She slipped around the back of the cabin andinto the tree line. Branches slapped at her hands and face, but shecontinued heedlessly onward as she ran parallel to the driveway.She certainly couldn’t cover forty miles in five minutes, but she’dspent the past four years working her body into peak physicalcondition. She could run an eight-minute mile and maintain it forat least five miles.
She stumbled over a log and nearly wentdown. She managed to snag hold of a branch and catch herself beforeshe sprawled onto the forest floor. Reducing her rapid pace, sheeased her way out to the driveway. Out in the open wasn’t where shewanted to be, but it was better than breaking an ankle, or herneck, by continuing to run crazily through the trees. She glancedover her shoulder, but all she saw were the shadows of the treesblowing in the breeze. She didn’t get the sense he was followingher. She didn’t know how much time she’d have until he realizedshe’d left, but she doubted it would be much.
The nearly full moon lit the driveway farbetter than it had the woods; she still found herself stumblingover ruts and nearly falling on her face while she ran. Her rapidpants caused plumes of air to trail behind her. Her heart raced inher chest, her legs burned, as the thumping echo of her feetsounded over the uneven earth.
Where she was going was something she didn’tstop to contemplate, she simply knew she had to escape. She had toget away from him and the frightening feelings he aroused in her.She couldn’t be fraternizing with her enemy, and she definitelycouldn’t start making out with him. She wheezed for air as shepushed herself to keep going, to keep running and never lookback.
She almost stumbled over the pavement whenshe finally made it to the road. She managed to keep her balanceand came to an abrupt halt, her chest heaving. She strained tocatch her breath as she looked up and down the deserted road. Themoonlight caused the surface of the asphalt to shimmer, but therewas no other light to illuminate her way.
Her mind spun as she tried to figure outwhich direction to go, but it was a toss of the coin, and shedidn’t have one of those right now. In the end, she settled forrunning down the mountain instead of up it. Turning, she put herhead down and continued to pump her legs as she raced over thepavement. She’d never be able to run all the way, but she had toput as much distance between herself and the cabin as possiblebefore exhaustion took over.
After a few miles, she slowed and moved tothe side of the road when a cramp in her side became too much forher to take. Inhaling hitching breaths, she pressed her handagainst her side to ease the stitch there. She forced herself towalk onward while she rubbed at the cramp. She wiped the sweat awayfrom her forehead with the back of her arm and pushed aside thestraggling curls stuck to her cheeks.
What have I done?She didn’t thinkshe’d ever know the answer to that question, but despite thegrowing urge to turn around and go back, to undo what she’d doneand see him again, she kept moving forward. Maybe he wasn’t theenemy she’d expected, the enemy she’d grown to hate over the pastfour years, but hewasthe enemy.
She glanced over her shoulder, but theshadows of the trees dancing across the ribbon of roadway werestill the only thing behind her. An unexpected lump formed in herthroat, she forced herself to keep walking. She couldn’t considerherself much of a vampire killer, if she allowed herself to beswayed by a pair of sky colored eyes and a body that would makeAdonis jealous.
Rubbing at her head, she took another deepbreath before breaking into a brisk jog. No matter how badly shelusted for him, she’d spent the past four years working toward onegoal, and she couldn’t turn her back on it now. The cool air helpedto dry the sweat on her body, but she would have given anything forsome water. She tried not to think of her thirst as she continuedforward.
***
Paige rested her head against the coolwindow and watched the trees pass by in a blur. She’d spent theearly morning hours within the woods, sleeping with her backagainst a tree and praying a bear didn’t come across her.Fortunately, nothing had decided to make a happy meal out of herduring the fading hours of the night.
She’d re-emerged from the woods when the sunbroke over the top of the mountains and continued on. A couplehours later, the middle-aged man sitting in the driver’s seatbeside her, had pulled his car up beside her to ask if she needed aride. She’d hesitated, wary of everyone right now, but the idea ofgetting off her feet had been too tempting to resist. Besides, he’dlooked harmless enough with his twinkling green eyes, easy smile,and graying hair. Looks could be deceiving, but she was convincedshe could take him if he tried anything funny.
The wheels of the car against the pavementbegan to slow before the man pulled into the parking lot of asilver, boxcar diner. Her eyes traveled over the small cluster ofbuildings surrounding the diner, but the restaurant looked to bethe only place open at this early hour.
“I work at the feed store,” the portly manbeside her said and pointed toward the sagging, gray shingledbuilding across the way. “This is far as I go, but the bus comes byat two. You can buy a ticket inside the diner.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” shesaid sincerely.
He gave her a cursory glance. “Do you havemoney for the ticket?”
She didn’t get a pervy vibe from him withthe look and question, only a sincere concern for her. She’d toldhim she’d been camping with her friend when they’d gotten in afight, and her friend had left her behind.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him and pushedthe door open. She had at least forty dollars in her pocket; itwould get her toward somewhere a little more civilized. If shecould find an ATM, she had enough money in her bank account to gether somewhere far from here.
Climbing out of the vehicle, she stretchedher cramped muscles before walking toward the diner. The belloverhead rang when she pushed the door open and stepped into thecool, dimly lit building. Across from her was a long counter withstools and an open view to the kitchen beyond. The scent ofpancakes, bacon and hash browns frying caused her stomach to rumbleeagerly in response. Her mouth watered at the prospect of food andwater. She pushed back the straggling strands of her hair, turnedtoward the booths lining the outside wall, and froze.
Ian lifted an eyebrow at her from the boothat the end of the diner. She assumed her heart would plummet intoher feet, instead it gave an excited little leap as she stared athis massive body spread casually within the booth. Instead of beingterrified that he’d hunted her down, she found herself relieved. Hedidn’t make a move to come at her, didn’t say a word, he simplypushed the glass of water sitting before him toward her.
He wasn’t much in the mood for chasing downan unwilling female, not after his endless, sleepless night, and hesupposed the cops might frown upon it, but he would if she bolted.He gave her a challenging stare as he waited to see what she woulddo. He didn’t know much about her, but she wasn’t the type to walkaway from a challenge, and given the rumpled and beaten look ofher, she could use a break from running.
Paige glanced at the door, but she didn’tsee the point in trying to outrun him again. Not when he wassitting there, staring at her like he wanted to throttle her asmuch as he wanted to kiss her. Not when she could almost feel theheat of his body pressing against hers. Besides, she didn’t thinkhe would actually rip her throat out, and what could he really doin front of all of these people?
With a resigned sigh, she cautiouslyapproached the booth. “I thought you might like some water,” hesaid and gestured at the glass.
She slid into the seat but didn’t take holdof the water. “How did you know where I was?”
A smile played at the corners of his mouth;he folded his hands before him as he leaned forward on the table.“I’ve known where you were since the second you climbed out thewindow.”
She hadn’t been overly angry, and not reallyastounded to see him here, but her chin jutted out at hisstatement. “Then why didn’t you stop me?”
“I told you, you’re not a prisoner.”
“So you’re going to let me get on thatbus?”
The smile slide from his face; a muscle inhis cheek jumped. “I’m going to ask you to do me the favor ofstaying for, at most, another week.”
