Rush of Dusk (Dusk Series - Book 1)

Chapter 7 (Part 1)

Leave it to a vampire to not soothe her in any way regarding her fears. Not once had Rush said anything about how he wouldn't harm her or that she would be safe here, but that was because she wasn't and he was on a hair trigger to kill her. Plus, she was his property, so her feelings likely didn't mean much to him. Now she was supposed to be on the bed with him for a conversation, and she couldn't join him even if she wanted to. Before now, Rush had set her on the bed, and with its obnoxious height, the best she had done was hop off of it.

Rush's eyes darkened when he realized she was not coming to him, but it wasn't like that was her fault. "What do you fear?" He whispered into her ear, and she turned to him kneeling next to her.

Not interested in that sort of closeness, she moved away and pressed her back to the side of the stacked mattresses. The touch of his hand on her face doubled her heartbeat as he ran it down the side of her face, over her shoulder, and then to her side. Mer was petrified of his hand moving anywhere else, and she gasped as he moved her onto the bed. Well, tossed. Rush tossed her on the bed.

She barely lifted herself onto an elbow before Rush crawled over her, and falling onto her back was the only way to get away from him. Rush's knee locked her in on one side and the other pinned between her legs. With the headboard above her, she was unable to escape. She raised her hand to push him away as he leaned his face down, but she flinched her hand back to her chest before she made contact.

What if she hurt him again? Wouldn't that make this much worse?

"Meredith, this is a problem," Rush said into her ear before he lifted his face.

What was? Was she not allowed to recoil?

"You're afraid to touch me, to hurt me." Rush pulled her mind into a completely different direction with her words. "Why?"

Why? The last time she'd touched him she'd blown up his arm, he'd beaten her family to near death, and then he'd almost ripped her throat out. If she harmed him again, she was not likely to survive.

"It would be easier if I could bring myself to kill you." Rush let out a slow sigh, and a shudder ran down her. "I'm not going to hurt you." Rush's voice was and expression were calm, and as remained still, she breathed in a few times and her heart slowed. "It's not normal though." Rush stared into her eyes so deeply that it made her nervous, but with his hands planted firmly on either side of her face she couldn't look away.

"I'm not really normal." Me's grumble had Rush smiling, and the soft expression further easer her frantic nerve. For being an in the face vampire with zero social skills, he was at least patient.

"Can I kiss you?" Rush asked abruptly, and Mer froze. Since she'd woken, he'd yelled at her twice, smothered her with a pillow, thrown her from the bed, and called her a cobra.