Crouching Tiger, Forbidden Vampire (Love at Stake) (10 page)

“Are they done?” He sidled up next to her and peered at the tub. “I think they need to soak a bit more.”

“They’ll be fine.” She cast a sidelong glance at his towel. Why was he standing so close? “I like them firm.” She scooped up a few noodles and shoved them into her mouth.

“Good?”

She nodded while she ate.

He leaned closer. “No limp noodles for you?”

She nearly choked and grabbed the water bottle for a quick drink.

He smiled. “I’ll fill the bathtub for you.”

She ate in silence while he made several trips with his bucket from the river to the tub. By the third time he leaned over to fill the bucket, she imagined his towel falling off.

Oh God, what was happening to her? He was a vampire.

He dropped the bucket on the sandy riverbank and nudged it with his foot. “Anything else you need before I kick the bucket?”

She shook her head and concentrated on her supper. Or tried to. When he inhaled sharply, his broad chest expanded in a way she could hardly ignore. “Is something wrong?”

“First . . . warning.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’ll be dead in about five minutes.”

She swallowed hard. What could she say?
See you later
?
Have a nice . . . nap
? “You can feel it coming?”

“Yes.” He wandered into the river and sloshed the sand off his feet. “I’ll see you at sunset.”

She was about to respond when he vanished. She jumped to her feet, then spotted him slipping underneath the blanket on his bed. He tossed his towel to the foot of the bed, then leaned back, pulling the blanket up to his chest.

Apparently, he did his death-sleep in the nude. He lifted an arm, bending it at the elbow and resting the hand behind his head.

He has a lovely profile,
she thought as she watched him gaze up at the rock ceiling. And the bicep of his raised arm made her mouth run dry. His chest expanded again, and he shut his eyes.

She inched closer. Was he dead?

“Are you going to watch me die?” he asked softly.

She winced. “Does it hurt?”

He opened his eyes and gave her a wry look. “What do you think?”

“I . . . guess it hurts.”

He nodded. “You get used to it. Half dead is better than full dead.”

“You’re not half dead. When you’re alive, you’re very alive.”

A corner of his mouth curled up. “Are you a
Pollyanna
?”

The last word had been in English, so she didn’t understand. “What is that?”

“Someone who sees good in things.” His small smile faded. “Even when there is none.”

Was he referring to himself? Did he not know he was a good man? His chest expanded suddenly, and he lowered his arm as a pained look crossed his face.

She rushed toward him. “There is good in you. I know it.”

He gave her a look of astonishment, then exhaled slowly as his eyes flickered shut.

He was gone. Jia’s chest tightened. She’d never seen a vampire fall into his death-sleep before. It was more dramatic than she’d realized. And so sad that they had to endure it over and over for as long as they lived.

She touched his neck. No pulse that she could detect. His hair brushed against her fingers, soft and still damp. Dark whiskers shaded his chiseled jaw. There was a tiny scar on his left cheekbone. He must have been injured before becoming a vampire.

She turned his right hand over and smoothed her fingers over his tattoo. The Chinese word for “slave,” though she couldn’t imagine Russell ever being anyone’s slave. “How did you get this? What happened to you?”

Her gaze shifted to his handsome face, and she groaned at how little she knew about him. “Why do you live all alone in a cave? Why aren’t you in America with your family? What did Han do to you that you have to kill him?” She sighed. “Why do you have to be a vampire?”

No answer, of course.
He’ll be back,
she assured herself.
He’ll wake up at sunset.
But he might never answer her questions.

Sunlight filtered through the new hole in the roof, illuminating the kitchen area. Quickly, she examined Russell’s face and arms. No burn marks. It would be awful if the hole she’d made caused him any harm. But his bed was safe in a dark alcove with a solid rock ceiling overhead.

Back in the kitchen area, she tossed the cold tub of noodles into the trash bin and wiped down the table.

A whole day stuck in Russell’s cave. She was too hyped up now to sleep, so she wandered about, familiarizing herself with her new home. Russell had some clean clothes and towels stashed on the shelves of his bookcase. The top shelf held a CD player, a stack of CDs, and some books.

Most of the books were in English, but she spotted one that she could partly read.
Chinese for Dummies
. The translated title made her smile. Russell was no dummy. The CDs were also about learning Chinese. She imagined him here all alone, practicing night after night. He spoke fairly well. His pronunciation was off sometimes, but it was kinda . . . cute. And sexy. He was a man who didn’t let the need to learn a foreign language get in the way of his mission.

On the bottom shelf, she found a carved, wooden box. The latch appeared old and rusted. She brought the box to the table and ran her fingers over the woodwork. Roses and small birds had been carved in a primitive but beautiful style. Homemade.

She fingered the latch.
Curiosity killed the cat,
she chided herself. It was wrong to snoop around in Russell’s things.

But was he the type of guy who would ever confide in her? Mister “I don’t explain myself” would never talk. Snooping was the only alternative left to her.

She snorted. Her excuse sounded lame, but what the heck? He was dead at the moment and would never know.

The box creaked as she opened it. Nothing but a lumpy, old, dirty rag. Grimacing, she folded back the edges of the oilcloth. There were two pistols inside. Old, she could tell, but she had no idea how old. Revolvers. She touched a shiny barrel. Russell was keeping them in excellent condition. They reminded her of the old pistols she’d seen in American cowboy movies.

She glanced over at Russell. “Are you a
cowboy
?” It was one of the few words she knew in English. She and her grandfather had loved watching American cowboy movies.

With a smile, she imagined Russell riding on a horse alongside John Wayne. She closed the box and put it back on the bottom shelf.

What to do now? She noticed his discarded trousers on the ground next to the tub. To show her gratitude, she would do his laundry. She gathered up his dirty clothes and towels, then dumped them into the tub he’d filled with water. After adding some soap, she swished them around.

“I might as well do mine, too.” She glanced over at Russell. He’d never know. She stripped and tossed her clothes into the tub.

Ten minutes later, she had the laundry rinsed and hanging on the drying racks. She opened the spigot on the tub to let the water drain.

“Time for my own bath.” She grabbed the bucket and began refilling the tub. The river water was cool, so she microwaved some water to make it warmer. Each time she passed Russell’s bed, she glanced at him. Still dead and completely oblivious that she was crossing back and forth completely naked. For the fun of it, she started striking a pose each time she passed by.

After her bath, she slipped on some clean panties and a camisole. She brushed her teeth and left her toothbrush in the tin cup next to Russell’s. She stared at the two brushes awhile.

She took a deep breath and retrieved the sat phone so she could call her cousin.

“Jia!” Rajiv’s voice sounded fuzzy. “Are you all right?”

“Of course.”

“I can hardly hear you.”

“I’m fine!”

“But you’re—” Rajiv’s voice faded out, then came back. “—Russell.”

“He’s dead right now. I might as well be alone.”

“Where are you?”

“In a cave. I don’t really know where.”

“I sent Rinzen and Tenzen—” Rajiv’s voice crackled. “Once they find you—”

“You didn’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.”

“It’s not fine. You’re a member of the royal family, engaged—” More crackling noises. “What you’re doing is not acceptable, and you know it.”

Her face grew warm. “I know you’re upset. I’m sorry.”

“The only thing saving you right now is that no one but me, Jin Long, and your uncles know what you’re doing. I told everyone that Jin Long teleported you to my brother’s village in Thailand. Jin Long actually went there to convince my brother to play along.”

“Thank you.”

Rajiv snorted. “Don’t thank me. It’s not like I wanted to do this. If I had my way, you’d be home safe and sound, not trapped in some cave with a crazy vampire.”

“He’s not crazy. And I’ll come home as soon as the job is done.”

Rajiv’s voice faded, then came back. “—home before your betrothed arrives. I asked the ladies to go ahead and make your wedding gown.”

She winced. How could she even think about getting married now? “I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye.” She hung up and plugged the phone back into the charger. This was not the time to worry about the future. She had a mission to accomplish first, and only eleven days left to do it. For now, she needed her rest.

She turned off all the lamps. With a yawn, she unhooked her bedroll from her backpack. Where to sleep? The kitchen area was too bright now that the sun was shining straight through the hole. She wandered across the cave. The ground was too damp by the tub where she’d done the laundry. And too sandy close to the river.

She looked at the bed. Russell was taking up only half of it, and he certainly wasn’t going to be rolling about. She walked up to the empty side and pressed her hand against the makeshift mattress. Three layers of sleeping bags were a lot more comfortable than her thin bedroll on the hard ground. And there was even a spare pillow.

Gingerly, she sat on the bed. No reaction from Russell. How could he react? The poor guy was dead. She jiggled the bed, then leaned over to peer at his face.

Nothing. His face was relaxed, the thin lines that usually lined his brow completely gone. His jaw was no longer clenched in concentration, his mouth no longer thinned with irritation but soft. He looked peaceful and almost . . . sweet.

She scoffed. What was she thinking? He was a vampire.

There was no way she was getting under the blanket when he was naked, so she stretched out on top and used her bedroll as a blanket. Just a little catnap, then she’d get up and he would never know she’d shared his bed.

She rolled over, snuggling her face into the pillow. It was really quite comfortable in the vampire’s lair.

Some time later she heard a sound, but it hardly registered. She moaned and rolled onto her back.

Two hands grasped her shoulders, and she jerked awake. It was dark in the cave. She’d slept past sunset?

Oh God, no! Russell was awake! She tried to get up, but he pinned her back down.

It was hard to make out his body in the dark, but not his eyes. They were glowing red. His grip on her tightened as his fangs shot out.

A growl rumbled low in his throat. “You should never sleep with a vampire.”

Chapter Ten

H
e was scaring her. Hell, he was scaring himself. In the three years that he’d been a vampire, he’d managed never to bite a person. Thanks mostly to Zoltan, who always had a supply of synthetic blood just a short teleport away. But then, in those three years, he’d never wakened with a woman in his bed, especially a beautiful woman like Jia.

The second he’d taken his first breath, he’d caught her scent. Woman, sex, and food all rolled into one luscious body that was warm and ready for the taking. Immediately, his eyes had turned red. His dick had grown hard.

Her blood was coursing through her body, the scent rich and intoxicating. The added fragrance of were-tigress unleashed a primitive hunter inside him. His fangs shot out, and he was gripped with a need to attack and conquer.

His fingers dug into her shoulders as he fought for control. No doubt she’d be left with some bruises, but it was better than a shredded neck.

“Russell,” she breathed. “I’m sorry.”

She
was sorry? He was the monster here. With a growl, he shoved himself away and reeled out of bed. He stumbled to the ice chest in the dark and drank half a bottle cold. The blood eased his hunger, and the chill cooled the raging beast inside him. Unfortunately, his erection showed no sign of slacking off.

“Russell, are you all right?” her soft voice came from the bed.

God, he wanted her. He wanted to take her into his arms and make love to her. She was so brave and clever. Sweet and beautiful. She defended him, believed in him, trusted him. Or she had until he’d scared the shit out of her. “I apologize for losing control,” he said.

“You didn’t lose control. You stopped—”

“I frightened you.”

“I shouldn’t have been in bed with you. I meant to only take a nap, but—”

“It’s not your fault I’m the way I am.” He set his bottle down and strode to the bookcase where he kept his clean clothes.

“I doubt it’s your fault, either. You didn’t ask to become a vampire, did you?”

“No.” Was she still defending him, even after he’d come close to biting her?

“Was it Han who changed you?”

He ignored the question and pulled on a pair of briefs. “I’ll go topside for about ten minutes so you can have some privacy.” He lit a lamp and glanced over his shoulder at the bed, careful to keep the bulge in his underwear from showing.

She was standing beside the bed wearing panties and a flimsy-looking top, her long hair wild and loose around her shoulders. His fingers curled at the thought of stroking the black silk of her hair, fondling the white silk stretched taut across her breasts. His vision turned red once again, and he blinked, turning away.

“I’ll be back soon. Then we’ll get to work.” He grabbed his bottle of blood off the table and teleported aboveground.

J
ia dressed as quickly as she could, all the time chastising herself for failing to wake up before Russell. Now he felt like a monster, and she felt guilty for bringing that look of shame to his face. All her life she’d been told by the villagers that if you pull a tiger’s tail, expect to be scratched. No doubt a similar scenario held true for a vampire. Sleep with him and expect to be bitten.

She wandered back to the bed, recalling the shock of seeing his fangs and red glowing eyes. But then she’d felt him tremble as he’d fought for control, and she had wondered—Did he want her simply because she was there? Or did he truly want her?

He returned, wearing only his underwear, and she turned away to check on the drying laundry while he dressed.

“Here. Eat.” Without looking at her, he set a breakfast bar and bottle on the table.

“Thanks.” While she ate, her gaze kept wandering back to him. Dressed in trousers, socks, and shoes, he had a towel draped over his bare shoulders. He shaved and washed his face. His hand paused over the tin cup that held both their toothbrushes, then he went ahead and brushed his teeth without a word.

He was just as silent as he finished dressing and arming himself. Not once did he look in her direction. She winced, wondering if he planned to be this cold and distant for the rest of the night.

When she had all her knives sheathed, she announced, “I’m ready.”

“Let’s go.” He reached for her shoulders, then stopped and grabbed her by the waist instead.

“You think I’m bruised.”

His jaw shifted, but he avoided looking at her. “I know you are. Hold on to me.”

The second she looped her arms around his neck, he teleported her.

For five hours, they teleported from one campsite to another. At each camp, he left her alone for precisely two minutes so she could sniff without any interference from his own scent. No sign of Han. That should have been frustrating, but she found the awkward tension between her and Russell even more disturbing. Finally, she’d had all she could take.

When he put his hands around her waist to teleport once again, she pushed him back. “How do you know I won’t bite you?”

He blinked and finally looked at her. “What?”

“I’m a man-eating tiger.”

He scoffed. “Don’t waste my time. We have work to do.”

“Don’t piss me off. I could eat you for dinner.”

He gave her a wry look. “You eat men?”

“It’s what tigers do.”

“You don’t eat people. You are a person most of the time. It would be cannibalism.”

“So you think I know right from wrong when I’m an animal?”

He paused, then nodded. “Yes.”

“You trust me not to bite you?” She smoothed a hand down his cheek to his neck. “Even when I’m feeling ravenous?”

“Are you hungry? I could take you to the bat cave. Or Zoltan’s place.”

She swatted Russell’s chest. “You see? Even when I threaten you with bodily harm, you’re still thinking about how to take care of me.”

He scowled at her. “So?”

“So I trust you, you idiot. I know you won’t harm me. Just like me, you know right from wrong, even when your fangs are out. So cut out the remorse routine, and let’s be friends again.”

“You call your friends ‘idiot’?”

She shrugged. “If the shoe fits.”

His eyes narrowed. “Fine. We’re friends, princess.”

“Don’t call me princess.”

He smirked. “Bite me.”

“Maybe I will,
cowboy.
” When he stiffened, she continued, “That’s right. I found your cowboy pistols.”

He gritted his teeth. “You have no right snooping around my stuff.”

“Are you really a cowboy?”

“I don’t explain myself.”

“Well, that’s a shame, ’cause I really like cowboys.”

He stilled, his gaze growing more intense. “Is that so?”

Her skin tingled. “Yes.”

He stepped closer. “And are you really . . . hungry?”

She wasn’t sure if he was talking about food, but she nodded. “Yes.”

“In that case . . .” He grabbed her by the waist and teleported.

“A
re you crazy?” Howard whispered as Russell inspected the contents of the refrigerator in the kitchen at Zoltan’s castle. “Rajiv is furious. He says you kidnapped his cousin and refuse to return her.”

“You don’t have to whisper,” Russell told the huge were-bear. “She doesn’t understand English.” He glanced over at the kitchen table, where Jia was sitting next to Howard’s wife. “But she does seem to like your donuts. I think that’s six she’s eaten so far.”

“What?” Howard looked back.

“How come you know about this?” Russell asked. “Do the MacKay employees do nothing but gossip like a bunch of old hens?”

Howard snorted. “It’s not every day that a Vamp kidnaps a were-tiger princess.”

“She’s not kidnapped.” Russell removed a package of meat from the fridge. “What’s this?”

“New York strip steaks.” Howard frowned at him. “Elsa and I are having those for supper.”

Russell gave him a wry look as he set the package on the counter. “You need all five?”

“I have a big appetite,” Howard grumbled. “And Elsa is eating for three.”

“Three?”

“Yep.” Howard beamed proudly. “Twins. We found out about a week ago.” He winked at his wife.

Damn, everyone was having children. “Congratulations.” Russell translated the news for Jia, and she grinned while congratulating them both in Chinese.

“She’s so sweet,” Elsa said, patting Jia’s arm. “I wish I could talk to her.”

“So do I,” Howard muttered. “Then we could find out if she’s actually been kidnapped.”

“Does she look frightened or abused in any way?” Russell cringed inwardly, recalling the bruises he’d left on her shoulders. “She’s just a little hungry. There’s not much to eat in the bat cave.”

Elsa gasped. “You’re making her live with bats?”

“There aren’t any bats,” Russell protested. “It’s actually very nice . . . as far as caves go.”

Elsa rose to her feet. “What has she been eating? Is there any way to cook there?”

Howard snorted. “I have a feeling he has a solar-powered generator and a microwave.”

Russell shrugged. “She needs more than instant noodles and chips.”

“Of course she does.” Elsa hurried over to the fridge and shooed them out of the way. “She’ll have dinner with us. Steak, and I’ll make some salad.” She selected a variety of greens and veggies from the fridge and piled them on the counter. “And we’ll nuke three potatoes. They’re in the pantry.”

“I’ll get them.” Russell strode into the large walk-in pantry.

Howard followed him. “So you’re not going to return her?”

“She doesn’t want to go back,” Russell explained as he scanned the shelves, looking for potatoes. “She wants revenge, just like me. Han killed her brother and parents, and she’s helping me track him down. It’s a business partnership, that’s all.”

“Really?”

Russell stiffened at the dubious tone of Howard’s voice. “Yes, really. You can tell Rajiv and Angus and everyone else you gossip with that I will keep her safe. In fact, before we leave, I’d like to get an extra sat phone and an antenna I can install outside the cave for better reception. Then she can call Rajiv every day to assure him that she’s all right.”

Howard frowned. “You’re not forcing her to do anything she doesn’t want to?”

“No, quite the opposite. I’m helping her do exactly what she wants.”

Howard nodded. “Okay. I believe you.” He headed out the door, then paused, glancing back. “You do know, don’t you, that she’s engaged?”

“I know.” Russell found a basket of potatoes and picked out the three biggest ones.

“The fiancé is a wealthy were-tiger prince,” Howard continued. “Rajiv wants the wedding to go through.”

“So?” Russell shot him an annoyed look. “You think I would mess that up for her?”

“I don’t know. You just squeezed a raw potato in half.”

With a muttered curse, Russell tossed the mashed potato into the nearby garbage bin, then selected another one.

“You like her,” Howard said quietly.

Russell shook his head. “Nothing will interfere with my mission. Once Han is dead, I’ll take her back to Tiger Town and leave China forever.”

“Famous last words.” When Russell scowled at him, Howard sighed and patted him on the back. “Believe it or not, I know what you’re going through. I lived for revenge once, too.” His gaze drifted to his wife, who was rinsing salad greens in the sink. “A life of hatred is worthless compared to a life filled with love.”