She bit her lip. “You’ll let me call the police later though, right? I’m sure they’re looking for me.”
“Yes,” he lied, jerking his head. “Go shower.” He wanted her out of the way, and some space from her would be good. “There’s a propane tank outside. It means heated water.”
He almost felt guilt at the longing on her features. “Okay.”
He watched her go and waited until the bathroom door closed and the water came on. “Simple-thinking humans,” he sighed.
He hung up the phone, searching for anything with a hint of their location. The human had bills in the top drawer of a desk. They were addressed to a post office box but he had a town name. That angered him off too. The Vamps had taken him farther from home than he’d estimated.
He walked outside to see if he could get the phone working and call his people.
Chapter Four
“He thinks I’m an idiot,” Glen muttered, using the soap to scrub her skin where blood had dried from Veso killing Vlad and those other creatures. The hot water did feel heavenly as she stood under the spray.
He didn’t want her to overhear his conversation when he called someone. He could have just said so instead of treating her like a child.
She rinsed the conditioner out of her hair and turned off the water when she finished. The towels were cheap, harsh ones she wouldn’t have bought herself but they were nicer than anything she’d been able to use since her kidnapping. The few baths she’d been allowed to take had been miserable.
Something registered as she finished drying off. The cut to her finger hadn’t hurt when she’d used soap.
She stared at where the cut had once been, noticing for the first time that it had completely healed. It stunned her as she touched the undamaged skin. There wasn’t a mark on it anymore from where the underwire had sliced her fingertip.
“What the hell?” She planned to ask Veso how that was possible. First though, she’d have to get dressed.
She grimaced at the sight of her discarded shirt and panties. The last thing she wanted was to put them back on. She stepped over them, wrapping the towel around her body. The cabin probably had clothes she could borrow. She unlocked the bathroom door and stepped out.
Veso wasn’t within sight. She took a few cautious steps into the living room, searching for him. The only other interior door was wide open, and she could see a bed. She crossed the room and paused there, looking inside. It was obvious a man owned the cabin. There was only the bed and one dresser. No knickknacks were in sight but a deer head hung over the bed. She turned away.
“Veso?”
He didn’t answer.
Fear crept up. Had he just abandoned her? He’d gotten her out of the mine and found a cabin so he’d kept his promise. She hustled to the phone—only to come up short.
“You son of a bitch,” she muttered.
He’d smashed it into half a dozen pieces, all of them strewn across the counter below where it had been mounted on the wall.
Anger came next. The bastard had broken the phone on purpose, stranding her in the middle of miles of woods.
She rushed to the front door in hopes of seeing another cabin or signs of life. Just a vast view of trees met her wandering gaze.
She clutched at the towel with both hands to keep it in place as she began to pant. It was rare for her to suffer from a panic attack but it was certainly the time for it. She was a city girl. Images of bears and wolves filled her head. She’d have to walk along that dirt road for who knew how far to find someone to help her.
Wood creaked from somewhere on the other side of the cabin and she spun, staring out the windows. Movement caught her eye near the back door, and she almost tripped on the bearskin rug near the fireplace as she dashed in that direction.
Glen halted at the door, and her mouth dropped open.
Veso hadn’t left her after all.
He was totally nude and standing on the back porch. He held a garden hose over his head as he tipped it back, letting the water run over his face. Her gaze lowered, openly admiring his muscles and that broad chest of his. His eyes were closed so she allowed herself to peek lower. He wasn’t hard anymore.
She was glad when he turned a little, presenting her with his beefy ass. It was as tan as the rest of him, proof that he didn’t wear anything when he sunbathed. He shook his head, water spraying in her direction, but the door’s big glass window took the hit instead of her. He lowered the hose and held it near his chest, using his other hand to wipe across his throat and lower.
She took a few deep breathes to calm down, now that she knew he hadn’t taken off. But the phone still angered her, and she gripped the handle of the door, shoving it open.
He turned his head, opening his eyes.
“Why?”
He scowled. “You were in there a long time. I hate having dirt and blood all over me.”
“I meant about you mangling the phone, Veso. Why did you do it? I wanted to call someone to get me!”
“I told you. No police.” He adjusted the hose so the water ran down his back. “Come here if you’re going to stand there. Be useful.”
“Excuse me?”
“Scrub my back.”
She glanced at the expanse of skin, from his neck to where his waist dipped right before it flared out at his ass. That was a lot of flesh to wash. “No thanks. Wash it yourself. You broke the phone!”
He shrugged.
“You said I could make that call.”
“I told you what you wanted to hear to get you to do as I asked.”
She fumed. “You jerk! You actually admit it?”
He dropped the hose, shutting it off when he released the clamp that allowed the water to flow. She locked her gaze on his face when he slowly turned around. The guy had balls, and he didn’t seem to care that she could currently see them if she glanced down. He stalked closer and reached out.
“This is being a jerk.” He fisted the towel and yanked hard, tearing it off her. “Thanks. I forgot to get one.”
Glen was so taken aback that it took her a second to react. The guy had just stolen her towel. She threw one arm over her breasts, lifted her leg and twisted, trying to hide her body from him. She bumped into the doorframe with her shoulder and just froze.
He had the gall to chuckle and start drying his chest with the stolen towel. He also didn’t hide the fact that he was taking in every inch of her as his gaze lowered.
“Yes,” he lied, jerking his head. “Go shower.” He wanted her out of the way, and some space from her would be good. “There’s a propane tank outside. It means heated water.”
He almost felt guilt at the longing on her features. “Okay.”
He watched her go and waited until the bathroom door closed and the water came on. “Simple-thinking humans,” he sighed.
He hung up the phone, searching for anything with a hint of their location. The human had bills in the top drawer of a desk. They were addressed to a post office box but he had a town name. That angered him off too. The Vamps had taken him farther from home than he’d estimated.
He walked outside to see if he could get the phone working and call his people.
Chapter Four
“He thinks I’m an idiot,” Glen muttered, using the soap to scrub her skin where blood had dried from Veso killing Vlad and those other creatures. The hot water did feel heavenly as she stood under the spray.
He didn’t want her to overhear his conversation when he called someone. He could have just said so instead of treating her like a child.
She rinsed the conditioner out of her hair and turned off the water when she finished. The towels were cheap, harsh ones she wouldn’t have bought herself but they were nicer than anything she’d been able to use since her kidnapping. The few baths she’d been allowed to take had been miserable.
Something registered as she finished drying off. The cut to her finger hadn’t hurt when she’d used soap.
She stared at where the cut had once been, noticing for the first time that it had completely healed. It stunned her as she touched the undamaged skin. There wasn’t a mark on it anymore from where the underwire had sliced her fingertip.
“What the hell?” She planned to ask Veso how that was possible. First though, she’d have to get dressed.
She grimaced at the sight of her discarded shirt and panties. The last thing she wanted was to put them back on. She stepped over them, wrapping the towel around her body. The cabin probably had clothes she could borrow. She unlocked the bathroom door and stepped out.
Veso wasn’t within sight. She took a few cautious steps into the living room, searching for him. The only other interior door was wide open, and she could see a bed. She crossed the room and paused there, looking inside. It was obvious a man owned the cabin. There was only the bed and one dresser. No knickknacks were in sight but a deer head hung over the bed. She turned away.
“Veso?”
He didn’t answer.
Fear crept up. Had he just abandoned her? He’d gotten her out of the mine and found a cabin so he’d kept his promise. She hustled to the phone—only to come up short.
“You son of a bitch,” she muttered.
He’d smashed it into half a dozen pieces, all of them strewn across the counter below where it had been mounted on the wall.
Anger came next. The bastard had broken the phone on purpose, stranding her in the middle of miles of woods.
She rushed to the front door in hopes of seeing another cabin or signs of life. Just a vast view of trees met her wandering gaze.
She clutched at the towel with both hands to keep it in place as she began to pant. It was rare for her to suffer from a panic attack but it was certainly the time for it. She was a city girl. Images of bears and wolves filled her head. She’d have to walk along that dirt road for who knew how far to find someone to help her.
Wood creaked from somewhere on the other side of the cabin and she spun, staring out the windows. Movement caught her eye near the back door, and she almost tripped on the bearskin rug near the fireplace as she dashed in that direction.
Glen halted at the door, and her mouth dropped open.
Veso hadn’t left her after all.
He was totally nude and standing on the back porch. He held a garden hose over his head as he tipped it back, letting the water run over his face. Her gaze lowered, openly admiring his muscles and that broad chest of his. His eyes were closed so she allowed herself to peek lower. He wasn’t hard anymore.
She was glad when he turned a little, presenting her with his beefy ass. It was as tan as the rest of him, proof that he didn’t wear anything when he sunbathed. He shook his head, water spraying in her direction, but the door’s big glass window took the hit instead of her. He lowered the hose and held it near his chest, using his other hand to wipe across his throat and lower.
She took a few deep breathes to calm down, now that she knew he hadn’t taken off. But the phone still angered her, and she gripped the handle of the door, shoving it open.
He turned his head, opening his eyes.
“Why?”
He scowled. “You were in there a long time. I hate having dirt and blood all over me.”
“I meant about you mangling the phone, Veso. Why did you do it? I wanted to call someone to get me!”
“I told you. No police.” He adjusted the hose so the water ran down his back. “Come here if you’re going to stand there. Be useful.”
“Excuse me?”
“Scrub my back.”
She glanced at the expanse of skin, from his neck to where his waist dipped right before it flared out at his ass. That was a lot of flesh to wash. “No thanks. Wash it yourself. You broke the phone!”
He shrugged.
“You said I could make that call.”
“I told you what you wanted to hear to get you to do as I asked.”
She fumed. “You jerk! You actually admit it?”
He dropped the hose, shutting it off when he released the clamp that allowed the water to flow. She locked her gaze on his face when he slowly turned around. The guy had balls, and he didn’t seem to care that she could currently see them if she glanced down. He stalked closer and reached out.
“This is being a jerk.” He fisted the towel and yanked hard, tearing it off her. “Thanks. I forgot to get one.”
Glen was so taken aback that it took her a second to react. The guy had just stolen her towel. She threw one arm over her breasts, lifted her leg and twisted, trying to hide her body from him. She bumped into the doorframe with her shoulder and just froze.
He had the gall to chuckle and start drying his chest with the stolen towel. He also didn’t hide the fact that he was taking in every inch of her as his gaze lowered.
