Jill and Mandy looked like two kids who were just handed a giant bag of candy as they watched Ethan walk over to the bar. "Well?" Jill prodded eagerly.
"Well what?" she asked.
Jill rolled her eyes. "What do you think, of him?"
Emma stood up from the table. "He's nice."
Jill slid her arm into hers. "Nice? Chocolates are nice, Emma. That man is delectable, and he's into you. A little fling with him before becoming an adult won't kill you."
"I don't fling, Jill."
"I know, but for that guy, I'd fling just about anything."
Emma couldn't help but laugh as Jill squeezed her arm before releasing her. Isabelle and Stefan moved away from the bar and walked over to join them. They were one of the most striking couples Emma had ever seen as they stopped before them. Even Jill, who was never shy, appeared a little nonplussed as she took a step back from the overwhelmingly large man and the stunningly beautiful woman at his side.
It wasn't often Emma felt insecure about her looks. She knew she wasn't the most beautiful woman in the world, knew she was considered cute by most people, but she wasn't ugly. Standing across from this woman though, she felt like a child, small and unbelievably young, but they appeared to be about the same age. Isabelle was a good five inches taller than her and possessed an aura of confidence that made her seem older.
Then Isabelle smiled and extended her hand. "I'm Isabelle, and this is my husband, Stefan," she introduced as Emma shook her hand.
Stefan's black eyes were assessing as he took hold of her hand. "Hello," he greeted.
Emma swallowed nervously and instinctively moved closer to Ethan. She got the distinct impression Stefan could snap her neck if the mood struck him. In fact, looking at them, she had the distinct impression there was more to them than met the eye.
She shook the thought off as Mandy and Jill finished introducing themselves. They were just a normal family on vacation together. She was only feeling overwhelmed because she was so much shorter than they were. It was bad enough being around Mandy and Jill, but now she felt like a sapling in a grove of Redwoods with the three of them around her too.
"Let's go then," Jill said.
Chapter Five
Ethan liked going to clubs about as much as he would like having his toenails ripped off. He just wasn’t willing to walk away from Emma yet, especially after the three vampires entered the bar. They may not be killers, but they could still use her for blood. He moved protectively closer to Emma as she weaved her way through the crowd. The music wasn't overly obnoxious, but it still aggravated his acute hearing.
A man stepped forward to grab Emma's arm. She shook her head and took a step away. Ethan didn't know what possessed him, but he moved rapidly forward to insert himself in between her and the man. The man opened his mouth to protest, took one look at him, and retreated into the crowd. Ethan stayed by Emma's side as Stefan and Isabelle led the way toward the bar.
They found a gap in the crowd of people at the bar and moved in to order a round of drinks. Emma stepped closer to him to escape a woman who was dancing as if fire ants were attacking her. Ethan eyed the woman, unable to understand what she was trying to accomplish as she danced away from them and moved back toward the main dance floor.
The bare flesh of Emma's shoulder glistened in the lights flashing around the bar. Unable to resist the temptation of her skin, he settled his hand on her shoulder. Her gaze shot to him, and her abrupt intake of breath caused her breasts to rise temptingly in the simple dress she wore. His thumb stroked over her silken shoulder as he stepped closer to her. His chest pressed against her shoulder; through his shirt, he could feel the warmth of her body. Fortunately, she was forced even closer to him when the fire ants dancer returned and bumped against her.
A surge of possessiveness rushed through him. She was so small, so weak—so human. That thought did nothing to ease the tension building in his chest as he pulled her closer and further away from the dancing bodies. For the first time, the stress building within him had nothing to do with the numerous people or his craving for blood. Instead, it had everything to do with keeping her out of harm's way.
"This isn't usually my type of place," Emma told him, though she enjoyed being forced so close to him by the worst dancing she'd ever seen. Ethan pulled her back another step as the woman's hands flailed crazily about her head. Emma didn't know if the woman was on drugs or if she thought what she was doing could be considered dancing. Either way, Emma was convinced the woman would knock someone out before the night ended.
"Or mine," he told her. He spotted Isabelle and Stefan again amongst the crowd; they'd managed to get a table. Isabelle stood on her tiptoes to wave at him over the sea of heads. "Do you want to sit?"
"Yes!" she shouted. She gestured to Mandy and Jill to let them know where she was going. Ethan slid his hand away from her shoulder, but he kept it on her elbow as he steered her safely through the crowd.
Stepping next to the table, he pulled a chair out for her and held it while she sat. She couldn't help but smile at him; it was such
