his touch brought her to life in ways she never knew possible.

  She'd never lost herself to a man—not even Tristan. She'd never thought it was possible to be so out of control she didn't care what happened, but that's exactly how she felt. She was knowingly and completely out of control. As his fingers brushed against the bottom of her dress and touched her bare thighs, she didn't think to say no because inwardly all she was screaming was, yes! Inwardly, all she could think was finally. Finally, she understood what it was to be a woman touched with such feverish need that, though she knew it was moving far too fast, it was still the most amazing experience of her life.

  The blood pulsing through his ears made it difficult for him to hear anything. His fingers caressed her smooth skin as he moved his hand further up under her dress. He touched her panties, pleased to find they were already damp as he rubbed against her through the satiny material.

  His body throbbed with his need to possess her. He forgot about everyone around them; he simply had to be inside of her, to consume her. He was pushing her underwear to the side when she jerked away from him.

  Reality was like a slap in the face as it crashed back over her. "Wait! Stop!"

  She heaved in heaping gulps of air as she braced her hands against his chest and her gaze latched onto his. Emma remained immobile as she waited to see what he was going to do.

  Disappointment crashed through him, but he dropped his hand away when she glanced anxiously around them. Heat flooded her face; her lashes lowered over her eyes as she adjusted her dress.

  "Emma..."

  She turned her face away when he tried to grasp her chin. She couldn't look at him again; she couldn't stand to see in his eyes what he probably thought of her right now. She didn't know what she thought of herself. It was one thing to get swept up in a man; it was an entirely different thing to be about ready to screw him in public. She didn't even know him. What was wrong with her? What was she thinking?

  Ethan moved his other hand away from her hip and rested both his palms on the wall beside her head. He may have released her, but he wasn't ready to let her go anywhere right now. He was nervous she would run and never come back if he did. "You must think...I'm not...this isn't something I do," she muttered.

  He stopped her with his hand against her waist when she went to move away from him. "Emma, look at me," he coaxed. She threw her shoulders back, took a deep breath, and finally met his gaze. "We didn't do anything wrong."

  "I don't behave like this. I don't almost have sex with people I don't know in public places," she retorted defensively.

  The fire in her eyes dared him to disagree with her, to say something different. "I didn't think you did." She was still the color of a Maraschino cherry as her gaze went away from him again. "Really, Emma, I didn't. We both got a little carried away; there's nothing to be ashamed of."

  "Yeah." Though she was having a difficult time looking at him, and she wasn't completely convinced.

  Ethan leaned forward and kissed her forehead to soothe her a little more. His erection still pressed uncomfortably against his jeans. He shifted as he tried to find a more relaxed position, but he didn't think that would be possible until he was inside her. Something he had every intention of being before he left this island, but it wasn't going to happen tonight. Right now, he needed to ease her embarrassment, not make her feel even more pressured.

  "Let's go back to the table," he suggested.

  "I think I've had enough for tonight."

  "I'll walk you home." She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued before she could do so. "I'm only going to make sure you get there safely. I'll keep my hands to myself, I promise."

  He held his hands up innocently beside his head and smiled at her. She couldn't help but smile back at him as she brushed the hair back from her forehead. Embarrassment over her actions remained, but his tone and demeanor helped to ease it. "Okay."

  "Let me tell Issy and Stefan we're leaving."

  He took her hand and turned away from the wall. A few people glanced at them as he led her through the crowd, but thankfully most barely noticed them. Mandy and Jill had joined Stefan and Isabelle at the table when they returned. "I'm going to head back to the house," Emma told them.

  "I'm ready to go too," Mandy said.

  Jill looked at her drink before shrugging; she chugged down the rest of it and put it on the table. "Let's go then."

  Emma turned to Ethan, she was still a little unnerved about what had transpired between them, but she wasn't ready to say go
odbye to him yet. "You don't have to walk with us," she said.

  "I've had enough for the night too," he said. There was no way he was going to let her walk around unprotected at night when there were other vampires on this island.

  "I think we all have," Isabelle said and rose to her feet.

  Ethan was hoping to have some time alone with Emma, but it didn't look like it would happen. Isabelle's eyes focused on their joined hands; she frowned at them before her gaze shot up to his. He could practically see the questions racing through her mind, but he had no answers for her, and he wasn't ready to search for them either.

  Chapter Six

  Emma stretched and opened her eyes to the sunlight filtering around the edges of the blue curtains she pulled over the glass patio doors last night. She stared at the material as the events of the night came crashing back. Embarrassment curled through her, her face heated at the memory of the wanton way she had behaved, but fresh excitement also spread through her belly as desire pooled inside of her.

  She stopped him last night before it went too far, but if they hadn't been in the club, she would have given herself to him. She shook her head as she sat up in bed and pulled the sheet off her.

  Slipping out of bed, she pondered what was going on with her as she gathered towels for a shower. She'd never been sexually aggressive; in fact, she’d been with Tristan for almost six months before they had sex. He'd been her first, and things went so wrong in the end that she'd stayed away from men since their relationship ended last year.

  Never once had she experienced the urge to rip Tristan's clothes off and have sex in a public place—or lost control of herself in such a way. At one point, she'd thought she could love Tristan. Now she knew she was simply blinded by his good looks, charm, and the fact he was the first serious boyfriend she had. Her parents weren’t overprotective of her, and though she was allowed to date in high school, she'd never really met someone she liked enough to date for any length of time, let alone sleep with them.