Chapter Nineteen

That was almost as good as an orgasm.

Sitting once again beside Oliver as they sped down the road, Eva nearly cried. Had she really told Oliver that she wasn't wearing panties? What was she even thinking? Well, she knew what she was thinking. Here she was, sitting beside a rich, sexy man who had saved her life and offered to buy her anything she needed after listening to her and asking her questions about herself. That romance novel wrote itself, and she was the unlikely bumbling heroine, only Oliver had only been kind and interesting to her, not interested, interested.

If she'd been wearing panties, they would be dripping from the way his eyes watched her intently as she spoke, or the way his shirt pulled tight across his chest when he leaned toward her to slide her drink closer. And why couldn't she stop thinking about the word "panties"!?

They sat for several long moments inside the car while they both digested what she'd said.

Idiot, she cursed herself. What if this interest she was feeling was a byproduct of his blood or her apparent demon blood? She'd been a waitress long enough to appreciate that sometimes men, as well as an occasional woman, misunderstood kindness or service at the coffee shop as interest. What if he was just doing his job, keeping her safe, until the perpetrator was caught? How embarrassing to be on that end of the equation.

Wordlessly, Oliver drove to a small outlet mall that offered an array of shopping options for the average shopper as well as a chain bookstore. Silently, he quickly rounded the SUV, opening her door before she was able to lay a hand on the handle. Despite the fact that she could easily step out of the vehicle on her own, Eva took his offered hand as she slid out into the parking lot. He smoothly pulled her toward him until she was nearly touching him.

She held her breath as he leaned toward her ear and lowly announced, "Be careful, my little bunny. Your every move has me wanting to chase you, and when I do, I won't be able to stop."

Eva's breath hitched in her throat as she stared up into his dilating eyes, knowing hers also reflected desire. But he was correct: this was neither the time nor the place. Still, she couldn't stop her hand from lingering on his arm before slowly pulling away, dragging her fingertips down his arm and hand and stopping briefly before releasing her grasp.

"Tease," he whispered softly with a smile before bopping her nose. Bopping her nose?! She smiled back up at him before turning to scan the options, immediately zoning in on the intimates store. Thank God! Underclothes that fit and didn"t need to be washed daily.

Oliver did, in fact, buy her several bras and panties, although she hadn't shown them to him. As she picked them out, however, she couldn"t help but imagine his reaction to them. He'd remained a perfect gentleman, sitting in a chair outside of the fitting room, scrolling on his phone as the sales staff found her the items she needed. Several days' worth, plus a set she left the store in, although Eva groaned as she squeezed back into Athena's jeans. If it were up to her, they would have been set on fire, but she supposed she needed to return them.

At another store, she carefully selected two pairs of jeans a size larger and a curvier fit than the ones Delta had swiped from her sister's closet. Wearing those as well as a V-cut, gauzy white shirt leaving the store, Eva told herself it was because she'd dripped ketchup on the hooded sweatshirt, but she couldn't deny the pleasure she felt when Oliver's eyes ran up and down her body, dilating slightly.

Armored up, wearing all new, well-fitting clothes empowered her and added a sway to her step leaving the store. No more hand-me-downs making her feel too tall or too big. Despite the fact that Oliver had given her carte blanche in the shop, she kept her spending to the necessities as much as she could. Undergarments, socks, jeans, three tops, and a pair of soft pajamas that she could call her own as she continued to lounge around at Oliver's home.

Apparently remembering her drawers from home before they fled into the night, Oliver added a few pairs of black leggings with matching tanks and tees, raising an eyebrow with a challenging look as if daring her to complain. Apparently on a whim he added a Lavender scented body wash and shampoo set to the pile as well, as if the pricy soap in his guest bathroom wasn't good enough for her.

Leaving the store ladened with packages, Eva spotted a display of graphic tees in the bookstore window. Her eyes barely flickered on them, and she overcame the impulse to look at them. Her mood plummeted, as she thought of her collection of graphic book-themed tees she'd collected over the years. All destroyed within a few moments by hellhounds who had decided marking and burning through her clothes with their acidic urine was a grand finale to destroying her home.

While wearing his dark shades, Oliver had continually scanned the parking lot as well as the sidewalk in front of them and behind. He hadn't appeared to look at the window, till he told her, "Grab a few if you want. We still have some time before we need to get back."

Eva had forgotten that their true mission had been to draw out whatever was after Ravyn and her. Caught up in talking, shopping, and eating, she'd briefly forgotten the trouble she was in and how, at least for now, she was a job for Oliver despite how things might otherwise feel or appear. The plan had been to be out and about, but to arrive back in the security of Oliver's home well before the sun set. Ideally, they would have drawn out whatever was hunting them after they were safely back inside Oliver's fortress with supernaturals on guard and prepared for an assault.

"I'm good," Eva protested as he pulled her inside. Finally, to silence him, she pretended to examine all the tees carefully before choosing a medium gray graphic tee that said "I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie" and a soft pink "I Closed my Book to be Here." Despite his protests to pick more, Eva found that she couldn't. Each of her previous tees had a story behind them. Not only had they been cute or sarcastic tees, but they held a memory from the moments she'd chosen them. The story of these two would be a good one: the first of a new series after a hellhound attack and marking the day she went shopping with a handsome vampire intent on treating her like a princess. They would mark a good—no, a great—memory, she mentally amended.

At the counter, Oliver slid over five hard-cover books he'd picked up from the paranormal new release table. At Eva's quizzical look, he shrugged innocently. "I figured I could expand my library a bit."

Laughing, she agreed, "Yup, exactly what I figured you'd pick."

"What?" he asked mockingly. "Can't a man enjoy romance? Besides, I"ve just read some lately that have me wanting to read more."

Settled again in their vehicle, they determined their next stop as they began circling back. Oliver"s suggestion of coffee was shot down by Eva. Apparently, not only did his chef cook delicious healthy meals, he had an amazing coffee setup. Eva hadn't been suffering without her coffee while visiting. She'd enjoyed strong espresso as well as a plethora of mixed drinks. This was when Oliver learned that she'd been mixing up drinks for the rest of his staff with the setup.

"You don't have to wait on those ingrates," he said, laughing, before a horrified expression spread across his features. "Has Delta been getting caffeine?"

"Haha no, I'm not that crazy! She gets decaf with all the extra sugary syrups you can imagine. And I don't mind making drinks for everyone." Honestly, it made her feel at least a little bit useful, and it pleased her how much everyone liked and appreciated the drinks.

"You'll spoil them all, and then they'll be useless when they don't get it." Oliver chuckled, but it starkly reminded Eva that her presence in the household was temporary. Even if they didn't know the end date, leaving still loomed ahead of her. And she would miss all of them, from the security guards who began and ended each shift with a cup of either hot or cold java, Delta, who probably didn't need all the extra sugar she consumed, the housekeeper/chef, who made sure the coffee bar stayed stocked with her favorites, and especially Oliver.

They ended the road trip at the edge of Lake Michigan with only a few minutes for Eva to dip her feet in the cold water. In the distance, she could catch glimpses of the Windy City through a haze of light fog. Someday, she promised herself, she would visit and even stay the night there. Although this day hadn"t been too bad; an entire day spending uninterrupted time with Oliver. Sure, occasionally he would tap a few things out on his cell phone, but he never waited for a reply before replacing the phone in his pocket. No discussion of magic, demons, or threats marred the day. Despite the fact that the reality of it loomed overhead, they managed to do a pretty good job of ignoring it.

They had plenty of discussions about books, shows, movies, and, to Eva's delight, she learned that Oliver was a fan of the theater. Or as he put it, "A perfect mix between a book and a show." For a brief moment, Eva allowed herself to imagine they would get to attend shows together, but sadly nearly immediately recognized that such a thing probably wouldn't happen when things settled down.

Eva's chest tightened at one point in their discussion as she wondered if, when the tether connecting them was removed, she would feel the loss of Oliver or if her untethered heart would just simply no longer feel him or anything for him. Perhaps that would be the easiest of the two options. The idea of an emptiness or nothingness broke her heart, but it wasn't fair for Oliver to be magically tied to her against his will.

Sitting together on a bench on the empty beach, while Eva slowly enjoyed a scoop of dark chocolate mocha ice cream, they watched the sun cut lower into the sky, a vivid reminder that the day was coming to an end. It had been a perfect day of freedom, and although Eva never saw any security detail, she suspected they weren't as alone as they appeared to be.

Reluctantly, Oliver apologized that they couldn't stay longer, but it was important that they were back home before nightfall. Despite the fact that nightfall made him the strongest, if the hellhounds managed to track them down, it would put Eva in unnecessary danger.

Eva agreed, shuddering as she remembered the slobbering beasts that seemed determined to hunt her down. The reminder of the dangers around them put a damper on Eva's mood, and she sat in her seat a little quieter as they listened to music on the return trip. Despite the miles traveled that day, they'd simply driven in a large circle, not going too far from home as they tested the waters for any possible threats that they could draw out.

Eva recognized a few of the landmarks as they neared the gate of what she now realized was a mini-fortress fenced in with elegant, yet foreboding reminders that it could easily serve as a prison as well as keeping others out. A glance in the side mirror showed the two black vehicles pulling into place closer behind them.

"Ah, there they are," she whispered mostly to herself.

Jolting out of his own silent thoughts, Oliver glanced in the rear view mirror to confirm what she saw. "Without knowing what we face, I didn't dare skimp on protection. Even if they were hidden all day, they were still there. I'm glad we didn't need them. Needing them might have ruined an otherwise perfect day out."

Eva's heart swelled with warmth; despite the fact that their intention had been to draw out the stalker, it had been a perfect day. There was always tomorrow to try again or, of course, whenever Delta needed another break or finished the magical unbinding—whichever happened first. Pursing her lips, she struggled to find the words to agree with his assessment, and perhaps even her hope that they might have other perfect days together. But nothing seemed to want to come out.

Oliver hit her with a small smile that nearly blinded her, opening his mouth to form words that had no sound. Panic tightened in her chest, expanding outward through her limbs, and Eva struggled to raise a hand to her chest as Oliver's expression slowly turned from happiness to concern and confusion. Blinking slowly, she struggled to focus as his face turned fuzzy.

As if in slow motion, that light in his eyes left, and panic filled them as something slammed into the side of the SUV, rolling it over twice. Flashes of trees, ground, sky, and light filled Eva's vision as the seat belt pulled tight against the violent rolls. She immediately flashed back to a similar time years ago; a time she couldn't remember until this moment. She'd been here before.

It felt like long moments in time, when in fact it was surely just seconds before the vehicle settled on its side with Eva panicking, gasping for air in horror, hanging from the taunt seat belt as her body strained toward Oliver.

She flinched as an explosion behind them again shook the vehicle. Roars filled the air as Eva hung frozen, now recognizing the sounds of the hellhounds just as she felt the door above her being ripped from its hinges. A shadow immediately blocked the sun. Helplessly, she stared at Oliver, pleading for his help; it was all happening again. Oliver's own eyes raged, turning from panic to black with anger as he strained, unable to move against whatever black magic held them in place.

Floating above him and unable to move even her eyes, Eva watched the bags of newly purchased items slowly float, suspended around them as they attempted to once again settle into place. In slow motion, her own blood dripped through the air toward Oliver, so slowly she could see the molecules as they twisted and turned. Coming from some injury she hadn't yet felt, drops of blood plopped onto his white shirt, slowly spreading to once again mar the beautiful white fabric.

Still unable to move, she felt a familiar hot, putrid breath on her face. The fear and confusion she'd been feeling was replaced with unadulterated panic as the air was sucked out of her lungs. By her neck she felt what must be a claw cut the seat belt, releasing the tension. Before she could even fall a fraction of an inch toward Oliver, her body was flung from the vehicle. Mentally bracing herself to hit the ground, and sure of the agony that would follow, she stopped falling with a jolt midair. A gasp of surprise puffed out as she felt herself being zipped away, leaving a path of cut air in her wake.

Light came—and then blessed darkness.