Untamed (Vampire Awakenings, Book 3) (8 page)

When he'd left the house he'd been looking to
have a good run in order to work off some of the remaining sexual
frustration she'd aroused in him last night, but when he'd run into
Jill, he'd known the only way he was going to feel any better was
to see Emma again. That strange sense of peace began to work its
way through him again as his eyes returned to hers. She looked a
little shy as she folded her hands before her, but the smile she
gave him warmed him from the inside out and helped to calm him
further.

"There you are!" Jill said as she stepped
back into the room. Emma reluctantly tore her attention away from
Ethan as Jill hopped down the stairs and strode toward the kitchen.
"Ethan and I ran into each other at the end of our morning
run."

"I see."
Oh, that was a
terrific piece of conversation
, she thought with an
inward groan. But her tongue felt like it was trapped to the roof
of her mouth.

"It's so peaceful out there in the morning,"
Jill continued.

Ethan's gaze remained riveted upon her as he
lifted the glass of water to his lips. He didn't require the water
to survive, but it was good to wet his throat with and to help cool
him down. "And I couldn't turn down a drink," he said.

Jill waved her hand at Emma from behind
Ethan's back in a gesture for her to come closer. Mandy nudged her
shoulder a little as she stepped forward but Emma's feet were
planted more firmly than an oak tree's roots. Ethan's gaze went
briefly to Mandy's missing lower leg but to his credit he didn't
become uncomfortable in her presence like Emma had seen many other
people do, and he didn't stare.

"It's good to see you again," Mandy
greeted.

"Yes, yes it is." Her tongue had finally come
undone from the roof of her mouth only to sputter that crap out.
She was better off just remaining mute, Emma realized in
disgust.

Ethan didn't seem to care though as a smile
tugged at the corners of his full mouth. Thoughts of kissing that
mouth consumed her as her gaze became focused upon his lips. He
drank the rest of the water down and placed the glass on the
counter. "The house Stefan rented came with a boat. We were hoping
to go out on it this morning, maybe do some fishing and swimming.
Would the three of you like to join us?"

"That would be great," Jill said eagerly.

"Are you sure they won't mind?" Mandy
asked.

"Not at all, there's plenty of room on it and
the more the merrier," he responded with ease.

"It sounds like fun," Emma said.

"Good. I'll come back and get you in an hour,
if that's ok?"

"Plenty of time," Jill assured him.

He smiled at Emma before turning and walking
up the stairs. "Wear your bathing suits," he called over his
shoulder before slipping out the door.

Emma exchanged a look with Jill and Mandy
before Jill let out a little squeal and raced over to her. "He
likes you," she said eagerly.

"Don't get carried away Jill," Emma told
her.

"Maybe we should let you go alone." Jill
tapped her finger thoughtfully against her chin as she studied
Emma.

"She can't go out on a boat by herself with
three people we barely know," Mandy said.

"I can take care of myself," Emma reminded
them.

"Of course you can," Jill assured her. "But
Mandy's right we really don't know them."

Emma's pride made her want to argue with
them, but she wasn't stupid. Ethan and his family seemed pleasant
enough, she didn't think they would harm her, but she didn't know
them and going somewhere alone with them wasn't the smartest of
ideas. It was better to go with her friends than to argue with them
over it because of her pride.

"We have to get ready," Mandy said as she
slid her arm through Emma's and led her toward the stairs.

"You invited the humans?" Stefan placed the
paper he'd been reading on the table and fixed Ethan with a look
that made him wonder if he'd just sprouted horns.

"Sure, why not?" Ethan replied casually.

Stefan exchanged a glance with Isabelle, who
had her arms resting on the edge of the pool as she treaded water.
"Because they're
human
," Stefan
said slowly.

"You once dated humans," Ethan reminded
him.

Isabelle shot him a look that could have
frozen fire as she pulled herself from the pool. Ethan almost
chuckled but he thought she might kick his ass if he did. Stefan
looked like he might also laugh but he wisely chose not to do so.
"Since when do
you
want to hang out
with a human?" Isabelle demanded. Water dripped from her wet body
onto the bluestone with a soft plop as she walked across the patio
to grab her towel from a chair.

Ethan shrugged but he knew his sister wasn't
fooled by his casual gesture. "Things change."

"Or is it
her
?"

Unreasonable anger filled Ethan as he folded
his arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels. He didn't
like being questioned about Emma and he certainly didn't like her
being referenced in that way. "I don't think that's any of your
business."

"Ethan..." Isabelle started.

"If you would like me to un-invite them I
will."

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Isabelle
gushed. "It's just unusual to see you continuously interacting with
humans, much less the
same
human.
That's all."

"Yeah well we all change with age."

"That we do," Stefan agreed as he rose from
the table. He moved closer to Isabelle and placed his hand on her
shoulder, he squeezed it reassuringly before moving her back a
step. Isabelle turned to look up at him, and from years of
experience with watching his parents, he knew that they were having
a silent conversation with each other. It frustrated him, he was
certain they were talking about him, but he was able to keep his
temper under control until they were done and focusing on him
again. "Lord knows I did."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Isabelle
said.

"It will be," Ethan assured her. "I'm going
to get them."

Before his sister could argue with him
further, he turned and walked away. His earlier run had helped him
burn off some of his excess energy but he could feel it building
within him again as he walked at an increasingly brisk pace down
the road to the small house where Emma and her friends were
staying.

***

Emma was trying not to ogle Ethan as he took
hold of her hand and helped her on board the boat. Between the home
they were staying in and this boat, she didn't know what to make of
him or his family. She knew they were only renting the house but
she imagined the rent on this place was more than some people made
in a year. She could tell that Jill and Mandy were just as
impressed and overwhelmed as she was by their gaping mouths as they
looked around the glistening white boat.

She was so busy trying to take in all the
details that she didn't realize Ethan was still holding her hand
until he pulled her toward the back of the boat. Or was it the
stern? She really wasn't sure, as she'd never been on anything
bigger than a rowboat before. He settled her into a seat before
turning to help Mandy and Jill get seated.

"I'll be right back," he told her.

Emma admired the fit of his bathing trunks on
his thighs and ass as she watched him walk away. She was so focused
on him that she jumped when Jill leaned closer to her and spoke.
"What does his family
do
for a
living?"

"I don't know," Emma whispered back.

"Maybe they're in the mob."

"Yeah, the mob is
huge
in Oregon," Emma retorted.

Even Jill had to bite her lip to keep from
laughing. "Maybe they've decided to expand."

Emma chuckled as she shook her head but
Jill's question made her recall the fact that Ethan had avoided her
question when she'd asked him about what he did. There was a lot of
money here, but it was his brother-in-laws, not Ethan's. She could
understand if Ethan didn't really have a plan about his future, she
wasn't exactly doing much in life right now or have any big plans.
Maybe Ethan felt the same way and just didn't like talking about
it, she hadn't told him everything about herself either.

The boat engine firing up drew her attention
to Stefan standing behind the wheel with Isabelle at his side.
Ethan said something to Stefan she couldn't hear over the engine,
but Stefan glanced at them before nodding. Emma turned her
attention to the water as the boat started to pull away from the
dock.

Excitement built within her as the powerful
vessel hummed beneath her and the wind began to kick up. The boat
picked up speed as Stefan steered it away from shore and into the
open water. Her hair blew back from her face; the warm, salty ocean
spray kicking up around her was cool as it landed on her cheeks and
tickled her face. It was impossible not to smile as the boat
skimmed over the ocean and plumes of water shot up around them. She
turned her body and rested her arms on the back of her chair to
watch the wake coming off the rear of the boat.

She was so focused upon the clear blue of the
water that she didn't realize Ethan had returned until his arm
brushed against hers. She turned to him as he settled into the seat
beside her. There was something about him, and this whole moment,
that made her feel as if someone had opened the door on the cage
she'd locked herself in since Tristan. She could almost feel her
wings spreading as she flew free and unexpected tears of joy burned
her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Ethan inquired.

"Just the wind," she said as she wiped at her
eyes.

She wasn't expecting it when his hand slid
into hers. The tears burned their way up her throat but she managed
to keep these ones from spilling over as she wrapped her hand
around his large, strong one and squeezed it. He was so powerful
and self-assured that she thought he could take on anything and
anyone, that he would protect her. She had no reason to believe
such a thing but she couldn't shake the certainty of that thought
as she turned her attention back to the vast sea.

Ethan studied her profile as she focused on
the water again. The flowing black cover-up she wore brought out
the blond in her hair and made her eyes appear even darker. He felt
like she was weaving some kind of a spell over him; he was
definitely entranced by her.

The boat began to decelerate as they
approached a secluded cove. Emma took in the amazing lava rock
formations around them as the boat came to a stop fifty feet from
shore. "This seems like a good place!" Stefan announced. Emma rose
to her feet as Stefan went down below and came back with four
fishing poles and a tackle box. "We can fish from the front and
swim off the back."

Mandy and Jill stood, pulled off their
cover-ups and dropped them onto their chairs. "Are you going to
swim Emma?" Mandy asked.

"I'd prefer to fish." There was something
entirely enticing about just being able to sit there and watch her
pole while soaking in the sun. She'd made sure to douse herself in
sunblock before leaving the house.

"I'll join you," Ethan said as he rose to his
feet and pulled his shirt off. Emma felt like a cartoon character
with its eyes popping out as she was once again treated to the
delightful image of his bare chest with its sprinkling of hair
across the carved surface.

He held his hand out to her and helped her to
her feet when she took hold of it. Her heart pounded with
excitement and apprehension as she realized the others were all
going to go swimming. She loved the idea of getting a chance to
spend some time alone with him but she was a conversational idiot
around him. Even still, she was practically bouncing on her feet as
he grabbed two of the poles and the tackle box before helping her
maneuver to the front of the boat.

He handed her a pole and set the tackle box
down. Emma popped the locks on it and began to pick through it in
search of a lure. Ethan quirked an eyebrow as he watched her
expertly attach the lure to the line. "I take it you've done this
before."

"Once or twice," she told him with a
grin.

He laughed as he dug into the tackle box and
pulled out another lure. "I wouldn't have pegged you as a
fisherwoman."

"Well I'm a little difficult to peg," she
teased. Was she actually flirting with him? Maybe she was only a
complete moron when other people were around them. It was a
pleasant thought and one that helped to ease her anxiety.

Something so hot and hungry flickered through
his eyes that she felt her body immediately react to it as she
sucked in a breath. "Let's hope you're not impossible."

Yep, she was simply going to melt into a pile
of goo, or jump him, she wasn't entirely sure which one it was
right now. She really wished that she had chosen to plunge herself
into the water instead, but even the ocean wouldn't be enough to
cool her right now. It took all she had to break eye contact with
him and cast her line out. She settled onto the edge of the boat
and let her legs dangle over the side.

"Where I'm from in New York, we either fished
in the summer, rode our ATV's, or sat around a bonfire," she told
him as he settled beside her.

She was acutely aware of the heat of his body
as the hair on his arm tickled against her skin. "My siblings and I
spent our time tormenting each other and daring each other to do
some pretty crazy things," he said.

"That sounds like it was a lot of fun."

"It was."

Her fishing pole made a clicking noise as she
reeled her line back in. "If you don't mind me asking, what does
Stefan do for a living?"

He leaned a little more against her side.
"Not much." Emma frowned at him before glancing questioningly
around the large boat. "Family money."