“Why, what do you mean?”
Susan shrugged. “I don’t know; there’s just something strange about them. They come in here, hardly saying a word to each other. They just sit and stare at us, sipping their coffee. Ethan is the scariest. He’s cute, but there’s something about him that makes me nervous. He has these penetrating blue eyes that give me the creeps. Anyway, I really hate serving them, but they’re paying customers, so we can’t exactly kick them out.”
I cleared my throat. “Weird. So, why did she break up with this Ethan guy?”
She laughed. “Amy always had quite the imagination. Everyone thought she was a little… nuts, and maybe, she really was. I mean, she did kill herself. Anyway, she once told me she thought he was a vampire.”
“What?” I choked on my diet soda.
“I know, right?” she smirked. “A freakin’ vampire! Although, if I did believe in vampires, he’d be the first on my list of suspects.”
My throat was really dry as I took another sip of soda. First Abigail, and now Amy; both believed there were vampires roaming the town.
“We’d better go back into the diner,” she said, putting out her cigarette. “My brother will be here soon. I’ll see if he can give you a ride.”
My cell phone went off again as we entered the diner.
“It’s Nathan,” said my brother. “Duncan’s coming to pick you up.”
“Great, thanks,” I said.
“Make sure he brings you straight home. Don’t go jumping his bones or anything.”
“Ha-ha. You are such a comedian.”
He laughed and hung up.
“I’m getting a ride from a friend,” I told Susan. “Thanks for the offer, though.”
“No problem. Oh, my brother’s here,” she said, looking at her phone. “He just texted me. I’ll see you tomorrow, at four o’clock again?”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”
After she left, I sat down at one of the booths, to finish my soda and wait for Duncan. As I watched the front door, a group of kids around my age walked through. One of the other waitresses seated them.
“Same as usual?” asked the older waitress, who I’d met earlier. Her name was Darlene and she was close to retiring.
“Just coffee,” said a broad-shouldered, dark-haired guy, ordering for everyone. He handed her back the menu and our eyes met.
Embarrassed, I looked away quickly and stared outside at the parking lot, watching for Duncan.
Before I could blink, someone slid into my booth and I was suddenly facing the stranger whose eyes I’d just met.
“Um, hi,” I said, sitting up straighter.
“Um, hi, yourself,” he said with a slow, lazy grin.
Oh wow…
“I’m Nikki,” I replied, feeling myself blush at the intense way he was staring at me. I knew it had to be Amy’s ex-boyfriend, and he was undoubtedly gorgeous. He had thick, dark eyebrows with icy blue eyes; his face was perfectly sculpted with high cheekbones and a strong chin. His lips… they were sensual and even fuller than mine.
“You’re new in town?”
“Yes,” I replied, now studying his face more closely. He was definitely a little pale, which reminded me of the fact that Amy had accused him of being vampire. As I stared at him, I reasoned that most girls my age would have swooned at such a good-looking guy, but after everything that had happened the last few nights, I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.
“Welcome to Shore Lake,” he replied, looking into my eyes again.
“Thanks.”
It was weird, but we sat there and stared at each other for a while without talking. Soon, I started feeling a heat somewhere inside of my belly that turned into an overwhelming ache of desire, further south.
“I, ah…” My heart was pounding in my chest and I felt a strong urge to touch him. It was almost overwhelming.
“Nikki,” interrupted Duncan, standing next to our table. “Are you ready to go?”
I looked at Duncan and the spell, or whatever it was, was broken. “Yeah,” I said. “I’m ready.”
“Goodbye, Nikki,” said Ethan, with a small grin. “I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
“Goodbye,” I murmured, looking away. I was confused at the intense rush of desire I’d had for Ethan. He was a total stranger. How did that even happen?
“Who was that?” asked Duncan as he followed me out to his truck.
I don’t know how I knew, but there was no doubt in my mind that Ethan was still staring at me through the window. I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. “You might think I’m crazy, but I’m pretty sure he was a vampire.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Excuse me?” he asked, unlocking the truck.
We both slid inside and I looked at him. “Amy was convinced he was a vampire, and there’s something about him that’s totally… unnerving.”
He shook his head and smiled as he started up the truck. “Okay, your imagination is really getting the best of you. It’s bad enough that there might be a ghost haunting your cabin, but a vampire in the local diner?”
I nodded. “I feel the same way, but there was something so strange about him. He made me feel…”
He raised his eyebrows. “He made you feel what?”
I swallowed hard. “Um, weird.”
I wasn’t about to tell Duncan that at one moment, I wanted to jump Ethan’s bones and probably would have, if we’d been alone. It didn’t even make sense to me.
Duncan looked back towards the diner. “If he gives you any problems, let me know.”
I smiled. “Sure.”
We pulled out of the parking lot in silence as I thought about the strange encounter. Duncan glanced at me a couple of times, and I could tell there was something on his mind, as well.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
He pulled over to the side of the road.
“What is it, Duncan?”
He tapped the steering wheel a couple of times and then looked at me. There was a funny smile on his face. “When I approached you with Ethan, you almost looked like you were ready to tear his clothes off or something. I don’t know; it just made me feel a little… jealous.”
I’m not even sure how it happened, but the next thing I knew, I was straddling him in the front seat and our mouths were crushed against each other.
“Nikki,” he groaned against my lips.
My heart was pounding madly in my chest and I rocked against him, causing him to suck in his breath. He pulled away and looked into my eyes.
“I don’t think…” he whispered.
“Don’t think,” I said breathlessly, pulling him back towards my lips. There was an intense hunger inside of me, one that I’d never felt before. I wanted to tear off both of our clothing, just so I could feel our skin moving against each other.
His mouth was hot, and soon he was kissing my neck while his hands moved under my shirt. As he was about to slide his fingers under my bra, my cell phone rang, startling us both. He quickly removed his hands and I got off of his lap.
My face was burning with embarrassment as I fumbled for my phone. “Yeah?” I said into it, unable to look at Duncan.
“Hello to you, too,” mumbled Nathan.
I cleared my throat. “Sorry.”
“You guys almost home, yet?”
I nervously bit off a hangnail. “Almost.”
“Okay, I ordered a pizza and it’s already here, so hurry the hell up.”
I hung up and stole a glance at Duncan.
“I’m sorry,” he said, although his eyes were still smoldering. “I don’t know what came over me.”
I smiled sheepishly. “I, um… it was me. I practically raped you. I’ve never done that before, to anyone. I’m sorry.”
“At least I know you like me.”
I burst out laughing. “Do you think?”
“I’m sure you could probably tell that I liked you, too,” he said, grinning.
My cheeks grew hot and
I changed the subject. “So, I hope you’re hungry. Nathan has a pizza waiting for us.”
“Oh, I’m starving, alright,” he said under his breath.
I looked at him and sighed. “Duncan, I…”
He stared at me for a minute. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’m not in a rush for anything.”
I smiled. “Thank you. I really do like you, you know. I’m just…”
He held up his hand. “Hey, it’s okay.”
It wasn’t okay. I really liked Duncan but I’d never attacked anyone before in my life like that. It was almost like the burning desire I’d felt towards Ethan had carried over towards Duncan. I was beginning to wonder if Ethan really was a vampire and had given off some kind of weird pheromone.
We rode in silence the rest of the way to the cabin. Nathan was sitting on the porch, holding a BB gun, when we arrived.
“We come in peace,” teased Duncan, raising his hands in the air.
Nathan grinned. “Sorry. I was beginning to freak myself out, so I grabbed my old BB gun. I thought I heard some noises in the woods. But then, I actually found a couple of raccoons prowling around.”
“Is the video camera still set up?” asked Duncan.
“Yeah. I think we should hang out on Nikki’s balcony and watch from above. See if we can see anyone sneaking around,” said Nathan. “Just in case it isn’t a ghost, but some degenerate trying to mess with us.”
“Good idea,” replied Duncan.
We went inside, grabbed the box of pizza and some plates, and then headed up to my bedroom. On the balcony, Nathan had set up three chairs and a bistro table. We sat down and started eating.
“How was work?” asked Nathan.
“Busy. I met this girl named Susan who was friends with Amy.”
“Is she cute?” asked Nathan.
I snorted. “God, is that all you think about?”
“Is there anything else, Dunc?”
Duncan smiled but didn’t say anything.
“Anyway, Susan was telling me that Amy believed her ex-boyfriend, Ethan, was a vampire.”
Nathan grunted. “Yeah, I’d say Amy was a little messed up.”
“I don’t know,” I said, staring at my pizza.
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”
I swallowed. “I met Ethan tonight and there was something really strange about him.”
“He was dating Amy at one point, that tells you enough right there,” said Nathan, grabbing another piece of pizza.
“Right. Anyway, he came over and sat by me at the restaurant. Um, when he looked into my eyes, I almost felt like… I was under some kind of spell.”
“Spell? What do you mean by that?” asked Nathan, chuckling. “Like he was hypnotizing you?”
“I can’t explain it,” I said, looking sideways at Duncan. There was no way that I was going to admit feeling attracted to Ethan, when Duncan was sitting right next to me. But, I did want Nathan to know that I felt easily manipulated. “It was weird. I almost felt like if he asked me to do something, I’d have a hard time fighting it off.”
Nathan sat back and groaned. “There is no such thing as vampires, period. Quit letting Abigail’s and Amy’s crazy notions play with your mind. I mean, come on, Nikki, you know better than that!”
I shrank down in my seat. “I know. It’s just…I can’t explain it.”
Nathan looked at Duncan. “What do you think about all of this?”
Duncan shrugged. “I don’t know. I think something strange is going on and I’m not ruling anything out.”
Nathan snorted. “Even vampires?”
“Maybe this Ethan guy believes he’s a vampire and knows how to manipulate other people into believing it, too.”
Nathan took a drink of his soda and then nodded. “Okay, I guess that sounds more reasonable to me. Maybe he knows how to actually hypnotize people. That would explain how Nikki felt when he stared into her eyes.”
“Maybe,” I answered.
We sat in silence, as we finished the pizza and stared towards the woods. It was pretty silent except for the leaves rustling in the wind.
“Anyone want something to drink?” asked Nathan, standing up.
“I’ll take some water,” I replied.
“Me, too,” answered Duncan.
When Nathan left us alone, I stole a glance towards Duncan, who I found was staring at me.
“What?” I asked, feeling shy.
He smiled. “I was just thinking how beautiful you looked in the moonlight. I know that sounds like a line, but it’s true.”
I returned his smile. “Thanks, Duncan.”
He clasped his fingers and rested his chin on them. “So, did you leave a broken heart back in California?”
I snorted. “No. In fact, I guess you could say I haven’t had many boyfriends.”
“I find that hard to believe. The guys there must be blind and stupid.”
I blushed. “It’s not like I didn’t get asked out. I just wasn’t interested, I guess.”
“So, would you be interested now?”
“Maybe. Depends on the guy,” I answered, and then realized in shock that I was flirting back.
He smiled..
“Duncan,” said Nathan, as he stepped onto the balcony. “I almost forgot, could you take a look at my Mustang? I think it’s the battery I’m having problems with, but I want to make sure.”
“Do you have a battery tester?” he asked.
“Actually, there might be one in the garage, I never even looked.”
Duncan got up. “Let’s go and check it out.”
Nathan nodded. “Thanks. Nikki, you can keep watch from up here and let us know if you see anything. I brought you the BB gun,” he said, handing it to me. “You still know how to use it?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Holler if you see anything,” he said.
They left me and I gripped the gun firmly in my hands, feeling uneasy because I was now alone and they were going to be in the garage.
Nathan’s laughter echoed through the darkness. I watched as the guys stepped away from the cabin and headed over to the garage.
“Nothing to be afraid of,” I murmured to myself, staring towards the dark woods.
An owl hooted and I was reminded of some of the scary movies I’d watched with Nathan. An owl hoots and then something sinister usually happens in the next scene. I knew it was just cinema, but I felt a chill in my veins just the same.
My eyes darted quickly from one side of the yard to the other, and my breath caught in my throat as I saw a shadow move across the grass. I looked up into the sky, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“Nikki,” whispered a deep masculine voice behind me.
I whipped my head around, but found myself alone. I stood up and backed away from the table, frightened beyond belief. Hot breath brushed against the back of my neck and I whirled around again, this time seeing a blurry haze of movement.
“Oh, my God… Nathan!” I screamed, running into my bedroom. I ran downstairs and threw the front door open. “Nathan!” I yelled, again.
Nathan and Duncan rushed out of the garage towards me.
“What’s wrong?” called Nathan.
“Someone… was… on the balcony,” I gasped, out of breath.
He looked behind me. “Who?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I heard my name and then I felt someone breathing against the back of my neck.”
“Someone’s in the cabin?” Nathan swore, and then rushed past me and towards the house.
Duncan could tell I was pretty shook up and put his arms around me. He stared down into my eyes. “Are you okay?”
I nodded and leaned into him, closing my eyes. “I am now.”
Suddenly, he was ripped from my arms and thrown backwards.
“Duncan!” I screamed as he landed on the ground.
“I’m fine,” he answered with an incredulous look on his face. He got up and began walking b
ack towards me.
There was a flash of movement and he went flying through the air again, much farther this time. As I rushed towards him, I felt something pick me up, and then we were moving like the wind.
“Help!” I screamed in terror. We were going so fast that my head was spinning. The next thing I knew I was lying on the ground and a pair of steely blue eyes held mine.
“We meet again,” whispered Ethan, trailing a cool finger down my cheek.
I was paralyzed as his eyes burned into mine. A familiar yearning spread through my veins and suddenly I wanted him fiercely.
“Sweet Nikki,” he whispered with a small smile. He then licked his lips and lowered them to mine. Suddenly, we were kissing and I felt an urgent need to wrap my legs around him; to surrender myself to whatever he demanded. What was even stranger was that our lips melded perfectly together and that they weren’t quite strangers.
“Oh,” I breathed when he removed his mouth and began a hot trail down my neck with his tongue. My entire body was trembling with desire. “Oh, God.”
He chuckled softly against my skin. “Not quite.”
Someone shouted my name, startling me back to my senses and I tensed up underneath him.
Duncan!
Ethan raised his head and I could see the rage burning in his eyes. “Fuck,” he growled.
Duncan crashed through the bushes right as Ethan took off and I was left staring up at the stars in confusion.
“Are you okay?” asked Duncan, now at my side, looking down at me.
“I think so,” I replied, as he helped me up.
“What in the hell just happened!” hollered Nathan, stumbling through the woods, out of breath.
My lips began to tremble. “I wish I knew.”
Chapter Fifteen
Nathan and Duncan were full of questions as we walked back to the house. I was still in a state of confusion and had a difficult time answering them.
“Who was it?” asked Duncan.
“Where’d they go?” added Nathan.
I shook my head. “I…I just can’t remember.”
It wasn’t exactly true, but my thoughts were so muddled because of my overwhelming attraction towards Ethan. Part of me understood that it wasn’t natural; it was some power he was using to control me. Another part of me didn’t care; I just wanted him to have his way with me, whatever it was.
Toxic (Venom Series) Book Three Page 31