Page 56 of #Resort Love
The tall, powerful frame of a man jumped from the tree line,landing beside me, his crimson gaze narrowing on the blood mixed with venom running down my leathers. I tensed, ready to run when he wrapped his hand tightly around my arm, pulling me after him in a sprint. The burn of the venom made my legs slow and sluggish, my vision becoming fuzzy, but the man raced along the forest floor, not allowing me to stop. The snake hissed, lunging at us while we ran. My muscles screamed, begging to stop; my breathing became labored. Dark spots formed along my vision, but the man kept running, picking up his speed.
“Take a deep breath,” he yelled, slinging me forward off the edge of a rocky cliff.
I screamed, the world flying past me as I plummeted, my stomach flipping. The man jumped from the cliff behind me just as the snake snapped those sharpened teeth at him, missing by centimeters. Crashing into the freezing lake below, the frigid water took my breath away, quickly rushing into my mouth and lungs as bubbles drifted around me. I kicked my feet, fighting to break the surface of the water, but the weight of my boots pulled me down. The world was growing dark, my body too weak to swim as I sank to the bottom of the lake.
A large, callused hand reached into the darkness, grabbed me by my arm, and instantly pulled me to the surface. My lungs burned and I coughed up water, gasping and gulping for air. I thrashed, pushing to get away from him and to stay above the water, but his hand held firmly around me, pulling me against the hard lines of his body as he swam us to the edge of the lake.
The fire in my veins and at my side cooled from the water, but the gaping wound still burned, pain slicing with every motion. Trees around the lake groaned and snapped, and I dared a glance behind us, my heart beating hard with dread. The snake was slithering between trees, disappearing into the shadows of the forest on the other side of the lake. Ease washed through me when the last of its body finally vanished.
My relief didn’t last long though, not as the man pulled me from the lake, water dripping from his midnight-black hair, his golden-tanned body. Those dark crimson eyes narrowed on me, raking his gaze up and down my body. Shivers ran downmy spine at his perusal. He took a step closer, and I faltered back, stepping into the water. There was an intensity in his eyes that sent electricity storming through my veins, gathering in my core.
His tall, muscular frame warned me of his strength, whispering caution that he was not someone to mess with. I swallowed, my body shaking from the cold—from his unwavering stare. I took another step back, my foot slipping on the mossy rocks of the lakeshore. Catching myself before I hit the ground, my wrists barked at the sudden impact and Arbus’ necklace slipped free from my jacket, the ring dangling above the water.
I quickly tucked the necklace back, the air around me crackling with energy. The pressure of the atmosphere grew heavy, the wind picking up speed. “Where did you get that?” he asked, his voice tight and the rigid lines of his muscles tense.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I breathed, watching him closely, careful of my movements.
We stood, unmoving, the silence growing thicker. Seconds passed and then he sprang toward me, grabbing me by the front of my leathers, twisting and pushing me into the sand and rocks along the water’s edge. I yelled out, fighting against his hold, but the strength of his arms felt like boulders. I scratched, clawed, and kicked at him, every move jarring my wound.
He growled, catching my hands, forcing them above my head and straddling me, the sudden weight of him making me gasp as I strained against his hold. I tried bucking, pulling my arms out of his hands, but his grip tightened painfully around my wrists. He moved my hands together and I whimpered. My body was so weak compared to him, so useless. Taking his free hand, he slid it down my side until he reached my wound. He pressed down on it, sending pain through my stomach, and up my sides, making me howl.
“Stop moving,” he commanded gruffly. I stilled under his touch, panting, and he removed his hand to pull out the necklace from my jacket. “Where did you get this?”
Holding the necklace in front of me, I stared at it, my eyes burning. His gaze had a lethal glint in them as they bore into me. If he found out what happened, what I had done, he’d kill me. If I didn’t get away from him now, it would be the last thing I ever did.
My wrists throbbed against his hold, and he leaned in close, his breath mixing with mine. “I asked you a question,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “Where did you get this?”
“I-I don’t know. I found it in the field,” I stuttered, my mouth drying from the lie.
“I can smell your deceit,” he pressed, his voice turning into a threatening growl. “Where?”
Curling my hands into fists, I pulled against his hold, using the last of my strength to lift my hips, pushing him forward. I struck, lifting my head and hitting him in the nose. Bellowing, he shifted his body enough for me to kick out, using his weight against him to roll him off me. I shot forward, hearing his growl behind me as I ran into the trees. I glanced back in time to see him hurtling closer, blood streaming down his face. His body slammed into mine, pushing me into a tree, and I yelped at his strength. The impact jarred my senses.
I whimpered, blinking to clear my eyes when I felt him press his body into my back. My breath hitched when he moved his leg between mine, caging me in. I should have been afraid. I should have been terrified of him, but I couldn’t stop the heat that was curling low in my stomach. Not when his warmth and his smell seeped into my body.
“That wasn’t very nice,” he sniffed, his blood dripping onto my jacket.
“Get off me,” I hissed, pushing against him.
“Not until you answer my question. How did you get that necklace?” His voice was softer. I could feel his breath against my neck and ear. I shivered against him.
I could feel him smile, like he knew what his presence was doing to me. Unbridled anger rushed through my veins, but a memory from my childhood popped into my head and I smirked. I could feel his eyes narrowing, could feel the confusion and wariness forcing the muscles in his stomach to tense. My hand twitched against the rough bark before bending behind me, pinching the skin from the side of his stomach, twisting as hard as I could. Cursing, he pushed away from me. I turned, watching him grimace as he lifted his shirt, looking for a wound that was not there.
I should have used this time to run, but I swallowed, staring at the hard lines of his stomach, pure muscle that I’d only ever seen in magazines and movies.
That moment cost me, I realized, when he whipped his head to me, growling low and deep, baring his teeth at me like a wolf. His crimson eyes turned darker, thunder clapping above us. The wind raged, the trees groaning and swaying as if they were about to topple over.
A quiet curse left me, and I slowly moved away from the tree, keeping my eyes locked with his. Lightning flashed overhead and I glanced at the sky, at the dark clouds gathering. When my gaze flicked back to his, my eyes widened. He closed the distance between us, and I yelped, turning to run, but I was too late. He grabbed the necklace, yanking me back, choking me. I gagged, pushing a finger under the necklace, using the force of his pull to break the silver chain. I stumbled forward, coughing, and the man took a step toward me when Samian’s voice cut through the forest, calling my name. I breathed,feeling something tugging on my heart, in my very soul, but I stood still, not daring to move.
The man paused, taking a sharp breath. He narrowed those crimson eyes on me, observing me with suspicion. Samian called out my name again and I anxiously swallowed, taking another step back, feeling for the tree behind me. My heart pounded as another clap of thunder sounded above us.
“Go,” he commanded, his lips forming a thin line.
Without hesitation, I ran out of the forest, my legs burning, following that tug that would lead me to Samian.
Chapter 31
Kieran
