A shudder skittered down Jia’s spine, and she pushed Russell away before he could notice his effect on her. “You said you wouldn’t take me back. You’re a man of honor, so I know you’ll keep your word.”
He snorted. “Another flaw in your thinking.” His gaze raked over her with a bold look. “Are you sure you want to be alone with me?”
She swallowed hard. He was purposely trying to unnerve her. Did the rascal think he could frighten her enough that she would beg to go home?
Never. Even though he was a bloodsucker who could overpower her in a second, she would not give in to fear. Her face grew warm as she recalled how he’d kissed her forehead once again. Whether it had been merely sympathy for her tragic past or the possibility that he might actually care about her, she wasn’t sure, but she felt positive that he would never harm her. “I trust you. Now take me to . . . our hideout.”
He watched her intently, his eyes taking on an odd gleam. “Fine. Let’s do it.” He pulled her back into his arms and teleported.
When they arrived, he released her abruptly, then lit a few oil lamps. He levitated up to hook his crossbow and quiver on a clawlike root in the ceiling. “You might regret your decision. There will be no privacy for you.”
She glanced toward the far end of the cave where the bathtub was located. No chamber pot in sight. Thank goodness she’d relieved herself in the forest ten minutes earlier while he’d been checking out a camp. She could wait till he was in his death-sleep before doing it again. “I suppose you wash your face and hands in the river?”
“Actually I use this.” He showed her a bucket of water positioned beneath an ice chest spigot. “I pack chunks of a Himalayan glacier in the chest to keep my food supply cold. I use the melted ice for washing my face and brushing my teeth.”
“Oh.” No wonder she’d picked up that scent on him earlier. She noted the plastic bin sitting atop a nearby wooden crate. Small containers of soap and shampoo were neatly arranged in the bin, along with a tin cup holding his toothbrush. He was rather neat and tidy for a guy who lived in a cave.
As he emptied his pockets onto the table, she noticed that the knuckles on his left hand were coated with dried blood. It must have happened when he’d tried to pry her loose from the tree trunk. “You’re injured.”
He glanced at his hand. “No big deal. It’ll heal during my death-sleep.”
“It was my fault—”
“Don’t worry about it.” He showed her the sat phone. “Do you know how to use this? You should call your cousin to let him know you’re all right.”
“I will.”
He glanced up at the hole in the ceiling. “You’ll probably have poor reception in here, but I’ll fix that tomorrow night. Be sure to call during the day. If you call while J.L. is awake, he could use your voice as a beacon and come here to take you away.”
“I understand.” She removed the knives from her boots. “Since you’re warning me, that must mean you’re okay with me staying here.”
He scoffed. “It means I want to keep the bat cave a secret.” He took the sat phone over to the bookcase and plugged it in to recharge it. “You’re the one who insisted on coming here. Who am I to keep a princess from getting what she wants?”
She gritted her teeth. “Don’t call me princess.”
“It’s what you are.” He unbuckled his sword belt and dropped it on the table with a loud clunk. “Princess.”
Was he picking a fight? She yanked her knives from her belt and tossed them on the table. “If I always got what I wanted, Han would have died years ago. And my family would still be alive.”
Russell closed his eyes briefly, then opened them. “You’re right.” He strode toward the ice chest and removed a bottle of blood and another one of water. “I apologize for my lack of social skills. I’m used to being alone.” He loosened the top of the water bottle, then handed it to her.
As she accepted it, she realized his picking on her had been his way to create distance between them. Most likely, he was not comfortable with her invading his space. “I appreciate you letting me stay here. I’ll try not to get in your way.”
He popped his bottle into the microwave. “Don’t worry. In forty-five minutes, I won’t be aware of anything you’re doing.”
That was true, but she would definitely be aware of him all day. She took a sip of water. “You have electricity?”
He nodded and motioned to the wires snaking up through the dirt ceiling. “A solar-powered generator.”
She smiled. “Your cave is more advanced than my room at home.”
He didn’t answer; he just concentrated on unbuckling his watch. As it came off his right wrist, she noticed the tattoo. No wonder it had taken her a few days to see it. His watch did a good job of hiding it.
Curiosity swelled inside her. None of the other good Vamps had Han’s mark on them. How did Russell get it? How did he become a vampire?
She fiddled with her water, screwing the top on and off. “So do you . . . like being a vampire?”
He scoffed, then removed his bottle from the microwave. “I am what I am. No point in thinking about it.”
“Why do you want to kill Han? What did he do to you?”
He paused with the bottle halfway to his mouth. “Han deserves to die.” He took a long drink, guzzling down most of the bottle.
“I told you my reasons. Why don’t you tell me yours?”
He clunked his bottle onto the table and gave her an annoyed look. “I don’t explain myself.”
“I’m your partner. You can talk to me.”
“I don’t need therapy.” He took off his bulky coat and threw it onto the second table. “And I don’t need a partner except for business.”
She bit her lip. Why did he keep trying to push her away? “We are partners. You agreed to it. Is it too hard for you to be a little friendly?”
“Yes.”
She snorted, then leaned over to remove the knives strapped to her calves. “Aren’t you the life of the party.”
He glanced at the clock on the microwave. “You’ll have to endure my company for thirty-six more minutes.” He motioned toward the bathtub. “Before I pass out, should I rig up a sheet for you?”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
He arched a brow. “You don’t mind bathing in front of me?”
Was he trying to frighten her again? “You don’t scare me. All I have to do is wait till you’re dead, and I’ll have all the privacy I could want. I could prance about the cave naked, and you would never know.”
His jaw shifted. “Fine. Then what about my privacy? You’ll be awake while I shower.”
She glanced over at the tub. “Y-you’re going to shower now?”
“It generally works best for me to bathe while I’m still alive.” He smirked. “I warned you there would be no privacy. Shall I take you back home?”
“No.” The rascal was still trying to unnerve her, but she’d show him. She lifted her chin. “Why would a little nudity disturb me? I’ve been shifting at the full moon since the age of fourteen. Everyone of age in the village shifts. And we all strip beforehand.” She sighed dramatically. “I have seen more naked men than I ever care to recall.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is that so?” He leaned toward her. “So do you plan to watch?”
“Of course not! Why would I even be interested?” She tried in vain to keep her face from growing warm. “I don’t know what the big deal is. I mean, the male anatomy is basically the same, no matter who.”
“All right, then. Since it’s no big deal . . .” He reached a hand over the back of his head, grabbed the neck of his T-shirt, and pulled it off.
She gulped. While it was true that she’d seen her share of nude were-tigers, the men were generally on the lean side. Their muscles didn’t make all those bulges and dips across the stomach. Their chests weren’t so wide, and their shoulders didn’t look like they were chiseled from marble.
He tossed his T-shirt onto the table, then unbuckled the belt to his pants.
She looked away, pretending to watch the river. “Is there anything to eat?” Her voice came out in a squeak.
“You’re hungry?”
Was that the sound of a zipper? Don’t look at him. “Are there any fish in the stream?”
“I have some food here. Do you like chips?”
She heard the rustle of a package being ripped open.
“Turn around if you dare.”
The rascal. “I love chips.” She turned back to the table. Only look at the chips. She rotated the bag on the table so the open end faced her. Don’t look at the way his unzipped trousers are hanging low on his hips.
“There’s more water in the ice chest.” He whisked his belt through the loops and dropped it on the table.
“Thanks.” Good God, she could see some of his underwear. She rammed a few chips into her mouth. “Why do you have people food here?”
He kicked off his shoes. “I stole them from Zoltan’s castle in Transylvania.”
“Oh.” She grabbed another chip. Red underwear. Dark red. “So do you entertain here often?”
He shot her an annoyed look, then pulled off his socks. “You’re the only other person who’s seen this place.”
“Ah.” Cotton underwear. Snug fit. Snug enough she could see the distinct outline of a rather large—
“Noodles?”
She jumped. “What?”
“Do you like noodles?” He set a tublike container on the table in front of her. “You could make this for dinner.” He motioned to the bookcase. “Use the bowl there to heat up some water. Do you know how to use a microwave?”
“Yes.” Her face grew warm. Had he noticed her looking at his underwear? Surely not. She’d been fairly stealthy about it. “The palace in Tiger Town has electricity, and the kitchen is fairly modern.”
“Good. You can also heat up some river water if you want a hot bath. I usually prefer a warm shower, but . . .”
Her eyes widened as he moved closer to her. Don’t look down. “What?”
“What color is my underwear?”
“Re— I hardly noticed.”
“In that case”—the corner of his mouth curled up—“I’ll be taking a cold shower.”
Her mouth dropped open. Oh God, he’d noticed.
He grabbed an empty bucket and headed toward the underground stream.
Her cheeks blazed with heat as she nervously organized all the stuff on the crowded table. A cold shower? Did that mean he had a desire for her? The very idea made her heart race.
This was bad. Really bad. She would never have insisted on living with him if she’d suspected this. Vampires and were-tigers didn’t get involved. They were enemies, not . . . lovers. She’d been shocked enough to realize her own attraction, but now the problem was twice as bad.
Or maybe not. She slid a quick glance at him. He was levitating to fill the bucket suspended over the tub with water. Cold water meant he was fighting the attraction. It also explained why he pushed her away so often. Although he occasionally slipped up and kissed her.
She shook her head. There was no point in panicking over this. She could be misinterpreting the situation. Maybe he wasn’t attracted to her at all but was simply trying to frighten her into returning to Tiger Town. She glanced at him once again and gulped. His trousers had fallen to his ankles, and he kicked them aside.
With a flurry of activity, she neatly stacked his discarded T-shirt, belt, watch, and sword belt on his coat on the second table. Then she arranged his weapons and ammo next to his coat. On the other end of the table, she set her knives and her backpack. All the while, she could hear sloshing noises from the far end of the cave.
Don’t look. She filled the plastic bowl with some of her bottled water, then stuck it in the microwave. While it heated, she studied the instructions on the tub of instant noodles. It looked like Japanese and English, neither of which she could read.
“How much—” She glanced his way and gasped. He was standing naked in the bathtub with his back to her while he soaped up his body. Rivulets of soapy water meandered down his broad back, dipping into the curve of his spine and sliding over a gorgeous rump. He reached up to pull the chain on the bucket overhead, and muscles rippled across his back.
Damn. Even his rump was muscular. Water poured from the bucket, dousing his head and sluicing down his body.
The microwave beeped, and she started with another gasp. She couldn’t let him catch her watching. Quickly she removed the bowl of heated water. After peeling the top halfway off the tub of noodles, she spotted a line that probably indicated how much water to pour in. With that done, she pressed the lid back down. How long would it take?
She pulled a stool up to the table and split the set of wooden chopsticks that had come with the tub. She could still hear some noises from the far end of the cave, but she didn’t dare look.
Was it a mistake to insist on living with Russell? But what else could she do? If she returned home, Rajiv would forbid her from working with Russell, and it would be terrible if she publicly disobeyed her cousin. He would lose face. The royal family would be shamed. Her reputation would be destroyed.
Of course, her reputation could already be ruined if the villagers discovered what she was doing. Rajiv was probably telling them that she was visiting family. He’d never admit that the royal princess was alone in a cave with a vampire. A naked vampire.
Footsteps approached, but she kept her gaze glued to the tub of noodles.
“You cleaned up.” He stopped by the table and grabbed the bottle of blood he’d left there. “You didn’t need to.”
“I don’t mind.” She caught a glimpse of white and ventured a peek. He had a towel wrapped around his hips. His skin still looked damp, and droplets of water dripped from his shoulder-length wet hair.
He finished his dinner, then dropped the empty bottle into a plastic crate alongside other bottles. “I drained the water out of the tub. I can put in some fresh water for you.”
“I can do it,” she insisted. “I don’t want to be a bother.”
He grabbed another towel off the bookshelf and rubbed his hair dry. The muscles on his back shifted and bunched. “You’re not a bother,” he said quietly.
When he turned toward her, she quickly focused on her dinner, tearing the lid off and stirring the noodles with her chopsticks.
“Are they done?” He sidled up next to her and peered at the tub. “I think they need to soak a bit more.”
“They’ll be fine.” She cast a sidelong glance at his towel. Why was he standing so close? “I like them firm.” She scooped up a few noodles and shoved them into her mouth.
“Good?”
She nodded while she ate.
He leaned closer. “No limp noodles for you?”
She nearly choked and grabbed the water bottle for a quick drink.
He smiled. “I’ll fill the bathtub for you.”
She ate in silence while he made several trips with his bucket from the river to the tub. By the third time he leaned over to fill the bucket, she imagined his towel falling off.
Oh God, what was happening to her? He was a vampire.
He dropped the bucket on the sandy riverbank and nudged it with his foot. “Anything else you need before I kick the bucket?”
She shook her head and concentrated on her supper. Or tried to. When he inhaled sharply, his broad chest expanded in a way she could hardly ignore. “Is something wrong?”
“First . . . warning.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “I’ll be dead in about five minutes.”
She swallowed hard. What could she say? See you later? Have a nice . . . nap? “You can feel it coming?”
“Yes.” He wandered into the river and sloshed the sand off his feet. “I’ll see you at sunset.”
She was about to respond when he vanished. She jumped to her feet, then spotted him slipping underneath the blanket on his bed. He tossed his towel to the foot of the bed, then leaned back, pulling the blanket up to his chest.
Apparently, he did his death-sleep in the nude. He lifted an arm, bending it at the elbow and resting the hand behind his head.
He has a lovely profile, she thought as she watched him gaze up at the rock ceiling. And the bicep of his raised arm made her mouth run dry. His chest expanded again, and he shut his eyes.
She inched closer. Was he dead?
“Are you going to watch me die?” he asked softly.
She winced. “Does it hurt?”
He opened his eyes and gave her a wry look. “What do you think?”
“I . . . guess it hurts.”
He nodded. “You get used to it. Half dead is better than full dead.”
“You’re not half dead. When you’re alive, you’re very alive.”
A corner of his mouth curled up. “Are you a Pollyanna?”
The last word had been in English, so she didn’t understand. “What is that?”
“Someone who sees good in things.” His small smile faded. “Even when there is none.”
Was he referring to himself? Did he not know he was a good man? His chest expanded suddenly, and he lowered his arm as a pained look crossed his face.
She rushed toward him. “There is good in you. I know it.”
He gave her a look of astonishment, then exhaled slowly as his eyes flickered shut.
He was gone. Jia’s chest tightened. She’d never seen a vampire fall into his death-sleep before. It was more dramatic than she’d realized. And so sad that they had to endure it over and over for as long as they lived.
She touched his neck. No pulse that she could detect. His hair brushed against her fingers, soft and still damp. Dark whiskers shaded his chiseled jaw. There was a tiny scar on his left cheekbone. He must have been injured before becoming a vampire.
She turned his right hand over and smoothed her fingers over his tattoo. The Chinese word for “slave,” though she couldn’t imagine Russell ever being anyone’s slave. “How did you get this? What happened to you?”
Her gaze shifted to his handsome face, and she groaned at how little she knew about him. “Why do you live all alone in a cave? Why aren’t you in America with your family? What did Han do to you that you have to kill him?” She sighed. “Why do you have to be a vampire?”
No answer, of course. He’ll be back, she assured herself. He’ll wake up at sunset. But he might never answer her questions.
Sunlight filtered through the new hole in the roof, illuminating the kitchen area. Quickly, she examined Russell’s face and arms. No burn marks. It would be awful if the hole she’d made caused him any harm. But his bed was safe in a dark alcove with a solid rock ceiling overhead.
Back in the kitchen area, she tossed the cold tub of noodles into the trash bin and wiped down the table.
A whole day stuck in Russell’s cave. She was too hyped up now to sleep, so she wandered about, familiarizing herself with her new home. Russell had some clean clothes and towels stashed on the shelves of his bookcase. The top shelf held a CD player, a stack of CDs, and some books.
Most of the books were in English, but she spotted one that she could partly read. Chinese for Dummies. The translated title made her smile. Russell was no dummy. The CDs were also about learning Chinese. She imagined him here all alone, practicing night after night. He spoke fairly well. His pronunciation was off sometimes, but it was kinda . . . cute. And sexy. He was a man who didn’t let the need to learn a foreign language get in the way of his mission.
On the bottom shelf, she found a carved, wooden box. The latch appeared old and rusted. She brought the box to the table and ran her fingers over the woodwork. Roses and small birds had been carved in a primitive but beautiful style. Homemade.
She fingered the latch. Curiosity killed the cat, she chided herself. It was wrong to snoop around in Russell’s things.
But was he the type of guy who would ever confide in her? Mister “I don’t explain myself” would never talk. Snooping was the only alternative left to her.
She snorted. Her excuse sounded lame, but what the heck? He was dead at the moment and would never know.
The box creaked as she opened it. Nothing but a lumpy, old, dirty rag. Grimacing, she folded back the edges of the oilcloth. There were two pistols inside. Old, she could tell, but she had no idea how old. Revolvers. She touched a shiny barrel. Russell was keeping them in excellent condition. They reminded her of the old pistols she’d seen in American cowboy movies.
She glanced over at Russell. “Are you a cowboy?” It was one of the few words she knew in English. She and her grandfather had loved watching American cowboy movies.
With a smile, she imagined Russell riding on a horse alongside John Wayne. She closed the box and put it back on the bottom shelf.
What to do now? She noticed his discarded trousers on the ground next to the tub. To show her gratitude, she would do his laundry. She gathered up his dirty clothes and towels, then dumped them into the tub he’d filled with water. After adding some soap, she swished them around.
“I might as well do mine, too.” She glanced over at Russell. He’d never know. She stripped and tossed her clothes into the tub.
Ten minutes later, she had the laundry rinsed and hanging on the drying racks. She opened the spigot on the tub to let the water drain.
“Time for my own bath.” She grabbed the bucket and began refilling the tub. The river water was cool, so she microwaved some water to make it warmer. Each time she passed Russell’s bed, she glanced at him. Still dead and completely oblivious that she was crossing back and forth completely naked. For the fun of it, she started striking a pose each time she passed by.
After her bath, she slipped on some clean panties and a camisole. She brushed her teeth and left her toothbrush in the tin cup next to Russell’s. She stared at the two brushes awhile.
She took a deep breath and retrieved the sat phone so she could call her cousin.
“Jia!” Rajiv’s voice sounded fuzzy. “Are you all right?”
“Of course.”
“I can hardly hear you.”
“I’m fine!”
“But you’re—” Rajiv’s voice faded out, then came back. “—Russell.”
“He’s dead right now. I might as well be alone.”
“Where are you?”
“In a cave. I don’t really know where.”
“I sent Rinzen and Tenzen—” Rajiv’s voice crackled. “Once they find you—”
“You didn’t need to do that. I’ll be fine.”
“It’s not fine. You’re a member of the royal family, engaged—” More crackling noises. “What you’re doing is not acceptable, and you know it.”
Her face grew warm. “I know you’re upset. I’m sorry.”
“The only thing saving you right now is that no one but me, Jin Long, and your uncles know what you’re doing. I told everyone that Jin Long teleported you to my brother’s village in Thailand. Jin Long actually went there to convince my brother to play along.”
“Thank you.”
Rajiv snorted. “Don’t thank me. It’s not like I wanted to do this. If I had my way, you’d be home safe and sound, not trapped in some cave with a crazy vampire.”
“He’s not crazy. And I’ll come home as soon as the job is done.”
Rajiv’s voice faded, then came back. “—home before your betrothed arrives. I asked the ladies to go ahead and make your wedding gown.”
She winced. How could she even think about getting married now? “I’ll call you tomorrow. Bye.” She hung up and plugged the phone back into the charger. This was not the time to worry about the future. She had a mission to accomplish first, and only eleven days left to do it. For now, she needed her rest.
She turned off all the lamps. With a yawn, she unhooked her bedroll from her backpack. Where to sleep? The kitchen area was too bright now that the sun was shining straight through the hole. She wandered across the cave. The ground was too damp by the tub where she’d done the laundry. And too sandy close to the river.
She looked at the bed. Russell was taking up only half of it, and he certainly wasn’t going to be rolling about. She walked up to the empty side and pressed her hand against the makeshift mattress. Three layers of sleeping bags were a lot more comfortable than her thin bedroll on the hard ground. And there was even a spare pillow.
Gingerly, she sat on the bed. No reaction from Russell. How could he react? The poor guy was dead. She jiggled the bed, then leaned over to peer at his face.
Nothing. His face was relaxed, the thin lines that usually lined his brow completely gone. His jaw was no longer clenched in concentration, his mouth no longer thinned with irritation but soft. He looked peaceful and almost . . . sweet.
She scoffed. What was she thinking? He was a vampire.
There was no way she was getting under the blanket when he was naked, so she stretched out on top and used her bedroll as a blanket. Just a little catnap, then she’d get up and he would never know she’d shared his bed.
She rolled over, snuggling her face into the pillow. It was really quite comfortable in the vampire’s lair.
Some time later she heard a sound, but it hardly registered. She moaned and rolled onto her back.
Two hands grasped her shoulders, and she jerked awake. It was dark in the cave. She’d slept past sunset?
Oh God, no! Russell was awake! She tried to get up, but he pinned her back down.
It was hard to make out his body in the dark, but not his eyes. They were glowing red. His grip on her tightened as his fangs shot out.
A growl rumbled low in his throat. “You should never sleep with a vampire.”