In the Dead of Cold by Allie Quinn

they shared, they were undefeatable. At least he thought so.
    “What happened after that?” He had to know everything.
    “I knew I had to get away from him—and fast. I pretended I saw you. ‘Oh, there’s my boyfriend now,’ I said.” She smiled a genuine smile at the memory.
    Milo hoped to hell he always gave her a reason to smile.
    “I moved away, toward the door. I pulled my keys out of my pocket as I got outside. The snow was falling, but I didn’t dare go back for my coat. Besides, I felt so funny—hot all over but still so cold on the inside—and shivering. I thought I might throw up. I felt him, like he was right behind me, breathing down my back. I expected to feel his hands grabbing my neck at any moment. I knew I had to get here and warn Graham Masterson. If anything, I had to get out of there. Or at least I thought I did.”
    “Why do you say that?” He lost his fingers in her hair, working to lessen his rage.
    “Outside in the snow, I wanted to go back inside. I wanted his warmth, even though he was cold.”
    “What did you do?” He needed to know if she’d gone back inside, how strong Bart’s control over her was.
    “I slapped myself hard across the cheek. Then I felt the cold, and I ran.”
    He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, hoping she felt the love in his heart for her. He hoped it was strong enough to drown out the terror that filled her.
    Between sobs, she told him everything, how Bart had caught her as she’d reached her SUV, her struggle with him, and how he’d run his tongue up her face.
    “I felt so dirty I could barely breathe. It was like his darkness swallowed me up. But…”
    “But what?” He pushed from his mind the fact that he’d done the same to her.
    “I wanted it. I wanted his darkness.” She paused and took a deep breath. “You should let me go. I feel dirty just remembering.”
    He held her tighter. “You aren’t dirty.” He forced a swallow. “How did you get away from him?”
    “I thought of you again. I thought of swimming with you in the lake, feeling clean and warm in the sunshine. I thought of you inside me with cool grass beneath my back. It cleared my head. I knew I had to do something. I knew he wanted to drink my blood. I knew that lick was just his first taste if I hesitated.” She paused and drew in a few breaths.
    Milo held her closer, not knowing anything else to do for her as she told him the rest—how Bart had hit her, how she’d impaled him with the rods.
    ”Then I drove out of there, and I didn’t stop until I reached the Moonlight Resort.”
    No wonder she hadn’t said anything about any of this earlier in Mr. M.’s office. She’d been too exhausted and too terrified. He and his men might still be questioning her. Hell, Milo might still have her pressed against the wall with his arm across her throat. No, she’d have slammed him away long before now.
    But here in this dream place, he knew she never held back anything from him. As the sun began to dip behind the mountains, he tightened his arms around her.
    “Why did you make me tell all of that?” she asked.
    “We need to know what we’re up against.” He wished he didn’t have more questions, but he did, and he needed answers now—for himself. “How did you develop your abilities?”
    She shifted and molded herself against him. He felt her nipples. When she spoke, she sounded more in control. But then he thought any subject other than Bart would be easier for her to discuss.
    “I fell down the stairs when I was eight. The doctor said I had a concussion. My mom made me stay in bed for a week. After that I noticed I could move things closer when I couldn’t reach them. I also noticed I heard voices others couldn’t hear—turned out it was thoughts. It progressed from there.”
    Milo took a deep breath and liked the warmth of her leaning against his chest. ”Did you ever try to look for me or try to find me through Mr. M.?”
    “I saw him as a vampire,