Druid Temptation (A Druid Quest Novel Book 2) (17 page)

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D
iana was
ready to murder Jack. She trudged up the stairs after searching for him everywhere. He knew he was in trouble, and was intent on remaining hidden. When she heard the distinct click of nails on the floor, she rushed up the rest of the stairs.

She opened her mouth to yell at Jack, and practically swallowed her tongue to see a near-naked Gabriel charging toward her down the hall. His bare chest struck her dumb, his broad shoulders massive and roped with muscles, and she itched to trace the contours for herself. Water trailed down his skin, and she licked her lips as she followed one tiny droplet, suddenly parched.

Hair peppered his chest, and her fingertips tingled at the need to touch him again, never having imagined such an awe-inspiring sight.

Diana didn’t realize he had stopped until he started to back away, and her eyes shot to his. She became very conscious of his bedroom door just steps away.

The dog nudged her, breaking the spell, and she looked down to see he’d stuffed a shirt into her hands. She barely resisted lifting the material to her face to catch Gabriel’s intoxicating scent. Humor quirked her lips, and she lifted a brow. “Yours, I presume?”

Jack took care of the awkward situation. With a quick grab at the shirt, he pelted back into Gabriel’s room. They both gave chase in time to see the enormous dog try to squeeze himself under the bed.

“Jack! Get out here this instant.” Diana stood by the bed, tapping her foot, impatient with the game, conscious of the large mattress just inches away from her, and the delicious temptation of Gabriel behind her. Jack’s tail thumped, showing his enjoyment, and she dropped down on all fours to peer under the bed.

Bumps sounded as Jack crawled to the other side. She wiggled farther under the bed, her fingers barely touching fur when Gabriel cleared his throat. “Diana?”

At Gabriel’s strangled voice, she turned her head to look at him…only to find him staring boldly at her bottom. She blushed, imagining how each wiggle had become the center of his focus. “I think I can learn to like that mutt of yours.”

“Uh, the dog…” She trailed off at his heated look. Jack took advantage of her moment of inattention to bolt. Relieved to cover her awkwardness, Diana ignored Gabriel while she backed out from under the bed and took off after Jack before she did something she would regret…like behave like a hussy and proposition him again.

She’d lavished him with enough temptation for one day.

His first wife had broken him down. It would take more than one day to repair the damage and convince him that she found him utterly fascinating and so sexy he put other men to shame.

Diana chased the dog into the garden and found Ashmore sitting by himself on the bench. Slowing her pace, she studied him critically. “There is no war injury, is there?”

He shot her a cheeky grin. “No.”

She wandered closer, unable to sort him out. “Why are you helping us?”

He raised a brow as he contemplated her question. “My family has caused a lot of damage over the years, myself included. Most of the people in London society are raised differently than others. The upper crust is a tight-knit group, and they worry constantly about their images, propriety, and duty more than their emotions. There’s lots of posturing—like one big unhappy family.

“They also consider themselves above the masses. The elite. They work every day to appear perfect. If you fail to achieve that perfection, you pay the price.”

Diana sat down on the bench opposite his, noting the air of infinite sadness surrounding him. “You lost someone.”

“A lifetime ago.” He fell silent for a moment, his smile just a ghost of his normally cheerful self. “I didn’t figure out that we were a bunch of spoiled children until too late. You and Gabriel have the potential to be so much more. Don’t throw it away or give up on him.”

Ashmore stood, the pain on his face vivid and heartrending. “Gabriel is balanced on an edge, and my family helped put him there. You are his last chance at sanity. After being on the other side of that line, it’s the last place I would want anyone else to suffer.”

G
abriel woke the next morning
, a chill snaking under his skin. Bolting upright, naked as the day he was born, he watched Jack charge out the door with his blanket. Snatching up the sheet, he wrapped it about his waist and blindly gave chase.

It would be the last time that blasted dog of hers challenged him.

He was through the connecting door when he realized his mistake. He skidded and stopped dead on the threshold. Instead of landing out in the hallway as he expected, he ended up in his wife’s room.

“Jack, knock it off.”

Gabriel slowly backed away when he heard her sleepy voice, and caught the sight of her bare leg peeking out from beneath the covers.

He watched as her dog covered Diana with his pilfered blanket and some of Gabriel’s outrage faded. She pulled it close, buried her nose in the fabric and inhaled deeply, and snuggled deeper under the covers as she fell back to sleep. Unable to deny himself, Gabriel allowed himself to be lured closer by the enchanting sight. He straightened the covers, allowing his hands to brush the silken strands of her hair, and froze when she rolled over, almost as if seeking his touch. He sat at the edge of her bed, unable to pass up the chance to study her unchallenged, unheeded that his sheets fell to his waist.

An intricately crafted tattoos swirled along the contours of her back. The blue scrollwork was exquisite, and must have taken hours to craft, not to mention extremely painful. He frowned as he carefully traced a line as it disappeared beneath her gown.

He pulled back, not wanting to intrude on her privacy, when he noticed the lines deepened and turned a brighter shade of blue, as if lit from within. Curiosity and fascination held him in place.

Diana shifted restlessly and sucked in a sharp breath, her back arching as if she was in pain. She whimpered, and Jack whined in sympathy, jumping on the bed to lick furiously at her face.

As Diana woke, the lines faded to a dull blue, and Gabriel watched her hug that damn dog. Jealously bit hard. He wanted to be the one she turned to for comfort. Hating that he couldn’t gather her in his arms, he spoke more harshly then he intended. “What the hell just happened?”

Even before he finished the sentence, Diana had a knife in hand, the razor-sharp blade tight against his throat. He resisted the impulse to react in spite of the thrill of the chase speeding up his pulse, and lifted a brow in challenge.

Fading aches from her power lingered in her bones. Diana blinked past the vision and stared up in confusion when she finally recognized Gabriel. She yanked the blade back in horror, shoving it back under her pillow, struggling to get her eyes to focus on the present and not the disturbing images she’d seen in her sleep. Her fingers trembled at the near miss. Avoiding his gaze, she slid out of bed. “What are you doing here?”

She glanced around the room, still expecting an attack, adrenaline coursing through her while she waited for him to speak. When no danger presented itself, she finally turned toward Gabriel.

And cursed when her eyes immediately became riveted by the sight of his very naked, very splendid chest.

Gabriel’s breath caught at the sight of Diana silhouetted against the sunlight streaming through the window. Her rumpled appearance sent his thoughts spinning into chaos, and his cock instantly hardened. He bunched the sheets in his lap to cover his obvious arousal, struggling to think clearly.

As his scrambled brain caught up with her question, he raised a brow and looked at Jack, then his blanket spread across her bed.

Diana appeared baffled for all of a few seconds. “Jack!”

The dog lay down, bowed his head, and covered his eyes with his paws.

“Bad dog.” Diana waged her finger at the mutt until he slinked off the bed and out of sight. She folded Gabriel’s blanket, avoiding his eyes, and silently handed it to him. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why he insists on antagonizing you.”

Gabriel ignored the blanket, intent on getting answers. “You were having a nightmare.”

“Not really.” Diana held the blanket protectively in front of her, plucking at the pattern. He didn’t sense she was lying, but she sure as hell wasn’t telling him the truth.

“Then what just happened?” Diana shrugged, and Gabriel leaned forward to capture her hands, halting her agitated destruction of his blanket. “Please. Tell me.”

Diana immediately pulled away, his touch seeming to fluster her more. “It is part of who I am. While I’m asleep, I don’t have the control I normally would awake.”

“Control over what?” Large, haunting eyes gazed up at him. As the time stretched, he could see her struggling with herself. To give Diana a reprieve, he switched subjects. “What are the marks on your back?”

“They are part of being a Druid.”

“Does everyone receive them?” The beast inside him roused at the thought of someone touching her so intimately and putting her through such pain.

Diana heard the censure in his voice, but when she braved eye contact, instead of disgust, she saw only concern. Taking a deep breath for courage, she told him the truth. “They’re not tattoos. Not exactly.”

“Then…” He prompted when she stopped.

“They’re something every Druid receives when they undergo training.”

“Like an initiation into a cult.” His voice grew harsh and critical, and she glared at him.

“They’re not given to you. They’re like a birthmark.”

“Birthmarks don’t form or cause pain like that.”

He scowled, and she was charmed by his fierce protectiveness. Diana tried to find the words to describe the process to an outsider. “We are born with the birthmarks like everyone else, but as we begin our training, they begin to change and become more detailed. Only when we master our craft will the design finally be complete.”

Her answer caught him off guard. He appeared like he might actually believe her. “And if you never train?”

“They fade. But you have to understand, we are born with a duty to help others.”

“You don’t need to be a Druid to make a difference.” He stubbornly crossed his arms, the corded muscles distracting her for a few seconds.

“If I denied who I am—and what I’ve been trained to do—people like Pastor Williams would be free to prey on innocents. What right do I have to turn away from this?”

Gabriel rose and practically shouted at her. “What right do you have to place your life in danger?”

His doubt in her abilities stung. “If I denied my gift, your daughter would have stayed in a tree all night and possibly died, alone in the darkness, and you know it. I don’t get to pick and choose who to help.”

“Why the hell not?” He stalked around the bed, and her eyes widened when she realized he was wearing nothing but a sheet wrapped low on his hips. Her heart hammered against her ribs, her body tingling at the sight of him standing nearly naked next to her bed, and he seemed oblivious to her reaction. “Anyone can help. It doesn’t fall to you to save the world.”

She tore her attention away from his chest, desperately trying to gather her scattered wits. “There will always be danger for my kind. We are trained for these situations, and better able to handle them than most people. We balance the scales between good and evil.” She watched him pace, admiring the smooth lines of his back, the sturdy strength in his body, and found herself drawn irresistibly to the power he exuded. Very deliberately, she stood in his path. “It’s the same reason you decided to help a complete stranger. You could easily have turned me over to Williams and washed your hands of me.”

His scowl deepened. “That’s different.”

She smiled gently at his lie, which only seemed to aggravate him more. “What about the nightmare?”

Her smile vanished. “They aren’t exactly nightmares, they’re more like visions of events that haven’t happened yet.”

Diana braced and waited for him to scoff. The last thing she expected was for him to cock his head and stare at her speculatively.

“Then what did you see?”

Diana sighed, not wanting to share the details until she’d decided how to handle the situation. “It’s usually danger…either to me or someone in my vicinity. In this instance, it showed me Williams is in town. He’s found out about the marriage, and he’s not happy.”

Gabriel prowled toward her. “What did you see?”

Diana shivered and turned away, rubbing her hands along her chilled arms. “What he intends to do when he gets his hands on me.”

“And?” He stalked to her side, not letting her hide and narrowed his eyes dangerously, his hands clenching and unclenching, as if he would rip the man apart.

Telling him she would be turned into a virtual slave and tortured would only set him off. “Let’s just say I do not want to be found. Instead of our marriage protecting me, it has made him more determined to possess me. He now sees you as an obstacle to be removed.”

“Let him. He’ll find I’m a lot more immovable than he expects.” He snorted and lifted his chin in challenge, then changed the subject. “How often do you get these dreams?”

Diana rolled her eyes at the size of his ego. “Not often. Only when I sense danger. The dreams only happen when I repress the visions. They will ultimately build up and take over when I let down my guard.”

Gabriel didn’t say anything for a few moments, and she shifted uncomfortably. “What?”

“If these visions are so valuable, why go to such lengths to avoid them?”

She sighed when he focused on the crux of the problem. “I have no control over what I see or when. Everyone has the power to change the future, but knowing the future isn’t the blessing it might seem. While the visions might be prophetic, I have learned over time that my interference is as likely to cause the problem as it is to solve it. Sometimes I’m the catalyst. In trying to save someone’s life, I could actually be the reason they were in danger in the first place.”

Gabriel remained silent at her revelations. Diana’s attention wandered to his chest—his very naked chest—just inches away. She swayed forward and licked her dried lips, craving another taste.

“Don’t.” His pulse jumped in his throat, his hands tightening on the sheet if to hold himself back. Despite his objection, he didn’t move away.

Diana lifted her head, curious why he would deny something he wanted so desperately. “Why?”

“Because we need to stay focused until the threat is gone.” He cleared his throat, but his eyes refused to follow his orders and scanned her body.

“And you think avoiding the attraction between us will make it go away?” Her husky voice made him shiver, and his eyes dilated with so much lust that every inch of her tingled with anticipation of what those big hands of his would feel like running along her body. Despite knowing better, knowing she was risking heartache, she refused to deny her attraction to him any longer. While it could likely complicate matters, her heart insisted that he was worth the chance.

“Impossible.” He boldly lifted his gaze, and the unmistakable need to devour her caused her to swallow hard. He clenched his hands and took a careful step back, as if denying the temptation. “Get dressed. The ball is in two days. We still need to go over proper titles, greetings, when and how to curtsy. We will also need to go over cutlery.” He walked to the door while he cataloged everything when he suddenly lifted his head and speared her with a look. “Unless you already learned this in your training.”

“Well…not exactly.” Diana shuffled her feet and bit her lip. “If the lesson didn’t require any physical activity, I didn’t really pay attention.”

Gabriel’s attention dropped to her lips, and he grunted as if she’d smacked him, one hand gripping the door to his room as if holding himself in place. He hesitated before stepping over the threshold, and she mentally cursed the return of his control. “We’ll start in one hour.”

Memories of how their last lesson ended echoed in her mind, and she took extra care with her appearance, excitement dancing through her veins.

She had a feeling Gabriel’s plan for her today didn’t include ending in the same manner, but if she was going to be stuck in a room the whole day, she intended to enjoy herself. She made her way downstairs and entered the dining room. Only one place was set, but not a morsel of food could be found, and she groaned in disappointment, guessing her meal would be a long time in coming.

Gabriel strolled forward and held out a chair for her. “I see you’re ready. I am a bit rusty, but I remember enough to get us by.”

Her pulse skipped a beat to see him waiting for her, such an immaculate and impervious lord that she wanted to shake him. “No food?”

She crossed her arms, not bothering to sit down.

Humor danced in Gabriel’s eyes, and he almost succeeded in suppressing his smile. “I thought after you mastered your lessons, we’d go out for a picnic.”

“Truly?” A spark of interest lured her to cooperate. She stopped and eyed him suspiciously. “Today?”

He tipped his head toward the table. “As soon as we’re finished…as long as you behave.”

Diana lifted her brows, unable to stop from teasing him for denying her breakfast. “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

She strolled forward, trailing the back of her hand down the side of her throat then lower, between her breasts. His cool composure shattered as he followed the path of her fingers. Just when she thought he would take her up on her invitation, he cleared his throat and resolutely met her gaze. “Minx. The sooner we’ve finished here, the sooner we can be outside.”

Diana narrowed her eyes at him, knowing she was being played. She stopped in front of him, peering up at him from under her lashes. “I’ll agree…for now. After that, all bets are off.”

His throat bobbed as he gulped, and Diana smiled at the way his gripped the back of the chair, as if to keep from snatching her up in his arms and ravishing her. She sat. Much to her disappointment, he inhaled deeply, shook himself, and belatedly pushed in her chair. “We start with the first course. A lady should…”

Diana listened to him with half an ear, each rule, each edict seeming sillier then the last. As long as she didn’t use her fingers, she did not see the problem. But she was no longer in her world, and she had more than herself to worry about. She refused to repay Gabriel’s kindness by humiliating him with gauche behavior.