The Vampire Awakenings Bundle: Books 1-5

by Davies, Brenda K.

  His gaze drifted to the glass doors and balcony on the other side of the room. He left his bag on the bed as he was drawn toward the doors. Opening them, he stepped onto the balcony and inhaled the ocean-scented air as he savored the view and the sound of the water crashing onto the sand below. Yes, he could definitely get used to this.

  Chapter Two

  Emma leaned back in her chair to study the ocean rolling against the shore. Lifting her glass, she took a sip of her margarita and watched the die-hard sunbathers still trying to soak up the fading rays of the sun. Calypso music played in the background, and she found herself feeling almost drowsy as she began to lose herself in the music and tequila.

  "Emma, woohoo, earth to Emma." She blinked as a hand waved in front of her face, drawing her attention to her friend, Jill. "There you are!" Jill declared with a smile. "What were you thinking about?"

  "Nothing," Emma answered honestly. "And it was great."

  Jill laughed as she pulled the yellow umbrella from her piña colada. The braids she had put into her mahogany brown hair today clicked together when she moved. Emma found she enjoyed the noise of the dozens of multicolored beads at the bottom of the braids; they sounded almost musical. The chunks of platinum blonde hair Jill recently streaked through her hair stood out amongst the braids. Her sable-colored eyes were warm as she leaned back in her chair and stretched her long, deeply tanned legs before her. A tan she’d earned while growing up in San Francisco and somehow managed to retain even through the endless, Pennsylvania winters at college.

  At five-eleven, Jill was one of the tallest females Emma knew. Jill's height came in handy for the volleyball scholarship that had helped put her through college, as had her lean physique and amazing athletic ability. Jill hoped to get a job as a PE teacher or volleyball coach now that she was out of school; Emma knew she would be great at either job.

  "We're free girls," Jill said happily and lifted her glass over the center of the table.

  Emma leaned forward to clink her glass against Jill and Mandy's. Being free was the best feeling in the world, Emma decided. She was free from college, free from Tristan...

  She hastily shut down all thoughts of Tristan. Memories of her ex had no place in this beautiful paradise with her two best friends.

  "You two are free," Mandy said. "Some of us will be returning to college in the fall."

  "You're the one insisting on going to medical school and trying to save the world," Jill teased.

  Mandy smiled as she shifted in her chair. The blue bandanna wrapped around her head covered the black hair she’d cut into a bob just below her earlobes. Mandy's mocha-colored skin gleamed in the fading light of the sun setting over her bare shoulder. Her deep brown eyes were thoughtful as she fiddled with the straw in her drink.

  "I don't know what else I would do with myself," Mandy admitted. "If I can’t become a doctor..."

  Her voice trailed off as her gaze turned to the window. The only thing Mandy ever dreamed of being was a doctor, and she’d spent their four years in college studying her ass off to attain that goal. When Mandy was five years old, her parents were killed in a car crash. Mandy was lucky enough to survive the crash, but her right leg was crushed so severely it had to be amputated. She was so adept at using her prosthetic that anyone who didn't know her, would never realize her leg was fake if she were wearing jeans.

  After the accident, Mandy spent a lot of time in hospitals and rehab. She'd once told Emma the only thing that got her through those depressing and pain-filled days were the doctors and nurses who saved her life and the unwavering love and support of her grandparents. Mandy swore all those years ago, she would one day become a doctor so she could save children too.

  "You will," Emma assured her. "You aced the MCATs."

  "Yeah, well, that was just a test; Stanford is going to be a whole different ball game," Mandy said.

  "Only you would think the MCAT's are just a test," Jill muttered as she stabbed her straw repeatedly into her frozen drink. "I barely passed my finals."

  "To be fair, that's because you were out till two every morning of finals week," Mandy reminded her.

  "I was simply taking the edge off," Jill said with a laugh.

  Emma leaned forward and squeezed Mandy's arm. "You're going to do great, Mandy, believe me."

  Mandy forced a smile. "That's still two months away. Right now, I have the whole month to enjoy with you two lovely ladies."

  "Damn right!" Jill declared. "And then we all have to return to the real world." Jill downed the rest of her drink. She waved at a passing waitress, asked for another one and three shots of tequila.

  Emma wasn't entirely sure what the real world was anymore. She'd spent her entire life in school; now she didn't know what to do with it. She had a bachelor's degree in history; one she’d intended to use to become a history teacher, though she would probably have to get her master's too.

  When she'd started her college life, she was certain she would enjoy teaching for the rest of her life.. Halfway through this year, she suddenly realized the last thing she felt like doing was spending the rest of her life inside a school building.

  By then, it was too late to change her major or figure out a different plan. She wouldn't mind working in a museum, or some other historically oriented place, but she knew how difficult it was to come by those jobs, and once again she would probably have to get her master's.

  Jill had recently suggested she move to California so they could all rent a place together. At first, Emma was unsure if that were something she'd like to do, but the more she thought about it, the more appealing she found the idea. She'd always wanted to see California, she could stay with her two best friends, and if she couldn't find a job she could always wait tables or return home. At least she'd get to try something new.

  Her parents wouldn't be happy when she told them about her change of heart, but that was a conversation saved for after this trip. For now, she was determined to relax and enjoy the next month with her friends. The three of them had been saving for this trip since being placed together as roommates their freshman year. One day in passing, Mandy had told them her grandparents owned a home in Bermuda. It had been in their family for generations, and they rented it out to people.

  Talk of renting the home was originally just a fun idea they batted around between them. As the semester wore on, and their friendship strengthened, renting the house became something they were determined to do. They busted their asses at crappy jobs, and they'd scrimped and saved until they raised enough money to rent the house for a month. Now it was finally their time to celebrate.

  "Beach tomorrow for sure," Jill said. "I want to hop in on a couple of volleyball games and scope out some of the guys."

  "Sounds like a plan to me," Mandy said.

  "Maybe we can even get Emma a date," Jill teased.

  Emma gave her a wan smile as she fiddled with the tiny umbrella she'd placed on the table. "I think I'll continue to stay away from men for a little while."

  "It's been a year, Emma," Mandy said.

  "Not long enough," Emma muttered.

  The waitress returned with Jill's drink order and placed it on the table. Jill grabbed her new drink and leaned forward. "You need a good fling to forget about that asshole completely."

  Emma stared back at her as her foot began to tap on the floor. She realized they were concerned about her, but she wished they would understand she was content to stay single, and a fling wasn't exactly her thing.

  "It will take more than that to forget about Tristan," Emma said.

  Jill sighed and pushed one of the shots of tequila toward her. "Let's not say that piece of shit's name again for the rest of this trip. Drink up."

  Emma was more than happy to agree to those terms as she picked up the shot glass and downed the tequila. Her face scrunched up as the liquid hit her tongue and burned all the way down her throat; it wasn't overly unpleasant and made her feel warm and fuzzy. She placed the glass on the table a
nd turned to watch the waves roll in and out again as Jill ordered another round.

  "That should be illegal," Jill purred.

  "Wow," Mandy breathed.

  Emma didn't look to see what they were talking about, which annoyed Jill enough that she kicked Emma’s shin under the table.

  "Ow," Emma said and leaned forward to rub her shin.

  She shot Jill a disgruntled look, but Jill smiled annoyingly in return and nodded her head toward whatever had caught her and Mandy's attention. Emma immediately spotted the two men Jill indicated as they were both large and exuded a raw sexuality. They were two of the best-looking men Emma had ever seen in her life. Her jaw almost dropped, but she caught herself in time to stop that from happening.

  Both men had dark hair framing their faces, broad shoulders, and powerful forms. The similarities ended there between the two of them. The one with black eyes appeared older, he seemed more aloof as he searched the room, and his hair was more the color of coal. The one with the most beautiful emerald eyes she'd ever seen had a more youthful air to him as he leaned against the counter. His hair was a blue-black color that reminded her of a raven and made her itch to run her fingers through it. The muscles in his forearms flexed as he clasped his hands before him.

  She couldn't tear her eyes away as she drank in the details of his body. Stubble lined his chiseled, square jaw; she could almost feel it rubbing against her cheek and over her throat. The sensation was so real that everything around her became irrelevant. Her gaze drifted to the full lips curled into an endearing smile that made her heart melt. There was a dimple in his right cheek as his smile grew and he unclasped his hands to gesture around the room. The form-fitting dark blue T-shirt he wore hugged his broad chest and emphasized the sculpted muscles underneath. Her gaze traveled over his waist and the obvious bulge in his jeans before she hurriedly looked away.

  She kept her lashes lowered over her eyes as she looked surreptitiously at him again. Her breasts tingled as her mouth watered. Something about this man made her entire body react in a way it never had before. She almost rose from the table to go to him but stopped before she made a complete fool out of herself in the crowded bar.

  It was all so strange; she didn't understand her reaction to him, but she welcomed it. Seeming to sense her stare, his head turned toward her. The smile slid from his face as his eyes locked with hers. She felt as if she were hurtled through space, and the stars and cosmos were flying by her as she was lost in the intensity of his gaze.

  He continued to stare at her as people moved and flowed around them. A tall, brunette woman with golden highlights flowing through her hair walked over to the men. She was speaking as her hand gestured around the room. Jill and Mandy released a low groan when the other man bent to kiss the woman, but Emma barely heard them. With the kiss broken, the woman grabbed hold of the man Emma was looking at, drawing his attention away from her.

  Emma had the strangest urge to cry when the connection between them broke. She took a deep breath and bowed her head as she tried to calm her accelerated pulse. It had been over a year since a man touched her romantically; that was the only reason she felt so completely out of control right now.

  Turning back around, she grabbed one of the fresh shots Jill ordered and downed it.

  "I wonder if the other one is single," Jill said as she played with her straw.

  "Looking like that, I doubt it," Mandy replied.

  Emma didn't even want to think about it as she gulped her drink down. The last thing she needed was another man in her life, considering the debacle the end of her relationship with Tristan had been. A shudder worked through her; she didn't like to recall the time she'd spent with the only man she'd ever had a serious relationship with. Everything between them had started out well enough; he'd been kind to her, and even if she wasn’t head over heels for him, she'd thought it was a good relationship until it all went so horribly wrong. What started out as pleasant took an ugly turn into a threatening world she feared she wouldn’t escape.

  "Maybe it's time to head back to the house," she suggested.

  "Things are just getting interesting here though," Jill protested.

  "We shouldn't spend all of our money on our second night," Emma replied, but all she could think about was bolting out of the bar. The bizarre reaction she'd had to the man left her rattled and in need of some fresh air.

  "True," Jill said. "Plus, there's alcohol at the house for us to enjoy."

  Relief filled her as Jill agreed; sometimes she could be relentless. Emma pulled out some cash and tossed it on the table before rising from her chair. Her gaze involuntarily returned to the trio standing at the bar. The man she’d focused on had his back to them and was leaning on the bar. It was a very fine back too, Emma decided as her gaze settled on his taut ass.

  Jesus, she had to get out of here, she decided as she forced herself to turn away from him.

  Jill slipped her arm through Emma's and leaned against her side. "There will also be plenty more eye candy for us over the coming weeks."

  Emma chuckled, but her thoughts remained on the man standing in the corner. She forced her eyes to remain ahead of her as they left the restaurant.

  Ethan sensed the minute the woman left the bar; his head turned, and his nostrils flared as he inhaled her lingering scent. He spotted her standing outside the door with her friends. Ethan's gaze was riveted on her as she laughed and placed both her flip-flops into her right hand. There was something about her, something drawing him forward a step before Isabelle rested her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

  "Would you like another drink?" she asked.

  "Yeah," he answered absently as he watched the woman disappear.

  He shook his head and turned back to his sister when she handed him a beer. The woman was a human, someone he should stay far away from, but he found his gaze going back to where she had been standing as he took a sip of beer. Around him, the sound of the beating hearts began to reach out to him. He thought he'd fed well enough on the blood bags from the house, but there was the craving for death again rearing its ugly head. Taking a deep breath, he focused on Isabelle and Stefan; he could control it, just like he always did. Just like he would be forced to do for eternity.

  Chapter Three

  Ethan stepped onto the sand and glanced around at the people gathered on the beach near the restaurant where they went last night. Isabelle carried a blanket in her arms, but he had possession of the cooler loaded with water and beer. Standing beside Isabelle, Stefan didn't look at all pleased with the idea of being on the beach, but he didn't offer any complaint. He did give a scathing glance at a few men lustfully eyeing Isabelle. The men bowed their heads and scurried away.

  "Behave," Isabelle told him.

  "They're still alive, aren't they?" Stefan retorted.

  Ethan chuckled as they walked through the crowd toward an open piece of the sandy real estate. They could have used the private beach by the house, but he’d suggested coming here. Isabelle had looked as startled as he'd felt when the words left his mouth. He hadn't understood why he had the idea at first either, but as his gaze scanned the crowd, he found himself searching for one particular human. The grunts of a nearby volleyball game drew his attention. He focused on the tall woman with braids in her hair he'd seen with the object of his attention last night.

  The woman with the braids dove forward, digging the ball out before it hit the sand. She sent it soaring back over to the other side. A few cheers drew his attention to the crowd gathered by the makeshift volleyball court. He searched for the woman, but although her other friend from last night was standing on the sidelines, the one he sought wasn't there.

  The odd sense of disappointment he felt threw him off. It was a sensation he didn't like. He almost told Isabelle and Stefan he would prefer to go somewhere quieter, but Isabelle was already spreading the blanket out and settling onto it.

  He'd look like an idiot if he said he wanted to leave now, and she might get su
spicious as to his reasons. The last thing he needed was Isabelle becoming nosy. She would never let it go if she thought there was a girl he might be interested in or sensed he wasn't telling her something.

  His gaze ran over the crowded beach as he set down the cooler. Grabbing his shirt, he pulled it over his head to let the hot sun beat down on his shoulders. "Whoa Casper, I think you just blinded me," Isabelle said and threw up her hands.

  He scowled at her before glancing down at his chest. He spent a fair amount of time outdoors in Oregon, but compared to the deeply tanned bodies surrounding him, he was a little pale. He had no concerns about burning though; his body would heal itself faster than the sun could damage his skin.

  "Some of us don't spend our days tanning," he retorted.

  She pulled off her white cover-up and shot a pointed look at Stefan. "Believe me, that's not how I spend my days."

  "Ugh," Ethan groaned.

  Isabelle laughed as she dropped her cover-up on the blanket and stretched out her legs. "Like you haven't said or heard worse over the years from Ian and Aiden."

  "I have," he agreed, he didn't want to hear it from her though.

  Ethan stretched his shoulders as he continued to scan the beach. A glimpse of golden brown hair mixed with tendrils of honey blonde swirling through it caught his attention. The woman from last night had hair that color. She was also shorter than her friends, Ethan recalled, as the head bobbed well below most the heads of the beachgoers. He strained to see her more clearly, but her face remained hidden by the bodies surrounding her.

  The head broke free of the crowd. Ethan's gaze latched onto the face that had intruded upon his dreams last night as she stepped next to her friend. The blonde in her hair gleamed in the sunshine; she'd pulled it into a ponytail, but the tips of it still hung to the middle of her back. A smile lit up her face and caused her eyes to sparkle as she cheered on the girl with the braids. Even from here, he could see the flecks of jade green and brown speckling her hazel eyes.