Chapter 7

“... I suggest you try to run now.”

“No! Leave me alone!” Ava squealed in shock as her overactive mind went into overdrive.

Dropping her camera, Ava flipped off her sandals and ran as fast as she could into the depths of the island forest. The lush tropical foliage beat her body with palm leaves and underbrush, stinging her skin as she went. Despite the pain, she wasn’t going to stop and let this monster kill her, even if the bruises and cuts she could receive from the underbrush would be painful in the morning.

Even though she was never much of a runner, Ava was sure she was going so fast her feet were touching the ground. The sounds of the dark forest sure weren’t helping matters much. The paradise full of luxury was more like a horror movie in the making now.

As her dress snagged on the underbrush, footfalls soon came swiftly behind her, doubling the speed of her own. She knew the evil man was close, and she didn’t know where to turn. Yanking the dress fee, she went into a sprint, not sure which way she was going now. With each step, Ava was getting more lost from fleeing deeper into the island’s thick forest, far off the beaten path from the safety of the resort.

Her heart pounded beneath her ribcage like a drum as she heard his devious laughter coming closer with every step. He was tracking closer, and she knew these would be her last moments alive. If he’d kill her, she prayed he’d do it swiftly and with mercy.

“Leave me alone! Please don’t kill me,” she pleaded.

“Get back here, woman!”

In a split second, he was on her with a maniacal chuckle, or so it seemed in her head. Wrapping his strong arm around her, to prevent her arms from flailing to get away, his other arm covering her mouth.

She screamed under his grip, struggling to break free, but he was far stronger than she. Finally, Ava bit down on his finger and pushed away.

“Get away from me, you monster!”

“Ouch! Son of a... Stop fighting me!” He held her close once more, covering her mouth as he looked into her scared emerald eyes. “Stand still and I’ll let you go. I won’t hurt you. I’m just joking around. Fuck! Why’d you bite me?”

Hunter’s voice rumbled with anger but also a little regret from tormenting the poor woman. From the anger that came from that voice, she was sure she set the devil inside him ablaze and this would be the moment before her impending death. The truth: he was just trying to hold back the evidence that the bite hurt like hell.

Still struggling, he could see the fear in Ava’s eyes grow. He didn’t want to frighten her, but it was amusing she believed he was a real vampire. The rumor had gone on for years and he loved screwing with people who believed it, but this time maybe he went too far

“Listen, sweetheart. I’m going to let you go. Don’t fucking hit or bite me again. And don’t run. If you do, I’m going to pin you against a damn palm tree and spank that pretty little ass of yours until it’s red. Got it?”

Ava nodded as his grip released.

“Why are you chasing me? And why... Oh, god! You’re naked!” she shrieked, covering her eyes.

“It’s not my fault. You asked for it. Why are you standing in the shadows by my bungalow watching strange men like a peeping pervert?”

Letting her fingers slip down her cheeks, she tried to veer her eyes away. “I wasn’t. I was going around taking night photos of the island and I saw you come out of the hut.”

“Yeah, right. You snuck through the trees to watch me skinny dipping. Dirty girl,” he teased with a laugh. “Did you get a peek at what you were looking for?”

“It’s not funny. You scared me. I didn’t mean to watch.”

“Yeah, ya did. Just admit it. You were watching me and loving every minute of it.”

“I... fine! I was just trying to figure out why you’re so far away from the other guests. It’s weird.”

“This is one of the luxury suites that line this side of the island. I like my privacy because everywhere I go the paparazzi are trying to snap pictures of me, and so does anyone who knows who I am. People are always trying to get pictures of me to make a quick buck from the media. And for another reason, I like to swim nude without everyone gawking at me; sort of like you just did.”

Slightly glancing down, she witnessed his hard package on full display. Ava’s eyes quickly shot back up to the starry night sky as a pink blush rushed her face. She was impressed, but still not wanting to just stand there looking at his dick like she’s never seen a man naked before.

“Can you put on some pants or something? It’s sort of creepy talking to a naked guy with a boner in the middle of the forest.”

Hunter just smiled, reaching down to run his hand over his chest. Biting the edge of his lip, in that sexy way that always turned her on from other handsome men, she knew she was in trouble. She instantly felt a wetness pool between her thighs, and no matter how much she tried to deny her body of the thought, him being naked wasn’t helping her raging hormones. Damn him. He was like the pussy whisperer without even trying.

“Do you have a problem with nudity, Miss Ava?”

“No... it’s just...”

Taking a deep breath, she knew what he suddenly started doing while she was trying to keep her eyes away. She wanted to look and check to be sure but was too timid to try. Was he doing what she thought he was?