Two were left, but they kept attacking so close together that he couldn’t strike them both. He waited for the first to attack. Using the side of a tree to spring clear, he flipped through the air, leveling his blade at what he thought was its neck. It disappeared, leaving only one.
“Come on, you bastard.”
The vampire stood fifty feet away in human form. He turned his head, looking at the path leading to the cabin, and Cody followed his gaze. Shay stood there, her face pale, eyes wide with shock.
“We’ve found you at last,” the vampire said.
Cody’s blood felt like shards of ice.
“We?” Shay asked, her voice strong. “You’re the only one left.”
The vampire grinned. “Too bad I can’t have a taste of you. The feisty ones are always better. I’ll have to settle for him.” Its fangs lengthened. “No one cares about him.”
Shay’s face darkened; her back straightened; her shoulders squared. “I care about him.”
The vampire turned and streaked toward Cody. Shay ran after the vampire, moving just as fast. She tackled it, and they both rolled into the trees, a mix of swirling colors. Cody stood rooted in place, his mouth hanging open. What the hell?
The vampire looked as stunned as Cody. It attacked again, catching Cody off guard, slamming his head against a tree. As he struggled to remain conscious, he registered several things at once. The vampire, who had retreated, now rushing at him again, and Shay, farther away, scooping up a stick and running after the vampire. No, what she did was faster than running. She streaked after the vampire, driving the stick into the blurred shadow. It turned solid, its fangs elongated, red eyes wide with shock. The vampire disintegrated, but Shay kept coming, moving too fast to stop. She hit the ground and rolled. Her stick drove deep into the earth, vibrating, inches from Cody’s face, then everything went black.
***
“Cody! Wake up!” Shay shook his shoulder. Oh my God. Vampires! Nobody said anything about vampires! What about the demons? “Cody, you have to wake up!” Was he dead?
She heard a twig snap behind her. Her blood froze. She turned. “You.” She was so shocked she didn’t start fighting until the handkerchief covered her mouth and nose. By then, it was too late.
***
Have his eyes always been this sexy, Shay wondered as his head lowered. His body, warm and hard, with all those muscles pressed against her definitely wasn’t the one she remembered skinny-dipping with. Something was different about him inside, not just the body. An edge. His lips touched hers, hesitantly, as if he weren’t sure what he would find. A small sound of surprise, and pleasure, escaped. He tasted good. He lifted his mouth just a fraction. She expected him to apologize, move away, laugh to ease the awkwardness—something. Instead, he kissed her again, this time opening his mouth, letting his tongue tease her lips. She had imagined this in her dreams, but in her dreams, it hadn’t felt this good.
Cody shifted, settling one thigh between hers. He stroked her hair and face, whispering her name as they kissed. He smelled good, like mountains. His lips grew bolder, his tongue slipping curiously into her mouth until she was on fire. The rational side of her brain told her to run, but her hands gripped his T-shirt and moved underneath to feel the bare skin of his back, beginning to dampen with sweat.
Breathing hard, the two started shedding clothes. He stared as her body was exposed, and she got her first good look at his tattoos. He pushed his jeans and underwear down, and she forgot everything else.
Shay gasped as he nudged her legs apart and lowered his body to hers. His eyes, clouded with passion, locked on hers as he joined their bodies together. Shay felt a sharp pain and bit her lip to keep from crying out. Cody went still for a moment and murmured, “I’m sorry.” The need to move was stronger than the sting. She pushed toward him, and he pushed back, pressing deeper. He stopped again, resting his forehead on hers. She wrapped her ankles around his legs and her arms around his waist to hold him tighter, and he groaned. It was the most beautiful thing she ever experienced, in spite of the discomfort. The confusion of the past year vanished. Joined with Cody, she felt complete.
He kissed her again, and Shay clung to him, her nails biting into his damp skin. Pressure started building inside her, gathering, searching for a way out. She felt like she was flying, her body tingling, and then she fell. She grabbed the feeling, holding tight as she plummeted. Cody tensed. The sensations washing over her in waves didn’t drown out the soft “I love you” that brushed her ear as Cody’s body pulsed inside hers.
“Shay? Where are you? I found the cat.”
Nina!
Shay couldn’t breathe.
Cody raised his head and looked at her in stunned silence, his body still throbbing inside hers. The passion that had clouded his eyes only moments before was replaced with confusion. “What have I done?” he whispered.
Shay opened her mouth but couldn’t speak.
He pulled out and sat back on his heels, staring down at his body. “Condom… I didn’t think about a condom,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. He scrambled to his feet, pulling up his underwear and jeans, not bothering to zip them, while Shay reached for her panties.
“You’re bleeding.” Stooping, he grabbed his shirt from the hay and wiped away the blood. He helped her slip into her panties and jeans and pulled her to her feet.
“Shay? Are you there?” Nina called again.
“You’d better answer her,” he whispered.
“Be right there,” Shay called out hoarsely.
She pulled her bra down as Cody slipped her shirt over her head. She finished dressing and felt a touch on her shoulder. “Shay? Are you all right?” His face held a mixture of shame and tenderness.
“I don’t know.” She was torn, one part still lying on the floor beneath him, feeling passion and love like she’d never known, the other part filled with humiliation. He was her best friend. He’d been like a brother to her. Everyone would find out. Their lives would be ruined.