Bat out of Hell (5 page)

“
What
’
s
happening
to
me?
”
she
whispered,
looking
around
the
room.
It
was
empty.
It
had
only
been
a
dream,
but
she
still
throbbed
from
the
very
real
orgasm.

“
Wow.
I
must
be
in
bad
shape,
because
that
was
like
something
straight
out
of
Bram
Stoker
or
Anne
Rice.
”
Ava
spoke
aloud
and
laughed
in
the
silence,
bunching
her
pillow
under
her.

She
fell
asleep
again
in
minutes.

“
Ava,
my
dearest.
Wake
up.
Let
me
in.
”

“
What?
”
Ava
sat
up,
seeing
a
shape
floating
outside
her
window.
She
couldn
’
t
believe
what
she
saw.
“
How
are
you
doing
that?
Her
bedroom
was
on
the
second
story
of
the
old
fixer
upper
she
owned.

Gabriel
laughed
and
tapped
on
the
window.
“
I'll
tell
you
all
about
it
when
you
let
me
inside.
”
He
raised
his
eyebrows.
“
I've
waited
so
long
to
see
you
again,
my
love.
”

“
No
way.
”

“
I
won't
hurt
you.
I
swear.
I
know
you're
lonely.
Let
me
keep
you
company.
”
His
voice
flowed
over
her
in
a
wave
of
seduction.

“
No.
”
But
she
really
wanted
him
to
come
in.
Ava
had
never
wanted
anything
so
much.
She
saw
his
eyes
glowing,
threatening
to
suck
her
in.

“
I
promise
I'll
leave
before
sunrise.
”

She
could
resist
him
no
longer.
His
face
spun
before
her,
and
her
body
hung
heavy
as
if
he
had
cast
a
spell
on
her.

Maybe
he
has.
Ava
needed
him
in
the
room,
wanted
his
mouth
on
her
neck
just
as
she
had
dreamed.

Don't
do
it.
A
voice
in
her
head
screamed,
and
she
quashed
it,
his
gorgeous
face
swimming
before
her
until
the
words
forced
themselves
from
her
lips.

“
Come
in.
”

He
grinned,
his
teeth
white
in
the
darkness,
backlit
only
by
a
half
moon.

“
Thank
you
for
the
invitation.
”
He
floated
into
the
room.

“
It
’
s
like
in
Stoker's
novel.
Dracula
did
that.
He
needed
an
invitation.
”
Ava's
voice
sounded
drugged
to
her
own
ears,
and
she
shook
her
head
to
clear
it.

“
Yes.
Stoker
knew
of
what
he
wrote.
”
Gabriel's
feet
touched
the
ground,
and
he
slinked
to
the
side
of
the
bed.

“
Don't
come
closer.
”
Ava
spoke
just
above
a
whisper.
She
felt
her
resistance
weakening.
He
was
just
so
damn
beautiful.
Yeah,
a
hot
bloodsucking
killer.

“
You
know
you
want
me
to
lie
with
you.
”
He
pulled
the
thin,
silky
sheet
back.

“
No,
I
don't.
How
do
I
know
you're
not
going
to
kill
me?
If
what
you
say
is
true
. . .”

“
It
is
true,
but
I
want
only
the
best
for
you
and
me,
Ava.
”
Gabriel
Dunning's
gaze
seared
her
flesh.
“
I
promise
I
won't
harm
you.
”

He
put
his
hand
on
her
arm,
moving
in
a
flash,
and
she
hissed
at
him,
her
hackles
rising.
“
Stay
away
from
me.
”

“
Oh,
Ava.
You
are and
were
feisty.
I
would
expect
nothing
different
from
you,
love.
”
He
parted
his
lips
in
a
sharp
toothed
grin
that
turned
Ava's
legs
to
jelly.
The
animal
she
saw
inside
him
aroused
and
frightened
her.
“
Give
me
a
chance.
If
I
do
something
you
don't
like,
I'll
stop
and
I'll
leave.
”

“
Liar.
”
She
slid
away
from
his
hand
that
reached
for
her.

“
I
swear
it
on
the
Dunning
family
name.
”

“
What
does
that
mean
to
me?
I
know
nothing
of
your
family
other
than
that
they
must
be
bloodsuckers
like
you.
”
She
shirked
away
from
him.

“
I
don't
know,
but
I
know
you're
lonely
and
bored,
Ava.
I
can
fulfill
your
desires.
”

Ava
laughed,
but
his
words
made
him
seem
more
human
somehow.
He's
anything
but.
That
thought
took
her
into
dangerous
territory.

“
So
give
me
a
chance,
my
love?
”