by Terry Spear
She’d show him. She’d survive to see another day.
When she arrived at the division’s outdoor swimming pool, most of the service members had already removed their boots, socks, fatigue shirts, and pants. Dressed in swimming trunks and T-shirts, they were ready for the exercise. She folded her arms. Not only was she the only woman in attendance, she hadn’t worn a bathing suit.
A training sergeant approached her and saluted. “Ma’am, you’re from the G-1 staff, right?”
“Yes, sergeant.”
“Go ahead and strip down like the others, and we’ll begin the training.”
“First, I wasn’t told until minutes ago I had to attend. Second, I had staff duty all night so I didn’t have the time to change anyway.”
Every pair of eyes watched her with intrigue. Would they make her strip down anyway? At least that’s what most hoped, she figured.
“All right, ma’am. Just remove your fatigue shirt, boots, and socks. One of the men can loan you his trousers when we get to that part of the exercise.”
Great. She’d hoped they’d schedule her for another day. She sat down on a bench and unlaced her combat boots. Stripping in front of thirty men made her stomach clench. She bet they couldn’t wait for her to begin her version of the wet T-shirt contest. Sheesh, the guys’ tongues were already hanging out of their mouths, and she’d only removed her socks.
After taking her hat and shirt off, and still wearing her T-shirt and trousers, she jumped into the pool with the others.
The training sergeant considered the roster, then wrinkled his forehead. “We’re still waiting on…Cpt. Robert Parker. Anyone know him?”
Before anyone could reply, the sergeant glanced toward the parking lot and smiled. “We’ll wait just a moment to begin our training. Here he comes now.”
Just great. She grabbed hold of the side of the pool. Treading water for hours wasn’t going to happen, not as tired as she was. The day had warmed considerably…typical Texas weather. The sun made her even sleepier.
While Cpt. Robert Parker took his time to join the party, she closed her eyes and thought of Nicolai’s visit during her staff duty. From now on, she’d have to arm herself with her wrist blade, at least until post policy declared it too warm to wear her sleeves rolled down. Then, she’d have to conceal a knife at her waist. Only problem was if Nicolai held her like he did last night, she’d never get to it.
“Cpt. Parker,” the sergeant said in greeting.
She hmpfd under her breath. Let’s get this show on the road.
The captain took forever to undress.
“Sir, you can join the others.”
Crystal finally opened her eyes to see what the delay was now. Her heart stopped dead. The human host from Dimitri’s party. The driver of the white convertible. Her stalker. He was an Army officer, too? How could things get any worse?
He stared down at her, his brown eyes wary, his dark brows knit tightly. He must have despised her, knowing she killed vampires after hours. And as a human host, he protected them. But as her gaze dropped to his satiny royal blue swimming trunks, the bulge there shocked her. She swallowed hard. He desired her? Well, not her exactly, just her body…as a sexual object. What the hell was he?
He had a great pair of legs, perfectly sculpted from running, she imagined. Her attention shifted up his body, locking onto the bulge for a second more, her face heating.
When her focus reached his T-shirt, she found it fit neatly across his broad chest. His arms had just the right amount of muscle, enough to give a woman a really warm embrace. Suddenly, she wished he would wrap them around her. Sunstroke, that’s what she had been experiencing.
Switching her attention to his face, she found him to be quite attractive, nice square jaw, eyes of dark brown sugar, and thick black lashes to die for. The permanent scowl etched on his face made him appear lethal.
His harsh gaze finally separated from hers before he dove into the water. When he resurfaced, the sergeant said, “First, I want everyone to make two laps across the pool.”
Robert Parker swam behind her, unnerving her. Just like when he stalked her with his car, he followed her now, watching her every move. Or was she just being paranoid?
When he bumped her foot, she turned and glared at him. He returned the harsh look, daring her to do something about his intrusion into her space.
She twisted around and finished her swim, kicking the water into his face. Yet, she wished he’d wrestle with her in a sensuous water dance, touching, teasing, exploring her body as she wished to explore his. Her hormones were totally unbalanced. First, she’d wanted the vampire’s touch, now a human host’s? She had to be going mad!
Given the order to tread water next, she floated on her back and closed her eyes to conserve energy. The water stirred up by a swimmer close to her made her lift her head to avoid being drowned. Robert Parker raised his brows at her, again, challenging her to do something about it.
Not to be intimidated, she shoved her foot into his chest, then swam away from him. She wished he’d grabbed her foot and pulled her close. She wanted his intimate touch, despite knowing how crazy the whole notion was.
Wiping the water from her eyes, she glanced back at him. He studied her, the glare replaced with a dark look of confusion. Was he as bewildered about his reaction to her as she was to him? Huntresses were only attracted to hunters…it was a way of preserving the hunting gene. How could she be attracted to vampires and human hosts, too?
10
Crystal took a deep breath, exasperated with herself. First, she was reluctant to kill vampires, now she wanted to make love with anything that desired her back? Her life was quickly spiraling out of control.
After several minutes, the sergeant motioned toward the stairs. “Retrieve your trousers, then stay in the shallow end of the pool to complete your training.”
Once the men returned to the pool, the sergeant gave the next set of instructions. “Everyone, take your trousers, knot the legs together, then pull them down quickly from above your heads to fill them with air.”
He turned to Crystal. “Cpt. Anderson, ma’am, you can sit this one out until one of the men can loan you his trousers.”
Then directing his words to the others, he added, “Now for a time, you can use these as a floatation device. You can do the same with your shirt. When the air leaks out, just fill it up the same way. Out in the field, you would tie your boots together and sling them over your shoulder when you arrived at some kind of a water obstacle.”
After everyone had attempted to make water wings from their trousers, five of the men offered theirs to Crystal. She smiled and accepted the trousers from the man standing closest to her. The whole group watched while she fashioned a floatation device out of the pants.
Then she returned the man’s pants. The class ended. The men gave her access to the stairs first, and Crystal waded out of the pool. Such gentlemen. Ha! They were interested in seeing the wet T-shirt contest next.
She grabbed her fatigue shirt and crammed her wet arms into the sleeves. Not surprisingly, none of the men redressed. Instead, they gathered their uniforms, and waited for their training certificates.
After slipping on her socks and boots, she was ready to return to her hotel. She turned to find Robert Parker glaring her down. She opened her mouth to speak to him, intent on having a word about his being a friend of Dimitri’s, but the sergeant handed him his certificate first.
The captain whipped around and strode out of the pool area. She bit her lip, trying to settle her impatience. By the time the sergeant handed her certificate to her, the convertible had vanished.
At least she knew his name now. Robert Parker. She’d make a phone call or two, and locate where the captain worked. Then she’d pay him a visit.
When Crystal arrived at her hotel, she pulled the door open to her room. At once she noticed her bed had been made. Her blood sizzled. If Nicolai had gotten to the maid staff some time during the evening while Crys
tal served on staff duty…
She took an exasperated breath. At least he couldn’t approach her until nightfall. She pulled her curtains aside and looked out the window. Two men dressed in black leaned against her car as they stared up at her. She shuddered. Had Nicolai sent them to watch her? More and more, his actions indicated he wasn’t giving her up. The choice of letting him live, grew dimmer with each passing day. And now she had to move again.
After changing into a dry uniform, she returned to work. Once quitting time arrived, she drove away from post in the opposite direction of the hotel. If the human hosts still watched her every move, she wouldn’t stand a chance. But she hadn’t seen any sign of them. Maybe tonight, she could ditch them long enough to make it safely to a new hotel.
When she arrived at a different hotel, the overhead lights already illuminated the parking area. Like most in the town, it had two stories. She rushed into the lobby and made her reservations, again warning she couldn’t be disturbed.
Then she walked outside. No storms tonight. Twinkling white lights dotted the black velvet night, making her shiver. The vampires would be on the move again by now. She grabbed her suitcase and strode toward the stairs.
Once she’d made it to the second level, she hurried down the walk toward her room. When she reached the door, she shoved her keycard into the slot. The light flashed red. Access denied.
Panic rose in her blood. Her hands grew clammy. She jammed the card in again. The light flashed red once more. She swore to herself, then glanced down at the card.
Taking a deep breath, she read the diagram. The arrow pointed the opposite way. She turned it around and stuck it into the slot for a third time. The light turned green. She breathed a sigh of relief.
A spicy scent wafting on the breeze triggered her heart to palpitate. She pulled her keycard out of the slot and reached for the door handle.
Nicolai grabbed her hand with a firm grip. Her heart pounded. He smiled at her, bewitchingly seductive.
Because of a lack of sleep, she’d forgotten to attach her wrist knife before she’d returned to work. Defeat filled her soul but anger, too, as she chastised herself for being so careless.
Everything turned blacker than black, the wind swept several strands of her hair from her bun, and she became dizzy all over again. When she blinked, she was standing in a house, another vampire party in full swing. For a moment, she stood slightly fuzzy-headed and disoriented.
Blood red sofas and tables laminated black filled the expansive living room. The place was more colorful than Dimitri’s home. She quieted her breathing to steady her nerves. Two nights in a row, she’d been an honored guest in the brothers’ homes.
If she managed to free herself from Nicolai’s grasp, she’d count herself more than lucky. But her actions tonight would either spell her death, or free her for another close encounter. Unless she managed to kill Nicolai. His puffed-out chest and grip on her hand, gave the appearance he took pride in claiming her for his own.
Despite being repulsed by him, she enjoyed that he desired her so. Her stomach flip-flopped with confusion. A sense of compassion for the handsome man stirred in her veins. To counterbalance the feelings, she considered her parents’ deaths, their throats ripped out by a bloodsucker’s wicked fangs. Her brothers had hinted he was a cousin of Nicolai’s. Hostility rose in her blood. Then the thought occurred to her. How could a vampire have killed her parents in such a manner, without dying also? He must have died, too.
All around the room, vampires and their hosts watched them. Nicolai smiled. “You intrigue my family, Crystal. They want to know when you will join me.”
“I will never join you.”
She jerked her hand free from him. He grabbed her wrist again. In an instant, she stood in his bedroom, only this time, the experience occurred so quickly due to the shorter distance they had to travel, she barely felt any effect.
Again, she twisted away from him. Her gaze shifted to the bed taking center stage, draped in red satin curtains. What would it be like to lie with Nicolai naked in his bed? His long black hair loosened from its binding, her fingers combing through the silky strands. With his power, how would it feel to have him deep inside her?
His hand touched her shoulder, startling her from her treacherous thoughts.
She stepped away from him and shook her head, her body tingling from his touch. “I won’t be yours, ever. You can’t force me because you have no ability to use mind control on me. And you can’t bite me to change me that way either or it’ll kill you. So whatever you’re thinking, it won’t work.”
“You’re tired. Don’t you want to lie down? You can barely keep your eyes open. You crave sleep more than anything.” His soothing, hypnotic voice washed over her like a warm shower.
She blinked. He couldn’t be planning on seducing her. Sure, without weapons and as tired as she was, she didn’t stand a chance against his strength. She’d cave in for certain…just for a bit of sleep.
Leaning over her, he kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes. His spicy scent overwhelmed her. The electric charge he created sent her molecules into a frenzy again. She swooned against his chest. He chuckled, dark, deep, sensuously. She was no match for him tonight. Fighting took too much effort. Why not give in for the moment…just this once?
He pulled her fatigue cap off, then released the pins from her hair. While running his fingers through her curls, he nuzzled his smooth as silk cheek against hers. “You’re the only one for me, my love.”
Her mind clouded over with his attentions, but her hands pushed against his chest. Distance. She had to keep her distance.
He tilted her chin up and kissed her lips. He licked them with a strong, gentle stroke, pressuring her to part them for him.
She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. If her family hadn’t left her out in the cold…if a real man had paid her this kind of attention, she wouldn’t find Nicolai so appealing, would she?
He waited for her to give in. His eyes retained their possessive quality. He touched her hair again.
She had to distract him, or end up regretting what she was barely able to resist…his bed, and him in it, making raw, animalistic love to her. She cleared her throat. “Don’t you offer your guests something to drink?”
He grinned at her. “Wine?”
“Sodas? Extra strong coffee?”
“Caffeine will only make you nervous. Not wide awake.”
After brushing her hair aside, he leaned over and kissed her neck. The sensation excited her system more than she knew was wise, yet she couldn’t break free of his allure.
“I thought you liked it that I fought you. I can’t fight you like this, without my weapons and without any sleep.”
“Yes, well, for tonight, I prefer you this way.”
11
Crystal shoved Nicolai back. If she had to clash with him, she had to do it now, while she still had some strength. In a few hours, she wouldn’t have any left.
He smiled at her. “Or not.” He grabbed her wrists and yanked her toward the bed.
Wrong move.
She twisted around and kneed him in the crotch. He groaned and bent over in pain, cursing all huntresses and hunters alike. Before he could react, she dashed for the door.
After jerking it open, she fled into the hallway, knocking a female host aside. The woman screamed out a warning, “Stop her!”
Crystal bolted for the stairs. A blond-haired male vampire swooped in front of her. She smashed her fists into his chest, shoving him away. He snarled, baring sharp, blood-stained fangs at her, and slammed her against a wall.
Pain radiated through her back. She gritted her teeth. Without her weapons, she didn’t stand a chance against any of them. Even now the energy drained from her body as she tried to get loose from the vampire. He’d undoubtedly make a meal of her if Nicolai would permit him to. But wouldn’t he get a surprise, when her blood poisoned him?
The thought didn’t appeal. She wasn’t re
ady to die tonight or any other. Not beneath the fangs of a vampire.
Nicolai suddenly appeared before her. He scowled at her, his eyes narrowed. “We have unfinished business, you and I.”
She hadn’t realized she would hurt him so badly when she kneed him. As sour as his face was, she figured he was pretty pissed off at her now. Retribution would be swift and painful.
The last couple of nights hadn’t gone well at all.
The blond-haired, thin-faced vampire still held her captive, pinned firmly against the wall. For some reason, Nicolai wasn’t giving the order to have her released. The blood drained from her arms as the vampire held them high above her head. Her hands numbed.
Give the order.
Nicolai twisted his head in the direction of another part of the house.
Several others turned their attention that way.
Nicolai and the rest of his vampire family dashed for the room that concerned them.
As soon as the vampire released her, Crystal ran for the door. Several human hosts jumped in her path to stop her. She knocked them aside easily. Humans were no match for her and most had recently given blood, weakening them further. None carried weapons, as hunters killed any who threatened them in that manner.
After yanking the door open, she ran outside into the dark. She’d never make it to her hotel. She had no idea where she was. Her heart sank. She’d managed to get free, only she wasn’t out of harm’s way yet.
Then she spied the white convertible. She’d seen no sign of Robert Parker in the house, but he could have been in one of the rooms upstairs. If his car was unlocked, perhaps she could hide in the backseat. When he returned home, she could slip away unnoticed.
She darted across the lawn. Her heart pounded at an accelerated rate. She grabbed his door handle. Unlocked. A modicum of relief washed over her.
After climbing in, she quickly shut the door, then lay on the red carpeted floorboard in front of the backseat. Not very big. But if he was tired when he returned to the car, maybe he wouldn’t notice.
