Boxed Set

by Brenda K. Davies

  "Get dressed," he said with a grin.

  She frowned at him, but still gathered her clothes and stepped into the bathroom 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 stood 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 her hands, he pulled her toward him and kissed her forehead.

  "You look lovely." She shrugged his words off with a little snort, but 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?"

  "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 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 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 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 running parallel to the small kitchen beyond. Mandy sat at the breakfast bar dividing the two rooms, eating eggs as Jill continued frying bacon on the stove. When Mandy looked up and spotted them standing in the living room, the fork paused halfway to her mouth. Emma thought she should feel embarrassed, she'd had sex with him 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. Jill frowned as Mandy ignored her and finally followed Mandy's gaze to where they stood in the entryway. The plate clattered against the granite as she practically dropped it onto the counter.

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

  "Starving," Emma admitted.

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

  She hated the disappointment filling her over 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 both stared 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 tell us much more than that!" Jill declared as she danced away to get more eggs. "You 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 had to tell them something, but she needed 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 refrigerator open and removed 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 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 thought of her while he was 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 smiled at him. "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 took 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 at his tone. She tilted her head to the side to study him.

  "I meant no offense," she told him. "Were you with, Emma?"

  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.

  Ethan finished off the bag of blood and dumped it into the trashcan, typically one satisfied him, but it wasn’t enough today. "I was."

  "You like her," Isabelle said.

  Isabelle stepped aside when he opened the fridge. He lifted his head to look at her as she started ringing 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," 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 okay?"

  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 been about to say and the reality growing within him. "Truth be told, I've thought it too."

  She inhaled sharply, and even Stefan's eyebrows shot up. "You're really calm about this for someone who never wanted to be mated," she muttered.

  How did he tell her the idea of being mated was less concerning to him than it had been to her? He was more concerned he would rip a human's throat out and drain every drop of their blood than he was about finding someone to spend eternity with. Isabelle was never going to know what he harbored inside 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 were unraveling between Stefan and Isabelle, but Stefan was the only one who 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 e
yes searched him. Ethan remained unmoving while he waited for Stefan's gaze to come back to his. Those onyx eyes filled with dawning understanding when they latched onto him, and Stefan gave 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," Ethan 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 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 be."

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

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

  "What are you going to do if she is?" she demanded.

  "I'll figure it out when the time comes."

  "Ethan—"

  "Enough, Isabelle," Stefan interrupted kindly. "Ethan is aware what being mated entails if that's even what this is. There's no reason to harp on it until he knows for sure."

  Ethan gave Stefan a grateful nod before focusing on his sister again. "See, there's nothing to be concerned about." It wasn't exactly the truth, but her worry wasn't going to do them any good. He stepped forward and squeezed her shoulder. "I'll see you later."

  "Where are you going now?" she inquired.

  "You do realize you are the younger sibling right?" he reminded her.

  "Just a question."

  "I'm taking Emma away for the day. I've found a place on the island I think she'll enjoy."

  "Oh, okay," she muttered, but she didn't look at all appeased.

  Ethan slapped Stefan on the arm as he walked out of the kitchen. He grabbed the helmets sitting next to the door and hurried down to the motorcycle parked against the curb. Stefan had told him it was in the garage a couple of days ago, and since traffic was often congested on the island, he'd decided to grab it for today. He hoped Emma didn't have a problem with riding on a bike, but if she did, they could always come back for the Jeep or rent a scooter. The idea of having her hold on to him as he drove around the island was too tempting to refuse though.

  Chapter Ten

  Emma eyed the motorcycle warily as she stepped out the door with Ethan. She'd never ridden one before, and though it had always looked like fun, she'd never actually pictured herself doing it. However, until she'd met Ethan, there was a lot she'd never imagined herself doing before, but would be willing to try now, including riding a bike.

  "Are you going to be alright on this?" he inquired when they stopped beside the bike.

  She took the deep blue helmet from his hands and settled it on her head. It was probably going to give her some major helmet head, but it would be worth it to ride behind him. "I've never done it before, but it looks like fun, and it can't be much different than a four-wheeler."

  He nudged her hands aside when she fumbled with the strap and buckled it under her chin. "I think your friends are watching us," he told her as he made sure the helmet was on right.

  "Oh, I'd bet on it!"

  "Are they trying to make sure you're safe?"

  "Nope, they're just nosy, but I love them."

  He chuckled as he tapped the sides of the helmet. She looked adorable with the large helmet on her head and her hair curling out around the sides of it. He briefly contemplated forgoing the trip and taking her back inside to spend the rest of the day in bed, but he wanted to take her somewhere they could be alone, have some fun, and do something she might like.

  "All set," he told her and stepped away. He put on a red helmet before settling onto the seat. He held his hand out to her, and she took it. "Swing your leg over."

  Emma was careful not to kick the bike as she swung her leg up and over. It was taller than she expected, but with Ethan's help, she settled herself onto the seat behind him.

  "Wrap your arms around me," he instructed.

  Emma moved a little closer and slid her arms around his waist. She gasped when he grabbed her arms and tugged her forward until she was snug against his back.

  "I'll only bite if you ask me too," he told her with a wink.

  That wink, and the images his words conjured in her mind, caused her heart to do a strange little flutter. She realized if she didn't watch herself here she could fall head over heels for this man.

  "I'll have to remember that," she told him and forced herself to relax against his back.

  "Please do." Ethan heard the hoarseness of his voice, but he couldn't help it. Not when thoughts of biting her and tasting her churned through his mind.

  "Where are we going?" she asked him.

  "It's a surprise," he told her.

  She continued to hold his gaze until he turned away to start the bike. A delicious shiver worked its way through her as her breasts pressed firmly against the muscles of his back. They strained against her as he fired up the bike and pulled away from the curb. He kept his speed under the thirty-five-kilometer speed limit as they drove down the road on the left-hand side. She was glad she wasn't driving as watching him do it was disconcerting to her; she had to fight the urge to jerk him back to the other side of the road when cars and scooters approached.

  Even at their relatively slow speed, the wind rushing around her and blowing her hair back gave her a sense of freedom she found enthralling. It took everything she had not to release his waist and throw her arms out to the side as he weaved expertly in and out of traffic. She couldn't stop the laugh escaping her as they hit an open expanse of road and he drove faster.

  Over his shoulder, she watched as the world rushed by in a blur that made her eyes water, but she still wished they could go faster. The motorcycle eased back as they came to a highly congested area of traffic. Though she wanted the speed again, she found she wasn't disappointed as she nestled closer to him and rested her cheek against his back. He smelled of Irish Spring soap and the fresh ocean air. Coming to a complete stop behind a line of vehicles, he put his foot down. His hand rested against her joined ones on his waist while he waited for traffic to start moving again.

  Yes, she could most certainly lose her heart to him, she thought as a feeling of peace and security stole through her.

  It took some time, but eventually, he found a parking spot and stopped the bike. Emma reluctantly slid her arms away from his waist and climbed off the bike to examine the area. She removed her helmet and shook out her hair before trying to finger comb out her helmet hair. It didn't matter; she would take a bad hair day every day for the rest of the year if it meant climbing onto the bike, with him, again.

  "Have fun?" he asked as he settled the helmets onto the back of the bike and locked them into place with a chain.

  "I could do that every day," she said honestly.

  "I'll have to remember that."

  She wasn't entirely sure how to take that, but she wasn't going to spend all day trying to puzzle it out. With him, she could simply be, and she intended to do that as they walked down the street together.

  "Can you tell me where we're going now?" she inquired.

  He pointed up the hill to a large house set in the center of an open green field, surrounded by a massive stone wall overlooking the ocean. Large cannons were positioned to face the sea on the hill around the house. It was an old military fort, she realized.

  "It's the Bermuda Maritime Museum," he explained. "I thought you'd like to look around it."

  Emma couldn't find her voice for a minute as tears suddenly burned her eyes. The urge to cry was silly, but he'd remembered her love of history. It was one of the sweetest and most thoughtful things anyone had ever done for her. She blinked back the tears as she focused on him once more.

  "I'd love to," she said honestly.

  He clasped her hand as he led her toward the large front gates and t
he ticket booth tucked within the rock walls. She took a map as he paid for the tickets, and they entered the museum. They explored the grounds and the small waterfall as they made their way toward the old keep at the top of the hill.

  The smell of must assailed her as they stepped into the cool and shadowed interior of the massive home. All the windows were open to allow the breeze to drift through the home. The dark wooden floor beneath her feet creaked as they moved through the rooms of the building. She examined all the pictures hanging on the walls and read the plaques beneath them. She ran her fingers over the large tables and chairs filling many of the rooms, examined the coin and book collections, and spent nearly two hours admiring everything within each room of the house.

  Ethan remained patiently by her side as she explored every inch of the seemingly endless home. If he'd been with anyone else he would probably be bored out of his mind by now, but he relished in her endless fascination of the things within the house and her enthusiasm as she excitedly told him about the things she was reading on the plaques. She did have a fervor for history, and he was glad he'd learned about this place after their talk on the boat.

  Stepping onto the balcony running around the entire upper floor with her, he stared across the glimmering aqua sea to the cruise ship parked at the wharf. People walked about the house below them, but he didn't pay them any attention as he stood behind Emma and slid his arms around her waist. Resting his chin on her head, he watched the boats and jet skis skimming across the water as he savored this moment and this woman.

  "This is amazing, thank you for bringing me here," she said.

  "Anytime, you actually make history enjoyable."

  She laughed as she turned to face him. He kissed her cheek and took her hand as he led her back into the building, downstairs, and outside again into the powerful rays of the sun. They walked a different pathway down to the pool where the dolphins and a sea turtle were kept.