Druid Temptation (A Druid Quest Novel Book 2)

by Stacey Brutger

  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.

  For three hours she listened to his rules of table etiquette and proper address. Eventually she became so overloaded with information, she didn’t realize he stopped talking until he cleared his throat. “Oh, uh, I was memorizing what you said.” She gave him a dazzling smile, hoping to distract him, and he snorted at the obvious lie.

  When she was younger, she sneaked out of her lessons. She didn’t see why she needed to learn all those hoity-toity rules. It was already clear she would be the last person they would send into delicate situation. She was too bold, and not dainty enough. She stood out and attracted too much attention.

  Now it was time to pay the piper for skipping those lessons.

  “Come, let’s go out and clear our heads. Any more for either of us, I fear we will fall into a stupor.”

  “I fear you may be too late.” Diana pushed back her chair and shot to her feet before he could change his mind, nearly slamming into him when he reached over to help her rise. His nearness went to her head, and she was surprised when he cupped her elbow to steady her.

  His fingers brushed against the delicate underside of her arm as if it had been too long since he’d touched her.

  Neither of them moved.

  The strident voice of Mrs. Ashmore sent them springing apart.

  “How much stuff does one woman have that it requires days to pack?” Diana quirked a brow at him.

  Gabriel rubbed a hand over his mouth, but she still caught his smile. “You would be surprised how long it could take a woman to collect all her things.”

  When the voice neared, they looked at each other. “I’ll check on Emilie, see if she wants to join us, then collect the basket.”

  Gabriel wanted to kiss her for including his daughter. “And I’ll get the horses ready. We’ll meet out back in ten minutes.”

  Diana rushed upstairs and barged into Emilie’s room. “Do you want to go for a ride?”

  Emilie’s face scrunched up in thought, and she carefully set aside her toys. “Can Jack come?”

  Diana hesitated but shook her head. “Not this time, sweetie.”

  “Then I should stay home so he doesn’t get lonely.”

  Emilie looked very grown up at that moment, and Diana’s heart wrenched in her chest. “Then why don’t we go downstairs for a quick snack before I leave.”

  At the magical word, Jack popped up and walked toward the door.

  “Cookies?” Emilie rose and held out her hand. Together, they made their way down the stairs. Emilie pushed open the kitchen door. “We came for snacks.”

  Cook brushed her floured hands on her apron and smiled. “Then you’re just in time. My granddaughter, Veronica, and I are just making some. Would you like to help?”

  The two little girls stared at each other in utter fascination. They couldn’t be more than a year apart. Emilie glanced up at her with pleading eyes. “May I?”

  “Of course.” Diana glanced up at Cook. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

  Cook grabbed the waiting basket and shoved it into her hands. “Nonsense. The more the merrier. Go. Enjoy yourself.”

  In seconds, Diana was pushed out the door. Gabriel stood waiting by the back gate, and he quickly straightened at her approach, cocking an eyebrow in question. “Emilie decided to stay and help Cook and her granddaughter bake cookies. I hope that’s okay?”

  Gabriel’s smile eased her worry. “It might scandalize Mrs. Ashmore or Ketterling, but I see no harm. Another girl in the house might be a welcome change for her.”

  Diana couldn’t agree more. She enjoyed the way Gabriel slipped an arm around her waist and guided her back toward the stables.

  Conway had two horses saddled and waiting, and Diana smiled. “Thank you.”

  Conway pulled his forelock, an old, courtly gesture she found charming. “No problem, miss.”

  Gabriel strode toward her, an intent look in his eyes that made her breath catch in her throat. He slipped his hands around her waist, and she stopped breathing as the warmth of him soaked through the material.

  He lifted her clean into the saddle, and she placed her hands on his broad shoulders, enjoying the flex of those magnificent muscles. She leaned forward, wanting a taste of those lips so temptingly close, only to have him pull away. She covered her disappointment by settling herself in the saddle.

  From the corner of her eye, she watched him mount, fascinated by the way he filled out his clothes. By the time he came near, she was breathless and more than a ready for hard ride to work off her excess energy. She nudged the mare forward, and they bolted down the alley, Gabriel’s stallion easily keeping pace.

  After a half an hour, they encountered congestion and had to slow their pace. By the time they reached the park early in the evening, it was nearly empty.

  Gabriel must have seen the question on her face. “They have to leave and dress for the night’s entertainment. It can take some of them hours to prepare for an event.”

  “Of course.” Diana nodded, then stopped, debating if he actually spoke the truth. “Does it truly take so long?” She asked it tentatively, convinced he was putting one over on her.

  Gabriel grinned at her disbelief. “For an important event, it can take a full day.”

  “That makes no sense. Why spend the day preparing for only an hour or two of entertainment?” Diana looked at the people around them, seeing them with new eyes, when she remembered Ashmore’s description of the highest echelon of society. “Don’t they have more important things to occupy them?”

  Gabriel shrugged. “It’s a ritual, a way to avoid the boredom and tedium of London. Others use entertainment as a sort of business. It is a marriage mart for the young woman, a way of training them for the future. Young men use it to make contacts they will need later in life. Men use it for business, while their wives use it to further their husband’s careers, gossip, and introduce their daughters to eligible men.”

  Three young men dressed in colorful clothes walked past, laughing at some joke, and she was beginning to understand. “They dress to show off, but also be accepted.”

  “Correct.” He nodded to an older woman riding in an open phaeton. Her turban covered her hair completely, three bright peacock feathers sticking out at odd angles.

  Gabriel met her startled look, and repressed a smile. “Very fashionable.”

  “So it is important to make a positive impression?” Diana patted her horse as they finally left the crowd.

  He shrugged a shoulder. “In a way.”

  They rode forward, both swaying with the horses’ easy pace.

  “Our sudden marriage must have raised some eyebrows.” She spoke matter-of-factly, but her stomach lurched at the thought that marrying her had harmed him in some way. Yards of green lawn lay stretched out around them, and she watched the few trees sway in the breeze.

  Gabriel kicked his horse forward, grabbing her reins. “My first wife tarnished my reputation. This is my second marriage. You might say I’m tainted. Only my sizeable wealth prevented me from becoming an outcast. Only the most desperate of the young debutantes or jaded widows would have ever ventured near me. I meant it when I said you saved me from a life of solitude.”

  Gabriel seemed strangely cheerful about his fate.

  They rode for a few more minutes before Gabriel stopped and dismounted. She watched from her perch as he spread out a blanket and fetched the basket, setting everything up in his precise way. He was reaching for her hand when the hairs on the back of her neck rose.

  The tattoos along her back awoke, heat searing along the intricate lines, as if someone was carving into her back with a knife. The air around her grew thick, the wind carrying something foul.

  “Williams.”

  She’d recognize the rotting stench of his soul anywhere.

  “Where?” Gabriel didn’t move, the only indication of his alertness was the slow tightening of his hands on hers. He leaned over, kissing her knuckles lightly, and she
shivered at the way he nearly succeeded in distracting her.

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure.”

  Somewhere in the park Williams was hunting her. She could not see him yet, but his sickening excitement made her stomach churn. She looked from one line of shrubs to the next, searching every tree, expecting him to jump out at any moment. “We have two choices: I can try to locate him using my gift, or we leave.”

  Her mare pranced as some of Diana’s unease transferred to her, and Gabriel grabbed the reins. “I forbid it. We’d be playing into his hands. We’re too vulnerable in the open and unarmed. As much as I want to beat the bastard into a pulp, it would only work in his favor.”

  Though Diana knew he was right, retreating felt like failure.

  Gabriel released her reins and mounted his horse, leaving behind the precious gift of his picnic. He rode closer, his eyes searching the surroundings, his every move protective as he tried to use his body to block the threat.

  “He wants me alive,” she argued. “You’re the only one in danger.”

  Images of her dream came back to haunt her, and urgency began to claw up the back of her throat.

  She had to find a way to create a distraction. “Gabriel.”

  Something in her tone had him turning toward her.

  “Be ready to move.”

  His mouth tightened. She thought he would protest, but he reluctantly nodded.

  She closed her eyes and allowed the magic in her blood to stir to life. The pain in her back became an inferno as she opened herself up to her gifts. Heat burned along her veins, her skin becoming sensitive to the air. Wind began to stir around them as the magic finally escaped her grip.

  “Diana?” Gabriel grabbed her reins as she swayed in the saddle.

  “Get ready.” The heat along her back slowed to a burn, and she opened her eyes. As if her words were a signal, the horses in the area began to stampede toward the gate. Men shouted as their animals disobeyed their commands. Afraid he might stay behind and foolishly try to save her, Diana grabbed the reins of Gabriel’s horse and kicked her mare forward to join the melee of churning animals. “We have to leave right now.”