Page 11 of Eternally Yours

Get it together, Loren. This guy is a serial killer.

I shoved as hard as I could, but even with all my strength, he didn't budge. “Get. Off. Me,” I said again, but there was no moving this mountain.

“I’m not trying to hurt you, Loren.”

I hesitated. Hearing my name on his lips was still unfamiliar and strange to me. “You tackled me.”

“I was trying to protect you.”

Squirming underneath him, I said, “The only protection I need is from you. Now, again. Get off me.”

“Listen. I’m gonna let you go, but whatever you do, please do not go for the window.”

“Why?”

“Promise me.”

“Why are you so intense? Just get off me already.”

His narrowed gaze was unwavering. “Loren,” he uttered, and the sound of his voice made me pause again. It was husky yet smooth, and again I was brought back to my dream when he growled my name as he came inside my mouth.

That was it. There was no way I could be in the same room with this man anymore. At least not with him on top of me. “Okay, fine,” I said. “Yes, I promise.”

With very calculated movements, he peeled his strong hands off me, and I couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed. The warring emotions inside me were exhausting.

“I'm going to let you go,” he said. “But I'm serious. You can’t go for the windows. One sliver of light hitting any part of your body can burn you down to ashes.”

What the heck was he talking about? Did our ozone layer go non-existent? I wanted to pepper him with a million questions, but I realized the only way he was going to grant me space was to go along with his madness. And I needed space from him. Loads of it.

I nodded yes, offering him a reassuring smile meant to convince him I’d play nice.

“I know none of this makes sense,” he continued as he pulled to his feet and helped me to mine, “but I swear I’m telling you the truth. Just give me a chance to explain. Please.”

I couldn’t help the pinch between my brows. This guy was serious. He really did believe the sun would incinerate me. That wasn’t good. I never thought I would end up a victim of a psychopathic individual, but there I was. Trapped with this gorgeous man in his large bedroom, my orgy dream refusing to scurry away into my subconscious. Not only that, but his kind eyes and gentle demeanor made it really hard to be pissed, or even scared of him. I couldn’t let my guard down. My priority was to escape.

I glanced at the clock and my lungs caved. I’d been sleeping for hours. I didn’t even care about the hospital anymore. What worried me most was my dad. I needed to get out of this alive. If I didn’t at least reach out to him soon, he’d panic. It wasn’t like me to just disappear. He’d start believing the worst had happened.

“You have ten minutes,” I said. “After that, I’m out of here. You understand? You need to let me go.”

He sighed. “I don’t know the best way to say it,” he rubbed his jaw, seeming to measure his words carefully. “The thing is…”

Running out of patience, I huffed and paced. “For crying out loud, enough already. I don’t have time for this. I need to get back.”

“Loren, you’re never going back.”

That stopped me dead in my tracks.

Stalking closer to him, I anchored my gaze to his. “What did you just say?” But I didn’t give him a chance to reply. “Let me remind you. I have a job, sir. I’ll be lucky if I don’t get fired for this stupid stunt you’ve decided to pull. And my dad…” A lump formed in my throat as I tried to hold back the tears building at the corners of my eyes at the implication of this man’s words. “My father needs me. I have to go back.”

Towering a good foot above me, he placed his hands on his waist, puffing his chest as he grimly uttered, “Life as you know it is over. You’re a vampire now, and that means you can’t be around humans. At least for a while.”

Oh, my God. This guy was demented. I was going to wind up cut into pieces and stored in this man’s fridge if I didn't find a way to escape.

“Don’t,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

He smirked.

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