They'd stopped by the safe house only long enough to grab supplies and clothes and then they'd been on the road again.
Maya could feel the change in the air that always signaled the rise of the sun. The faint shift, the slow drain on her energy.
They'd made good time, though, and even now, she could see the glitter of the Vegas strip shining through the waning night.
"We'll get a room," she said, her hands gripping the steering wheel hard. "Get some sleep, and then-"
"We can go after them now!" Adam said. "The vampires will be weak, we can take them, get her-"
" I'm weak, and you have to be dead on your feet." The night had been hellishly long. They'd stopped twice along the route and switched license plates with other SUVs to make certain they didn't have to worry about the cops bothering them.
But with the wolf attack…
The car theft…
The driving…
They both needed to rest before they went up against a gang of vamps.
"Look," she told him, turning the SUV toward one of the small motels near the highway, a place that boasted a bright red vacancy sign. "We'll leave before dusk, before those guys have stirred, and we'll arrive just as they wake." And just as her full strength kicked in. "We'll get the girl. Trust me."
He gave a jerky nod.
He was not a happy camper, but there was no way they could go traipsing through the desert right then. If the vamps had any kind of guards out there-more wolf shifters or demons-she and Adam would be dead in seconds.
She'd never enjoyed being easy pickings.
They checked into the motel, made sure the SUV was parked out of sight, and then Maya pushed open the old wooden door to their room just as the first rays of the sun streaked across the sky.
Damn. It had definitely been one hell of a night.
She hoped her day was better.
Maya was in the bathroom. He could hear the faint spray of the shower through the paper thin walls.
Tension kept his body tight as he paced the small confines of their room.
The place was a piece of shit. Sagging bed. Carpet worn through in places. A nightstand that was missing a leg and in its place had a pile of three stacked phone books. An ugly armchair and a couch that sagged so low it touched the floor.
When Maya had seen the room, she'd just shrugged those thin shoulders of hers and muttered, "I've seen worse." Then she'd stripped-yanking off her T-shirt so that he caught a glimpse of the long, smooth line of her back as she'd walked into the bathroom-and slammed the door shut.
Now he was stuck with a hard-on, anger pumping through him, and the same desperate need he'd felt before.
Closing his eyes, he imagined her. Saw Maya standing under the rush of water. Watched the liquid pour over her ni**les and trickle down between her thighs.
Shit.
He understood why they couldn't go after the vamps right then. The bastards would have hidden well during the daylight and no doubt set guards around their precious prize.
He'd need Maya's help to fight them, and if she wasn't at full strength-and he knew by the tightness around her mouth and the stiffness of her body that she'd been weakening-then they wouldn't have as good of a chance at saving Cammie.
Yeah, he understood waiting. He just didn't like it.
And the fact that he was horny as hell just pissed him off more.
What was it about Maya? Why did he want her so much? He'd always hated her kind.
But she wasn't like the others.
Wasn't like anyone he'd ever met before.
His eyes opened and he stared at the bathroom door. Such a weak barrier, really. He could hear every move she made behind that wooden door. Could catch the scent of soap, of woman.
Adam was at the door before he even realized his own intention. He lifted his hand, touched the wood.
She'd wanted him earlier. Had kissed him back with a hunger to match his.
They'd stopped because it hadn't been the time. Or the place.
The time was different now. So was the place. He had to get this damn desperate lust out of his system so that he could focus on the attack plans. He couldn't afford a distraction, not while his niece's life was in danger.
His hand dropped to rest on the doorknob. If she says no, I'll walk away. It'd be one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but he'd walk away.
If she says no.
But what if she said yes? His c**k jerked in anticipation, and he opened the door.
Steam filled the small bathroom, fogging the mirror and drifting lazily in the air. Maya stood in the shower, a thin curtain both concealing and revealing her body. He could see the outline of her br**sts. Firm, round. The flare of her hips. The sleek expanse of her thighs.
He wanted those thighs wrapped around him. Wanted his hands tight on her hips. And those br**sts. He wanted to taste them. Wanted her pink ni**les in his mouth, on his tongue.
Adam licked his lips, already tasting her.
"Are you gonna stand there all day?" Maya's mocking voice rang out as she pushed aside the curtain and met his stare with a raised brow. "Or are you planning to join me?"
Her ni**les were tight, the pink tips hard and flushed. His gaze drifted over her, hungry for the sight of her flesh. Such sweet flesh. Flat stomach, round hips, a small thatch of dark hair shielding her core. He glimpsed the plump folds of her sex, flushed the same pink as her ni**les.
He'd like to taste her there. Taste her cream and hear her moan.
Very slowly, never taking his gaze off her body, he jerked off his shirt. Threw it to the floor.
Kicked off his shoes and socks. Stripped off his jeans and the boxers he'd worn.
He felt her stare on his body. First on his chest. Then down, to the thick c**k that sprang from the hair at his groin.
Damn, but he couldn't wait to drive inside her.
He took a step toward the shower. Saw the swift rise of her chest.
She had the prettiest ni**les.
The water sprayed on her, dripping down her body, trickling onto the tiled floor.
He stood in front of Maya, waiting, fighting to hold onto the control that weakened with every breath he took. Because he could smell her arousal now. The rich, heady scent filled his nostrils and made the beast inside him desperate for release.
"I'm not going to stop this time," he told her, his voice a hard rumble of sound.
Her hand reached out toward him, touched the center of his chest. "I don't want you to stop."
Her gaze, bright blue, but occasionally starting to flicker black, met his. "I want you to f**k me."
Her words pumped a fire of need and lust through his veins. He stepped into the shower, grabbed her, and pushed her back against the tiled wall.
The water poured on his back. Hot.