Watching her, he could almost believe therecould be something between them, but he knew better. He wasn’t thesettling down kind, he didn’t know the meaning of the wordmonogamy, and she believed him to be a monster.
***
The sketch book lay open in her lap, but thepencil hovered above the dragon she’d been bringing to life as Iantossed another log onto the fire. The flames flickered over hisgolden hair and danced across his tanned skin. Skin far darker thanthe other pale and pasty vampire she’d encountered, but then he’dalready proven himself to be far different than her monstrousfather. Every instinct she had told her she shouldn’t trust avampire, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to keep herguard up around him. Every passing hour he showed her that whatshe’d been so certain of with his kind wasn’t entirely true withhis gentle ways, patience, and death defying daylight walking.
She recalled how taut and supple his skinhad been beneath her hand. Vividly remembered the powerful flex ofhis muscles. Mostly, she could still feel the pleasure the touch ofhim had given her. Her belly clenched at the memory and her mouthwatered. What she wouldn’t give to touch him again.
Shaking her head, she forced herself to lookat the sketchpad again. “What are you drawing?” he asked andgestured at her pad.
“Just the images in my mind. I’m a littlerusty,” she admitted when he stepped closer to peer down at herdrawing.
“Looks pretty damn good to me. Far betterthan 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 likefun.”
He grabbed the deck from the stand besidethe couch. The cushions sank beneath his weight when he settledbeside her. She watched as he shuffled the cards before dealingthem; she collected her hand. They didn’t speak much as they placedtheir cards onto the wagon wheel coffee table, but just being inhis company was enjoyable. She took the first round of five hundredrummy, but he took the next.
It was nearly one o’clock when she tossed inthe last of her cards and took the final round. He leaned back onthe couch, stretched his legs out, and folded his hands behind hishead. Her eyelids drooped, she yawned every other minute, but shefound herself reluctant to leave him in order to go to bed. Thewarmth of the fire and the heat of his body created a cozyenvironment.
She couldn’t sit here all night, shedecided. Rising to her feet, she stretched as she released anotheryawn. He rose beside her and gathered up the cards. She went tostep around him, but her arm brushed up against his massive chest.Tingles erupted through her, goose bumps broke out over her arms asher 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 foundhis sky colored eyes focused on her mouth. Without thinking, hertongue flitted nervously out to lick her lips. His eyes rose tohers; they burned with a hunger she knew had nothing to do with herblood. The moment stretched onward, a part of her wished he wouldgrab her, kiss her, and put them both out of their misery. The sanepart told her to run and never look back.
A log in the fire cracked, sparks shot upthrough the chimney as the flames burned higher. She should go toher room and curl up on the bed. She should leave him here, he washer enemy; she’d been fighting against his kind for the past fouryears. Even as she told herself all of this, she found herselfunable to step away from him.
Taking hold of one of her curls, Ian twirledit loosely around his finger. The increased beat of her heartsounded in his ears; her natural scent increased as her desire forhim grew. “So soft,” he whispered and tugged lightly on herhair.
Was there any oxygen left in the air, or hadshe simply forgotten how to breathe? Paige wondered as she foundherself fixated on his mouth. The index finger on his other handstroked her cheek. Her knees almost buckled, but somehow theymanaged to keep her upright. His hand slid around to the back ofher head; he cradled her as he pulled her forward a step.
Run. Stay. Run. Stay.The wordsbashed around her head more rapidly than a pinball in themachine.
She tried to get her hands up in order topush him away; she found her fingers curling into his shirtinstead. Her hands dug into the hard flesh beneath her palm. Hishead bent toward hers; his lips were mere inches away. He wasgiving her time to tell him no, but all she could think about waswhat those lips would feel like? She craved to know the answer tothat question more than she craved her next breath.
Ian didn’t breathe, his eyes remained lockedon hers while his lips hovered over her full mouth. Never in hislife had he longed to taste a woman as much as this one. Pullingher a step closer, his mouth was almost on hers when she spoke,“No,” it was a bare whisper.
To her amazement, he released her instantlyand stepped away. Disappointment crashed through her, her entirebody trembled as mixed emotions swirled through her rapidly.Inexplicable tears of disappointment and frustration burned hereyes. She hadn’t cried in years, she sure wasn’t going to cry nowjust because she hadn’t taken the opportunity to kiss him.
He’s the enemy, she reminded herself. Butthe reminder wasn’t enough, she couldn’t get herself to let go ofhis shirt. Then, finally, her fingers uncurled and she took a stepaway from him.
Ian forced himself to let her go. All hewanted 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 onlywoman who wanted nothing to do with him.
“Good night, Ian,” she murmured.
She felt his gaze burning into her back whenshe hurried from the room. Her hands shook by the time she dartedinto the bedroom and closed the door. Leaning against the door, shetook a deep breath to calm her shaking legs and racing heart as shestared at the window across from her.
She had to get out of here. She couldn’tstay. It would drive her crazy if she did.Hewould driveher crazy if she did. She may actually end up sleeping with theenemy. It was a notion she would have found ridiculous just a weekago, but that had been before she’d met the golden playboy in theother room. She refused to lose anymore of herself to a vampire,even if he did buy her sketchpads, ooze sex, and make her feel likeshe was the only woman on earth.
CHAPTER 11
Paige carefully slid the window open, wincing whenit 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 silland slipped outside. The cool air caressed her skin as she tried tofigure out which way to go. Tried to figure out why exactly she wasdoing this. Then she recalled his mouth inches away from hers, theheat of his body, the firmness of his flesh, her intenseneedfor him, and she ran.
