Under a Vampire Moon by Lynsay Sands

hesitated, but immediately climbed inside to maneuver their way around the two front bench seats to the back one. The moment they were out of the way, Julius ushered Marguerite forward, saying, “We’ll take the second seat and you three can take the first one since Carolyn has to get out first. Christian, you’re on the outside so you can handle the door.”
    The words made Carolyn sigh, but she obeyed like the rest. Julius was like a drill sergeant, she thought as she followed Gia inside the van. She settled on the bench next to the other woman and squeezed up against her to make room for Christian. The seats were really made for only two, she decided as Christian closed the door and wedged himself in next to her. It was a very tight fit, and he lifted his arm to rest it along the back of the seat behind her to make more room.
    “Out of the pan and into the fire,” she muttered. This was worse than just his hand cupping her shoulder. Not only was his arm still around her, but she was now plastered against his side as well, their bodies touching from shoulder to knee.
    “What was that?” Gia asked.
    “Nothing,” Carolyn sighed.
    “The seat is really too small for the three of you,” Marguerite said as the van pulled away. “Christian, why don’t you sit Carolyn on your knee? It will make more room.”
    “Oh, no, that’s—” Carolyn bit off her protest and clutched at his arms as he suddenly scooped her onto his lap.
    “Relax,” he said quietly, settling his arms around her waist. “We’ll have you back at your villa in a minute.”
    “But—seat belts,” she choked out, grasping hopefully at the excuse.
    “Are there seat belts on these vans?” Zanipolo asked from the back. “I haven’t noticed any.”
    Carolyn hadn’t either, and if there were, no one bothered with them. The vans didn’t exactly go quickly on the hill roads.
    “What are your plans for tomorrow, Carolyn?” Marguerite asked.
    “I’m not sure,” she admitted, trying to sound calm. “It depends on Bethany and whether she’s feeling better. She—” Carolyn paused on a gasp as they bumped over a pothole, the action bouncing her on Christian’s lap so that his arm accidentally bumped into the underside of her breasts.
    “You were saying?” Julius asked.
    “Er . . . ,” Carolyn muttered weakly.
    “She doesn’t know. It depends on Bethany and whether she feels better,” Christian said for her, his fingers shifting back down to her waist.
    “Do you and Bethany have any tours booked while here?” Marguerite asked.
    “Er . . . I . . . er . . .” Carolyn paused and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, and then suddenly she was calm. It slid through her like cool water, freeing her tongue. Taking a breath, she said, “We’re supposed to take a boat tour to Soufriere to see a drive-in volcano and a cocoa plantation one day, and there’s a shuttle to the markets another. There are a couple of other things, but I don’t recall them at the moment. Bethany made most of the bookings,” she finished, just grateful to get the words out.
    “But nothing tomorrow?” Marguerite asked.
    “Not that I know of. We were just going to relax on the beach the first few days.” Her eyes dropped to Christian’s face. He was peering up at her, his head tipped up and his eyes—She stared at them, her own widening as she took in the way they glowed like a cat’s eyes in the dark.
    “The beach sounds nice and relaxing,” Marguerite said, and Carolyn tore her gaze from Christian to glance at the woman, noting that her eyes too seemed to be catching and reflecting what little light there was in the dark van. Carolyn glanced to the others then and saw the same thing. She shook her head. It must be a trick of the light. She hadn’t noticed this in the van earlier. Her own probably looked the same way, she decided.
    “Here we are,” the driver announced, stopping in front of her villa.
    Carolyn immediately tried to get up,