Younger, Bree - Burn [All American Vampires 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Bree Younger Page B

realizing the futility of her efforts. She could not get free. He was just too strong. Limply, she lay beneath him, struggling to regain control of her breathing along with the wild panic which threatened to overwhelm her. They lay there for several minutes. Finally, without a word, he stood and scooped her up, tossing her over his shoulder and holding her there with an arm that felt like a band of steel across her hips.
    He carried her like that through the woods in complete silence, no sound but the labored breathing from both of them. They passed the SUV, its doors now closed, and proceeded into the trees through which Ty had disappeared earlier. Peering between the strands of hair that fell across her face, she could see that the trees thinned quickly and then they emerged into a clearing. Things got a lot brighter, and she knew there was a lamp or light of some sort nearby. The planks of a wooden staircase appeared in the corner of her eye when he turned slightly, and Libby could feel each jolt as Ty climbed several steps. Then he was pushing open the door to what Libby assumed was some kind of hunting or fishing camp. After shutting the door behind him, he gently set her down on her feet. Immediately, she ran across the room and turned to face him, her back pressed against the opposite wall.
    She could feel his eyes studying her and tried to ignore him, her gaze darting around the darkened room for any possible escape route. There wasn’t much to the small cabin, from what she could make out. Sparse furniture and only a short hallway which probably led to the bedroom and bathroom. She was standing in the small kitchen area and as her gaze catalogued the details of the room, she froze when she noticed another door. From where he stood, he couldn’t see it. Libby licked her lips and slanted her eyes back toward Ty to see if he had noticed her reaction, but he had turned away to lock the door they had entered through.
    Knowing it was now or never, she moved. She managed to unlock the deadbolt and get it open about two inches before a hard body pressed into her, sending the door closed with a loud thud. She screamed in frustration and fear.
    She flattened herself against the door, trying to put some room between herself and Ty, but he wouldn’t allow it, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her flush against him. His body was hard and warm against her, making her supremely conscious of her own feminine frailty. He frightened her, but she recognized, even through her own fear, the gentleness of his hands.
    Confused, worn-out, she succumbed to the emotions which had been held at bay by her utter determination to get away. Her hands began trembling, then her legs, and soon her entire body was shaking like she was in the grip of some fever. Her teeth chattered as she tried to speak. “L–l–let me…g–go. P–p–ple…ase.” Tears streamed down her face.
    Ignoring her plea, Ty lifted her up and carried her to the couch, sinking down onto it and pulling her into his lap. Libby lost track of time. It could have been five minutes or five hours that she sat cuddled close to Ty’s body, crying noisily.
    Eventually the trembles lessened until she lay against him in a state of numb exhaustion, and she became aware of him speaking to her. At first the words made no sense, just a distant whispering comfort, but gradually their meaning pierced the emotional storm that had held her in its grip.
    “Jesus, Libby. I’m not going to hurt you. Do you hear me? I’m not going to hurt you. Damn it, if I had wanted to hurt you, don’t you think I could have done it already? I mean, hell, you were unconscious. Helpless. Honest to God, you’re starting to piss me off. You fucking saved my life. I’m not going to hurt you. Are you listening to me?”
    At last she opened her eyes and met his. The blunt honesty she saw had her questioning her own memory. Maybe he hadn’t—could she have imagined…?
    He bent his head to her, and