Untamed (Vampire Awakenings, Book 3)

by Brenda K. Davies

  Ethan folded his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair as her not so subtle, but extremely astute friends, hurried to the bar. Emma swallowed heavily when she spotted Isabelle and Stefan watching them raptly from the bar. "Just ignore them." Ethan told her, hoping to ease her discomfort. Her eyes came back to him. "My sister is just nosy."

  "That's your sister?"

  "My younger and highly annoying sister, Isabelle, and her even more annoying husband, Stefan." He grinned as the couple at the bar scowled at him before turning away. She thought they were too far away to have heard his words, but their reaction to what he'd just said made her wonder if perhaps they had.

  "I don't have any siblings," she said.

  "You can take a few of mine."

  She laughed as she began to relax a little. "How many do you have?"

  "Nine."

  "Nine?" she blurted.

  He chuckled. "Yep, nine. It's quite the brood."

  "Sounds like it."

  "My brothers Aiden and Ian will be joining us in a couple of weeks. They decided to return home after they were done with college before coming here."

  "They graduated?"

  His hair fell around his forehead as he shook his head. "No, they still have some time left; they're just finished for the summer."

  "We just graduated," she said and gestured at her friends.

  He glanced at where Jill and Mandy were standing by the bar; their heads were close together as they not so secretly kept glancing at them. It was amusing but he really wished he could have some time with her away from the prying eyes of friends and family. "What are you going to do now that you've graduated?" he asked.

  Emma shrugged as she twirled her glass on the table. "That's a very good question and I'm not sure of the answer."

  The strange sense of calm she brought to him was back again and he welcomed it as he watched the setting sun play over her hair and skin. It added a glow to her that made her seem almost angelic in the growing twilight. "You've got plenty of time to find that answer," he told her.

  "I guess. What about you, what do you do?"

  "Not college," he said with a laugh.

  She was aware that it wasn't much of an answer but she didn't press it further. He lifted the bottle to his mouth and took a long swallow from it. His skin glistened with a thin sheen of sweat as he lowered the bottle again. There was something about his gaze that made her stomach feel like a thousand butterflies were flitting around in it. Her hand fisted as she fought the urge to run her finger over his chin, she was dying to know what his skin would feel like.

  His head tilted to the side in a way that made her think he was trying to see inside her, trying to understand her, but she didn't know what he was looking for or trying to grasp. Feeling a little self-conscious, she fiddled with a strand of her hair. "Where are you from Emma?"

  "Upstate New York but I went to college in Pennsylvania. What about you?"

  "Oregon."

  "I've never been there but I've heard it's beautiful."

  "It is."

  He moved closer and placed the bottle on the table. He carried the subtle scent of male and something entirely enticing that brought to mind springtime and sex as it tickled her nostrils. Her fingers clenched on her thighs as her body quickened. What was wrong with her? She never felt this way around men, not even Tristan had made her feel this turned on and she'd stupidly thought she might be in love with that pathetic ass.

  Unclenching her fingers, she pushed back a strand of hair and grabbed her drink. She could feel his eyes on her as she took a sip. The door opened and three men stepped into the bar. Emma barely glanced at them but Ethan's casual attitude vanished as he straightened in the chair and the smile slid from his face. At the bar, Stefan rose from his stool and moved to stand in front of Isabelle.

  Ethan prepared himself to launch to his feet if it became necessary when the three vampires entered. He didn't smell the foul stench of garbage on them that would indicate that they were killers though. It was something he hadn't realized that only he and his siblings could smell on the more murderous vampires until Stefan had come into their lives. Ethan had assumed everyone could detect the stench but it appeared that only purebred vampires were able to do so. It was a handy ability to know if a vampire was a killer or not, but even if he didn't detect that scent on them, he couldn't relax either. Not with them being in such close proximity to Isabelle and Emma.

  Isabelle touched Stefan's arm and shook her head no. Though he relaxed slightly he didn't return to his seat. Ethan tried to appear casual but he couldn't turn his gaze away from the men. Attacking Ethan or any member of his family would be a stupid mistake for these men to make, Stefan was old and powerful, and he and Isabelle weren't anything to mess with either.

  Emma frowned as she glanced from the men to Ethan then over to his family. The men didn't seem like much of a threat, one of them was blond and could easily have been a horse jockey given his small stature, the other was also blond and maybe weighed a hundred and forty pounds soaking wet, and the third was of average height and weight and had reddish colored hair. The men looked Ethan and Stefan over before moving to the other end of the bar.

  "Where are you staying?" Ethan asked. He was still trying to sound casual but he heard the strain in his own voice.

  Emma continued to stare at the men before turning her attention back to him. "We're renting a house down the road," she told him. He nodded but his eyes remained on the men. The skinny one was talking to Mandy who didn't look at all impressed as she turned away from him. "And you?"

  His attention came back to her. "Stefan has rented a home at the end of the road for a month."

  "Nice," she said but she was more interested in his reaction to the gang of three trying to chat up her friend. "Do you know those men?"

  "No, I don't."

  Emma frowned as she studied the contours of Ethan's profile. "You don't seem to like them much for people you don't know."

  "No, it's not..." he shook his head before looking at her again and giving her a rakish grin that made her smile in return. "I thought I recognized one of them, but I was wrong."

  "Oh," she said as Mandy and Jill turned away from the bar and walked over to join them again.

  "We thought we'd check out the bar down the road. You coming with us Emma?" Mandy asked.

  She glanced over at Ethan. She really didn't want to leave him but she didn't feel comfortable staying here with a man she barely knew. "There will be dancing," Jill prodded with a smile.

  "Dancing sound likes fun," Ethan said to her. "I'm sure Isabelle and Stefan will probably come too."

  Emma blinked in surprise as he rose beside her. He intended to come with them? She wasn't at all sure how she felt about that. He affected her in such a strange way and she would like a minute to just breathe. But then, she'd been breathing her whole life and she would continue to do so for the rest of it, breathing was boring. Maybe it was time to hold her breath and plunge in. She could always breathe again when she went home.

  Jill and Mandy looked like two kids who'd just been handed a giant bag of candy as they watched Ethan walk over to the bar. "Well?" Jill prodded eagerly.

  "Well what?" she asked.

  Jill rolled her eyes. "What do you think, of him?"

  Emma stood up from the table. "He's nice."

  Jill slid her arm into hers. "Nice? Chocolates are nice Emma. That man is delectable and he's into you. A little fling with him before becoming an adult won't kill you."

  "I don't fling Jill."

  "I know, but for that guy I'd fling just about anything."

  Emma couldn't help but laugh as Jill squeezed her arm before releasing her. Isabelle and Stefan moved away from the bar and walked over to join them. They were one of the most striking couples Emma had ever seen as they stopped before them. Even Jill, who was never shy appeared a little nonplussed as she took a step back from the overwhelmingly large man and the stunningly beautiful woman at h
is side.

  It wasn't often Emma felt insecure about her looks. She knew she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world, knew she was considered cute by most people, but she definitely wasn't ugly. Standing across from this woman though, she felt like a child, small and unbelievably young but they appeared to be about the same age. Isabelle was a good five inches taller than her and had an aura of confidence about her that made her seem even older.

  Then Isabelle smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Isabelle and this is my husband Stefan," she introduced as Emma shook her hand.

  Stefan's black eyes were assessing as he took hold of her hand. "Hello," he greeted.

  Emma swallowed nervously and instinctively moved closer to Ethan. Stefan was simply a man but she got the distinct impression he could snap her neck if the mood struck him. In fact, looking at all of them she got the distinct impression that there was more to them than met the eye.

  She shook the thought off as Mandy and Jill finished introducing themselves. They were just a normal family on vacation together. She was only feeling overwhelmed because she was so much shorter than they were. It was bad enough being around Mandy and Jill but now she felt like a sapling in a grove of Redwoods with the three of them around her too.

  "Let's go then," Jill said.

  CHAPTER 5

  Ethan liked going to clubs about as much as he would have liked to have his toenails ripped out. He just hadn't been willing to walk away from Emma yet tonight, especially after the three vampires had entered the bar. They may not be killers but they could still use her for her blood. That thought did not sit well with him, he moved protectively closer to Emma as she weaved her way through the crowd. The music that was playing thankfully wasn't overly obnoxious but it still aggravated his acute hearing.

  A man stepped forward to grab hold of Emma's arm but she shook her head and took a step away. Ethan didn't know what possessed him but he moved rapidly forward to insert himself in between her and the man. The man opened his mouth to protest, took one look at him, and retreated into the crowd. Ethan stayed by Emma's side as Stefan and Isabelle led the way toward the bar.

  They found a gap in the crowd of people at the bar and moved in to order a round of drinks. Emma stepped closer to him to escape a woman that was dancing as if she were being attacked by fire ants. Ethan eyed the woman, unable to understand what she was trying to accomplish as she danced away from them and moved back toward the main dance floor.

  The bare flesh of Emma's shoulder glistened in the lights flashing around the bar. Unable to resist the temptation of her skin, he settled his hand onto her shoulder. Her gaze shot to him, her abrupt intake of breath caused her breasts to rise temptingly in the simple dress she wore. His thumb stroked over her silken shoulder as he stepped closer to her. His chest pressed against her shoulder; through his shirt he could feel the warmth of her body. Fortunately, she was forced even closer to him when the fire ants dancer returned and bumped against her.

  A surge of possessiveness rushed through him, she was so small, so weak; so human. That thought did nothing to ease the tension building in his chest as he pulled her even closer into his embrace and further away from the dancing bodies. For the first time the stress he felt building within him had nothing to do with the numerous people around him or his craving for blood, instead it had everything to do with the fact that he meant to keep her out of harm's way.

  "This isn't usually my type of place," Emma told him though she really enjoyed being forced so close to him by the worst dancing she'd ever seen anyone do. Ethan pulled her back another step as the woman's hands flailed crazily about her head. Emma didn't know if the woman was on drugs or if she actually thought that what she was doing could be considered dancing. Either way, Emma was convinced the woman was going to knock someone out before the night was over.

  "Or mine," he told her. He spotted Isabelle and Stefan again amongst the crowd; they'd managed to get a table. Isabelle was standing on her tiptoes as she waved at him over the sea of heads. "Do you want to sit?"

  "Yes!" she shouted. She gestured to Mandy and Jill to let them know where she was going. Ethan slid his hand away from her shoulder but he kept it on her elbow as he steered her safely through the crowd.

  Stepping next to the table, he pulled a chair out for her and held it while she sat. She couldn't help but smile at him; it was such a sweet gesture and one that she'd never experienced before. "It's crazy in here!" Isabelle shouted over the music.

  Stefan looked about as pleased to be here as he would have been to stick his hand in boiling water. In fact, given the choice between the two, Ethan thought Stefan might have chosen to stick his hand in boiling water rather than endure this noisy crowd.

  "Sit," Emma urged and patted the seat of the empty chair beside her.

  Ethan grabbed the back of the chair but he pushed it in again and moved closer to Emma as a couple nearly fell into her chair. He tried to shake off the overprotective urges he was feeling but he couldn't bring himself to move away and leave her exposed again.

  His gaze ran over the people in the building, he didn't sense any other vampires amongst the crowd but he had a feeling the three from the bar would eventually make their way here. There were more people here, they were drunker, and it wasn't as well lit. This club was prime feeding ground for vampires. He spotted Mandy and Jill dancing with a couple of guys. A waitress came by to take their order and disappeared into the crush of people.

  Ethan leaned closer to Emma as her fingers began to tap along to the beat of the music and she began to sway. "Would you like to dance?"

  Dancing wasn't something he did often, or even all that well, but the idea of getting a chance to hold her was too appealing to resist. She frowned for a second before smiling and jumping to her feet. She was small but she moved with easy grace as she came around the chair to stand beside him.

  Her hand was swallowed within his when he took hold of it and led her out to the dance floor. He kept her away from the horde of people as he steered her to a less crowded section. They weren't playing a song meant for slow dancing, but even still he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. Her body fit snugly against his frame as she began to move with him.

  He didn't notice any of the other people on the floor as everything within him became focused on her. Her tantalizing scent filled his nostrils as his other hand settled onto her lower back. The feel of her breasts against his chest caused blood to rush into his cock. He adjusted his position so that she wouldn't feel the evidence of his obvious arousal.

  An overwhelming sensation of feeling safe and being protected filled her as she rested her head on his chest. She found herself tuning out the beat of the music and focusing on the solid, reassuring thump of his heart. Maybe it was because he was so much bigger and stronger than her, or maybe it was just the tender way he held her, but she felt incredibly secure in his arms.

  Unable to resist, Ethan lifted his hand to her hair and let the soft strands of it slide through his fingers. The bloodlust that had yet to be stirred by the crowd around them now slid through his body as the fruity scent of her shampoo drifted up to his nose. His canines tingled; he had to fight to keep them from extending as his gaze drifted to the vein in her neck.

  Just a little taste, she didn't even have to know and he could take the memory from her after. The idea was so enticing that he briefly considered pulling her from the club and out into the night, but even as the thought crossed his mind he knew he couldn't do that to her. Her forehead was furrowed as she studied him with assessing eyes that he found entirely captivating. Without thought, he bent and placed a kiss against her forehead. He meant to pull back afterward, but his lips lingered against her warm skin as his fingers slid beneath her chin. His lips moved leisurely down her cheeks before brushing against hers.

  Lust crashed through him, the heat of her lips burned against his and the strawberry taste of her mouth suffused him as his tongue swept inside. It was the first time he
'd ever kissed a human, he didn't know what he'd been expecting but it certainly wasn't this overwhelming urge to have more, to taste more, and yet to go easy so that he didn't accidentally hurt her. That thought frightened him, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away from her and put some distance between them. Turning her away from the crowd, he backed her into a wall and pressed her against it as his kiss became more demanding.

  Her fingers curled into his forearms and though at first she seemed hesitant, she quickly gave herself over to him with a small sigh. The music and people around them completely vanished as lust consumed him and he became completely focused upon her. He was close to lifting her dress and taking her right there in order to relieve himself of the pressure she had created within him.

  He was seriously considering doing just that as his hand cupped her handful-sized breast. Her breath sucked in, her teeth nibbled at his lower lip as he swirled his thumb around her hardened nipple through the thin material of her dress. He lifted his head to meet her passion-clouded eyes and savored in the desire playing over her face as he continued to tease and fondle her breast. Ever so slowly, he bent his head to hers again. He seized hold of her swollen lips as he released her breast to slide his hand over her belly and down to her thighs.

  Emma gasped as his hands left a trail of fire over her body. Her mind was spinning as she tried to understand what was going on but she was so swept away by the touch and feel of him that she wouldn't have been able to recite the alphabet right now let alone form a coherent thought. Her heart was hammering as his touch brought her to life in ways she'd never known possible.

  She'd never lost herself to a man, not even to Tristan. She'd never thought it was possible to be so out of control that she didn't care what happened, but that's exactly how she was feeling right now, she was knowingly and completely out of control. As his fingers brushed against the bottom of her dress and touched upon her bare thighs, she didn't think to say no because inwardly all she was screaming was, yes! Inwardly all she could think was finally; finally, she understood what it was to be a woman that was touched with such feverish need that even though she knew it was all moving far too fast, it was still the most amazing experience of her life.