“I didn’t mean for this,” she murmured andshoved aside strands of her hair.
“I didn’t either, but you have to know Iwant you more than I’ve ever wanted anyone.”
Her chin rose and though her eyes glintedwith ire, a vulnerable air surrounded her. “That’s saying alot.”
“Don’t do that.” Ice coated his voice, buthe refused to be shut out by her because of his past. “Don’t use mypast against me.”
“I’ll be a part of your past shortly, justlike all the others.”
Those words caused a pang to his heart. Healmost recoiled from her, almost released her, but he knew she wastrying to push him away and protect herself from getting hurt byhim. “You’re nothing like all the others. No matter what happens,you never will be. You never could be.”
Paige’s head spun; she didn’t know what tosay or how to respond to what he was telling her. It couldn’t betrue, he had to be wrong. She hated the piece of her that longed tobelieve she was special to him. That maybe, just maybe, she couldhave this man. She’d never planned for something like this in herlife, she should be trying to kill him; instead, she wanted to loseherself to him.
I really am an idiot. “I can’t… Thisisn’t supposed to happen.”
“How do you know what is supposed tohappen?” he inquired.
“This isn’t part of the plan!” she criedimpatiently.
“Whatisthe plan, Paige?”
“Not this!”
His eyes narrowed on her face. “One of thesedays, you will open up to me. Youwilltrust me.”
She gave him a lingering look before walkingpast him. She paused in the beginning of the hallway to look backat him, but his gaze remained focused on the doorway. Turning away,she rushed down to her small bedroom and closed the door.
Her legs trembled as she leaned against theframe and stared at the curtained window across the way. She had noidea what to do with herself. What had transpired between them wassomething she’d never expected to experience in her life, had neverimagined possible. Sex with him might actually kill her, but shethought she’d be willing to find out, if it didn’t mean she’d bebound to a vampire and the world of the living dead for the rest ofher existence.
The idea turned her stomach, the thought ofcausing Ian any distress made tears burn in her eyes. A showerwould help to clear her head, she decided. Before she could move,she heard the water turn on in the room next to hers. The image ofhim standing naked in the shower did nothing to ease the turmoiland lust still rolling through her. It didn’t matter if she becamea vampire or not, that man was going to be the death of her, shedecided.
Ian walked down to the bathroom and pausedbefore opening the door. He stared at the closed door of herbedroom. She was right there, so close and so far away. He hopedshe didn’t decide to pull a Dillinger again tonight. This time hewould grab her, throw her over his shoulder, and carry her backhere kicking and screaming.
He’d had all he could take for tonight. Hewas as wound up as a teen with his first Playboy; he’d gotten zerosleep while she’d been napping in the woods, and his pride hadtaken a swift kick in the nuts. Yes, he’d definitely have noproblem with hauling her hot and cold ass back here and tying herto the bed if need be, he decided.
Something he would thoroughly enjoydoing.
CHAPTER 14
Paige stared at the ceiling as she tried to sortthrough the tumultuous mess of her mind. It had taken her hours tofall asleep last night. She’d tossed and turned, trying to ignorethe needs in her body that his kisses and hands had awoken. Shecould still feel his body against hers as he pushed her over aprecipice she hadn’t gone over in years. And she had a feeling whatshe’d experienced with L.J. would be nothing compared to what Iancould do to her, if she allowed him inside of her heart andlegs.
He’d had plenty of practice that was forsure.
As the bitter thought flitted through hermind, she cursed herself. She kept using it as a defense againsthim because she was struggling to keep her hands to herself, andher legs closed around him. It made her sound like an insecurebitch, but she was insecure around him, or at least unsettled andunsure she would be able to satisfy him. Even when she’d been faceto face with the worst monster she’d ever known, the monster thathad turned her onto this path in life, she’d never been asfrightened as she was by the way Ian made her feel.
He rattled her in ways no one ever had, andshe was certain a lot of the women he’d been with had had far moreexperience than her. He’d said she was different than any otherwoman, that he only wanted her, but had he only been saying that totry and sleep with her? No, she knew immediately he wouldn’t dothat. He didn’t need to, he could have any woman he wanted.Besides, Ian was a lot of things but a liar definitely wasn’t oneof them. In fact, he was the most brutally honest man she’d evercome across.
Rolling to the side, she shoved herself intoa seated position. The bruised muscles in her back, arms and legsprotested the movement, but she couldn’t lie around all dayavoiding him. Head-on, it was the way she’d always gone abouteverything in her life, and she wouldn’t change now. No matter howmuch she longed to bury her head under the pillow and stay thereuntil it was time for her to go, she refused to do so.
Her legs protested her rise to her feet; shehad to bite back a groan. She’d taken many beatings over the years.Most worse than what she’d gone through yesterday, but thebattering her soul had taken afterward made her feel as badlybeaten as she’d ever been over the years. Had he meant what he saidabout her being his mate or had horniness clouded his judgment? Shemay not have crawled into his bed, but he wouldn’t have made thatup; it didn’t mean he couldn’t be wrong though.
Digging through the remains of the clothesshe’d been given, she pulled out a pair of jeans and a red sweater.She showered, brushed out her hair and forced herself to leave thebathroom. The hush of the cabin alerted her she was alone beforeshe did a search for Ian. She stepped into the kitchen, grabbed anapple and walked out to the porch. Looking over the trees, shesearched for him amongst the woods, but nothing stirred within thebranches.
Had he gone back to town?
Wherever he was, it had given her a reprieveto gather her thoughts and courage. She wasn’t going to argue withit. She munched on her apple as she made her way toward the forestand the path they’d walked before. Attempting to escape didn’tcross her mind this time, he’d only find her again, or maybe hewould decide she wasn’t worth the hassle and let her go. She wasn’tsure which thought bothered her more.
Arriving at where the path split off towardthe lake, she took a right and walked down to the water. She couldhear the water lapping against the shore before she rounded thecorner in the path. Finishing her apple off, she tossed the coreinto the woods for the animals.
