Grabbing the robe, she eased it on over the towel. “Where are the rest of my clothes?” Her voice was slightly cool, and she was extremely proud it didn’t wobble. She tried to act nonchalant as she kept her back turned toward him, unable to look at his face.
Shayne turned the water off, and then he released the drain. There was no emotion in his voice when he responded, “I’ll get them.”
He walked past her and returned shortly with her bag. If she'd sounded cold, he looked it. There was no warmth on his face or in his eyes. Now that their passion was spent, it was back to business for both of them. Without another word, Shayne walked out and closed the door. He never looked back.
Anna trembled, and a wave of weakness hit her as she quickly dressed. Her head ached terribly, and it was hard to think clearly. She felt too tired to blow dry her hair. It would just have to dry naturally.
Opening the door, Anna walked into the room and slid between the sheets of the nearest double bed. She was on her side, her back to him. Shayne sat in the chair, watching her with an unreadable expression on his handsome face. It was late, and the hotel was quiet.
They were strangers who had shared an incredible experience together, nothing more. It was over, and they were back to the here and now. It was an uncomfortable moment, and it was obvious to her that neither one of them was quite sure what to say to the other one.
Within moments, Anna slid into a deep sleep.
SHAYNE SAT THERE FOR hours, deep in reflection. He scowled at her sleeping body. Anna had used him up like yesterday’s laundry and then casually passed out after getting what she wanted. He wondered what the virginal seductress would be like once she had a little experience underneath her belt. She would be incomparable.
His dick jerked, reminding him how much he had truly enjoyed their water play. He glared at his dick, as he muttered, “It’s all your fault.” Shayne wasn’t used to not being wanted. Another woman would have only been too happy to join him in the bed and continue what they had started. He felt used.
His shoulders stiffened. If Anna thought he was nothing but a one-night stand, she had another thought coming. He was going to seduce her, using every ounce of sexual knowledge he had gained in his five hundred years. She wouldn’t stand a chance.
Shayne realized he was fuming like a teenage girl who had been stood up at her high school prom. He smirked. His panties were definitely in a wad, but they were about to get straightened out.
Anna rolled over in her sleep and winced. He walked over to her and checked on her injury. Her breathing was a bit shallow, but otherwise she seemed fine. With a long-suffering sigh, he realized it was going to be a long night.
Chapter 6
ANNA RUMMAGED THROUGH the toiletries and cosmetics on the antique wooden dresser. Her mom was in bed, wrapped up in her floral comforter. “Sorry, Mom. I’ll be done in a minute. I’m trying to find some powder,” she said, as she looked to see if Iris was ready to kill her for disturbing her sleep. What she found instead was Iris sitting in the bed, her eyes wide and unseeing, her face blank.
Whirling around, Anna started towards her, but Iris stood up. “Gosh, Mom. You scared me,” she said with an uneasy laugh, as she turned back to the dresser. Iris started talking about the church service the past Sunday, and how scary the state of the world was in.
“God’s not gonna put up with this,” Iris said, in an ominous tone of voice. “One day, He’s going to be back, and there will be a lot of people in trouble when He comes.”
Finally, Anna found what she was looking for. She only listened with half an ear. Bending over to see herself better, she patted the powder on her nose. She definitely wasn’t beautiful, but at least she felt presentable. Straightening up, she turned and saw Iris had moved closer and was standing at the foot of her bed. She lifted her face to Anna's; her eyes were a deep red.
Anna gasped as fear shot through her. Something was wrong. Very wrong. In a halting voice, she asked, “Mom?”
Iris didn’t answer. Instead, she disappeared and reappeared directly in front of Anna. She laughed, exposing thick, sharp fangs as she met Anna’s eyes. “Hell is coming for you, Anna,” Iris said, her voice garbled and distorted. “There’s no escaping Satan when he sets his sights on you.”
She grabbed Anna’s arm, her grip painful and bruising as Anna shook in fear.
“WAKE UP,” A DEEP VOICE growled in Anna’s ear. “Damn you, wake up!”
Anna jerked awake in terror. “In the name of Jesus, I rebuke you,” she chanted, her brown eyes unseeing. She was trapped in the energy of her nightmare. Pure evil surrounded her, and she was caught in the thick of it, unable to escape.
Rough hands shook her shoulders, as she blinked several times. “You’re safe now,” he said. “I’ve got you.”
Anna focused on Shayne’s face, as she remembered where she was at. It was late night, and they were on a plane, headed to Las Vegas. Shayne was knelt down next to her in the narrow space between the seats, his face concerned when he asked, “What in the hell happened to you?”
The air was thick with the smell of sulfur as
