It was all wrong. The man she’d dreamed of had always been wildly romantic, with a burning, uncontrollable desire for her. And he had certainly never been a vampire.
But now, Russell had surprised her by kissing her on the forehead. On purpose. Why on earth would he do that?
She glanced at him again as he turned off the lamps. Had the kiss been nothing more than his reaction to her display of emotion? Or did he feel more than sympathy? There had been a few moments when she’d suspected he cared about her. Like when he’d doctored her foot. But then there were other times when he seemed brusque and distant.
It would be better if he didn’t care. If she hoped to resist this attraction, she would need him to remain distant.
As he turned off the last lamp, the cave plunged into darkness. It was time for them to go, which meant he would teleport her out. Any second now, he would reach for her and pull her into his arms. Instantly, her heart started pounding. Her skin tingled with anticipation.
Good God, was her attraction hopeless after all?
“Ready?” he asked softly, and her skin prickled with goose bumps.
His night vision had to be better than hers, for she couldn’t really see him; she could only sense his presence in front of her. She extended her hands till her fingertips grazed his chest. As she rested her palms on him, his chest expanded with a deep breath.
He stepped closer, one of his boots slipping between her feet. His hands slid beneath her backpack. “I have to get a good grip on you so I don’t lose you. You’ll need to hold onto me, too.”
“I understand.” She wondered why he felt compelled to explain something she already knew.
When she smoothed her hands up to his shoulders, he pulled her closer till she bumped against his chest. Even through his bulky coat, she could feel the softness of her breasts pressed against his rock-hard chest.
“Rule number one,” he muttered, his grip on her tightening.
She swallowed hard. “What about it?”
“Strictly business,” he gritted out.
“Oh.” The strange, tingly hyperawareness returned, and she could feel the pressure of his hands, the strength of his arms, the hardness of his chest, the softness of his breath against her brow, and the scent that belonged only to him. How was she going to resist this man? He was all wrong, but he felt so right.
Everything went black. As soon as they landed, he released her abruptly and strode away. She regained her balance and looked around. They were on top of a hill, with a clear, starry sky overhead. Scrubby trees, only shoulder-high, grew at an angle from being constantly buffeted by the wind. The moon, almost half full, shone down, painting the bushes silver and outlining Russell’s silhouette where he stood on the edge of a bluff overlooking a valley.
When she joined him, he pointed across the valley at the lights flickering on a high cliff. “That’s one of Han’s favorite camps. He has control of all the land and villages within a hundred-mile radius. I’ll teleport closer so I can see inside. I’ve never seen any guards on this bluff. You should be safe here to do your sniffing.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll be back as soon as possible. We have—” The phone buzzed in his pocket, and he made an impatient noise as he pulled it out. “Let’s get this over with.” He punched a button. “What?”
Jin Long’s voice was loud enough for Jia to hear. “Why aren’t you answering your damned phone?” he demanded. “And don’t give me any bullshit about a water buffalo. They don’t squeal like girls. Do you have Jia with you?”
Russell looked at her, and she mouthed, “Water buffalo?” The corner of his mouth curled up. “Yeah, she’s with me.”
“What—” Jin Long sputtered. “Why did you take her?”
Russell shrugged. “Why not?”
“You can’t do that,” Jin Long growled. “Bring her back now!”
“No.”
“You told them I was a water buffalo?” Jia asked, but she forgot to be indignant when he smiled at her. God help her, the man had dimples. He should smile more often.
“Russell—” Jin Long switched to English. Jia couldn’t understand him, but his tone was certainly angry.
Her mouth twitched when Russell lowered the phone and glanced at his watch with a bored expression.
Then Rajiv’s voice cut in, speaking in Chinese. “What are you doing, Russell? You can’t kidnap a princess!”
Russell switched back to Chinese. “I didn’t kidnap her.”
“Then why is she with you?” Rajiv demanded. “Did you threaten her—”
“Enough!” Jia ripped the phone from Russell’s hand. “Rajiv, stop yelling at him. I’m here of my own free will.”
“You need to come home now,” Rajiv ordered. “If Russell won’t teleport you, I’ll send Jin Long—”
“No, I’m not coming home until I complete my mission.”
“Jia, I don’t want you doing this,” Rajiv insisted. “It’s too dangerous—”
“Russell will keep me safe. He wants to kill Han, too, so it makes perfect sense for us to team up.”
“What about your engagement?” Rajiv asked.
She glanced at Russell, who was not looking at her but was still standing so close that she knew he could hear every word. “Killing Han has been my mission for thirteen years. Nothing is going to stop me.”