Runaway Vampire(46)

Both she and Dante froze at the sound, their eyes meeting and locking for a heartbeat before the knock sounded again and reality came crashing down on Mary. Who she was, who he was, where she was and what she was doing all suddenly poured over her like a bucket of cold water.

“Mary,” Dante hissed desperately, but it was too late, she was already pushing him away from her.

Sliding off the counter before he could stop her, Mary moved several steps away, doing up her shorts as she went. She then ran her fingers quickly through her hair and called out, “Come in.”

It was only as she said it that Mary realized how foolish that might have been. It was daytime; the campground gates would be open now and it could be the kidnappers at the door. If there really were kidnappers, she thought to herself as she watched the door open. She relaxed a little when Dave stepped up into view.

“I was starting to think you two weren’t here,” Dave said cheerfully, glancing from her to Dante.

“I was napping and Dante was in the bathroom when you knocked. I came out of the bedroom just as he came out of the bathroom,” Mary lied glibly, wondering if he’d believe her or he’d heard them as he’d approached. Even if he hadn’t they probably looked like they’d been doing exactly what they’d been doing. Certainly Dante’s lips were swollen from their kisses, his face still flush, and he was still topless and sporting a bulge in his jeans that would not be mistaken for a wallet.

Fortunately, he was standing glaring at her with his back to Dave, so it was only her state that might give them away. Hopefully her claim that she’d been napping would cover any rumpled state. If her lips were swollen and she was flush . . . well, they were all getting older and the light in the RV wasn’t that great at the moment. Perhaps Dave wouldn’t notice, she thought hopefully.

“Oh, sorry for disturbing you. You did mention you didn’t sleep well last night. I would have let you sleep had I known,” Dave assured her apologetically, then smiled wryly and added, “We should really get Do Not Disturb signs like the hotels have, but for the RVs. Then we’d know when not to bother guests.”

Mary smiled politely at the suggestion, and simply waited for him to explain the reason he’d come. She normally would have been much more friendly, but what Dante had told her about this man was in her mind now and she was looking at him differently.

“I just stopped in to tell Dante there are a group of young people over at the pool,” Dave announced into the silence and then winked at Dante when he turned to face him and added, “A lot of pretty girls in the group too. You might like to join them. That way Mary can visit with Carol and I for a bit.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Mary said at once, eager to get some time alone to try to straighten herself out. She needed space to recover from what had happened and figure out how to make sure it didn’t happen again as well as how she was supposed to act around Dante now.

Mary was looking at Dave, so noticed when his expression suddenly went blank before he turned, and closed the RV door. He then turned back and simply stood there, eyes dull, face expressionless.

“Dave? Are you all right?” she asked uncertainly, moving up beside Dante to see Carol’s husband better when he just stood there unmoving. When Dave showed no reaction at all to her question, Mary stared at him with bewilderment, then glanced to Dante and noted the concentration on his expression as he eyed Dave. She glanced slowly back to Dave then, and for one moment believed Dante might really be controlling him. But believing that meant buying his nonsense about being a vampire, and she just couldn’t accept that. Mouth tightening, she arched an eyebrow at Dante.

“What is this?” Mary asked now with disgust. “A prank the two of you planned together at breakfast?”

Dante didn’t respond, but Dave suddenly dropped to his hands and knees on the floor and barked at them, then lowered his head to begin lapping up water out of Bailey’s dish. As he did, Bailey, who had jumped back up on the bench seat at some point, now lifted her head to watch him with interest. But then she just laid her head back down and closed her eyes.

“Dave!” Mary said with dismay and took a step toward him, then stopped and turned to Dante with horror.

“Stop it!” she demanded, moving in front of him and thumping him on the chest with one fisted hand. “Stop it now!”

Dante caught her arms before she could hit him again and peered past her to Dave.

Mary glanced over her shoulder to see Dave getting to his feet. His face was still expressionless and he didn’t speak at all, but simply moved in front of the steps leading down to the door, then stood there unmoving. She swiveled her head back to Dante and scowled at him furiously. “If you really are controlling him and this isn’t some kind of trick you two cooked up, then you’re being exceedingly cruel,” she muttered, trying to tug her arms free of his hold.