Unable to resist the lure of the ice wateranymore, she grabbed the glass. She downed the water in one, longswallow. She didn’t think she’d ever tasted something so crisp andrefreshing before. Staring at the ice cubes at the bottom of theglass, she lifted it up and shook a couple into her mouth. Shewould take every drop of water she could get right now.
Placing the glass on the table, she suckedon two of the cubes as she focused on him again. “Why do you wantme to stay?”
Ian folded his hands before him. He hadn’tknown what to do when she’d climbed out the window; he’d almostgrabbed her and dragged her back, but he’d realized allowing her toget a taste of freedom may make her trust him a little more. Hecouldn’t let her get on that bus, not yet. “So I can make sure myfamily is safe.”
“What will you do if I say no?”
He pressed his hands flat against the table.“This is my family. My older sister is pregnant, some of mysiblings are still only children. I’m asking you to give them time,to givemetime to make sure they’re safe. I saved yourlife, I’ve kept you protected, you may not like my kind, butIhave never wronged you.”
Words stuck in her throat as she gazed intohis intense eyes. Everything he said was right. Everything she knewabout him warred with everything she’d thought she’d known for thepast four years. “Paige…”
“Can I get you anything?” The waitressarrived in time to cut off whatever Ian had been about to say.
Ian leaned back in his seat and draped hisarm over the back of the booth. He tried to appear as casual aspossible, but inside he was a seething mass of turmoil. He wasconcerned about more than getting her to stay because of hisfamily. He couldn’t deny the lingering hurt he’d felt ever sincehe’d heard the window open and listened to her climb out. He’dbelieved he’d been making headway with her; it stung to know he’dbeen completely wrong.
No matter what, he couldn’t let her knowwhat was going on inside of him. She had to stay with him. Shecouldn’t realize he was fighting the urge to tear this whole dinerapart with his bare hands, throw her over his shoulder, and dragher kicking and screaming back to the cabin. That would be the sureway to guarantee her hatred of him, but it would also make him feela little bit better to exert his dominance over her and make herrealize she couldn’t escape him.
A tingle of unease slid through him at thethought. Of course she could escape him, he planned to set her freewhen everything was settled with his family, and the vampire whohad attacked her. He refused to think about why that thought madehis hands fist on the table.
The waitress’s eyes slid to him; her mouthcurled into a pretty smile as her gaze slid hungrily over hismuscular form. She moved in such a way that she somehow managed toshove her ample breasts upward. Paige fought against groaning androlling her eyes, but she found herself itching to punch the womanin her jaw even more.
“Order whatever you want,” Ian said toher.
The waitress didn’t look in her direction.Paige didn’t blame her; she knew she could give Pig Pen a run forhis money right now. She obviously wasn’t much competition forsomeone like Ian. It still made her teeth grind together as thepretty woman undressed him leisurely with her eyes, and he smiledsweetly back at her.
“I’d like an order of pancakes, sausage,wheat bread, a coffee and another glass of water,” Paige said.
The waitress finally, reluctantly looked ather again. A haughty expression crossed her face as her gaze randismissively over Paige. She scrawled down Paige’s order beforeturning back to Ian. “And for you?” she inquired with a flutter ofher lashes.
“I’m all set,” Ian replied with a grin.
The woman finally turned away and strolledthrough the diner toward the grill. Paige scowled after herretreating back before reluctantly turning to Ian again. “Do allwomen throw themselves at you?” she demanded.
Ian’s gaze raked over her flushed face, damphair, and the smear of dirt across the bridge of her freckled nose.Despite her disheveled appearance, he still found her completelyalluring. “Youdon’t.” She tapped her fingers on the table.“So Paige, what is it going to be? I promise not to hurt you.”
She glanced out the dust streaked window tothe dirt parking lot. “I don’t think you’ll hurt me,” sheadmitted.
He leaned to the side to get her to look athim again. “Then why did you run?” he asked when he finally had herattention once more.
“Because.”
“Because of what happened, or almosthappened between us?” he pressed. Paige fought against the blushcreeping up her neck and into her cheeks. “I’ll stay away from you.I didn’t mean to frighten you, I won’t do it again; I promise.” Thething that staggered her most wasn’t his promise, but the intensefeeling of disappointment accompanying his words. “You can trustme.”
“I know.” She hadn’t realized she was goingto say those words until they were already out of her mouth. Shehadn’t known she believed them until she’d spoken them. “Iknow.”
His shoulders slumped in relief at herwords. She hadn’t run because she feared him, she’d run because shefeared the way he made her feel. The urge to destroy somethingdissipated faster than the click of a second. Shedidtrusthim, she just didn’t trust herself. “Then help me, by staying withme.”
All she’d wanted was her freedom in thebeginning. In the woods, she’d been convinced she’d made a mistake.Sitting across from him, she knew she couldn’t deny him. All hewanted was to protect his family, how could she say no to that?He’d never hurt her and he’d had plenty of opportunity to do so.How could she tell him she didn’t care what happened with his lovedones just because the way he made her feel terrified her? She’dnever been a coward; she wasn’t about to start being one now.
She took a deep breath before giving a brisknod. She was saved from having to speak by the arrival of thewaitress with her coffee and water. Paige drank down her otherglass of water before turning her attention to the warm coffee.“Why did you let me get so far?” she inquired.
“Because you had to know.”
“Know what?”
“That I could have stopped you, by force,right in the beginning, but I’m putting my trust into youalso.”
Paige sipped at her coffee. “Fair enough.And what would you have done if the man who drove me here had keptdriving?”
