Was this one of her strange dreams again? When would she wake up from this nightmare? When? Isabella gripped the table behind her harder to counterbalance her buckling knees and felt the pain in her fingers because she was holding on so tight. No, this wasn’t a nightmare, this was reality. Bizarre reality.
She watched Samson get up, releasing Mark from his grip, slowly moving toward her.
“No!” Her breath caught in her chest. Need air. Need air now.
“Isabella, everything’s ok.” His voice was soothing but she couldn’t be fooled. Not anymore.
“Get away from me.” Isabella said, unable to believe her eyes.
She backed away farther until she hit the wall behind her. There was nowhere else to go. She’d managed to back herself into a corner. And he was coming toward her, slowly, but steadily.
Oh, Jesus Christ!
Her throat dried up. Her vocal cords froze. She had to face facts now. She couldn’t deny it any longer. Vampires were real. She had made love to a vampire. She had been dating a vampire. Dracula. A vampire.
Samson was a vampire, a vampire whose mouth had devoured her, whose fangs had been so close to her jugular-he could have killed her with one bite.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. There is no need to be afraid of me”
She let out a hysterical laugh. “No, you’re just going to bite me. That’s what you want, isn’t it? Oh God, how could I have been so stupid?” Isabella groaned.
Really, how could she have been such a fool? Why had she not seen this coming? She felt like one of those stupid heroines in a horror movie, running up the stairs in her nightie with the killer hot on her heels.
His friends just stood there. They didn’t even seem to be bothered. Well, that was their business. Isabella frantically looked around for anything she could use as a weapon.
“Guys, would you give us a moment alone,” Samson requested.
“Do you think that’s such a smart idea?” Mark rubbed his jaw as Vanessa put her hands around his waist.
“I want them to stay,” Isabella said quickly, hoping that at least they could provide some protection against Samson.
Samson gave her a surprised look. “So you think having Four vampires in the room is safer than having one?”
That’s when it hit her. She drew in her breath. They were all dangerous. All of them were vampires. They didn’t show any fangs, and now that she stared at Samson again, his had retracted too. His eyes were their usual dark color. Had she hallucinated the whole thing? Was she even awake?
“Samson, I wasn’t going to Hurt her. I was just trying to do what I felt was right because I felt your feelings for here was clouding your judgment. I know how much you care about her and I would never do anything to Hurt her.” Mark explained.
They exchanged looks until Samson finally nodded. “I’m sorry I misjudged you, but I couldn’t take the risk of anybody hurting her. Especially not right now. The situation-”
“I’m not as crazy as you think, and I would never touch your woman. But if I feel like anything or anyone is going to Hurt you, then I will do everything in my power to protect you as your friend.” Mark sounded a tad hurt. A vampire hurt by somebody else’s words?
Get real! You’re seriously losing it. Isabella told herself.
Isabella slowly moved along the wall while the vampires seemed to take no notice of her. She barely listened to them as she slid along the wall toward the door. Just a few more steps and she would reach the door.
“Where’re you off to, Belle?” Samson said.
She stopped in her tracks. So much for her escape. She bit her lip.
“Please just give me a chance to explain and try to protect you. I can’t loose you.”
His voice seemed calm, but it could be a trick. For all she knew he’d suck her dry any time he wanted.
Samson took a few steps toward her, and she pressed herself harder against the wall. But there was nowhere else to go. He was only inches away from her now.
“Please, I’m sorry you had to find out like this. I was planning to tell you-”
“When? Before or after you bit me?” she asked.
She shouldn’t show him her fear. It made her even more vulnerable, but she had no idea how to hide it. And animals like him would pounce as soon as they smelled fear, wouldn’t they? Would he? Would he attack her when he realized that she was scared shitless?
She could feel his breath on her face. It reminded her of the way he’d kissed her, how he’d made love to her, how he’d touched her. How could he be the same man? No, he wasn’t a man, he was a vampire.
Wake up and smell the blood!
“I’ll never hurt you, sweetness. If I wanted to, I would have done it already. I was trying to protect you. I don’t want to see you Hurt.”
Did he have to look so deadly sexy while he was only inches away from her? It wasn’t fair. She felt his hand reach for hers and tried to pull back, but he held on.
He acknowledged her frightened look. ” Trust me, Belle”
Trust him? Was he kidding? There was no way she would trust him, but he held her hand in an iron grip, and she couldn’t free herself.
Samson was too engrossed with talking to her and trying to calm her down, that the kick to his groin hit him like a freight train. He instantly let go of her and doubled over. Nausea overwhelmed him. As a vampire he could take pain, but even for him this was right up there with getting fingernails pulled out. He heard Mark and Raymond chuckling and he ignored them.
When he looked up, he caught a glimpse of Isabella as she ran out of the room. Unable to run after her just yet as he still fought nausea, he gave his friend a command. “Bring her back, please.”
By the time Raymond came back with her, Samson had recovered from the pain and was able to stand upright again. Raymond held her, too tight for Samson’s liking. A pang of jealousy hit him. This was not good.