Naia rolled over and found herself embraced by a strong set of arms.

“Good morning,” he muttered drowsily, pulling her closer.

“Morning.” She snuggled against his chest, taking in his sexy, addictive scent.

“You slept quite a long time, no? Did you drink too much last night?”

“I don’t think so. Why? What time is it?”

“Well past lunch. You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Past lunch? So why did she still feel exhausted? Her muscles ached as if preparing to battle a flu. The last time she’d felt like this...

“Did you know you sing softly in your sleep?”

She bolted upright. “You heard me singing!?”

Letting her go, he folded his arms behind his head. “Don’t be self-conscious. Your voice is actually pleasant.” She resented the surprise in his tone, like he hadn’t expected her claims about her voice to be true. He’d have known that if he’d let her audition. “I’m not self-conscious.” She was horrified! “I didn’t do anything else, did I?”

“Like what?”

“Sleepwalk, or anything?”

“No. Is that a common occurrence?”

“Not common, no.” At least not when her siren half was well fed.

After a late breakfast, she told Cortez she wanted to explore the island a little on her own, still needing to calm her nerves but not wanting him to notice how freaked she was by her midnight-singing.

Still, he seemed to gauge her curiously. “I should check in at the club, anyway. Have fun.”

With that, she scurried down to the beach, pacing like a caged animal. The waves taunted her, boxed her in, the ocean her jailer. The sun ruthlessly beat down on her fevered skin.

How was she already this far along? Sleep-singing meant the siren was growing desperate. Why? She sang just a few days ago at The Pit. It was too soon to be losing it like this. Being on an isolated island was probably just stressing out her siren side.

There was nothing for miles and miles and miles.

Nothing.

This was crazy. She had to get out of here. Just like Cortez, she could eat food, but it didn’t provide what she truly needed. Though her belly was full, she felt as empty and dry as an ancient clay jug. She might as well be standing in the middle of a barren desert.

Panic surged.

He’d heard her singing! It would only get worse. How would she explain sleepwalking out into the night to bellow her song at the sky like a freak? He’d figure out what she was.

In their own way, they both fed off the life force of others. Would he understand her nature? Would he understand what she needed?

Would he give her a job at his club then?

She recalled the last man she had trusted with her secret. James had been just as charming and attractive as Cortez.

She’d thought she’d been in love with him. She’d been a fool.

She recalled sitting on a park bench one morning, openly discussing her lineage with him. How had she ever felt comfortable enough to spill her secrets? At first James had laughed, patronizing her, but not believing her story. Then, arrogantly, she had shown him. Singing out to a passerby, she’d snared a stocky man, causing him to go doe-eyed, frozen to the spot like a pup gazing at its new master.

It had just been a light enthrallment, nothing like what she was capable.

When James had recovered from his shock, he’d strolled over to the man, and promptly robbed him of his wallet. Naia had been too stunned to protest, her jaw locked open, even as James had yanked her off the bench and tugged her away. Later she had railed at him; he’d just wanted her to do it again. His true nature? A crook.

She’d broken up with him that same day, but had failed to predict the depth of his immorality. That night James had returned for her, crawling through her bedroom window while she’d slept—wearing sound-dampening ear phones!

She’d fought and clawed for her life that night. Could still recall the feeling of dried blood under her nails...

The terrible memory swarmed her, compounding her building dread. Her lungs seemed to shrink ten sizes. Hand over her racing heart, she fell on shaky knees, gasping for breath.

A full-fledged panic attack.

Breathe.

It will pass.

Just breathe.

Movement on one of the upper balconies drew her attention.

Cortez stood there, gazing her way.

She couldn’t make out his expression, but he seemed to be leaning over the edge, looking directly at her. Suddenly he stepped off the ledge, dropping three stories in seconds. Though his form disappeared behind the thick forest that cluttered the base of his home, she had no doubt he’d landed on his feet without a hitch.

Inhuman! her mind screamed.

Had a vampire been the one to attack her that night, she would not have escaped. He’d have overpowered her in seconds. Imagining having to fight off Cortez, picturing that same ruthless intent on his beautiful features seemed so wrong, it made her want to vomit. Could he be so heartless in business? Wanting to use the gift of her voice against people? To dupe and pilfer? According to his own laws, that would be a cardinal sin.

Still, why should she risk it? There was no reason to trust him. She barely knew him. And in less than a week, they would go their separate ways.

With steel in her bones, she reaffirmed her vow never to tell another soul about what she was. Safer that way.

Cortez emerged from behind the foliage moments later, beating a path toward her, concern etched in his features. “Are you ill?” She didn’t know whether it was the memory of the attack or the preternatural display of him diving from such a great height without a scratch on him, but when he reached for her, she flinched.

He pulled his hand back, his brows shooting up.

She scrambled to her feet and brushed sand off her knees, striving for a light tone and a little laugh that she hoped didn’t sound fake. “Did you just clear a three-story fall to ask how I’m doing?”

Studying her far too closely, he nodded slowly. “It looked like you fell. And you’ve seemed distressed all morning.”

Understatement.

She cleared her throat. “No, no. I’m fine.”

He didn’t appear to believe her. When he reached to take her hand again, adrenaline was still fresh in her body, and she shuddered at his touch. He immediately dropped her hand, appearing confused...and maybe a little hurt?

She needed to say something so he didn’t get the wrong idea. “I’ve never been away so long. I suppose I’m a little homesick. And worried about Cole.” And in need of a crowd. “Without me, he finds trouble like water flows downhill.”

“Are you saying you want to go back?”

She shrugged. “Would you mind?”

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

“Honestly, I felt a little guilty.”

“Guilty?”

“What it must have cost to get us out here. I was afraid you’d think I was ungrateful.” She shrugged. “Or maybe I was afraid you wouldn’t care what I wanted.”

His brows knit. “You would be with a man you believe doesn’t care about your feelings?”

She blinked, surprised by the sudden hollowness in his tone. “That’s not what I meant.”

“What do you mean then?”

“It’s just that you went through all the trouble to get us here, not to mention all the gifts and clothes. I just didn’t feel right about asking you to take me home so soon.”

“So you would stay somewhere you didn’t really want to be?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be here.”

He ignored that. “Are you only sleeping with me so that you don’t seem ungrateful?”

Her mouth dropped at the question. His expression was...well, she wasn’t sure if he was upset, or angry. There was a growing flame behind his eyes that warned her this conversation was going off the rails.

“Of course not.”

His gaze narrowed a touch. “I don’t know whether or not to believe you.”

She crossed her arms, suddenly a little angry herself. “Of course you can believe me.”

“You’ve shown me on several occasions that you are uncomfortable. You must have been feeling this way for a while.” When she didn’t respond, something cold slammed down over his features. It gave her heart a kick. He glanced down as if he could hear the sudden rise in her pulse, and his withering expression turned glacial.

“I don’t abide lying, even in the form of omission.” Then he turned his back on her and began walking toward the house. “You won’t have to suffer my presence much longer. I’ll have the crew here by nightfall. We’ll be to the mainland by morning.”