Tempting the Dryad

by Rebecca Rivard

  A hundred yards downriver they heard two men talking.

  Rosana shot a nervous glance over her shoulder. “Go,” she said in a low voice. “Now. If they find you with me, they’ll tear you apart.”

  His gaze was on her mouth. “It might be worth it.” He moved his hand down to that tight, sweet ass and gave it a squeeze.

  “Stop it,” she hissed but her eyes were half-closed, her body straining toward his.

  His face was just an inch from hers now. “Stop it?” He inhaled. She was aroused, and they both knew it.

  But they were even, because his cock was prodding her belly.

  The rain was falling in earnest now, drenching them both. Her eyes shut, the curly black lashes dark crescents on her damp cheeks. A raindrop rolled down her temple and he caught it with his tongue, then moved down her face to her throat.

  Her head fell back. “Mm,” she said, so low it was almost a purr.

  He nipped her sensitive underjaw and she gave a wriggle that sent heat straight to his balls.

  The voices came closer. Rosana’s eyes flew open. “Get out of here,” she whispered and shoved at his chest.

  “In a minute.” He jerked her up against him for a hard kiss. When she gasped, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth.

  She moaned and sucked on his tongue. Her hands were caught between them, but she wasn’t trying to push him away. No, she had a leg wrapped around his hip and was digging her nails into his skin, practically climbing his body in her effort to get closer.

  He gave her a last, hard kiss and then reluctantly released her. He couldn’t afford an incident right now. But it was damn difficult when everything in him was clamoring to shove down those tiny shorts and take her right here in the woods.

  He tapped her on the nose. “See you around,” he said with a lopsided grin.

  She stared back at him, her chest heaving. “I—”

  He touched his crystal and shifted to his cougar. A few seconds later he was loping back the way he came. Just before he disappeared into the trees, he glanced back.

  Rosana was gazing after him, eyes narrowed, hands fisted on her hips.

  He gave a cheeky twitch of his tail and went to a full-out run.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Tiago finished packing his canvas messenger bag. He stood up and nervously wiped his hands down his T-shirt. Should he put on something nicer? But Alesia liked him in this shirt—she said the blue matched his eyes.

  He slung the messenger bag over his shoulder and headed for the clan marina.

  The young female manning the desk glanced up as he approached. “Hello, Tiago. What can I do for you?”

  “I’d like to check out a kayak.”

  “Help yourself.” The woman—a friend of Rosana’s whose name escaped him at the moment—glanced curiously at his bruised face, but all she did was make a notation on a sheet of paper.

  “Thank you.” He grabbed a paddle and headed to where a dozen kayaks were stored in a small shed at the end of a pier. He set one in the water, stowed his bag in the cockpit and headed upriver—to Alesia’s island.

  He should be feeling like shit. In the past twenty-four hours, he’d been beaten, killed a man—and even though Benny had deserved it, it had still left Tiago shaken—and come within a hair of challenging his own brother for alpha. To top it off, he’d confessed his darkest secret to Alesia and then proceeded to demonstrate that she was right to be afraid of it—and him.

  So yeah, he felt pretty damn bad, and that meeting with Dion and Rui hadn’t helped.

  But he also felt strangely lighter. Like that weightless feeling you get at the end of the day after setting down a heavy backpack you’ve been lugging around for hours.

  He hadn’t realized how much his secret was weighing him down. It was a relief to have it out, at least to his family and Alesia.

  He still might be shunned when the clan found out, but he was starting to think he should be the one to tell them. For one thing, it would be better coming from him, rather than having it spread through rumors and whispers. And for another, he was tired of hiding what he was. If people he’d known his whole life couldn’t accept his Gift, then maybe he’d be better off somewhere else.

  He passed Chico and Elena, patrolling the Susquehanna as their dolphins, and saluted them with his paddle, but didn’t stop.

  It was good to be out on the river. He paddled steadily, gazing around him. The trees on both sides of the river were leafing out, and as he passed Rock Run’s main vineyard he could see workers moving among the vines. His still-healing ribs twinged from the pulling motion and he eased off. Even so, it took him less than a half hour to travel the mile or so upstream.

  As he approached the middle island, his stomach tightened.

  Stop it, he told himself. Alesia would want to see him. They’d been friends for five years, for Deus’s sake. That couldn’t all be for nothing. Hell, she probably already regretted running out on him yesterday.

  But just in case, he was bringing gifts. He glanced at the bag between his feet. Alesia loved surprises. If there was one thing he’d learned in the past few years, it was how to tempt his dryad.

  And then there she was on the narrow beach. Overnight, the temperature had dropped twenty degrees and a brisk April wind was blowing. She was bundled up against the cold in the green wool sweater, slim jeans and work boots from yesterday. She’d jammed a green-and-blue striped cap onto her head and her curls were whipping around her face, and she couldn’t have looked any sexier.

  He gave her a tentative smile. “Hey, querida.”

  She gazed back, unsmiling. Panic sliced up his spine.

  The beast murmured: The female is yours. Take her. You can make her do anything—anything you want.

  Tiago growled. Like hell. If he couldn’t have Alesia of her own free will, then he’d live without her.

  The beast considered that, then subsided. Not convinced, but allowing Tiago to win—for now.

  Sooner or later, the two of them were going to have a reckoning. But not today.

  He turned the kayak toward shore.

  * * *

  Alesia watched as Tiago dragged the kayak onto the beach. When she’d left him, all she could think was that she had to get away. Back to her island and her oak. She was safe there.

  Teleporting so many times in a short period was tiring work. By the time she reached the island, it was dark out and she was exhausted. She ’ported directly to the oak, where she lay along a thick branch, her cheek on the solid, comforting bark. Hot tears slid down her face.

  Her oak rustled consolingly. It didn’t judge. They were bound together for life, but it wasn’t a jealous relationship. The oak knew she required a mate, just as she needed food and water and occasional ventures into the larger world. If and when she found her mate, the tree would rejoice with her.

  At first, Alesia was sure this was one huge, cosmic mistake. Tiago couldn’t be her mate. She couldn’t possibly be bound for life to a man with such a dark Gift.

  Which meant this thing she was feeling couldn’t be the mate bond.

  She wrapped her arms around the branch and cried herself to sleep.

  With the dawn came shame. It hadn’t been easy for Tiago to tell her about his Gift. He’d been hurting, afraid she would think he was some dark, terrifying freak, and what had she done? She’d run away—like he was some dark, terrifying freak. He shouldn’t have tried to use it against her, but he’d been scared, too.

  Goddess, she was a coward. Even if she wasn’t Tiago’s mate, she was his friend. She should’ve been more understanding.

  Now she watched as Tiago took a canvas messenger bag from the kayak’s cockpit. “I brought you something,” he said, hefting the bag.

  He’d obviously been back to Rock Run. He’d shaved and put on clean cargo pants and her favorite periwinkle-blue T-shirt. He stood tall, shoulders back, and if you didn’t look too close, you’d think he was a strong, self-assured man. But his eyes were wary
, and instead of coming closer, he stayed where he was, hands clenched on the messenger bag.

  Guilt twisted through Alesia. She’d done that to him.

  He’d said he was a monster and she hadn’t even argued. She’d known he was seeking reassurance but had been too shocked to give it. She told herself that anyone would’ve reacted in the same way, but she wasn’t anyone.

  She was Tiago’s mate. And even if she weren’t, she knew him, knew with a bone-deep certainty that he was not a monster.

  She tried to smile back, but her lips were trembling. “Hey.”

  “I brought you something,” he said again. “A couple of things.”

  And just like that, she gave in. It wasn’t that he’d brought her gifts. It wasn’t even that he was her mate.

  It was the guarded look on his face, as if he was steeling himself for rejection.

  This was Tiago, the man she loved—and he needed her.

  “Presents?” She crossed the short space between them to look curiously at the bag. “What is it?”

  She wasn’t pretending to be interested. She loved gifts. She hadn’t even known how much she loved them until Tiago started bringing them. Sure, her family exchanged presents at birthdays and the winter solstice, but Tiago’s were special.

  He grinned and relaxed. “Let me see…” He handed her a gold box encircled by a deep brown ribbon.

  She instantly recognized the logo. “Chocolate.” She bit her lower lip.

  She couldn’t produce chocolate on the island, and she didn’t often go into town for supplies because even a small town like Grace Harbor was too crowded for a solitary like her, and besides she didn’t have much money, just a small yearly payment from Rock Run for her contribution to the clan. When Tiago had realized how much she liked chocolate, he’d started bringing her a box every few weeks or so.

  She removed the ribbon and lifted the lid. It was an assortment of dark chocolate—all her favorites. Her mouth watered just looking at all those lovely pralines and ganaches and caramels—and were those truffles?

  “You didn’t have to bring me anything. I shouldn’t have run away like I did.” But her fingers tightened on the box. No way was she giving it back.

  He gave a crooked smile. “It’s customary when you’re courting a woman.”

  Surprise slammed into her. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe. Had he finally realized they were mates? “Is that what you’re doing?” she managed to ask. “Courting me?”

  “Yeah. You’re mine, Alesia—no more running away.”

  No, he hadn’t realized.

  She pressed her lips together. She could tell him, but she wanted him to come to it on his own.

  “I wasn’t the one who ran away the other day.”

  “No,” he agreed. “Like I said, I was an ass. Two times over. I’m sorry, Alesia. You were right—I shouldn’t have tried to use my Gift on you. I promise on the grave of my avó that it will never happen again. I won’t use it on you—not even in fun.” He spoke his true-name to bind himself even further.

  “Thank you. I know you won’t, but—thank you.”

  He flashed her a grin and then reached into the box for a truffle dusted with a reddish-brown powder. “Here, querida.” He held it to her lips. “Have a taste.”

  Goddess, she loved it when he called her querida in that husky voice. She kept her gaze on his and bit into the truffle. It was delicious: a bite of heat followed by dark, lush chocolate. She hummed with pleasure and rolled it around on her tongue, savoring the flavor.

  Tiago’s mouth quirked. “Have the rest,” he said and urged the other half on her.

  “What is it?” she asked when she could speak again.

  “Chili chocolate. They dust it with chili and cayenne powder.”

  “No kidding.” She licked the last bit from her lips.

  “I thought you’d like it.” His gaze was on her mouth, his eyes very blue. He leaned closer and she thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he pulled back and reached into the canvas bag for a second, smaller box, this one white with a teal bow. “I brought you something else, too.”

  “You did?” She set the chocolate on his bag and took the new box. It looked like jewelry. He’d never brought her jewelry before.

  He guided her to sit on the kayak and then watched as she opened the second gift. Inside was a delicate silver willow leaf suspended from a fine leather cord.

  “Oh, Tiago.” Her throat clogged and for a moment she couldn’t speak. She touched the silver leaf. “It’s beautiful,” she managed to say.

  “You like it, then.” His smile creased the corners of his eyes.

  “Oh, yeah.” She picked up the necklace to examine it. The pendant was beautiful, the silver obviously worked by hand, and the fine black cord suited it perfectly.

  Tiago took the necklace from her and motioned her to turn around. “Let’s see if it fits.”

  She set down the box and obeyed, lifting her hair out of the way so he could place the cord around her neck. He fastened the small silver clasp and pressed his lips to her nape. One hand toyed with the willow leaf where it nestled a few inches above her breasts.

  “I love it.” She craned her neck to get a better look. “It’s beautiful. Where did you get it?”

  “In Grace Harbor at a shop a few doors down from the candy store. I saw this a few months ago and thought of you.”

  “Thank you,” she said and turned her head to kiss him. She lifted the leaf so she could admire it. “But I should change, put on something prettier.” She tugged self-consciously on her sweater. It was a muddy heather green and fraying at the elbows.

  “No. You’re perfect.” His hand slid under the sweater and the cotton tank she was wearing beneath, found one of her breasts. He toyed with the nipple and her head dropped back against his shoulder.

  “You could lose the hat, though.” He pulled it off and tossed it onto his bag. “There now.” He pulled her up against him again, his hands on her abdomen beneath the tank top, and nuzzled the back of her ear. “What do you think? Could you be with a man like me?”

  She tried to twist to see his face, but he held her where she was, facing away from him. “A man like you?”

  He nodded against her hair. “You know what I am now. And I admit, I’ve done some things—bad things. But I’m working to control it. What I did last night—that wasn’t me. I swear I’ve never used it on a woman before.”

  “I know.” She squeezed his hands. “And I’m sorry I ran away last night. It wasn’t just that you tried to use your Gift on me. Even before that, I was afraid. I saw what you did to that acorn, and…” She trailed off.

  “I’m sorry, too. It was wrong of me. I lost control.” He expelled a breath. “I guess after the past few days, you may not believe me, but I swear I can control it. Especially when I’m around you. There’s something about you that calms my animal—the beast.”

  “Your beast?”

  He moved a shoulder. “That’s what I call it. My animal’s pretty dark—a beast. But being around you calms it, makes it easier for me to control it.”

  She pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth. “Then I’m glad.”

  But she must have sounded doubtful, because his arms tightened on her. “Damn it, Alesia. Tell me you’re not afraid of me. You know I’d never hurt you.”

  She wriggled from his grip and swung around to face him. “I’m not afraid of you, Tiago do Rio. For one thing, I know you can control it. For another—”

  “How?” he interrupted. “How do you know I can control it?”

  She gripped those big shoulders and gave him a shake. “I just do. Because you did last night, for one thing. And because I know you.”

  He enfolded her in a hard hug. “Thank you,” he said, then added in a voice so low she had to strain to hear it, “Dion doesn’t think I can.”

  “He said that?”

  “Yeah. He said he’s not sure who’s controlling who. He put me on medical leave. I’m
not allowed to go out with my squad until he’s sure of me. He’s got everyone out searching for Jorge and the two sea fada, and I can’t help.”

  “Oh, Tiago.” She wrapped her arms around his big body. “He’s your brother. How can he not know—”

  “I used my Gift against him.”

  Her mouth snapped shut. “Oh.”

  “Just to show him what I could do,” he hastened to say, and explained what had happened at the hotel. “But I can’t really blame him. Hell, if I were alpha, I wouldn’t want someone like me around either.”

  She smoothed a hand over his nape. “Give him time. He’ll come around.”

  “He wants proof I can control my Gift. How the hell am I supposed to give him proof?”

  All she could do was stroke his nape and repeat, “Give him time.”

  Tiago pressed his lips together and then nodded. His hands came to her face and suddenly, they weren’t talking about Dion anymore. His thumbs caressed her cheeks and his gaze held hers so that she couldn’t have looked away even if she’d wanted to.

  “Come with me,” he said. “I want to take you out. A date. Okay?”

  A date? She’d never been on a date in her life. Sure, she’d had what humans called hook-ups. But a date? No.

  She was so stunned all she could do was nod yes.

  “But not here.” He brushed his mouth over hers. “Too many sentries. I want to take you upriver; that’s why I brought the kayak. There’s a little waterfall at the edge of the state park that no one ever goes to.”

  “A waterfall?” Her voice sounded throaty in her ears. “That sounds—”

  They moved at the same time, meeting in the middle. His kiss was hard at first, but as it spun on, it became tender. She felt his need through the mate bond, stoking her own arousal.

  When he lifted his head, his irises were pure silver.

  Her heart skipped a beat, but somehow she wasn’t afraid. “Tiago?” She tilted her head to one side.

  He drew a slow breath. For a few seconds his eyes remained a hot, molten silver, and then they slowly returned to their normal color.