Emma frowned as Stefan slid to his feet beside Isabelle. From around Ethan's chest, she finally spotted the three men who had caught his attention the last time she saw them here. Two of the men glanced over at them, but the third focused on the dance floor.
"Are you sure you don't know them?" she inquired.
"I'm sure." He turned toward her and finished off his beer. "Would you like another drink?"
"No, I think I've had enough."
He took her hand. "How about a walk on the beach?"
Emma looked at the three men who were now on the dance floor. There appeared to be nothing wrong with the men, but no matter what he said, she knew Ethan and his family were reacting strangely to those guys. Whatever it was they didn't like about them, he wasn't going to tell her, and it didn't matter if they were leaving the bar.
"That sounds great," she said and slid off the barstool. She turned to Isabelle and Stefan as Isabelle stood too. "Are you coming with us?"
Isabelle glanced at Ethan before shaking her head. "No, I think we're going to head home."
Ethan was careful to keep Emma away from the three unknown vampires as he led her outside. He walked with Isabelle and Stefan over to the Jeep in the small parking lot, grabbed his backpack from the backseat, and closed the door. He nodded to them and tapped the closed door before turning to Emma. She was studying the bag slung over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.
"Big plans?" she asked.
He smiled at her as he claimed her hand and pulled her close to his side. "Just a few supplies for tomorrow."
"Awfully sure of yourself, aren't you?"
He laughed and released her hand to slide his arm around her waist. "I'll go home tonight if you want me to."
It was the last thing in the world she wanted as she leaned against him and kicked at the warm, grainy sand beneath her feet. She'd never felt this secure before as her skin tingled where it came in contact with his. The mellow ebb and flow of the ocean soothed as the salty scent of it washed over her. Light from the moon and stars glimmered on the water; she almost felt as if she could walk across the sea and touch the moon as it hung heavily in the clear night sky.
"It's beautiful," she murmured.
"It is," he agreed, but his eyes were focused on her as they walked further down the beach. "I'm sorry Isabelle was so overwhelming."
Emma brushed back a strand of hair blowing across her face. "I enjoyed talking to her once she stopped..."
"Grilling you?" he suggested when her voice trailed off.
"Yeah, I guess that would be the best way to describe it."
"She's overprotective of all her siblings. I think it comes from being the oldest female."
"I think it’s what comes from having brothers and sisters; it must be nice. I mean it's not great when you're on the receiving end, but I understand. She loves you and apparently, she was also beginning to question your sexuality," she added with a laugh.
He chuckled as he shook his head. "Sometimes, I'd like to strangle her."
"I think that also comes from having siblings."
He kissed the top of her head. "I think this is where we exit."
She followed his gaze up the hill to the small house where she was staying. "Jill and Mandy are probably still awake."
"Then I promise not to jump you in the entryway again."
Emma couldn't stop a burst of laughter from escaping; she pinched his side before darting away from him and fleeing across the sand. Her feet slipped in the loose sand, but she forced her small legs to move faster. She could hear him steadily gaining on her. She tried to dash to the side but his arms encircled her waist, and he lifted her off the ground. A squeal of delight escaped her as he pressed her back against his chest and spun her around in a circle. Lightness filled her heart as he stopped spinning and walked with her the rest of the way across the beach to the road.
"I don't think carrying me is helping with the not being jumped in the entry part," she told him when she felt his erection pressing against her spine.
"Maybe not, but I'm not ready to let you go."
Was he trying to make her fall in love with him? If so, she was dangerously close to it as he set her on her feet in the driveway. "Ethan..."
She found words failed her as his emerald eyes met hers in the moonlight. Emotion swelled so vehemently in her chest she almost threw herself into his arms and buried her head in his chest. "What is it, Emma?" he asked worriedly.
She shook her head and turned away from him. She'd sound like a complete moron if she started stuttering on about feelings and whatever other foolishness had been about to spill from her mouth. Pulling the key from her pocket, she slid it into the door and pushed it open. Jill and Mandy were sitting on the couch with drinks in their hands. Classical music, Mandy's favorite, drifted through the room.
"Hey, guys!" Jill greeted. She'd taken all the braids out of her hair yesterday; it tumbled around her shoulders in waves emphasizing her high cheekbones and pretty features. "Did you have fun?"
"We did," Emma answered. "What about you guys?"
"It's a party wherever we are," Jill assured her.
"Very true," Emma agreed as she kicked off her shoes and placed them in the hall closet.
"There's some margarita mix still in the blender, help yourselves," Mandy offered.
"I'm good," Ethan said as he walked over to stand beside her.
"I think I've had enough for tonight," Emma told her and cast a shy glance at Ethan. "I'm ready for some sleep."
Jill and Mandy both smirked as they took another sip of their fruity drinks. "Sleep tight," Mandy said as they turned away.
"I don't think there will be much sleep going on in there," Jill whispered, and they both burst into loud giggles.
Emma shook her head but followed Ethan to her room.
* * *
"I have something for you," Ethan said as he ran his index finger in a circle around the small of her back. Her hair tickled against the bottom of his chin, but he didn't move to brush it away.
Emma had to force herself to lift her head to look at him. She was so thoroughly exhausted and satisfied all she wanted to do was lie there and never move again. "You do?" She stifled a yawn as she asked the question.
"I do."
He sat up and swung his legs off the bed with far more energy than she had right now. Emma put her elbow on the bed and plopped her head on her hand as she watched him walk across the room to his backpack. The light from the single candle on the nightstand revealed his skin was still slick with sweat as it played over his taut muscles and firm ass. Much to her surprise, she found herself growing aroused again as he dug into the bag.
He pulled something out and turned back to her. It looked incredibly small in his hands, but the sight of the dress she’d admired in the store earlier caused her to bolt upright in the bed. Her exhaustion vanished as the blanket fell away to reveal her breasts. Her mouth dropped as he walked over and sat on the bed beside her.
"You shouldn't have," she breathed.
"I saw you looking at it today; I hope I got the right size."
She finally tore her attention away from the beautiful dress and focused on his exquisite face. Something in her chest swelled as she met his eyes; she wasn't quite sure what the feeling was as she'd never quite experienced it before, but she knew she never wanted it to end.
"It's...it's beautiful," she stammered. "But it was so expensive and—"
"No ands," he said forcefully. "I wanted to get it for you, and that's that."
She was tempted to argue further with him, but she couldn't when he was smiling at her and holding that dress. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Come on, let's see if it fits," he said. He rose to his feet and gestured for her to do the same.
Emma stared at him for a second before tossing the rest of the blanket aside and climbing out of bed to stand in front of him. She tilted her head back and raised her arms for him to slide the dress over her head. The m
aterial felt like a feather caressing her skin as it settled over her. It hugged her curves before flowing out at her waist. The bottom of it spun out around her as she twirled in it.
"I love it!" she cried and stopped spinning to throw her arms around him.
Relief filled Ethan as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. He hadn't been sure how she would react when he gave her the dress, thought maybe she would believe it was too much or he was moving too fast. He knew they needed to talk about everything, but his experience with conversations about relationships consisted of three words, don't get attached. Those were the last three words he would ever utter to her.
There was nothing more perfect than her, or the joy she radiated right now, he was certain of it. He was already growing erect again as he slid the dress up her body and pulled it over her head. Her pert breasts, rounded hips, and soft skin were bared to him once more. He draped the dress over the chair and began to edge her toward the bed. He was going to enjoy burying himself inside her for another couple of hours, relish feeling every bit of her all over again.
The sound of her laughter was contagious, and he found himself laughing with her as they tumbled onto the bed together. She had the most radiant smile he'd ever seen. He traced his finger over her lips and across her chin.
"It's a perfect fit," she whispered as she threw her arms around his neck.
"Just like you," he muttered against her lips.
Something flickered through her eyes; her grin turned playful as she wiggled beneath him. "I'll have to give you an extra special thank you for the dress and the flowers," she said as she nibbled his bottom lip.
Ethan was in the process of losing himself to her when her words registered. He propped his hands on either side of her head as he held himself above her. "What flowers?"
Emma frowned as the smile left his face and his eyes became as icy as the tundra. Her hand fell away from his cheek as he stared at her.
"What flowers?" he demanded again.
"The flowers in the kitchen. The ones you sent me this afternoon," she said hesitatingly. An almost lethal air surrounded him as he pushed himself off her.
"I didn't send you flowers," he said.
He turned and walked to the door so fast, she barely registered he was leaving before she was gaping after his naked backside. She scrambled off the bed as he disappeared. Grabbing her robe, she tugged it hastily on as she followed him down the hall, praying with every step Mandy and Jill weren't still awake. He was completely heedless of his nudity as he stalked across the living room to the kitchen. He was either nuts or the most brazen man she'd ever encountered.
Emma caught up with him as he stopped by the island where the flowers sat. He frowned at them before grabbing the card. Scanning it, he returned it and turned to her. "I didn’t send these, Emma."
Her forehead furrowed in confusion, then the color drained from her face as she stared at the flowers with a look of abject horror. She snatched the vase off the counter, stalked over to the trashcan, stepped on the foot pedal, and dumped them unceremoniously into the trash. The lid slammed closed with an air of finality as she turned away. Ethan watched her agitated movements as she hurried across the living room and jerked the curtains closed over the glass doors leading to the balcony.
There was a firm set to her shoulders, but he didn't miss the tremble in her hand as she finished closing the curtains. "Emma, do you know who those are from?" She didn't speak as she walked around the room and pulled the rest of the curtains shut. "Emma?"
"I thought I saw him the other day, but I didn't believe it was possible," she muttered as she returned to the kitchen and yanked the curtains over the sink closed.
Ethan clasped her hand before she could walk past him. Hostility grew inside him as he took in the frantic look in her eyes. He hated that look, and with sudden certainty, he knew he would do anything he could to make it go away.
"Who, Emma?" he asked in a deceptively calm voice.
Her eyes zipped wildly around the room before settling on him. "Tristan."
It took him a minute to place the name, but when he did, rage settled over him. He somehow managed to keep himself composed as her troubled eyes watched him.
"You saw him the other day?" he asked.
"Yes, I mean no!" she cried. "I thought I did, but it couldn't be him. What would he be doing here? How would he know I was here? But who else would have sent them?”
He pulled her against his chest as tears spilled down her cheeks. It wasn't until her tears wet his skin that he realized he was naked. Bending down, he lifted her and swung her into his arms. It amazed him how little she was as he carried her down the hall and placed her tenderly on her bed. He turned back and noiselessly closed the door before settling beside her and pulling her into his lap.
"Tell me what you think you saw," he coaxed.
Finding comfort in his strong arms, Emma curled closer as his presence helped ease some of the instinctual terror sprouting forth with the realization Tristan might be on this island. She told him what she saw the other day on the beach.
"My parents wouldn't send them; I know Jill and Mandy didn't do it. If they weren't from you, that only leaves him," she whispered.
Ethan brushed her glossy hair back from her forehead as he tried to soothe the shivers racking her small frame. "If they are from him, then I will take care of it," he vowed.
"I don't want to see you hurt over this. Tristan is unstable; I don't know what he's capable of doing. I don't understand how he found me."
Ethan's jaw clenched, but he couldn't tell her why he had no fear of any human. "Are you sure it couldn't be someone else?"
She frowned as she searched her mind for anyone else who would send her flowers. She came up with nothing. "I'll call my parents and ask them tomorrow, but I know it wasn't them. They would send more of a card with them."
Ethan rested his chin on top of her head and ran his hands up and down her arms. The desire he'd felt for her earlier disappeared. All he wanted now was to keep her protected and ease her worry. He would do everything he could to make sure she stayed safe, even if it meant killing his first human.
Chapter Thirteen
Jill was about to dump the leftover eggs into the trash when she froze and looked up at Emma with consternation. Emma was tempted to hide behind her coffee mug; unfortunately, it didn't offer her much protection from her friend's probing gaze.
"Why are the flowers in here?" Jill demanded.
Mandy leaned forward on her crutch to see what caught Jill's attention. Her forehead furrowed as she lifted her head to look at Emma. "Did you two have a fight or something?"
"From the sounds I heard last night there is no way they were fighting," Jill said.
It may be useless, but Emma lifted her coffee mug and held it before her face.
"Then what is going on?" Mandy's hand pushed the mug back down so she could look Emma in the eye.
"The flowers aren't from Ethan," she admitted.
Mandy frowned at her before glancing at the trashcan. "Then who are they from?"
"Your parents?" Jill asked as she finished scraping the eggs into the trash.
Emma shook her head. "I called them this morning; they didn't send them either."
"Then who would..." Mandy's voice trailed off as her hand slipped away from Emma's mug. "No, that's not possible."
Emma closed her eyes and placed her mug on the counter. "I thought I saw him the other day."
"Are you serious?" Jill blurted and tossed the frying pan into the sink.
Emma winced at the clattering sound and glanced over her shoulder. She'd left Ethan in the shower, but he wouldn't be in there much longer. She didn't want to retell this story in front of him. She knew he wouldn't, but the look in his eyes last night made her think he might kill Tristan if he got his hands on him. Emma didn't want to see that look again now.
Mandy and Jill pulled the stools around to the other side of the breakfast bar and
settled across from her as she told them what happened. "Does Ethan know about this?" Jill whispered.
"I told him everything," Emma said.
"What does he think?"
Emma shrugged and took a sip of her coffee. "Probably that he got messed up with a girl with far too much baggage for his liking."
"Emma," Mandy said in a disapproving tone.
"He was really understanding," Emma admitted. "But would you blame him if he did feel that way, especially if Tristan is here? That is beyond insane."
"And it sounds like something Tristan would do," Jill said.
Mandy rested her hand on Emma's arm. "And we'll kick his psycho ass if he thinks about coming anywhere near you."
Emma couldn't help but smile at Mandy's ferocious tone. "I know you will."
"Are you okay?" Jill asked.
"I'm scared," she admitted. "If he was on the beach and sent those flowers, that's a whole new level of craziness. If he followed me here then how long has he been following me without my knowledge, and what else is he willing to do?"
Emma didn't want to think about what he might have seen her doing without her being aware. When he'd been harassing her daily, she'd been extremely conscious of her surroundings and what she was doing nearly every second she was awake. A few months without him in her life had loosened her vigilance of her surroundings and actions. As more time passed, she'd returned to a nearly normal life—a life he may have been hiding in the shadows and spying on for a year. The thought almost made her throw up the eggs, but she managed to keep them down.
"You're not going to find out," Ethan said.
The three of them jumped in surprise. They were so intent on their conversation, they hadn't heard Ethan approach until he spoke and rested his hands on her shoulders. He bent down and kissed her cheek before straightening.
The Vampire Awakenings Bundle: Books 1-5 Page 68