Page 60 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
Flynn swiped on his phone and slid it across, breaking the salt line.
She put it to her ear. It rang. And rang. And rang.Answer. Wake up, damn it.She muttered, "Freaking vampires and day sleep."
When it indicated the caller wasn’t available, she pushed to redial. Two rings. Four rings.
"Quien es este?" Who is this? asked a drowsy, slurred voice. "Why am I on a boat?" Static and the sound of shuffling. "Still daylight out there. Where are my clothes?"
He had no recall of the brief conversation Shane had with him to explain everything before they left the boat? Obviously, he’d been sleep talking when he said he’d understood.
She said, "I need you up here in the house with the bag we left next to you. I told Shane we should’ve brought it with us, but like the optimist that he is, he refused. I’m losing him to the demon. Come inside at the top of the twisty stairs."
"No can do, cariño. Sun’s still up." He yawned. "Too tired."
"Antonio! Wake the fuck up! Use the blanket. It’s raining so there’s not a lot of sun to burn you. Go up the stairs to the front door." She felt her hold on Shane slipping. "I can’t hold him for much longer. Super speed vampire running would be good. Please."
"Are those brothers of his up there?Dios…" More shuffling from his end. "What the fuck am I wearing? Where are my clothes?"
She held the phone away from her ear as he continued cursing loudly in Spanish and cast an apologetic glance around the table. Everyone heard that, given the eyebrow raises coming her way.
"Antonio?" No response. She screamed into the phone. "Antonio! I need you and the bag up here."
"Shane owes me for this. No one makes a single comment, or I swear I’ll bite everyone." He hung up.
"He’s coming and, uh…please, try not to…"
The front door slammed shut. Seconds later Antonio stood next to her, wrapped in a rain dampened blanket, glowering. He rushed to the windows and pulled the curtains shut. His long, disheveled hair stood at angles as if he’d been wrapped in a blanket and thrown into a trunk, then a plane, and then a boat. He draped the blanket over his head and put his back to the closed windows. "I’m not doing this in here, in front of them. Not…like this."
"Is there a room I can take Shane into for a moment and get him back in control?" she asked Roman.
"I’m fucking fine," Shane growled.
Madeline said, "The demon in his head is obviously cycling out of control."
Roman pointed. "There’s a bedroom over there."
She hooked Shane’s arm and tugged. He didn’t budge, even though her touching him broke her freeze spell. Shane shrugged off her hand, his body tense and coiled for attack, his focus on the redhead across the table. Before he could make an antagonistic move, Antonio shoved off the blanket, thrust the bag at her, and tossed a struggling Shane over a shoulder. Antonio’s toned, naturally olive-skinned body with inked patterns all over his chest and back surprised her but what he wore…the only thing he wore…oh dear, what have you done Shane? Antonio was going to kill him for this.
The blue floral swim shorts were the male equivalent of booty shorts. The fabric rode so high it might as well be a speedo. She recalled Shane saying it covered all the essentials. Yet the swimwear somehow came off more naughty than a speedo. She wondered how his junk wasn’t exposed or at least squished. Laughter exploded out of her.
She clapped a hand over her mouth and tried not to double over. Tears betrayed her as she stared at the miniature toucans dancing on the vampire’s butt.
Antonio stiffened but didn’t turn around as he marched toward the bedroom.
Inside, she shut the door and excavated the cell phone that stored the right music files. She held up the phone for him to unlock it. "You think we need the external speaker that's in there?"
"Nah. Code is 1743." Antonio clamped down on a struggling Shane. "Hurry. He’s getting stronger."
She scrolled through songs and selected one. The beat infused her, channeling deep into her chest. It called to her inner need to dance. Antonio threw Shane onto the bed and joined her in singing and dancing. His booty shake had her dissolving into giggles, at which point she caught Shane staring at her. She pointed at Antonio’s mini swimsuit.
Shane smiled, his eyes clearer than before, but still a muddy, dull blue.
She turned up the volume, grabbed Shane’s hands and danced in front of him, singing and moving his arms. Energy zipped through her. "Sing with me, Shane. I need you, baby, not the demon."
As the chorus picked up, Shane laughed, stood, but didn't dance. She threw her hands over her head and gyrated to the music, weaving around Shane’s body.
Energy zipped between them, hot and wild. His eyes now back to a normal, clear blue clouded with need as he watched her dance. It drove her to dance harder, sexier. She needed to get closer to him.
She wanted to drive him to do something. Touch her. Kiss her. Anything.Please, just see me. Want me.
