Capturing her hands in his, he tugged her back down on his lap. “Of course I’m taking you along. Who’s going to keep me warm at night if you’re not there?”
“I’m nothing but a sex toy,” she muttered with mock annoyance.
“And a damn good one, too.” Feeling her temper rise again, he kissed her.
Kadie melted in his arms, her whole body on fire for him as she writhed against him. She cried his name, begging for relief as he carried her to the floor, their clothing disappearing as his body covered hers, everything else forgotten in the magic of his touch, the wonder of his kisses, the sweet abrasion of skin against skin.
~ * ~
They left for Romania the following day. Kadie wore a fanny pack that contained a comb, brush, toothbrush and paste. They rarely packed clothing for short trips, preferring to buy what they needed when they needed it. That had taken some getting used to, Kadie recalled with a wry grin. She had always been one who crammed anything she thought she might need into her suitcases, no matter how trivial. But Saintcrow’s way was easier than carrying a lot of luggage when they transported from place to place, especially if they were only staying a short time. And since vampires weren’t bothered by the cold, jackets and gloves were unnecessary.
Kincaid was waiting for them when they stepped outside. Like Jake, she and Rylan wore jeans, long-sleeved shirts, and hiking boots. Kadie also wore a broad-brimmed hat.
“Where’s Rosa?” Kadie asked, glancing around.
“Last minute emergency at home,” Jake said. “Her father’s in the hospital with appendicitis. The rest of the family is there with her.”
Kadie nodded as Rylan slipped his arm around her waist. If Rosa needed Jake, he could be in Arizona in a matter of moments.
“Ready, Kincaid?” Saintcrow asked.
At Jake’s nod, the three of them transported to the Carpathian Mountains.
Kadie had experienced transporting through time and space numerous times, but it always left her felling a little breathless. The view was spectacular. Snow-topped mountains surrounded deep valleys.
“The Carpathians are the third longest mountain range in Europe,” Saintcrow remarked. “They also have the largest European population of brown bears, wolves, and lynxes.”
“What you’d do before we left home?” Jake asked. “Swallow an encyclopedia?”
“Bears?” Kadie asked, glancing over her shoulder. “Seriously?”
“They won’t bother us,” Rylan assured her.
“So, how do we find the cave?” Kincaid asked.
“If such a cave exists, the blood inside should lead us to it,” Saintcrow said. Abruptly, he grabbed Kadie and thrust her behind him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Is it a bear?”
“Worse.”
She felt their presence before they materialized. Six men and a woman, vampires all. Obviously old vampires since they were up and about in the middle of the afternoon. She felt the hair rise on her arms as they surrounded her, Rylan, and Jake.
One of the vampires stepped forward. “I am Dacien, master of the Carpathian vampires. Who are you?” He was obviously the oldest of the bunch, a tall, painfully thin looking man with white hair and colorless eyes.
“Rylan Saintcrow, from America. You may have heard of me.”
“Indeed. Your name is legend among our kind. What brings you here, to my territory?”
“I’m looking for the blood cave,” Saintcrow said. “Do you know where it is?”
Dacien shook his head. “It does not exist. It is nothing but a myth.”
“I know a witch who says otherwise.”
The vampire shrugged. “Witches cannot be trusted. I thought all vampires knew that.”
Between one breath and the next, Saintcrow’s anger slammed into Dacien, driving him backward against a large rock and holding him there. The other vampires took a step forward, fangs bared, only to meet the same fate.