“Probably only during storms,” Mike assured her. “And the ocean will help mask our scent.”
Settling onto the sand beside her, he took the piece of quilt she offered him, draped his arm around her shoulders, and drew her against his side. The warmth of her pliant body against his helped ease some of his remaining tension. He wouldn’t mind a cigarette, but he buried the craving.
“I have to find Aida,” she murmured before yawning.
“We will.”
“Tomorrow, we should head toward the chimney you saw from the lighthouse. Maybe Aida’s in that building.”
“We’ll decide tomorrow.” He didn’t want to take Mollie where the Savages might be centered, but her sister probably was somewhere near there. Jack and Doug might also still be in that area. “You have to rest.”
Before she knew what he intended, Mike lifted her and settled her in his lap. Shock caused her to stiffen, but when he wrapped his powerful arms around her, she relaxed against him. Nestling closer, she lowered her head to his chest. The beat of his heart beneath her ear and the warmth of his body lulled her to sleep.
Mike buried his face in her hair as he cradled her against him, savoring the feel of her in his arms. When she drifted off to sleep, his heart slowed until the two of them fell into rhythm with each other.
Chapter Twenty-One
When Mollie wokethe next morning, she discovered Mike kneeling at the front of the cave with Holden at his side. Pink lit the morning sky and glittered across the water as the waves crashed against the shore. The ocean rolled in closer to the cave than it had the night before, but at least five feet of beach remained between the cave and the sea.
Mike’s head turned toward her, but no smile curved his lips when their eyes met.
“What’s wrong?” Mollie asked as she tossed the quilt aside and rose to approach them.
“I’m going out to find you both water and something to eat,” he said. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
Red shimmered in his eyes when his gaze flicked to Holden. That was when Mollie understood the idea of going back out there wasn’t what bothered him; he was reluctant to leave her here with Holden.
“We’ll be fine,” she assured him.
“Hmm,” he grunted, but his shoulders remained tensed, and his nostrils flared.
Holden eased away from Mike and back toward her, which wasn’t the best idea as Mike’s hostility ratcheted up until it practically vibrated the walls of the cave. A vein throbbed to life in the center of his forehead as he pinned Holden with a stare that would make the angriest poltergeist flee.
With the way he was acting, Mollie almost suspected Mike was jealous, but though they’d shared some intimacies, she didn’t think they’d gotten close enough for that emotion.
Then she recalled how safe she’d felt in his arms as the beat of his heart lulled her to sleep. Maybe theyhadgrown close enough for jealousy to become an issue. The idea of anyone else touchinghimmade her fingers curl until her nails bit into her palm. Rational or not, short amount of time knowing each other or not, she would hit anyone who tried anything with him.
Rising, Mike strolled over and clasped Mollie’s arm; he led her toward the back of the cave. When they reached the back wall, he glanced toward Holden to make sure the human couldn’t hear what he had to say to her.
He grasped both her arms before speaking. “You keep that rifle at the ready and don’t hesitate to use it, against anyone, if it becomes necessary. I’ll hear the shot and get back here as soon as I can,” he told her.
“We’ll be fine,” she said again, but his hands only tightened on her. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“Don’t trust him because he’s human, Mollie. Humans can be as vicious as any vampire.”
She wanted to deny his words, but she’d seen enough awful stories on the news to know it was true. “I understand.”
Mike released her arm to clasp her chin. “Be ready for anything.”
“I will.”
He remained unmoving, torn between leaving and knowing the only way to keep her alive was to make sure she had water and food. Lifting her chin, he bent to kiss her. She gasped in a breath before melting against him and grasping his forearms.
Mike only meant it to be a goodbye kiss, but the second their tongues entwined, he found himself seeking to brand himself onto her as the kiss deepened. When he started growing aroused, he broke the kiss before it became impossible to walk out of this cave. Mollie’s eyes were dazed as she blinked at him before a smile curved her mouth.
“Shoot to kill if it becomes necessary,” Mike said.
Her smile vanished, and her eyes darted to Holden. “It won’t be necessary, but I’ll protect myself.”
