into his arms and within moments arched her back and gasped out his name as a climax rocked through her.
They both lay still, their breathing synchronized. Tara sighed with pleasure and though she wanted to talk to Marshall, a deep drowsiness overcame her. She let herself drift off to sleep, nestled in his arms.
Sometime later, Tara rolled over in the bed and her hand hit a warm, solid object. Marshall. She smiled, her whole body singing with joy. So this was what it was to be utterly and completely content. The sound of gentle snoring let her know Marshall was asleep, so she closed her eyes and drifted off again, the memory of their lovemaking playing at the edges of her thoughts like a happy tune.
A sharp noise woke her from her blissful slumber. She lay for a moment, listening. The storm still blew, but she knew what she’d heard was not the sound of wind and rain. She tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, but her senses alerted her to the presence of danger. Someone or something evil was nearby. After several more moments another noise sounded.
“Marshall,” she whispered shaking his shoulder. “I hear something.”
“Of course you do, there’s a storm going on,” he murmured and threw an arm around her, pulling her in close.
“No, something else. It sounded like a gunshot.”
He sat up quickly and swung his legs over the bed.
“Stay here,” he whispered, pulling his pants off the floor.
“Hell no,” she said. “I’m coming with you.” She grabbed her own clothes and they both dressed hurriedly.
“Wait here while I get a flashlight and my weapon.” Marshall crept to his room and came back holding a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
“I’m going to look around the house. Don’t come out of this room until I tell you to.” Tara hugged her arms across her body. The temperature in the house seemed to have dropped. She danced from one foot to the other, waiting as Marshall prowled the small house, hoping the noises were only her imagination working overtime.
Her enhanced senses told her otherwise. Someone was on the island and was coming after them.
“There’s no one here,” he said, and just then Tara saw a glow out of the corner of her eye.
“There!” She pointed out the window. “I saw a light.”
Marshall turned to look.
“It’s gone now. It was right by the Henderson’s place.”
“I’m going to their cottage. You stay here.”
Marshall handed her his gun.
“Do you know how to shoot one of these?”
“Not really.”
“Here’s the safety. Push it like this, then pull the trigger. Keep the doors locked. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“I want to come with you. I don’t want to stay here alone. I have a bad feeling.”
“It’s too dangerous. Bolt the doors and get in a closet. If someone is out there, I’ll see them come in. You’re safer here.”
“No, I’m coming with you.” Tara put her hands on her hips. She knew Marshall was trying to keep her safe, but her gut feeling screamed to get out of this house and to stay close to him.
Marshall sighed. “Get your shoes on then. Let’s go.” He retrieved another flashlight from the kitchen for her and they pushed open the back door. The wind howled like a banshee and tried to tear the door from their hands. Rain pelted down in sheets, instantly soaking them both.
Marshall grabbed her hand and they made their way down the paved path to the cottage. The front door was open and swung wildly.
He pulled her up onto the small covered porch.
“Stay right here.” He drew his weapon and slowly made his way inside. Tara shivered, partly from the chill but mostly from a cold dread. Something was terribly wrong—she could feel it. A malevolent presence was nearby and they were in danger. Her teeth chattered like the dice they’d rolled earlier and goose bumps rose on her arms. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer and stepped inside the dark house.
“Marshall?” she called softly,
They both lay still, their breathing synchronized. Tara sighed with pleasure and though she wanted to talk to Marshall, a deep drowsiness overcame her. She let herself drift off to sleep, nestled in his arms.
Sometime later, Tara rolled over in the bed and her hand hit a warm, solid object. Marshall. She smiled, her whole body singing with joy. So this was what it was to be utterly and completely content. The sound of gentle snoring let her know Marshall was asleep, so she closed her eyes and drifted off again, the memory of their lovemaking playing at the edges of her thoughts like a happy tune.
A sharp noise woke her from her blissful slumber. She lay for a moment, listening. The storm still blew, but she knew what she’d heard was not the sound of wind and rain. She tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, but her senses alerted her to the presence of danger. Someone or something evil was nearby. After several more moments another noise sounded.
“Marshall,” she whispered shaking his shoulder. “I hear something.”
“Of course you do, there’s a storm going on,” he murmured and threw an arm around her, pulling her in close.
“No, something else. It sounded like a gunshot.”
He sat up quickly and swung his legs over the bed.
“Stay here,” he whispered, pulling his pants off the floor.
“Hell no,” she said. “I’m coming with you.” She grabbed her own clothes and they both dressed hurriedly.
“Wait here while I get a flashlight and my weapon.” Marshall crept to his room and came back holding a gun in one hand and a flashlight in the other.
“I’m going to look around the house. Don’t come out of this room until I tell you to.” Tara hugged her arms across her body. The temperature in the house seemed to have dropped. She danced from one foot to the other, waiting as Marshall prowled the small house, hoping the noises were only her imagination working overtime.
Her enhanced senses told her otherwise. Someone was on the island and was coming after them.
“There’s no one here,” he said, and just then Tara saw a glow out of the corner of her eye.
“There!” She pointed out the window. “I saw a light.”
Marshall turned to look.
“It’s gone now. It was right by the Henderson’s place.”
“I’m going to their cottage. You stay here.”
Marshall handed her his gun.
“Do you know how to shoot one of these?”
“Not really.”
“Here’s the safety. Push it like this, then pull the trigger. Keep the doors locked. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“I want to come with you. I don’t want to stay here alone. I have a bad feeling.”
“It’s too dangerous. Bolt the doors and get in a closet. If someone is out there, I’ll see them come in. You’re safer here.”
“No, I’m coming with you.” Tara put her hands on her hips. She knew Marshall was trying to keep her safe, but her gut feeling screamed to get out of this house and to stay close to him.
Marshall sighed. “Get your shoes on then. Let’s go.” He retrieved another flashlight from the kitchen for her and they pushed open the back door. The wind howled like a banshee and tried to tear the door from their hands. Rain pelted down in sheets, instantly soaking them both.
Marshall grabbed her hand and they made their way down the paved path to the cottage. The front door was open and swung wildly.
He pulled her up onto the small covered porch.
“Stay right here.” He drew his weapon and slowly made his way inside. Tara shivered, partly from the chill but mostly from a cold dread. Something was terribly wrong—she could feel it. A malevolent presence was nearby and they were in danger. Her teeth chattered like the dice they’d rolled earlier and goose bumps rose on her arms. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer and stepped inside the dark house.
“Marshall?” she called softly,
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