Anna briskly rubbed her arms, chilled to her very core. “No,” she denied vehemently, her voice trembling.
He moved back to his seat, and then he looked at her. “Make sure you never do,” he said, in a very serious tone of voice; his dark eyebrows drawn together. “It doesn’t matter if you are dreaming or not. It’s a trick demons use and a highly effective one. Once you allow them into you, there is no way to change your mind. And by the time they're done with you, you’d be so messed up you wouldn’t even care. Not anymore.”
“It was Iris, though,” she hissed, frustrated and scared. “It was my mother.”
“Was it really, Anna?” Shayne watched her, without any judgment in his expression or voice.
She sighed. Shayne knew better, and if Anna was honest, she knew it too. As much as she longed for some communication from Iris from beyond the grave, she knew there was no way that could have been her beloved mother. Tears slid quietly down her face, as she acknowledged the truth. “No, it wasn’t Iris,” she quietly admitted.
The pilot came on the speaker and announced they were about to land. Shayne clipped his seat belt into place as Anna took a deep breath. The private plane was quite luxurious, and it was a shame she had slept through it all. Who knew if she would live long enough to step foot back on another one?
Anna watched as the small plane hit the runway through the window next to her. She grimaced at the impact and gently rubbed the tender spot on her head. It would be a relief to stop traveling and actually rest for the next few days.
Glancing over at Shayne, she could see the tension in his body. They were the only passengers on the private plane, and it had obviously been a difficult flight for him. He was not the best person to travel with.
Shayne had been silent and moody the entire day, but maybe it was for the best. She didn’t want to talk about the night before. She didn’t need him to tell her he wasn’t interested. His actions had made it loud and clear.
The plane slowed down and eventually came to a stop. Shayne was on his feet immediately. “Let’s go,” he growled, impatiently. She heard the door open and the air stairs extending. Without a backwards glance, he exited the plane.
“Well,” Anna muttered irritably to herself. It was amazing how he’d switched from lover to grouch. If this was how men acted after oral sex, she doubted she’d ever try it again. Grabbing her purse and bag, she followed him out.
The steps from the plane led directly outside, not a building, and she was surprised to see they were at a private landing. She gave a long sigh of relief at not having to navigate an airport. Her head ached terribly. It was cold, and a light drizzle slickened the ground. She worried about falling. She wrapped herself deeper into her jacket.
Shayne looked around with a puzzled expression on his face then checked his watch. “Damn it,” he exclaimed, dropping his bag on the ground. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair before grabbing his cell phone. After a moment, he closed it with a curse.
“Problems?” she asked, with an arched eyebrow. Shayne ignored her. He acted as if he couldn’t wait to get away from her. He glared around the empty lot without responding. With the exception of the crew members, there wasn’t a lot of activity.
She watched him as he had his temper tantrum. Then she snapped.
For the hundredth time, she regretted the events of the night before. There wasn’t anyone to blame but herself. It was obvious he felt disgusted from being with her: the overweight woman who had all but begged him for sexual release. It didn’t take a genius to figure out he was looking for the best way to dump her off.
The situation was unbearable for Anna. She wanted to be anywhere but there with him. She knew all of the fat jokes, and the terrible way men spoke of fat women. His standoffish manner made her feel so low inside that it was all she could do to not cry. She vowed to never be the desperate fat woman again. Shayne was the first man she'd kissed. The first man she'd gotten sexual with. He would also be the last.
In the meantime, she wasn’t going to stand there waiting for the scraps he threw at her. Walking right up to his back, she crossed her arms and loudly cleared her throat. He continued to ignore her.
Red-hot anger shot through her at being treated so poorly. “You know what? To hell with you,” she hissed, at his back. She could barely stay on her feet, and she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of forcing herself in front of him, just so he would look at her. “I’m out of here.”
Turning, she walked in the opposite direction. She’d call a cab and find a hotel for the night. Maybe even a hospital, because each step made the pain in her head roar. If she survived the night, she’d decide later what to do about the future.
IT TOOK SEVERAL MINUTES for Shayne to realize Anna had left. He’d heard the anger in her voice, but he was arrogant enough to think she wouldn't leave him. Obviously, he was wrong.
He quickly looked around the small airstrip to locate her. He found her headed towards the main road, with no obvious signs of stopping. His eyes widened in disbelief before he sprinted after her. “Anna, wait,” he called out, when he got within hearing range. She
