“Immortal,” he corrected softly.
“Vampire,” Mary snapped. “Let’s call a spade a spade here, shall we? You’re claiming you drank the blood of those people at the truck stop and got all better, your broken ribs and crushed organs healed. That’s a vampire,” she spat, and then added, “And I don’t believe it, so go sell it to some witless little girl who can’t see past her hormones.”
Dante frowned and then tilted his head and said something that she was pretty sure was a curse in Italian. Sighing, he tugged out the elastic he’d tied his hair back with, and then ran his hands through his long hair as if his head hurt, before muttering, “You are the most frustrating woman.”
“So control me,” Mary suggested dryly, snatching up a coffee mug and sticking it in the single coffee server. She placed a single-serve cup into the machine, closed it, turned it on and waited as her coffee was made.
“I have already told you that I am unable to either read or control you,” Dante said patiently.
Mary snorted her disbelief. “You’ve told me a lot of things.”
“And everything I’ve told you has been the truth, Mary. I would not lie to you.”
“All men lie,” she growled. “If nothing else, I’ve certainly learned that life lesson.”
“Do not judge me by your husband’s behavior,” Dante growled back, sounding furious. And a lot closer, she noted and turned to find he too had stood up and was directly behind her, his face flush with anger and his hands balled as if he wanted to hit something.
“Every man I’ve ever known has cheated and lied,” she said grimly. “My father, my husband . . . even Dave, according to you.”
“Mary—”
“Why do you care about what I think anyway?” she snapped. “I’m surprised you’re still even here. I got you away from your kidnappers. Why don’t you go find your friends now and go after your brother? I know you want to.”
“I do,” he admitted grimly. “However, I cannot leave you so long as there is a possibility my kidnappers might stalk you in their hunt for me.”
“Oh, yes, we’re bait. I forgot,” she muttered, turning back to the coffee machine.
Dante immediately caught her arm and swung her back. “You are not bait. I am bait. You are . . .” He paused, frustration crossing his face, and then he growled that frustration aloud and pulled her forward.
Nine
Mary gasped in surprise and caught at his arms as she stumbled against him, then went still as his mouth suddenly covered hers. Nothing about those dreams she’d had last night had prepared her for this kiss. She’d thought they were hot and exciting in her dreams, but in reality those had been tepid in comparison to the sensations that exploded inside Mary as Dante took advantage of her startled gasp and slid his tongue in to invade her mouth.
Despite all her beliefs about the age difference and the lectures she’d given herself, Mary didn’t hesitate more than a moment under the onslaught of passion that tore through her before wrapping her arms around his big shoulders and kissing him back with all the vigor he was dishing out. When Dante responded by immediately catching her under the upper legs and lifting her against his body, to set her on the kitchen counter, she wrapped her legs around him and drew him even closer than he already was. Feeling the hard proof of his response to their kiss grind against her, she moaned into his mouth and tightened her legs around him even more, her hands now moving over his shoulders and then down his chest, to feel and squeeze his hard pectoral muscles.
Dante growled in response, the sound vibrating into her mouth and sending tingles running through her body. It encouraged her to drop her hands to tug at his T-shirt, eager to feel his hot, tight flesh under her fingers.
Dante immediately stopped kissing her to help with her efforts, tugging the shirt up and dragging it off over his head. His hair was caught briefly in the neckline and then dropped around his face like a curtain as he tossed the cloth away. Mary promptly dove her fingers into the silky mess and tugged him back to kiss her again. But she couldn’t seem to stop touching him. Her hands were aching with the need to run over his warm skin. He felt so good, his kisses were so hot, and he smelled like every man should. Mary was torn in every direction, wanting his kisses, but wanting to push him away and look at him and feel him up too. It was madness, utter madness, and she could have happily drowned in it.
She was vaguely aware of Dante’s hands at the waistband of her shorts, and felt the give as he undid them, and yet she still gasped in surprise when his hand slid between the cloth and her skin to touch her. Mary froze briefly, her hands and mouth stilling, then pulled back and cried out as he reached her core and his fingers slid over the nub of her excitement.
Dante immediately lowered his head to kiss her again, his tongue thrusting into her in concert with his caress and Mary gave up her own caresses to clutch at his shoulders. Her back automatically arched, forcing him to bend over her as she pushed on the front of the cupboards with her feet, urging her hips forward into his touch. The action loosened the cloth of her shorts, somehow, giving him more room, and Dante immediately slid one finger into her while continuing to caress her nub with his thumb.
Mary broke their kiss again and threw her head back on a cry of pleasure, her body beginning to vibrate and shake. She was approaching the orgasm she’d never got to experience in her dreams last night thanks to Bailey constantly waking her, and that’s when someone knocked at the door to the RV.
Both she and Dante froze at the sound, their eyes meeting and locking for a heartbeat before the knock sounded again and reality came crashing down on Mary. Who she was, who he was, where she was and what she was doing all suddenly poured over her like a bucket of cold water.
“Mary,” Dante hissed desperately, but it was too late, she was already pushing him away from her.
Sliding off the counter before he could stop her, Mary moved several steps away, doing up her shorts as she went. She then ran her fingers quickly through her hair and called out, “Come in.”
It was only as she said it that Mary realized how foolish that might have been. It was daytime; the campground gates would be open now and it could be the kidnappers at the door. If there really were kidnappers, she thought to herself as she watched the door open. She relaxed a little when Dave stepped up into view.
“I was starting to think you two weren’t here,” Dave said cheerfully, glancing from her to Dante.
“I was napping and Dante was in the bathroom when you knocked. I came out of the bedroom just as he came out of the bathroom,” Mary lied glibly, wondering if he’d believe her or he’d heard them as he’d approached. Even if he hadn’t they probably looked like they’d been doing exactly what they’d been doing. Certainly Dante’s lips were swollen from their kisses, his face still flush, and he was still topless and sporting a bulge in his jeans that would not be mistaken for a wallet.
Fortunately, he was standing glaring at her with his back to Dave, so it was only her state that might give them away. Hopefully her claim that she’d been napping would cover any rumpled state. If her lips were swollen and she was flush . . . well, they were all getting older and the light in the RV wasn’t that great at the moment. Perhaps Dave wouldn’t notice, she thought hopefully.
“Oh, sorry for disturbing you. You did mention you didn’t sleep well last night. I would have let you sleep had I known,” Dave assured her apologetically, then smiled wryly and added, “We should really get Do Not Disturb signs like the hotels have, but for the RVs. Then we’d know when not to bother guests.”
Mary smiled politely at the suggestion, and simply waited for him to explain the reason he’d come. She normally would have been much more friendly, but what Dante had told her about this man was in her mind now and she was looking at him differently.
“I just stopped in to tell Dante there are a group of young people over at the pool,” Dave announced into the silence and then winked at Dante when he turned to face him and added, “A lot of pretty girls in the group too. You might like to join them. That way Mary can visit with Carol and I for a bit.”