Her Druid Desire (The Amber Druid Series)

by Trish F Leger

  “Surely you don’t think you would hurt me?” She eyed him with a curious look. “I’m sure you realize that women’s bodies are made to,” Oh God, was she going to say this out loud? “accept different sizes.” Her face had to be bright red right now.

  An amusing look slid into his golden eyes. “So sweet…” His hand left the thump of her heart and slowly ever so gently, made its way lazily over the curve of her left breast. The long fingers of his hand cradled her gently and Nadia felt as if she had stepped from a cliff into a freefall. Her nipple hardened to a painful peak, but he never touched her there, he just cradled the weight of her in his hand, while his thumb brushed the sensitive skin above her nipple. Nadia felt her vision haze a bit from the pleasure he gave her.

  “Yes, I’m a very large man and no, it isn’t my size that worries me, it is my Druid nature that scares me. I don’t want to get too rough with you, but once I get inside your body it won’t be any other way.”

  Just the thought that he wouldn’t go easy on her sent shivers crawling along her skin. His hand left her breast and Nadia couldn’t stop the pouting sound that left her mouth as he did so. She opened her eyes and he was closer than she had first thought.

  “I don’t know why this happened all of a sudden, but I do know this. I will have you, you will be mine, but I won’t ever force you to do anything that you don’t want to do.” His eyes blazed at her while his breath tickled the skin of her neck. “I will teach you anything that you need to know, and think about that because, angel…I’ve been alive for a very, very long time.”

  He made sure that thought had settled in her fogged brain before leaving her to think about everything they had just spoken to each other.

  ***

  You sure know how to put yourself in situations that will make things extremely hard on you, don’t you?

  Drake ignored his mind muttering at him and turned his attention to the scroll of the stock market on the bottom of the flat screen in his office. Usually he didn’t watch the market that closely, but right now he needed a distraction from thoughts of Nadia, so the stock market was it.

  After making a few calls, checking on the clinic and a few of his business partners, he turned his attention to getting Brian on the phone. He wanted to make sure the plane would be ready to go at the proper time.

  An hour later he was knee deep in the background file of a possible business partner when a slight tap echoed through the room. Drake looked up and noticed Nadia standing there. Her long black hair had been pulled into a ponytail. A bright yellow tee covered her chest while Capri pants and some little sandal-looking shoes completed her outfit. She looked so very young and so carefree standing there.

  “Hey,” he told her as he moved the papers around and placed them in the requisite file.

  “Hey back,” she replied with a small smile. “I was wondering if you were hungry. It’s almost lunchtime.” She twisted her fingers nervously and Drake caught the flutters of anxiousness in the air between them. A tense, uneasy woman had never attracted him before, but now that he knew he was the reason why she was this way, he overlooked that and tried to think of ways to make her overlook it too. “I was thinking maybe we could go get something to eat.”

  He didn’t waste a second before answering. “Sounds good, what are you up for?”

  The sudden acceptance of her question apparently stunned her for a moment, until she snapped out of it. “Uh…how about some awesome steaks?”

  He stood up from behind the desk and came around to meet her at the door. “Angel, I’m a red blooded Texas man. I’m always up for steak.”

  She smiled and Drake felt that smile like a punch to the middle of his chest.

  “Good, I know just the place.”

  “Well, lead away darlin.’ I’m right behind you.”

  ***

  They settled on Mexican instead, since the steakhouse she wanted to go to didn’t open until five-o-clock in the afternoon on Saturdays. Now they were sitting in Drake’s living area and he was watching her sip the rest of the martini she had from the restaurant. Noise from a golf tournament on T.V. echoed in the background.

  “That was delicious, but the juicy, tender, fall apart in my mouth steak that was calling my name at The Capital Grille could have easily topped it.” She smiled in his direction over the coffee table. “But the company couldn’t be topped.” What really surprised him was that she only blushed a little when she said that. She was getting a bit more comfortable in his presence.

  He nodded his head in her direction. “You got that right.”

  She took a sip of her drink and Drake took advantage of the moment to study her profile. Her forehead was smooth, unlined, and free of worry. The tapered end of her nose was cute as hell, and Drake had a hard time holding back the urge to reach over and tweak it. Her lips were naturally pink and plump, and glistened from her tongue that had came out to catch stray drops of her mango martini. She was slowly but surely growing at ease around him, which he took as a good thing, of course.

  “You know, out of pure curiosity, I just can’t help wondering how you got to be the age you are without the amount of experience that I would have guessed with being twenty-five.” He watched her as he said that, and she did blush, but not as fiercely as he’d expected. “Young women these days are much more sexually active than they were when I was that age.”

  “It wasn’t as if I were a recluse or anything.” Huge green eyes came up to his face and Drake wanted to reach over and kiss her right there. “I’m sure you remember how painfully shy I was when I was younger. Well, that didn’t lend me any attention at all.”

  “I just can’t get over the fact since you are so gorgeous. Back then you were a lovely young woman too, so it just doesn’t add up in my mind. The guys nowadays must be blind.”

  She rolled her eyes and waved him away with her hand. “Drake, you’re being silly now.”

  He leaned over the coffee table and grabbed that hand with his, letting his thumb rest on her pulse as it fluttered in her wrist. “I’m not being silly. You are a gorgeous, tempting young woman and it boggles my mind how you stayed so damn innocent in a world that prides itself on eradicating purity.” He could see the shock on her face and feel it emanating from her body. “And don’t act as if I don’t find you attractive.” He let his eyes rest on hers, burning her from the inside out. “You should know better than that, especially after our little tryst in the shower, love.”

  She licked her lips and Drake imagined that tongue on his body. “T-Thank you for the compliment, but I never really felt as if I had to jump into bed with the next available guy to learn about sex and relationships. Apparently I give off a do-not-touch-vibe.”

  Drake smiled. “Darlin’, you are so untouchable to some of us men, that the arrogant, important ones find that immensely exciting.” He leaned over as close as he could. “We want to see how far we can seduce you before you allow us a touch, a kiss or even a glance.” Smoothing his thumb over her soft skin he continued, “You are a temptress, a woman that unthinkably knows how to seduce a man with those very hesitation tactics.”

  She arched an eyebrow at that. “So, if I’m listening to you correctly, you are one of those important men that want to run me to ground and teach me what I have been missing all these years, not only that, but I also unknowingly tempt you beyond reason.” She didn’t hide her eye roll. “The day I become a temptress for a man like you is the day that hell will freeze over.”

  He gripped her wrist a bit harder with his fingers. “After last night, how can you doubt the reaction I get around you?”

  She looked down at her to go cup and licked her lips again, then whispered, “I’m not stupid, Drake. I know that you were touching yourself with the sole purpose for a quick release. Just because I happened to walk in doesn’t mean that I’m the one that made you that way. I just helped you accomplish what you wanted in the first place. Any warm, willing woman could have done that.”

  N
ow he was seeing red. “Let me tell you something. Do you remember our argument in your house when Belle died? I can see by your face that you do. Remember when you screamed at me for being away and as you so eloquently put it, “fucking Ms. Vintage Valentino”? Well, I wasn’t fucking her, but she did have the experience, the ‘know how’ and the sexual intelligence that we could have ended up in bed together.”

  Nadia tightened her fist and tried to move away, but Drake wasn’t done yet. “She was even on her knees, her dress pushed down with her breasts out in the open, her hand on my body…her mouth inches away from my cock, and you know what, angel? She still couldn’t get me hard.” He watched her breathe a harsh curse. “All I thought about while she undid my pants was you. All I saw when her hands touched my body was your hands doing the touching.” He caught her eyes and held her there, trapped with his gaze. “All I wanted was your mouth inches from my cock.”

  Nadia breathed so deeply that she shuddered from the force of it.

  “Now you try and tell me how any willing, warm woman can make me come hard enough to bust a couple of ribs. Tell me that so that I can find a way to get you out of my mind.”

  Furious with her, he dropped her hand and left the room, not trusting his rapidly fraying control one second longer.

  ***

  Nadia sat on the plane beside Drake and listened to him talk on his cell once again. It was amazing that he had even been able to step foot out of his house without people hunting him down. She had known he was a busy man, but sometimes things got out of hand, as it seemed to be now, unless he was relishing every call because that took the strain off of their being alone.

  She sighed and looked out the window again. He had been furious, beyond agitated that she would get the idea in her head that she wasn’t the reason for his inability to have sex or even get touched by another woman. She, on the other hand, just found it amazing, simply astounding that the beautiful goddess that she had seen in the picture with him weeks ago had placed her hands on him and he hadn’t been able to do anything with her stimulating him.

  Maybe he’s telling the truth. Have you ever known him to lie anyway?

  No, she had never heard him lie or be dishonest in all the years that she had known him.

  So he is being truthful. You are the only woman right now that can get him aroused.

  Just the thought that he was right sent shivers down her spine. To have the full attention of Drake Thompson would send her into a tailspin. How would she be able to stop herself from falling ever deeper and more dangerously in love with him? And with his sensory abilities how could he not sense the way she felt? Damn, did he sense it now?

  Red burned her cheeks, so hot that her skin throbbed. It’s a little too late to worry about that now, don’t you think?

  The two or so hours they had before leaving his condo were spent packing and making sure she had everything she needed. When she’d finished, she placed everything at the entry door to make sure she didn’t forget a bag and to do so she had to walk past his bedroom door. Just the images from last night were enough to scorch her brain. What would happen when they got back to Beaumont? Would things go back to normal, or would he become the man she had been waiting for forever, attentive, dedicated to her wishes, sharing his time with her and only her?

  She shook her head. Things like this were needless to dream about because they would never happen. Drake would never allow himself to get in over his head. Nadia knew that without having to be told. And his little slip about them having sex, at some point in the near future, Nadia would take that with a grain of salt. Not that she doubted his diligence, she didn’t, but it was better to get real than to let dreams haunt you forever. She had enough with loving him for so long that if things ever really changed, she wouldn’t know what to do.

  Later, when she felt the jostle of the plane touching down, she looked over and noticed that Drake was still on the phone, this time with another business partner. The stewardess came to help her exit and without meaning to, Nadia turned towards where he was sitting one more time. Bright brown eyes held hers for a second then he placed his hand over the phone and told her, “I’ll be done soon, don’t leave yet. We need to talk.”

  She nodded and exited the plane. Minutes later she had managed to pull her bags to her Rover with help from Brian. She thanked him, and then stood there like a numbskull waiting for Drake.

  Why couldn’t he have talked to her in the two hours they had left while they were packing? Why couldn’t she have told him that she now understood everything he had said at the restaurant? Why let that crazy scene hold reference over them? Nadia toed a small weed trying to grow from in between the cement slabs of the walkway. Now that she understood what he had been trying to say, she wanted, needed to tell him that she did. She wanted him to look at her again like he had this morning and last night.

  Heavy footfalls interrupted her musing and she looked up. Drake was walking towards her and the setting sun tossed a good amount of light into his hair, causing the locks to look like russet colored satin. His body was powerful, with an easy, rock from the hip gait that made her insides clench with the heat that he had awoken in her. That man, that gorgeous, leanly muscled, but massive man had held her body up with his arms and had shown her so much pleasure last night that she had almost cried from it.

  She shook that thought off whenever he got close enough to touch her.

  “Sorry it to--,”

  “I understa--,”

  They both started to speak at the same time. He smiled and gestured to Nadia to go ahead.

  She licked her lips and realized he was standing close enough for her to feel his breath when he exhaled. It drifted over the top of her head, sending strands of hair flying. “I understand now about what you were saying earlier. I’m sorry for getting you so worked up, although I never realized such a conversation would do that.”

  His hand tilted up her chin and without any warning he let his lips close over hers. Nadia inhaled sharply as her body came to instant life. He kissed her top and then her bottom lip, licked the crease between and cut it all too short for her liking.

  With his mouth still whispering against hers he said, “Everything I told you was true. I think at night of the ways that I can have you touch and kiss me. I dream of the ways that I could turn the tables on you and show you just what I have learned after being around for as long as I have.”

  Nadia bit her bottom lip at that. His hand clenched on her chin.

  “I want to know you as a friend, someone you would call in the middle of the night when you need them.” He smiled against her lips, his thumb touching one corner in a sensual dance. “And I want to know you as a lover, one that would know every delicious place on your body…I do realize that this might take time, but darlin,’ I can be a patient man.” Another swipe of his thumb, “Are you up for that?”

  She nodded, half dazed with passion already. Hell, what could he do to her when he really turned up the heat?

  “Then we should get cozy tonight. How about you come over in a bit, we’ll have a bite to eat and maybe watch a movie.” He gave her another heart stopping lick across sensitive lips, “maybe I’ll even get lucky enough to hit second base. What do you say?”

  She grinned at his ego coming through. “I’ll be there.” And even though it took every ounce of guts she had, she turned from him and went to her vehicle.

  ***

  Drake pushed his workout extra hard when he got home.

  Knowing Nadia was coming was incentive to keep his simmering lust under wraps, rather than unleash it on her unassuming body. Well, she now realized that he would get a little out of control, but no amount of telling her would prepare her innocent mind for the realization. He would have to be precautious.

  After he finished that, he showered and fixed a light supper consisting of sandwiches and a salad. He was pulling out some movies when she called and said she would be there in a little while.

  Drake stood in
the center of his living area, grinning like a sixteen year old who had just been asked to the prom.

  He had lived for over two hundred years, seen countless things, war, and famine, seen his family grow old and pass on, and still he was astounded to know that there was something in this world that could amaze him. There were still things she needed to know about him and his Druid side, things that he hoped she would take well, as well as she had taken the rest last night.

  There was also the fact that he was tampering with a woman, a woman he had known since she was twelve, that would never stoop to just having a sexual relationship with him. And even knowing all of this, knowing that she was fairly innocent, sweetly demure and totally not his normal brand of woman, he kept throwing out invitations and keeping her on a short chain when around him. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but for some reason he couldn’t allow her out of his sight.

  He hadn’t thought of his past and usually tried to keep from doing so, but thinking of deep feelings for women made him think of the women he had been married to. He was an old fashioned guy when it came to marriage. Even though his standards for relationships now weren’t that way, his marriages had been carried through, at least on his end, with deep feelings of love for each woman, and a hope to make them understand who and what he was. Neither of those things happened, and each marriage had been shortened because of the fact that those women had turned out not to be the right ones to handle that information.

  His sexual preferences were a bit unrestrained and too wild, which had led to his second marriage with Marie, being totally disastrous. Even though numerous years had passed, Drake could still see the unforgettable fear in her eyes when she looked at him. Trying to dispel that fear and calm her hadn’t worked; she had stayed far away from him, bundled in the corner of their house, shaking from head to toe in terror. It hadn’t taken long for her to leave him. He later learned that she had gone berserk in a town in Arkansas, the town deeming her unfit to live alone and they had placed her in a mental ward. The memory of Marie with her long black hair, beautiful curvaceous body and hauntingly sad dark eyes rose up in his mind. He had loved her, more so than Loraine, because something in Marie had needed him, needed his protection, his love, and he had wanted more than anything in this world to give her that. In the end, he hadn’t been able to.