Enraptured (15 page)

“I’d planned to work at different schools.
Move around, a lot. Change a few memories to keep my credentials
relevant for another fifty years.”

“You won’t be going back to school now, will
you?” she asked.

“No, I think my college days are officially
over.”

“How much time did you have left?”

“A little over a month, then I’d planned to
get my masters.”

“You could still change some memories and
get a job somewhere. I’d think you know enough.”

He wouldn’t deny it hadn’t already crossed
his mind. “I think it was always a pipe dream,” he reluctantly
admitted. “My time will be better spent keeping my family
safe.”

“So you’re going to give up your dream?”

“Yes.”

She turned to look at him. “Would you
believe me if I said I’m sorry for that?”

“I would.”

“Good.” Without looking back at him, she
began to walk again. “You’re right, you may not age or have the
same concern about death us mere mortals do, but you do know loss
and your life is as difficult, if not more so, than ours.”

He did a double take at her words. He’d
never really expected understanding or sympathy from her. “It’s all
what you make of it.”

“True. I never really liked most of the
teachers I had over the years.”

“I was going to be one of the likable
ones.”

“You definitely would have made the teen
girls happy.”

He laughed as he ran a hand through his
disordered hair. “I’d planned to work with the younger ones, and
did you just compliment me?”

“Maybe, but I think your head is already
completely swollen, my words can’t make it any bigger.”

They fell into a companionable silence while
they continued down the pathway. He couldn’t stop glancing at her
as they moved. What had she gone through, and why did that vampire
keep coming for her? He wondered as he watched the sway of her hair
against her back and the set of her shoulders.

She’d admitted some things to him last
night, but even with a bottle of Scotch in her, she’d remained mum
on her history. He’d like to think she’d tell him about it
eventually; she was already more relaxed with him, but she shut
down the minute he tried to learn anything personal about her. By
the time they left here, she’d open up to him; he was determined to
make it happen, no matter what he had to do.

After about an hour they turned and made
their way back toward the cabin. They took another pathway that led
down to the shore of the lake. Arriving at the water, he stepped
onto the sandy beach by the water and picked up a flat rock.
Throwing his arm back, he skipped the rock across the smooth
surface of the water. Beside him, Paige began to search for her own
rock before wrapping her hand around one. He watched as her stone
skimmed across the lake five times before slipping beneath its
depths.

“I haven’t done this since I was a little
girl.” She bent to search for another flat stone.

He spotted another stone and threw it across
the surface. “My siblings and I used to do this all the time at the
lake near our house.”

Her stone kissed the surface of the water,
nearly making it to the center of the lake before slipping beneath
its murky surface. She laughed in sheer delight, her eyes shone
with pleasure as she gave an excited little jump. “Further than
yours!” she declared.

“A competition is it?” he inquired before
sending his out almost as far as hers.

She laughed again and grabbed hold of his
arm. He didn’t think she’d realized what she’d done, but a sizzling
sensation shot through his skin, up his arm, and straight down into
his groin. His smile froze as he stared at her striking face and
stunning eyes. Her mouth parted, a small breath escaped her before
she hastily pulled her hands away.

“Sorry,” she murmured.

“Don’t be.” His voice came out gruffer than
he’d anticipated, but he could still feel the blood pounding in his
dick, still feel the heat of her hand burning into his skin. He’d
met thousands of women in his lifetime, but none of them had caused
his skin to become electrified in such a way. None of them had made
him want to spend more than a couple of hours in their presence,
and none of them had made him feel so relaxed and yet so
protective.

Before he let her go, he’d find the vampire
who was tormenting her, and he’d put an end to him. He kept the
sudden realization to himself; he didn’t think telling his plan to
murder someone was the best way to work at gaining her trust.

Watching her, he could almost believe there
could be something between them, but he knew better. He wasn’t the
settling down kind, he didn’t know the meaning of the word
monogamy, and she believed him to be a monster.

***

The sketch book lay open in her lap, but the
pencil hovered above the dragon she’d been bringing to life as Ian
tossed another log onto the fire. The flames flickered over his
golden hair and danced across his tanned skin. Skin far darker than
the other pale and pasty vampire she’d encountered, but then he’d
already proven himself to be far different than her monstrous
father. Every instinct she had told her she shouldn’t trust a
vampire, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep her
guard up around him. Every passing hour he showed her that what
she’d been so certain of with his kind wasn’t entirely true with
his gentle ways, patience, and death defying daylight walking.

She recalled how taut and supple his skin
had been beneath her hand. Vividly remembered the powerful flex of
his muscles. Mostly, she could still feel the pleasure the touch of
him had given her. Her belly clenched at the memory and her mouth
watered. What she wouldn’t give to touch him again.

Shaking her head, she forced herself to look
at the sketchpad again. “What are you drawing?” he asked and
gestured at her pad.

“Just the images in my mind. I’m a little
rusty,” she admitted when he stepped closer to peer down at her
drawing.

“Looks pretty damn good to me. Far better
than I could do.”

A flush of pleasure stained her cheeks.
“Thank you,” she murmured.

“Feel like another drink?”

She gave a small laugh and shook her head.
“No, I’ve had enough for this month.”

“Some more cards?”

She closed the sketchbook. “That sounds like
fun.”

He grabbed the deck from the stand beside
the couch. The cushions sank beneath his weight when he settled
beside her. She watched as he shuffled the cards before dealing
them; she collected her hand. They didn’t speak much as they placed
their cards onto the wagon wheel coffee table, but just being in
his company was enjoyable. She took the first round of five hundred
rummy, but he took the next.

It was nearly one o’clock when she tossed in
the last of her cards and took the final round. He leaned back on
the couch, stretched his legs out, and folded his hands behind his
head. Her eyelids drooped, she yawned every other minute, but she
found herself reluctant to leave him in order to go to bed. The
warmth of the fire and the heat of his body created a cozy
environment.

She couldn’t sit here all night, she
decided. Rising to her feet, she stretched as she released another
yawn. He rose beside her and gathered up the cards. She went to
step around him, but her arm brushed up against his massive chest.
Tingles erupted through her, goose bumps broke out over her arms as
her heart gave a strange stutter in her chest. Her mouth went dry;
she tilted her head back to take in his striking features.

Her breath froze in her lungs when she found
his sky colored eyes focused on her mouth. Without thinking, her
tongue flitted nervously out to lick her lips. His eyes rose to
hers; they burned with a hunger she knew had nothing to do with her
blood. The moment stretched onward, a part of her wished he would
grab her, kiss her, and put them both out of their misery. The sane
part told her to run and never look back.

A log in the fire cracked, sparks shot up
through the chimney as the flames burned higher. She should go to
her room and curl up on the bed. She should leave him here, he was
her enemy; she’d been fighting against his kind for the past four
years. Even as she told herself all of this, she found herself
unable to step away from him.

Taking hold of one of her curls, Ian twirled
it loosely around his finger. The increased beat of her heart
sounded in his ears; her natural scent increased as her desire for
him grew. “So soft,” he whispered and tugged lightly on her
hair.

Was there any oxygen left in the air, or had
she simply forgotten how to breathe? Paige wondered as she found
herself fixated on his mouth. The index finger on his other hand
stroked her cheek. Her knees almost buckled, but somehow they
managed to keep her upright. His hand slid around to the back of
her head; he cradled her as he pulled her forward a step.

Run. Stay. Run. Stay.
The words
bashed around her head more rapidly than a pinball in the
machine.

She tried to get her hands up in order to
push him away; she found her fingers curling into his shirt
instead. Her hands dug into the hard flesh beneath her palm. His
head bent toward hers; his lips were mere inches away. He was
giving her time to tell him no, but all she could think about was
what those lips would feel like? She craved to know the answer to
that question more than she craved her next breath.

Ian didn’t breathe, his eyes remained locked
on hers while his lips hovered over her full mouth. Never in his
life had he longed to taste a woman as much as this one. Pulling
her a step closer, his mouth was almost on hers when she spoke,
“No,” it was a bare whisper.

To her amazement, he released her instantly
and stepped away. Disappointment crashed through her, her entire
body trembled as mixed emotions swirled through her rapidly.
Inexplicable tears of disappointment and frustration burned her
eyes. She hadn’t cried in years, she sure wasn’t going to cry now
just because she hadn’t taken the opportunity to kiss him.

He’s the enemy, she reminded herself. But
the reminder wasn’t enough, she couldn’t get herself to let go of
his shirt. Then, finally, her fingers uncurled and she took a step
away from him.

Ian forced himself to let her go. All he
wanted was to grab hold of her and drag her up against his chest,
strip her of her clothes, and savor every inch of her lithe body.
The only woman who could make him lose his mind was also the only
woman who wanted nothing to do with him.

“Good night, Ian,” she murmured.

She felt his gaze burning into her back when
she hurried from the room. Her hands shook by the time she darted
into the bedroom and closed the door. Leaning against the door, she
took a deep breath to calm her shaking legs and racing heart as she
stared at the window across from her.

She had to get out of here. She couldn’t
stay. It would drive her crazy if she did.
He
would drive
her crazy if she did. She may actually end up sleeping with the
enemy. It was a notion she would have found ridiculous just a week
ago, but that had been before she’d met the golden playboy in the
other room. She refused to lose anymore of herself to a vampire,
even if he did buy her sketchpads, ooze sex, and make her feel like
she was the only woman on earth.

Paige carefully slid the window open, wincing when
it made a small squeak. Holding her breath, she stared at the door,
but she didn’t think the sound had traveled beyond this room.
Placing her hands on the sill, she boosted herself onto the sill
and slipped outside. The cool air caressed her skin as she tried to
figure out which way to go. Tried to figure out why exactly she was
doing this. Then she recalled his mouth inches away from hers, the
heat of his body, the firmness of his flesh, her intense
need
for him, and she ran.

She slipped around the back of the cabin and
into the tree line. Branches slapped at her hands and face, but she
continued heedlessly onward as she ran parallel to the driveway.
She certainly couldn’t cover forty miles in five minutes, but she’d
spent the past four years working her body into peak physical
condition. She could run an eight-minute mile and maintain it for
at least five miles.

She stumbled over a log and nearly went
down. She managed to snag hold of a branch and catch herself before
she sprawled onto the forest floor. Reducing her rapid pace, she
eased her way out to the driveway. Out in the open wasn’t where she
wanted to be, but it was better than breaking an ankle, or her
neck, by continuing to run crazily through the trees. She glanced
over her shoulder, but all she saw were the shadows of the trees
blowing in the breeze. She didn’t get the sense he was following
her. She didn’t know how much time she’d have until he realized
she’d left, but she doubted it would be much.

The nearly full moon lit the driveway far
better than it had the woods; she still found herself stumbling
over ruts and nearly falling on her face while she ran. Her rapid
pants caused plumes of air to trail behind her. Her heart raced in
her chest, her legs burned, as the thumping echo of her feet
sounded over the uneven earth.

Where she was going was something she didn’t
stop to contemplate, she simply knew she had to escape. She had to
get away from him and the frightening feelings he aroused in her.
She couldn’t be fraternizing with her enemy, and she definitely
couldn’t start making out with him. She wheezed for air as she
pushed herself to keep going, to keep running and never look
back.

She almost stumbled over the pavement when
she finally made it to the road. She managed to keep her balance
and came to an abrupt halt, her chest heaving. She strained to
catch her breath as she looked up and down the deserted road. The
moonlight caused the surface of the asphalt to shimmer, but there
was no other light to illuminate her way.