She sighed. “I know. It’s just that I never expected you to become so easily involved in my life.”
There was a quiet moment where Drake could almost taste her hesitancy, her wariness in the conversation they were having. He needed to keep her upbeat and keep her on the phone. The last thing she needed to do was to get worried over something that he would control completely.
“Lately we’ve been having some really good conversations. So it’s almost as if we are salvaging our friendship, wouldn’t you say?”
She laughed lightly. Drake felt himself beam like a 100 watt bulb.
“If that’s the question, cowboy, you owe me an answer for your first crush.”
Drake smiled, “I believe her name was Marianne, but that could be the dementia talking.”
A full out, low contralto laugh came over the phone. Drake settled himself onto his bed and imagined Nadia here with him instead of over the phone, miles away.
“Touche, touche, I get it now. No more jokes about you’re failing health.”
“Damn right, I get touchy on that subject, woman.”
She laughed again, and once more Drake felt as if he could move mountains.
“So, this might be catching on, don’t you think?”
“What’s that?” She asked, after Drake heard her take a breath.
“Our conversations that take place over the phone, late at night…while we’re both in bed.” Drake smiled, but knew he had caught her off guard a bit. And if there was one thing Nadia hated, it was being off guard.
She cleared her throat, “I don’t mind if you don’t.”
Well, well, well. He hadn’t been expecting her to say that. Drake placed his phone in between his shoulder and the pillow, and got more comfortable on his huge bed. “Honey, we could talk about the weather, and I wouldn’t mind one bit.”
“I could handle the weather, but I would have to draw the line at current events. With you being a business man and all, I wouldn’t want to have to debate you on the merits of cutting Medicare, or hear you wax on and on about reforming our health care in this country.”
Drake laughed out loud. Leave it to Nadia to give him something to smile about when he was tied up in knots of lust over her.
After finally catching his breath, he said, “So, if you’ve taken all of that off the agenda, it leaves us with a few things.”
“I would say we don’t have much left.” She countered.
Drake smiled, “Honey, there’s always something to talk about, especially between you and me.”
Quiet rang over the line, and Drake could have sworn that he heard a whispered, “damn” from her end.
“There is actually one thing I would like to know,” She asked, catching him unawares.
“What would that be?”
“What is your tattoo?”
Drake chuckled, amused that she had noticed it, and loving that she was interested. “Damn, you have some sharp little eyes, don’t you? It’s a cross, but with some tribal artwork surrounding it.” He made a disbelieving sound. “I can’t believe you were able to see it, I didn’t think my towel was that low.”
“Oh, did it hurt?”
“Nah, not really.” Then being the devilish man that he knew rumors made him out to be, he said, “Remind me, and next time you can see the whole thing, up close and personal.”
“I might just hold you to that.”
Drake’s breath lodged in his throat. “Don’t make false promises, darlin’.”
Another shuddering sigh, then quiet came over the line. Drake was just thinking he might have gone too far and then she spoke, her words catching him in the gut.
“God, you do this so easily…”
“What’s that?”
Silence echoed back to him. Ah, now she was turning shy. Drake mentally shrugged; he would bring her back to the conversation in whatever way he could. It was past time for her to know just how sexy he found her.
“I believe I know what you are trying to say, angel.”
“Really?” Her voice sounded harsh, unused, gruff to his ears.
“Yes, and I burn for you too.”
***
Damn, Nadia was sure her ears were on fire, not just her whole body. The heat between her legs was hot enough to power her electricity for the next month. She tightened her thighs, hoping to still the pulse of blood down below, but it didn’t help. Actually, it made it worse. A sigh escaped her mouth unwillingly, and Nadia tried to move the phone away before her desires became known. It didn’t work.
“Ah honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you like this. But I love knowing that you are feeling just as excited as I am right now.”
Something in his voice told Nadia that he was lying. He wanted her exactly the way she was right now, worked up, with no way of getting around it. Confusion swamped her. He had done a complete turn around. But she had no idea if he’d had these feelings all along. Was he really attracted to her, or was he just giving into what she wanted so badly?
Are you seriously questioning this, Nadia?
The minutes she had spent in his house, seeing him in that towel, wishing she could lick every inch of his skin swept through her, tightening places on her body that throbbed with awareness. She could just imagine his voice coming over the line, asking her to touch herself, to please herself from his words alone.
That thought spurred her to say, “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
God, she sounded so damn prim and uptight, even to herself, even though after this conversation her body was leagues ahead of her mind in the arousal department.
He didn’t chuckle this time. His voice was deep, dark and dangerously sexy. “Honey, damn…I could help you through it, if you want me to… I can’t believe I’m saying this but…”
“No”
He instantly stopped talking at her statement.
What is wrong with you? Do you have any brains in your head?
Nadia ignored that. What was going on right now was amazing, but she couldn’t handle it all at once. It was almost too sexual, too intense, and she didn’t want to embarrass herself on the phone with Drake. And, he still hadn’t said anything.
“I’m sorry…I have to go…I’ll call you soon.”
Like the coward she was, she hung up the phone, not giving him a chance to say anything. Silence burned across her bedroom while her body burned, period.
Chapter 11
Nadia peered into the mirror with a discriminating eye.
She had to leave in ten minutes to meet Drake so that they could leave for Dallas. She tsked and pulled on the lightweight khaki jacket. The cut and color were good on her, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to wear it or not.
She wanted to be businesslike and comfortable, since she would be running between the kitchens. A makeshift office had been set up around the ballroom somewhere, while at the same time she would be giving Derek, her Houston director, enough orders to make him dizzy. Comfortable was winning at the moment.
Would anyone really care if you wore jeans? Would the world come to an end?
No, it wouldn’t, she conceded as she stared at a very comfortable looking pair of jeans.
Ten minutes later she was pulling away from her driveway and trying to calm her ragged nerves. At least she was wearing comfy jeans.
Their phone conversation from the week before was still affecting her now. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to go through with this. It wasn’t as if he was just some guy that she wanted to have a good time with. This was Drake, the man that had captured her attention and her heart at a young age. He had been the first man to make her feel desire. The nearness of his body caused hers to come alive, as if from his touch alone, her senses went into overload. She would never feel this way for another man. She knew it with a determination that astounded her, which was why every conversation, every glance from those beautiful eyes of his, was a bittersweet pill to swallow.
And now she had something new
to worry about.
The conversation had turned deliciously naughty the other night. Some of the things he had said had shocked Nadia speechless. Sure, she had been flirted with before, but when Drake was the one doing the honors, her body flared to life at the mere thought of what he might say, and she wouldn’t stand a chance. What really surprised her was that after all this time she had been under the assumption that he didn’t find her attractive. Needless to say their conversation had opened her eyes.
Nadia parked the Rover beside a few vehicles and one low slung, very expensive sports car at the private airstrip that Drake had told her to meet him at. Minutes later, holding her two travel bags and her laptop, she was heading towards a metal hangar where a few men were milling around a small plane.
One of the men, a handsome, sandy haired guy stepped away from the group and came up to her. When he got closer he smiled brightly and said, “Let me take those for you, ma’am.”
“Thank you so much, Mr.--?” Nadia asked as she handed over her bags.
“Brian Leigh.” Blue eyes twinkled. “You can call me Bri, everyone does.” He gave her a jaunty wink.
Nadia smiled, instantly at ease with his blatant flirting. This she could handle. He was like an overgrown puppy. “Thanks again, Brian.” Nadia stuck out her hand but then she remembered he was full of her bags at the moment. Pulling her hand back she told him, “I’m Nadia.”
He flashed another bright smile, “I know.”
She wanted to question that but kept her mouth shut as she realized Drake must have told them to expect her this morning. “Apparently my reputation precedes me.”
“You have no idea.” He told her, then turned back to go towards the plane. “C’mon Nadia, we’re about to leave.”
Now she really wanted to know just how much this guy knew about her.
***
Monster, magic man, yellow-eyed demon, and warrior of spells…the list went on and on.
Drake had heard every name used to describe what he was. The real truth behind it was an ancient spell that had been cast among a group of Druids practicing their potions and spells before ‘witch’ was even a word. The ancients were smart, diabolical humans with unique abilities to heal or frighten off other wary ones such as themselves. They kept their secrets very secret and in turn no one could have imagined what would occur. Now, centuries later, their descendants lived among humans, sharing their lives, their families, and their world.
Drake downed the cold soda he was drinking and grinned as Nadia’s long legs ate up the distance between her truck and the plane. She followed resolutely behind Brian with a smile on her face. As he looked at her a highly erotic thrill moved through his body. She was the only woman he knew that could make him react like a randy teenage boy, which was something he hadn’t been in a very long time.
She made him feel almost human again. He had come to terms with what he was long ago. Now here was a human woman that made him want to hide his gifts from her. He wanted her to want him as if he were normal. Yeah, he was seriously losing his mind.
Long black hair was loose, thank God, flowing down her shoulders where wisps at the end touched her lower back. Her eyes were covered with chic dark sunglasses. She had dressed comfortable today, which surprised him. He was used to seeing her in nothing but suits and dresses. A very nice looking pair of jeans clasped her legs and her hips, making Drake’s fingers itch to grab and mold to her small frame. Her shirt was frilly, feminine, and buttoned all the way up. Each tiny little button begged Drake from across the tarmac to rip the offending material off and lick every inch of her pale, beautiful skin. His tongue, gums, and teeth heated in response. If he let it, the slide of his fangs would be complete in seconds, so would his other Druid abilities.
Fuck. This was not what he wanted.
Whatever, you keep telling yourself that buddy, while your body knows the whole truth.
Drake blinked, pushing the burn of his amber eyes back to where he could breathe easier knowing they wouldn’t pop out in a moment’s notice.
Seconds later Brian and Nadia waltzed right up to him beside the plane.
Seeing Nadia from far away was nothing compared to seeing her up close. Her forehead was creased and Drake sensed the nervous energy inside of her, along with the rapid movement of her blood. Pretty light green eyes studied him for mere seconds before she turned and thanked Brian once again, her soft voice a sensuous slide against Drake’s ears.
“I’ve got it now Bri, thanks for getting everything ready. Go ahead and get on in. I’ll get Nadia settled.” Drake told Brian as he took Nadia’s bags and stowed them away.
He turned back to her, smiled his charming smile and held out his hand, “C’mon darlin’, otherwise we’ll be late.”
Her face was a picture of non-expression, but Drake didn’t need to read mannerisms to know how she felt. The nervous energy from moments ago had heightened and now a pretty flush rested on her cheeks.
She ignored his hand, from what he sensed was cautiousness, not her wanting to be rude, and walked up the lowered steps to enter the plane. She was skittish and totally closed off from him. He knew it had to do with their talk from last week. Never before had he hinted at any attraction to her and in one phone call, he had blasted her with not only that truth, but the knowledge that he was burning up sexually for her also.
Drake sensed that he would be apologizing for their conversation pretty soon; otherwise, Nadia would never smile at him again.
***
Talk about things that don’t have to do with the way his jeans fit him so well, or the way the sunlight had glinted off of his tiger eyes. Don’t concern yourself with thoughts of that phone call last week or the naughty things he could have said to you on that phone.
Nadia glanced around at the more than spacious and luxurious interior that she had stepped into. She had heard him say private plane, but she hadn’t been expecting this. This was sumptuous leather, rich wood accents, and generous space. This plane was a beautiful and costly expression of Drake and what kind of life he led. He wasn’t only the owner and proprietor of an animal shelter/vet office. He was a ruthless businessman and investment guru. He probably had the ear and favor of more than a few Wall Street icons.
“With the way you’re staring at it, I assume you must be pretty thirsty?” Drake’s voice knocked her back to the present, and Nadia noticed a young, dark haired woman offering her a drink. She thanked her and took the cold water bottle.
“I’m admiring your plane. I wasn’t planning on seeing such an opulent affair.” She took a sip of her water and congratulated herself on not spitting out, ‘I wish I wouldn’t have hung up the phone the other night. I wish I would have let you keep talking. I wonder now what would have happened, what would have been said.’ She shut her mind off.
“Darlin,’ this is a G500, a very nice plane, not to mention, mine.” His eyes held humor, but a spark shone in those caramel depths. “I’m a very private man, and I don’t like sharing my personal space with other people.” Those eyes burned along her length and Nadia controlled a tremble. “But right now, I’m not minding the intrusion one bit.”
“Your privacy is obviously something that you pay exorbitantly to insure,” She told him as she took another sip of water and watched him over the edge of the bottle. Brilliantly beautiful eyes catalogued her every feature while she took in his jeans and the soft, dark colored tee shirt that covered his large frame.
“Money is no object if something is important to me.”
Apparently not, Nadia thought as she turned her head and watched the flat low land rush by as the plane taxied down the runway. It obviously wouldn’t take them long to get to Dallas, since he had this very nice plane. Thank God she had turned; she could feel his eyes lingering on her and she knew he was going to bring up their phone conversation, knew it like she knew the burn of desire in her gut would never go away.
“Angel, I’m sorry about the other night,” his gruff voice begged he
r to turn back around. Her eyes slid back to his. “I know we have known each other for a long while now, but what I said slipped out. For a minute there, I forgot I was talking to you, my past employee’s child, instead you were a beautiful woman…” He stopped talking and Nadia was kept in limbo, wanting to hear what else he had to say…but she couldn’t allow him to keep going. She had to stop this now.
“Apology accepted.” She let her eyes stay on his. “I guess we both thought of things we shouldn’t have.” Then she turned back and tried to ignore the warning in her gut that was screaming at her that this wasn’t over yet.
He chuckled deeply from the other side of the plane and Nadia bristled. “Thinkin’ is sometimes just as bad as doin.’”
The condensation on the water bottle pooled into her hand, jarring her back into reality. She knew better than to get herself worked up over a few things he had said on the phone. Just because they had spoken with such erotic intent didn’t mean that she should let her shield fall and do whatever she wanted with him.
That was like inviting the Devil over for supper. You knew you shouldn’t do it, but boy were you tempted. And no matter how much Nadia wanted, yearned, and ached for Drake, she knew in her heart that she would be deathly hurt if his flirting was something that he was using just to try and get a reaction out of her with. If she ever got a chance with him, her whole heart would be tangled up in whatever they were doing. It would knock her blindsided if his intentions changed and he left her hanging on by a mere thread, trying to pull him back to her with all she had. She would never be that woman-that woman that was left broken and bleeding while the man she loved waltzed away without a care in the world.
The chirp of Drake’s cell pierced the silence of the cabin. He answered the call.
His deep drawl was short, precise, and pure business. Long fingers held the cell to his ear while his other hand grabbed a sheaf of papers that was sitting in front of him on a small desktop. Within minutes he and the other person were speaking of contract terms and disputes while Nadia studied him. The no nonsense businessman that she knew was back. There were no hints of a seductively naughty crooked grin, no hooded glances from under long black lashes. This was Drake at his most ruthless. He had always seemed faultless and slick when it came to the world that she had entered only a few years before. Nadia envied his smooth, unruffled approach.
Her Druid Desire (The Amber Druid Series) Page 15