His arousal from earlier began to returnwhile he watched her. He gritted his teeth against his erection andfocused on the more important issues at hand. “Pretending it’s me?”he inquired.
She didn’t jump at the sound of his voice.Somehow, she’d instinctively known he’d been standing there,watching her. “No.”
There was only one man that punching bagwould ever be to her. Ian may infuriate, unsettle, and arouse herin ways she’d never known possible, but she’d never want any harmto befall him. Turning toward him, she tugged at the rags wrappedaround her knuckles and dropped them on the floor. She’d beenhoping beating on the bag would help to ease some of herfrustration and clear her mind. Any sense of working out heranxiety vanished the minute her eyes landed on him again. Thereweren’t enough punching bags in the world to work him out of hersystem.
“Did you see them anywhere?” she asked.
He shook his head and folded his arms overhis chest. The sun setting over his shoulder caused red and orangecolors to dance across his golden hair and emphasized his bronzedskin. “No.”
“Do you think we’re safe here?”
Ian’s gaze drifted back to the fadingsunlight as he pondered her question. There had been no signs ofany threat to them. He couldn’t shake the feeling something wasn’tright, and he’d learned to trust his instincts over the years. “No,I don’t.” Her eyebrows rose; she glanced around the clearing again.“We’re going to leave.”
“Where will we go?”
“To the motel in town. A public place wouldbe better right now.” She remained unmoving, her eyes on the woods.“Go on and pack. I’ll get the pickup started.”
She nodded her agreement and slipped pasthim. Ian watched her climb the stairs to the cabin before turningaway. He walked around the back of the shed to the pickup parkedbehind it and checked the oil before slamming the hood shut. Hisgaze traveled around the clearing, he scented the air, but all hedetected was the lake water and the crisp mountain air. That didn’tmean something wasn’t coming.
He leapt up the porch steps in one bound andwalked into the cabin where he found Paige emerging from thebedroom. Her blue-green eyes were troubled when they met his, butshe forced a smile. Grabbing his clothes, he shoved them into theduffel bag Emma had given to him and slung it over hisshoulder.
“Ready?” he inquired.
“Yes.” She waited for him to leave the cabinbefore following behind. Stepping onto the porch, Ian frozeimmediately as the strong stench of rot and decay drifted towardhim on the breeze flowing through the mountains. He’d smelledlandfills in August with a better aroma than what reached him now.A rock lodged in his stomach, he couldn’t see who was emitting thestench, but he knew immediately at least one murderous vampire waswithin five miles of the cabin. Throwing his arm out, he haltedPaige before she could take another step.
“What’s the matter?” she askednervously.
“The kind of vampire you dislike so much isnear.”
Her mouth parted, her bag plopped onto theporch as she scanned the woods. “How can you tell?”
“I can smell it.”
She gave a snort of disbelief. “You cansmell a vampire?”
“I can smell akillervampire. Anormal vampire doesn’t emit this particular aroma.”
Some of the color drained from her face.“How?”
Paige almost grabbed hold of him when heshook his head and stepped away from her. She strained to seethrough the trees his eyes were focused on, but nothing movedamongst the foliage. “I don’t see anyone.”
“They’re there,” he murmured.
Those words chilled her more than thethunderous look on his face. “They?”
“Yes.”
“Can we get to the pickup?”
“No.”
The word had just left his mouth when shesaw figures emerging from the tree line. Paige’s heartbeatescalated, a chill slid down her spine as she watched two men and awoman step onto the cleared land. The fog drifting low across thegrass obscured their feet and gave them the impression ofspectral-like figures. Paige swallowed heavily, her fingers itchedfor a weapon.
“Stay behind me,” he commanded.
“Ian…” she started to protest.
“These vampires won’t play with you and tugon your hair, Paige. They’ll tear out your throat before you knowthey’re there. I won’t lose you.”
