Davus grinned, “You are saying that like it is a bad thing.”
“I think you need someone supportive.”
“I believe I have found her. If I can convince her to be my mate, she won’t let me get away with anything.” He smiled. “Thank you again.”
Lee inclined her head and left him next to the water’s edge.
When she was gone, Davus removed his clothing and dove into the pool, swimming up to the waterfall and ducking his head under the pounding water. “I believe I win.”
Tiff was glaring at him. “Who was that?”
He pulled himself onto the rocky ledge next to her. “Lee. She is the wife of the owner of the Crossed Star and also the prime medic here at the Crossroads. She runs the first aid station and has the keenest nose I have ever heard of. I asked her to prove it.”
Tiff was still frowning but she nodded. “I have heard about Lee. I haven’t run into her before. I have been avoiding the common areas.”
He steeled himself for the next gambit. “I know. But since I have won hide and seek, albeit with help, you are paying for breakfast. And, I believe I would like a kiss.”
She stared at him with surprise in her eyes. “A kiss?”
“Yes. I will keep my hands down and you will kiss me.”
“You are naked.”
“I am aware of it, I am also dangling my legs in cold water. That should help keep me calm.” He grinned. His testicles were currently internal. The water was exceptionally cold.
He was going to continue cajoling her, but she grabbed his head and pressed her lips to his in a juvenile mash up of mouths. She eased her assault after a few seconds and gentled the caress.
He flicked his tongue at her lips and she shivered slightly, mimicking his movements with an innocence that sent blood rushing to his cock. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, and his hands clenched to fists on his thighs. He groaned and she pulled back.
“Did I do that wrong?”
Davus shuddered and slipped into the water again. “It was perfect. I will meet you on the shoreline for my breakfast.”
He dove back under the fall and swam to his clothing. He shifted rapidly from human to bird to human again, using the magic to dry off.
He wasn’t sure what was going through Tiff’s mind, but as he finished tying his sneakers on, she appeared at his side.
She seemed at a loss for words. “Your colour is better.”
He could feel it inside him, something in the centre of him was responding to her care. “I guessed as much.”
He offered her his hand and waited.
She bit her full lower lip and slowly slipped her small, strong hand into his. The small act of trust melted his heart and sent a pulse through his groin.
“Well, since you are paying, I am going to make a pig out of myself.” He kept the conversation light as they made their way through the woods and into the town.
She held his hand the whole way.
* * * *
Tiff watched the plates keep coming. “You weren’t kidding.”
He grinned and wolfed down another stack of pancakes. “I have been off my feed for a while. I suddenly regained my appetite.”
She nibbled at her bacon and watched him eat. “Somehow, I thought you would eat like a bird.”
He grinned, and she laughed at the blueberries in his teeth.
She sat back and sipped at her coffee. “I hope that you aren’t going swimming for at least an hour. The water compression would pop all of that right up.”
He shook his dark head and kept eating. “I don’t plan on swimming today. Today, I am planning on courting you as best as I am able.”
Tiff blinked. “How are you going to do that?”
“I think I will find the swings that Lee mentioned and we will have a picnic. We can discuss where we want to live and what to name the children.”
She coughed on the coffee she was sipping. “Children?”
“Oh, yes. I would like three. The Fergus house is large and the kids will have cousins to play with.”
“See, it would never work. I would want to live at Grayson house.” She shrugged. “Sorry. As the eldest, I am the inheritor. I need to remain at the family home.”
He was staring at her with wide eyes. “Did you say Grayson?”
She nodded. “Yes, my name is Tiffany Grayson. Tiffany Annette Grayson if you must know the gory truth.”
“You live ten miles from my family home.”
She put her cup down with a clatter. “What?”
“You are on the other side of the county line, but your family lives ten miles from mine. No wonder we came through at the same time.”
Tiff laughed, “And why we used different transporters. Different zones by a few yards. They did mention that you were so close that you were almost on top of me.”
He got a heated look on his face. “Now, there is an idea.”
Tiff blushed. “Right, well, pardon my slip of the tongue.”
“Another lovely idea.”
“Oh god.” She put her face in her hands. The wicked gleam in his eyes started a shiver in her system and watching his flirtation was enough to warm her from the inside out. She tried to remember why she thought their mating would be a bad idea, but her mind drew a blank.
“Right, so I need to maintain my territory, Davus. It isn’t something I can negotiate on.”
He smiled. “Since we are so close to each other, home-wise, I believe that I can agree to that.”
Damn, she didn’t want him to agree. She wanted him to insist on remaining in his own home. Maybe they could arrange a weekend mating contract or something.
“What are you thinking about?”
She sighed. “Ways that I can have my cake and eat it too.”
His smile changed to a slow curl of his lips that made her heart flutter. “I believe we can arrange that very thing.”
Tiff was almost afraid to ask.
Chapter Six
They stopped at the Open Heart Bed and Breakfast where Tiff got to meet her first djinn. Teebie was charming, elegant and she handed Davus a large basket with a wink.
Davus asked, “Where are you staying?”
“Um, why?”
“I thought you might like to change into something more casual.”
Tiff brightened, “Oh, I am at the small-predator hostel. I chose it to tick my gran off.”
He grinned. “Lead the way.”
She led him through town, acknowledging the appreciative looks she was getting from a few of the men, but she didn’t stop to flirt.
When they approached the women’s hostels, she got him to wait with the basket. “Don’t come too close, the hostels are guarded by gender spells.”
“I was warned. I will be next to the tree line.”
She sprinted away from him, ran inside, brushed her hair and slipped into a sundress with a lined bodice. A nice pair of flats later and she rushed outside to find him.
Her eagerness put a blush in her cheeks, but when she spotted him at the tree line, leaning against an oak with the basket dangling from his fingers, she slowed down and approached with a little less enthusiasm showing.
It wouldn’t do to let him know she would come running when she saw him. Tiff was having enough trouble with that realization herself.
He offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
She took his arm and they hiked through the forest into an area that had escaped Tiff’s exploration. “I haven’t been this way yet.”
“Lee said that if you didn’t know it was here, you couldn’t find it. It is kept for locals or special cases.”
“I guess we are classified as special?”
“I suppose we are. You certainly are. Few women bother coming to the Crossroads and then refuse to even attempt to meet any men.”
Tiff wrinkled her nose, and as suddenly as they had entered the woods, they came out into a large park.
The idea that someone could have designed a park for adults, with everything from swings to seesaws, was delightfully silly.
“I wonder why this was built.” Tiff looked around and with a squeal, she hopped on the merry-go-round, pushing herself with one leg and hanging on as the wind rippled through her skirt.
She clutched at the bar as Davus propelled her around. The wind whipped through her hair and she squealed, finally screaming, “Enough!”
The rotation slowed and the platform under her came to a halt.
Tiff laughed and staggered, landing heavily against him. “Sorry.”
He put his hands on her hips and held her tightly against him. “Don’t be. I’m not.”
She placed her hands on his chest and drummed her fingers on the hard muscle. “I want to play on the swings.”
“Then what are you waiting for?” He let her go.
She turned and sprinted to the swings, kicking off her shoes and settling herself on the plank. She held onto the ropes and pushed off, propelling herself higher and higher.
Davus was nearby, spreading a blanket out on the grass and watching her.
Tiff swung and kicked, finally arching up and out of the swing, flying through the air. She landed lightly and heard applause.
Davus was on his feet and clapping wildly. “Excellently done.”
She stood and curtseyed. “Thank you. I am a little rusty, so I wasn’t sure that I could manage it.”
She walked past him and sat on the blanket. She patted the fabric next to her. “Care to have a seat?”
He dropped to her side and grinned. “You look relaxed.”
“I am enjoying myself. I am working up the nerve to ask you to join me on the seesaw.”
He chuckled. “Perhaps we should save that for later. What are you thinking about my proposal?”
“Is that what that was? I thought it was more of a suggestion.” She wrinkled her nose at him and leaned back on her elbows.
He shifted position and loomed over her. “Should I repeat my proposal?”
“You might want to. I seemed to have missed it the first time.”
His face was inches from hers. “Well, Tiffany Grayson, it would be my utmost pleasure to have you as my mate. Would you have me as yours?”
She shifted to one elbow and pressed her palm to his cheek. “That was what I was waiting for. I will have you, and you will have me, but you know we are going to run into problems.”
“Problems can be dealt with. I am willing to deal with yours if you are willing to deal with mine.”
Tiffany felt her heart swell. “As long as you keep them out in the open, we can deal with them. No secrets.”
“No secrets.” He sealed their agreement with a kiss.
She shifted her hand from his cheek to his shoulder, clinging to his shirt with all her strength as his lips teased hers and then his tongue came out to play.
The hot, wet slide sent a shiver through her. She felt a throb between her thighs and gasped with surprise.
He eased her back to the blanket and continued kissing her with the sun overhead.
She squirmed against him as tension built inside her. When he dragged a hand up the outside of her thigh, she placed her hand on his, giving him complete permission.
Her panties were slowly dragged down and off. The caress of wind against her damp flesh added to her excitement.
Her skirt ruffled against her belly, and Davus slowly lowered his weight onto her. The groan that rumbled out of her was a noise she had never made before. It seemed to come out of her soul.
He stroked his body along hers, giving a silent shudder as she wrapped her arms around him to pull him close.
They rocked together, and Tiff felt a tightening inside her. The tension swelled and released inside her. She shivered and moaned against his mouth.
He nipped her lip with his teeth and nuzzled her cheek.
She sighed and nuzzled him back before pushing against his shoulders and urging him to his back.
When he settled, she pulled at his shirt and pushed it up. He leaned up and pulled it up and off.
Tiff leaned in and nibbled at his neck; she smiled when his hands gripped her waist. She worked her way down, tasting his chest, scraping her teeth across his nipples and licking at the skin in between.
While she tasted his chest, she worked at the button of his jeans, jumping when it gave way with a pop. Working by touch gave her the confidence to ease his zipper down, and the hot length of his erection was in her hand a moment later.
In her position, she could feel his entire body shiver as she ran her hand up and down the silky skin. The head of his cock was releasing slick heat. Her own sex was enjoying its own wet pulse.
Davus stroked his hand up the back of her thighs. His fingers flexed on her buttocks, and then, he drew one hand around to cup her heat. He worked his fingers against her, circling her clit and dipping inside her. The light touches caused her to pick up the speed of her strokes on him.
“If you don’t put me inside you right now, I am going to cum all over your hand.”
Tiff smiled at his flushed face. “I think I need a hand.”
He directed her, easing her toward him with his hand on her ass, and when he had her scooted into position above his cock, he coaxed her into lowering her hips. The slick, hot pressure when he fitted himself to her was unfamiliar but not unwelcome.
Tiff eased onto him slowly, getting used to the length and girth of him. He moved a hand to her clit and circled rapidly as she sank onto him.
Her hips jerked and she gasped, “Don’t, don’t, don’t!”
It was too late. Her body clenched around him, and she groaned as her orgasm rattled her grip on the world around her.
She came back to reality leaning on Davus’s chest with him still throbbing inside her.
His smug smirk belied the sweat on his brow.
Tiff pushed herself upright and slowly shifted her hips; she let the hand cupping her butt direct her motions. She rocked on him and moved with greater speed. The head of his cock slid nearly to her opening, and then, she drove downward until he was as far in as she could get him.
Her body was tingling, her palms and the soles of her feet were hot and sweat dripped down her spine. A light moan escaped her lips as they moved against each other, a song that Davus seemed to be enjoying as he arched his hips to slam into her over and over again.
He gripped her hips, one with a hand under her skirt and one over. Their skin slapped together, and Tiff dug her nails into his chest as another wave of tension threatened.
She panted and held on tight as the wave got closer and closer. He slammed them together a final time and the wave broke, shattering her mind into brilliant shards until she could only see shattered rainbows.
This time, when she came to herself, she was lying across his chest and he was running his fingers through her hair.
She smiled even though he couldn’t see it. “That was a yes by the way.”
He laughed and continued untangling her hair. “We are going to have to try it without clothing on. This was a lovely start, but I want to see you.”
Tiff blushed. “You have already seen me naked.”
“I have seen you, but it wasn’t as a lover. It is a different thing.”
She squirmed on him. “I think you might be right. I am sorry that I marked you.”
She stroked the marks she had left on one side of his ribcage.
“I have enjoyed those marks far more than I have any other in the last decade. Would you like to try the seesaw now?”
Tiff grinned. “I would rather take another spin on the merry-go-round.”
“You will have to get up and get off me for that to happen.”
“Fine. I want a nap. Or a cuddle. Whatever this is.”
He wrapped his arms around her and settled in while the sun slowly marched toward noon.
Chapter Seven
A little bit of exploration brought a pond that they could bathe in. Tiff tidied up and got out of the water, picking up her dress and carrying it back toward the playground.
She heard the rushing of feet and gasped as she was lifted high and carried back to the blanket. “You don’t have to carry me.”
“But I can if I want to, right?”
Tiff made a face. “Yes, you can if you want to. I don’t know why you would, though.”
Davus grinned and set her carefully down. “Most of our instincts come from our animals. This is one that comes from the human bit. Sweeping a female off her feet so we can have our way with her is embedded in most men. We just rarely get a chance to use it.”
She laughed. “Caveman instincts?”
“Something like that.”
He knelt beside her and sat back on his heels. “You don’t have freckles.”
“You are observant.”
Davus sighed, “I mean you are a redhead but you don’t have freckles. It isn’t usual.”
“I am an unusual creature, as you have commented before.”
His erection was thick and ready again, but he ignored it while he focused on learning her textures.
Tiff lay still and watched him while he watched her. He trailed his fingertips over her from neck to knees, and then he surprised her by picking up her feet and putting them in his lap. She was shocked when he took each foot in a hand and began to massage them.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, I got bored one summer and did a reflexology course. If you can relax and enjoy it, I can relieve your entire body of tension and even clear your nose if I do it right.”
Tiff giggled and folded her hands over her belly. “Go nuts.”
She was surprised that he was actually giving her an actual therapeutic massage. She grunted when he hit a painful spot and hissed when the pressure burned.
“I should do this with oil between your skin and mine, but I am improvising.” He paused. “Oh, wait.”
He leaned over and dug through the picnic basket. He pulled out a bottle with triumph. “Hooray, Teebie packed a bottle of extra virgin olive oil for the bread.” He quickly rubbed the oil between his hands and went to work on her feet again.
Vixen’s Run Page 3