Amanda arched a brow that the Dark-Hunter would recognize it. She'd lived in New Orleans all her life and had no idea this place existed.
"Yeah," the worker said.
Hunter nodded.
"Hey," he said into the phone, "it's me. I'm at the Olson Plant in Slidell. Do you know where it is?"
He paused as he listened to whoever was on the other end.
Amanda watched him closely. It amazed her that he was able to talk without showing his fangs, but he disguised them well.
And now that she thought about it, how could a vampire be so tanned and warm? How could he have a pulse and a heartbeat?
Weren't vampires supposed to be the cold, pale undead?
"Yes," Hunter said. "I need a ride out of here, preferably before the sun gets any higher."
The Dark-Hunter turned the phone off and tossed it out the window to the construction worker.
"Hey!" she snapped, reaching out of the window to reclaim the phone. "I need that."
"Who are you going to call?" Hunter asked menacingly.
"None of your damn business."
Hunter took the phone out of her hand. "As long as we're attached, it is my business."
She narrowed her eyes on him as she grabbed the phone. "Mess with me, buster, and I'll take another two steps to my right."
His heated glare sent a shiver over her. "Don't you dare call your sister."
The seething look on his face made her rethink pushing her luck. She handed the phone back to the worker. "Thanks," she said.
The construction worker clipped the phone to his belt and gave them a chiding stare. "You know, you two need to get out of there. This b-"
The Dark-Hunter held his hand up and the man's eyes went blank, empty. "There's no one in the building. Go do whatever you need to do."
The man walked off without another word.
Mind control? Amanda gaped at Hunter.
Of course he had mind control. He was a vampire.
"You better not use that on me," Amanda said.
"Don't worry. You're too strong-willed for it to work."
"Good."
"Not from where I'm standing, it isn't."
Though the words were edged, there was an amused light in the depths of his eyes that said he wasn't as peeved as he sounded.
She looked askance at him. He was leaning nonchalantly against a post with his eyes closed, and yet she had the distinct impression that he was alert to everything around them, both inside the building and out.
"Why did you become a vampire?" she asked before she could think better of it. "Did someone turn you against your will?"
He opened his eyes and cocked a brow at that. "No one becomes a Dark-Hunter unless they are willing."
"And you were willing to..." Her voice trailed off as she expectantly waited for him to explain.
"To sacrifice a nosy little human if she doesn't stop pestering me."
She should be frightened of him and yet she kept hearing Desiderius's words in her mind telling her that he would never harm a human.
Was it true?
She ran her gaze over his scrumptious body wishing she knew for certain.
They stood without speaking for quite a bit, until Amanda couldn't stand it any longer.
"So," she said, trying to break the awkward silence. "How long do you think we'll have to wait?"
"I don't know."
"Who did you call?" she tried again.
"No one."
Amanda took a deep breath and fought the urge to strangle him. "You don't like to answer questions, do you?"
"Honestly? I don't like to talk at all. I'd rather just stand here in silence."
"And brood?"
"Yes."
She blew her hair out of her face. "Well, I happen to be bored and if I have to stand here waiting for your ride, I'd like to do something to pass the time."
His gaze dropped to her lips, then slid slowly down to her breasts and hips. He shuttered his eyes, but even so she saw the raw hunger in the midnight depths. She felt it, hot and demanding.
"I can think of one way to pass time..."
She widened her eyes. "You're not going to bite me, are you?"
He smiled wickedly. "I don't want to bite you, agapee-menee. I want to nibble every inch of your bare flesh, especially your bre-"
She reached up and stopped his words by placing her hand over his lips. The softness of them contrasting with his whiskers stunned her. And the sensation of his skin under her hand jolted her with electricity. Swallowing hard, she dropped her hand. "I didn't think vampires could have sex."
He arched a taunting brow at her. "Why don't you and I conduct a little experiment and see?"
Amanda knew she should be offended. She should be angry. She should be anything other than turned on by his words.
But the idea actually appealed to her as she ran her gaze down his lean, perfect body.
Kyrian felt her confusion. She was actually considering his offer. Had the fire in his groin not been so fierce, he would have laughed. But as it was, he wasn't sure whether or not he was toying with her, or truly propositioning her.
All he knew was that the sight of her parted lips tempted him in a way he'd never been tempted before.
Not that he should be surprised by the way his body responded to her. She was just the type of woman who had always appealed to him. Intelligent. Brave.
And simply beguiling.
He glanced to the wall behind her, and imagined what it would feel like to press her against it while he took her hard, fast, and furious.
He swore he could feel himself already inside her. Could hear her moaning in his ear as he...
Kyrian shook his head to dispel the image. There were times when he hated his psychic abilities. Right now was definitely one of them.
Licking his dry lips, he remembered a time when he wouldn't have hesitated to take a woman such as this to his bed. A time when he would have peeled those safe, conservative clothes off her body and kissed every single inch of her bare flesh until she was wild with unbridled desire. Touched her until he brought her to the edge again and again as she clung to him and begged for more.
Kyrian clenched his teeth at the heat searing his blood. How he wished he could relive those days.
But that was a long time ago. And no matter how much he might want her, she was not his to take.
He would never know her body.
He would never know her. Period. It was why he hadn't asked her name or given her his. He had no intention of using it. She was nothing more than another nameless person he had sworn to protect. That was as close as he intended to get.
He was a Dark-Hunter, and she was an uninitiated human. The two were not to mix.
Kyrian looked up as he heard the faint sound of a siren approaching. Silently, he thanked Tate's timing.
Amanda glanced out the window as she heard an ambulance. Oddly enough, it stopped in front of the factory.
After a brief pause, the two front factory doors opened and the ambulance pulled inside.
"Your ride?" she asked.
The Dark-Hunter nodded.
Once the ambulance was deep enough inside the factory so that the sunlight didn't reach it, a tall African-American man got out and approached them. He gave a low whistle as he caught sight of Hunter's sunburned face. "Man, you look like hell. Should I ask about the handcuffs?"
Hunter led her toward the driver. "Not unless you want to die."
"Okay," the driver said good-naturedly. "I can take a hint, but here's the next problem. You're not going to be inconspicuous in a body bag wearing those. People are definitely going to notice."
"I already thought of that," Hunter said. "If anyone asks, tell them I died of a heart attack during a wild sexcapade with her."
An eerie chill went up Amanda's spine as she recalled Selena's words the day before. "I beg your pardon?"
Hunter cast an amused look to her that let her know he was thoroughly enjoying her torment. "And she can't find the key."
Tate laughed.
"I don't think so," Amanda said heatedly.
Hunter gave her that devilish grin that warmed her all over, and the look he swept over her made her tingle. "Look on the bright side; you'll have men lining up to date you."
"You're not funny."
Hunter shrugged. "It's the only way out of here."
"For you maybe," she said. "I can walk right out of here on my own, and dust you."
He cocked a taunting brow at her. 'Try it."
She did, and quickly learned that tall, dangerous vampires didn't budge unless they wanted to.
"Okay," Amanda said, rubbing her wrist where the cuff was biting into it. "We'll be getting in the ambulance, then."
Hunter led the way.
When he got to the back of the ambulance, Hunter lifted her up with such ease that it startled her. She moved to the left, trying to make room for him, but he was so tall, he was doubled over. In one fluid motion, he lay down on the stretcher, inside the black body bag that was on top of it.
Without a word, Tate zipped it closed.
"You two do this a lot?" she asked.