Self-control.“How am I supposed to do that sittin’ in this room with your smokin’ hot body?” I eyed his gloriously chiseled pecs. “I’m feeling friskier than that gopher on the ninth hole.” I said that on account of Stark’s mansion being next to the golf course. He didn’t golf, but he did seem to enjoy the luxurious surroundings. Also, the golf carts.
“I am glad you asked. You and I are going on a trip,” he said.
A trip? Now?“Where?”
“It is a surprise, but think of it as an early honeymoon—a well-deserved respite, too.” He pressed his lips to mine, gently floating his rough hands over my bare breasts, triggering goosebumps and girl plumps. “I know you can do this, Masie. I believe in you. In us. And when the month is over, we will begin plans to marry.”
Marry?He hadn’t even asked me properly or gotten permission from Daddy, but I expected that was on account of him not wanting to jump the gun. There was a chance I wouldn’t survive this transformation—a troubling thought.
He lowered his voice to a deep, firm tone. “Now, you must rest. Rest deeply and allow your body to recover from our lovemaking.”
“But I want more of your hot…sausage…” Suddenly, I felt drowsy, like cold bricks stacking up inside my head, blocking out the light. “Wow, I can’t seem to…keep my eyes open.”
He gently lowered my head to the pillow and tucked the covers around me. “You rest, my sweet Masie, and when you awake, you will be somewhere magical.”
“I like the sound of that…” I closed my eyes, melting into the mattress, where I drifted off into a thick forest of dreams. My mind wandered from one fantasy to another, filled with all the things I would miss most as a human: going to the beach on a warm sunny day with the wind on my face, BBQ ribs slathered in tangy sauce, and waking up knowing every day was a gift because I wouldn’t live forever. I dreamed of dancing with Stark under a moonlit sky, my body lighting up as his lips touched mine.
At least maybe that last one wouldn’t stay a fantasy. But the rest? They were now a thing of the past, and I wasn’t sure I could live with that. Not even for a future filled with endless nights with a smoking hot vampire.
CHAPTER TWO
The smell of briny air wafted past my nose, pulling me from another dream. In this one, I’d been sipping red wine and enjoying a juicy steak by candlelight from inside a dark room that smelled like rust. Weird.
Still, I didn’t want to wake up. Mostly because my heavy limbs ached for more sleep, and the pounding in my head made it nearly impossible to open my eyes. Was part of the transformation feeling like I had a hangover to end all hangovers, including hangover’s cousin, the wine flu?
My eyelids peeled open like an old fruit roll stuck to its plastic. The artificially lit room was filled with white wicker furniture, khaki linen fabrics, and obscenely large bouquets of fresh tropical flowers. Stark stood at the foot of the large bed, unpacking my things from a suitcase. He wore faded jeans and a white, button-down dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, exposing his tattooed arms.
“Where are we?” I muttered, rubbing my throbbing forehead. That was when I noticed someonehad put me in a pair of white satin PJs (one of my favorite sets), and my skin smelled like strawberries and cream lotion. Same as the moonshine tasted.
“On the island of El Corazón.”
I’d never heard of it. “What country?”
“Technically mine,” he replied without a blink.
“You own an entire country?” Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. He’d once offered me a billion dollars in gold coins plus my own country in exchange for sex, which I’d turned down.Another long story.
“My island resides in international waters. Very few know of it, though it is mentioned in several mythological mermen tales. No pun intended.” He continued unpacking my things, pulling out my strapless bra and setting it at the foot of the bed on top of the white comforter. “Of course, such creatures do not exist. Fish men. Ridiculous.” He scoffed.
Was it? Because I was watching a five-hundred-year-old dude, who slurped on vein-juice to survive, organize my clothes by color. Did I mention that I hadn’t packed any of these items myself? It meant he’d had someone go to my new apartment near the Rooster, or he’d done it himself.Hope he didn’t see my toy in the nightstand.Right above it was my collection of dirty books. Oops.
“So how come no one knows about this place?” I asked.
“Money buys power, andpower buys privacy.” He shrugged.
It had to cost a pretty penny to keep an entire island secret.
“So, why are we here?” I vaguely remembered him saying we were going on a sort of pre-honeymoon, but I’d been imagining a log cabin on a mountain lake or a houseboat with jet skis. Something fun. A secret island, where one needed a boat to leave, was a whole other jar of pickles, me being the pickle.Trapped.
He pulled my little black dress from my suitcase and inspected it front to back. “You will wear this to dinner with your black heels.”
He’d just attempted to move the conversation cheese, and I wasn’t having it. “Whydid you bring me here?” I asked again.
He set my dress next to my bra. “I chose this location because you are safe here. Safe to explore your new life as a vampire. There are no humans on the island, and every staff member has been through the same transformation. They are sympathetic to your needs and will ensure you’re made comfortable. Any request you make will be satisfied, with the exception of leaving. Other than that,” he spread his arms, “consider this your personal playground.”
Playgrounds were fun, filled with swings, slides, and monkey bars. This sounded more like a pig in an Easter dress.Cute, but only until you lift the ruffles.Pigs were filthy little things.
“Welp,” I swung my feet to the floor, “Iappreciate the sentiment, but I want to go home.” Leiper’s Fork was familiar to me, and given what I was going through, I needed to be close to family, even if I couldn’t see them for a few weeks.
