He stepped away from a young girl who brushed his arm and smiled flirtatiously at him. Normally, he would at least return the smile; now he stared relentlessly back until she blushed and hurried away. The last thing he needed was some human thinking was interested in them. He may have embarrassed the girl, but she didn't know just how close he was to the edge, how close she’d come to being the one who finally eased the insistent call for blood flowing through his system.
A small squeal alerted him to Isabelle before he spotted her. He turned just in time to catch her as she flung herself into his arms. A small grunt escaped him, but he dropped his bag and wrapped his arm around her waist as she laughed loudly. "I'm so glad you came!" she cried.
Relief filled him as he lifted her off the ground and hugged her back. It had been almost six months since she and Stefan left home, a week after their bond was completed. Until now, he hadn't realized just how much he'd missed her, even if she was a pain in his ass.
"I'm glad I did too," he replied honestly as he placed her back on the ground.
Her violet eyes twinkled in the sunlight shining on her as she grinned up at him. The golden highlights in her deep brown hair were more vibrant and blonder than the last time he'd seen her. She was tanner too, and freckles now dotted the bridge of her slender nose.
"Did you have a good flight?" she asked.
"A few of them." He wasn't about to tell her he'd been tempted to eat the tourists more than a few times during the trip. He loved Issy, she was his best friend and the sibling he was closest to, but there were things he didn't share, not even with her.
She laughed as she took a step back from him. Her eyes focused on his right arm and she slapped her hand against the tattoo there. "What is this?"
"That, dear sis, is what most refer to as a tattoo," he teased.
She rolled her eyes at him. "I know that, but when did you get it?"
"Three months ago."
"Why? You've never shown an interest in tattoos before."
Ethan glanced at the intricate black flames curling up from his wrist to the middle of his bicep. A black phoenix, on his upper bicep, rose from the top of the flames with its wings spread wide. He wasn't about to tell her the real reason he'd gotten the tattoo, so he just shrugged and retrieved his bag. "Boredom," he answered absently.
"Boredom?" she inquired in a disbelieving tone.
"What can I say? I've had no one to entertain me since you left home."
His words had the effect he'd been hoping for as she laughed and slipped her arm through his. "I'm sure you've had plenty of people keeping you entertained with the mob living there."
"Yes, but no one quite as fun as you."
"I do have to agree with that," she said and flashed a smile. "You should see the house Stefan rented for us, it's beautiful!"
His gaze traveled past her to the large and powerful vampire standing beyond her shoulder. Stefan's onyx eyes focused on Isabelle before he turned to look at Ethan. His black hair curled around his face, easing the austerity of his high cheekbones and the narrow bridge of his nose. Ethan was never quite sure what to make of the guy; he'd always been a bit arrogant, and more than a little overprotective when it came to Isabelle. But he made Isabelle happy, and in the end, that was the most important thing.
"Stefan," he greeted.
"Ethan." Stefan smiled at him as he extended his hand. "It's good to see you."
"You also." Ethan realized those words were true as they shook hands. Stefan had become easier going and more approachable after he completed his bond with Isabelle, but Ethan had never really considered him a friend. He was family though.
"Is this all you have for luggage?" Isabelle inquired.
Ethan turned his attention back to his sister. "I travel light."
"Apparently. Too bad mom and dad couldn't come with you." He was used to her abrupt changes in conversation, so he wasn't thrown off by it now.
"They have enough going on with that devious horde their raising."
Isabelle laughed as she tugged him into the crowd. "I can't wait to see them again. I've missed them and everyone else so much."
"They've missed you too," he told her as Stefan parted the crowd before them. "I know they're looking forward to you returning home next month."
"Me too, but we've had an amazing trip. I loved Rome; I think it was my favorite. You have to see it one day. Maybe the next time we go, you can come with us. Australia too, you would love it there. Aiden would probably get himself killed swimming with the sharks, but I'm pretty sure that's where he belongs."
"You think he belongs in Australia or inside a shark?" Ethan was unable to keep the humor from his voice as he asked the question.
"Australia," she said with a laugh. "But there were a few times I would have liked to feed him to a shark."
"Me too," Ethan agreed.
Ethan couldn't help but smile as she started to ramble on again about all the places she and Stefan had visited over the last six months. It amazed him how much she’d changed from the girl who once never left home because she was determined not to find her mate. That girl had been content with her life, but the woman on his arm radiated joy and seemed to glow as she bounced along beside him.
Stefan stopped beside a blue Jeep and opened the passenger side door. Isabelle released his arm, kissed Stefan on the cheek, and jumped into the passenger seat. Stefan smiled at her as he closed her door and walked around to open the hatch door. They stepped aside as the door swung out toward them.
"She's missed you guys," Stefan told him as Ethan placed his bag inside.
"We've missed her too," Ethan said as he closed the door. "She seems happy though."
"She is, but she became a lot happier after you agreed to join us here. She can't wait for Ian and Aiden to arrive in two weeks."
"You're in for some trouble then," Ethan told him with a grin.
"Looking forward to it."
Ethan realized Stefan seemed to mean that. He'd never been entirely sure what Stefan thought about all of them. It was obvious how he felt about Isabelle, but he'd always thought Stefan found them to be the annoying family unit he would have to put up with to be with Issy. He was beginning to think maybe he'd misjudged him.
Ethan walked around the side of the SUV and opened the back door. Isabelle turned in the front seat, propped her hands on the shoulder of the chair, and continued talking about their travels without missing a beat. Stefan pulled onto the road and drove cautiously down the clustered streets winding through the island.
Ethan sat back in his seat to watch all the yellow, blue, orange, and green colored houses they passed. People walked the streets and rode their bikes down the sidewalks as they explored the sites or went about their day. The aqua-colored ocean shimmered in and out between the buildings lining the waterfront as they drove onward. Boats of all makes and sizes dipped and swayed on the calm sea. The people strolling the beach, splashing in the water or fishing, reminded him of a postcard of paradise.
He'd never been more than a couple of hundred miles away from home; being here now seemed almost unreal as he took in the pink sandy beaches and the numerous bikini-clad bodies. He may not enjoy being near the humans in those suits, but he wasn't above admiring the bodies wearing them.
The further they drove, the more into vacation mode he became. After a shower, he might check out one of these beaches. He wasn't like Ian and Aiden, he didn't chase after girls or go to clubs often, but he was going to be here for a few weeks, and the idea of a vacation hook-up was appealing. This trip was already out of character for him; he might as well completely enjoy himself while here. He just hoped there was another sane, female vampire on the island, but then again, if she wasn't a killer then he didn't care if she was entirely sane.
The last woman he was seeing hadn't been the type he would bring home to his mom, or anywhere near his family for that matter. In fact, she’d treaded the fine line between becoming a brutal killer and maintaining her control
as a vampire. He was ashamed by the fact he completely understood how she felt, that he found the line exciting too, and enjoyed walking it with her. Hell, he'd walked it his entire life, and finally found someone who understood him and the madness lurking just beneath the surface. Not to mention the wildness within her was something irresistible and fascinating to him in bed.
Until the day she'd crossed the line. His murderous urges were something he was growing tired of struggling with, and though he was tempted to go over the edge with her, and finally give into the clamoring demands of his body for blood and death, he knew he couldn't. He had his family to think of, his siblings would know if he killed someone, and he couldn't bring himself to let them down in such a way. He was the one they all looked up to even though he was the one who deserved their admiration the least.
If they knew what he truly was, there would be no admiration from them; there would only be revulsion and horror.
But then they would never know the depravity lurking within him, not if he had anything to say about it. However, there were some days when he found the lure of blood and death almost impossible to resist. Some days it took all he had not to walk out of his home, slaughter the first human he came across, and finally ease the constant driving pressure within him to feed.
He'd been dealing with it for as long as he could remember. High school was an endless battle for him, but he managed to get himself through it. The intensity of the urge to kill had increased steadily since he'd reached maturity though. If it continued, he didn't know how he could maintain his control for eternity. He was beginning to think he would welcome death over that bleak prospect.
So, he stayed away from the temptation of humans as often as possible. The five women he'd been with since he'd lost his virginity at sixteen were all vampires, and women he knew he couldn't accidentally injure. Women who were as indifferent to him as he was to them.
The last woman was the first time he'd stayed with someone for any significant amount of time. It wasn’t because he cared for her but because of the enticing immorality thriving within her. There were nights he relished in the agony and devastation she unleashed on him with her claws, chains, and even a whip that had flayed his skin open more times than he could count. He’d deserved everything she did to him, but it still wasn’t enough to drown the depravity within him.
The only things they didn't use to hurt each other were their fangs. He'd never exchanged blood with another vampire, and he never would unless that vampire was his mate. With the way he was heading, he highly doubted he'd ever find his mate though, and God help her if she turned out to be a human. He may maul her to death before he ever had a chance to establish any bond with her.
Part of the reason he’d agreed to come here was because he hoped a change of scenery would help him deal with what was inside him. That maybe if he were somewhere else, it would all ease a little. It didn't seem very likely, but he was willing to try anything. So, when Isabelle suggested this trip he didn’t immediately shoot her down. Surprisingly, he'd found himself accepting her offer, even though he knew it was going to suck to be around people for such an extended period during the flights.
Stefan made a turn and drove up a hill winding through some of the most colorful homes he'd ever seen. At the top of the hill, they pulled into the driveway of a large, sunshine yellow house overlooking the harbor below it.
"You can see the ocean from every room," Isabelle said as she jumped out of the front seat before Stefan had the Jeep in park. Stefan shook his head and scowled at her as he shifted into park and turned the vehicle off.
Isabelle took Ethan's arm when he climbed out and pulled him toward the house. She unlocked the front door and flung it open to reveal an open floor plan that made his eyebrows shoot into his hairline. White tile floors gleamed in the sunlight spilling through the wall of windows across the way. The three sofas within the massive, sunken living room were also white and centered around a circular glass coffee table with golden legs. Above the couch pushed against the wall was a painting of the ocean at sunset. The assorted hues of the paintings were the only vibrant colors within the room.
To his left was a kitchen about half the size of the living room and filled with new, stainless steel appliances. Blue marble countertops ran beneath the numerous white cabinets, and an island was in the center of the kitchen. A breakfast bar with four stools lined up along its counter divided the two rooms.
He descended the two steps to the massive living room and placed his bag down on the floor. Isabelle's sandals tapped on the floor as she strode across the room and opened the French doors. Ethan walked over to join her and stared out at the clear, shimmering water of the pool. An outdoor kitchen and an elaborate bar made of gray stone sat at the far end of the patio. A table and a dozen lounge chairs were spread out around the rectangle-shaped pool.
Ethan crossed the patio to peer over the edge of the three-foot high rock wall surrounding the pool area. A hundred feet down the small hill beneath them was about thirty feet of sand. Beyond that, the ocean rolled in and out in a steady rhythm. At the bottom of the hill, a hundred-foot wooden dock stretched into the sea. A white Sea Ray Sundancer boat gleamed in the sun as it bobbed in the water at the end of the dock. He didn't know much about boats, but he did know that one looked like a good time.
"This is the life," he muttered.
"I could call it home," Isabelle agreed.
"Whose boat is that?"
"The owner of the house," Stefan answered as he stepped onto the patio and shaded his eyes against the sun. "We can take it out whenever we want though."
"Now?" Ethan asked.
Isabelle laughed as she looped her arm through his again. "It's getting a little late, but we'll take it out soon. We haven't tried it yet either. Come on, I'll show you to your room. We found this great little place on the beach where we can have a couple of drinks if you feel up to it later. You'll love it."
"I'm up for it," he assured her.
He grabbed his bag before she began to walk him down a hallway. "Bathroom," she said and pointed at one of the doors. "I figure these two bedrooms can go to Ian and Aiden." She nodded toward two more closed doors. "They're smaller, and they’re young, so they won't mind the lack of space."
He laughed at the mischievous gleam in her eyes. "I knew there was a reason why you're my favorite sibling."
"I won't tell the others if you won't."
"I won't," he assured her as she stopped before another room.
"And this is yours. Ours is at the end of the hall. I'll let you unpack now."
He gave her a brief nod before opening the door on a sun-drenched room. His gaze ran admiringly over the large room as he stepped into it. He placed his bag on the four-poster California King bed draped in translucent white fabric. The room was far larger than his room at home, but it didn't contain as much furniture.
A fifty-two-inch flat screen TV hung on the wall across from the bed; there was a dark mahogany dresser beneath it. The only other pieces of furniture were a baby blue upholstered chair in the corner on the opposite side of the room and two nightstands, one on each side of the bed. The floor beneath his feet was more of the white tiling he'd seen throughout the house. Even though the room was sparse, and the color austere, something was inviting about it.
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.
"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.
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