Drop Dead Single (Monstrana Paranormal Romance 1)

A rock had formed in his throat. They’d gone from babies to weddings in three seconds flat. This was all too much. He barely knew her. She couldn’t be planning out the rest of their undead lives. That was insane.

“I need a walk,” he announced, suddenly jumping to his feet with inhuman speed. He ran his hands through his hair and looked down at her. For a second, he thought he saw victory flash in her eyes, but then it was gone. “To clear my head.”

“Perfect.” She pushed herself to her feet and stretched her arms above her head. “Me, too. Let’s go, handsome.”

Walking off, she left him trailing behind her, horror still flashing in his eyes.

Chapter Twelve

CATE HAD TO FORCE HERSELF not to burst into laughter at the sight of Viktor’s paling face as she planned out his whole future for him. There was something about weddings and babies that made a man look like he was about to have an aneurysm. She was glad to know vampires were just like any other male species that walked upon two legs and had an allergy to commitment.

Miranda’s plan was working almost too well. From the moment she’d begun the clingy girlfriend act, Viktor had withdrawn into his stoic shell. Which was good, because for a second there, she’d nearly lost it. Riding all this way out here through that beautiful country, pressed against his muscular back, had made her forget herself. And when he’d brushed the hair out her face, so tenderly, she’d wanted desperately for him to kiss her. Thankfully, her promise to Miranda had popped up in her mind at that moment and broken the thrall.

Now, as they hiked over a grassy knoll, the storm clouds were moving in fast. Viktor had been right. It was going to storm, and hard. The wind picked up, whipping her ponytail in her face. She squinted against the first few icy drops of rain.

“We need to get back,” Viktor yelled, the bre

eze catching his voice. He pointed at the bike still parked next to the cliff. “Before it gets bad.”

She nodded and followed him back to the picnic basket. While she picked everything up, he tried to start up the bike. It grumbled and moaned against his efforts, eventually dying in a fading sizzle.

“We’re going to have to make a run for it,” he yelled.

Great big clouds covered the sun from view, casting the land into a gray pallor. Cate looked at him in horror, the basket clutched between her hands. There was no way she would be able to keep up with a vampire. The instant he realized she wasn’t following him, the jig would be up. She’d be discovered. She couldn’t let that happen.

“Where’s the fun in that?” she demanded, tucking the basket under her elbow. “I happen to love stormy walks. You go on ahead without me. I’ll catch up.”

Crisis averted.

His lips formed a disbelieving frown. Raindrops were beginning to mar his white linen shirt, making it cling to his chest. She tried not to stare at the obvious presence of rippling muscle underneath.

“You’re going to get soaked. And a seaside storm can produce deadly lightning.”

“I’m a vampire, remember?” She held up her ring and slapped on a confident smile. “I’m not going to let a little lightning get in my way. I can take care of myself.”

“Okay.” He looked over his shoulder at the castle in the distance and then back to her. An ocean spray hit his face, making his black hair stick to his forehead as if he were in a Calvin Klein photo shoot. “I’ll walk with you. My mother would’ve killed me if I let a woman walk home unattended. Even a vampire woman who can take care of herself.”

“Your mother was right to teach you that.” She began to walk and he caught up beside her. Hazarding a look in his direction, she smiled at him. “Sounds like she was a wonderful woman.”

“She was.” His eyes had a faraway look, as if he’d transported back into time.

“My dad would preach something similar.” She cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “Caty girl, don’t you ever quit something that you ain’t finished. Be sure to lock up when you leave your house. And don’t ever let a boy think he got the better of you.”

She smiled at him, but was caught off guard by the sudden well of tears that stung her eyes. That memory hadn’t resurfaced in years. It was nice to remember.

“Sounds like you miss him.” He was watching her, his amber eyes reflecting an emotion she couldn’t read.

“I miss them both.” Hugging the basket into her chest, she sighed. “My life’s been kind of a mess ever since they passed. Fired from my dream job. Stayed in a crappy relationship way past its expiration date. The truth is, I really need to pull myself together. They’d hate to see me like this.”

The wind whipped around them and rain began falling in large droplets that turned the ground into a sloppy mess. Cate’s hair stuck to her face and she could feel mascara trailing down her cheeks. She looked like a drowned rat. Still, there was nothing better than a hot mess to drive away a vampire prince who didn’t seem to like getting his hands dirty.

“If we head down this grassy knoll, it’ll take us to the stables.” He pointed to the left, down a steep hill. “We’ll get out of the rain faster.”

She nodded. Her shirt stuck to her body and she was fighting the urge to shiver. Vampires didn’t shiver. At least, she didn’t think they did.

He led the way, trudging across the hilltop and down the deep embankment. Water rushed down the side in a miniature flash flood. Cate tried her best to keep her footing as she descended, using the weight of the picnic basket to help balance her out. But ballet flats didn’t make for good hiking gear and she lost her right shoe in the mud.

“Just a second,” she called to him. Turning around, she tugged at the flat, but it had sunk deep. “It’s stuck.”