by Abby Wood
"Do all your . . . ." He paused. "Do all your people, nymphs, whatever you call yourselves, talk so candidly?"
He hurried to take another drink. He'd need the whole can plus five more to find this conversation comfortable. Maybe she had a six-pack hidden away in this cave of hers.
"Yes, we are all very sensual. Self-pleasuring is how we spend all of our free time." She giggled. "You have a hard time understanding me, don't you? I have told you all this. Tell me about you. Do you have a good sex life?" The crinkling of the aluminum beer can in his fist broke the sudden stillness that had descended in the cave. "Uh, yeah. It's fine. Normal."
"Oh, wonderful! I'd hoped you'd say that." She sighed. "I think you'll be happy with me and the things I can do. Everyone says I am a joy to play with."
"Everyone?" He sank into the nearest chair. "Exactly how many people have you played with?"
"Everyone." She reached over for her can and took a sip of the beer. "Here, you seem thirsty. You can have the rest of mine." She placed her can on the table before him.
"If you want, I will introduce you to my people. I'd like to tell them goodbye before we leave."
"Yeah, sure, why the hell not? Let's go visit these friends of yours." Time to end this charade. Unless Pete had managed to convince a whole group of people to prance around naked in the forest, the jig was up. Soon, he'd be hiking back down out of the forest and he could forget all about this crazy adventure and even crazier woman. He glanced at Melanie and sighed. How had Pete gotten such a gorgeous woman to play along with his practical joke? And she acts as if she believes everything she's saying. What a shame. Beautiful, but deranged.
* * * * *
"Arian!" Melanie waved her arm above her head, and, with her other hand, pulled Jared along behind her. "Come on down. Look who's here!" Jared groaned.
She smiled up at him. "You'll like Arian."
"Uh, you're talking to a tree," he scoffed and pulled out of her grasp. He'd indulged her with her make-believe life long enough. If he wasn't careful, he'd find himself acting just as crazy.
He stepped a few feet away and turned his back. A battle raged inside him. Although he wanted to prove her insanity, he found a part of him wished some guy named Arian would fly down out of the tree and say hello, just so he could take her up on her offer. The promise of great sex she'd been dangling in front of him like a damned carrot since the moment they'd met. How fucking crazy was that?
But God, the things he could do with a woman like her. He'd keep her hidden away . . . his own personal girl toy. He adjusted his pants. She'd given him a gnawing hard-on ever since he arrived at the waterfall.
"Hello, Melanie. I see you've brought a visitor." A deep, masculine voice came from behind him.
Jared straightened and turned at the realization another man approached. Shit. Jared stared, open-mouthed. A man, much like Melanie, with long, flowing, flaxen hair, stood beside her. He wore not a stitch of clothing, and his long, thick cock stood at attention. Well I'll be damned.
The man fondled his engorged dick, his gaze going back and forth between Jared and Melanie as if he were waiting for some kind of introduction. Well, I'm sure as hell not going to shake the guy's hand.
"Jared?" Melanie forced her fingers into his closed fist. "Please, won't you meet the other wood nymphs?"
His resolve softened at her request, and he found himself stepping forward to greet the man with a silent nod.
"Arian, this is Jared, the man I told you about . . . my life mate." Melanie withdrew her fingers from Jared's grasp and threw her arms around Arian's waist. With a little smile, the naked man laid his arm around her shoulders. A powerful urge to stake his claim in front of Arian hit Jared deep in his gut. This man held a more forceful weapon than he could fight: A relationship with Melanie. By his action, Arian was forcing him to decide on the spot what he would do. His first reaction came automatically. No way did he want this man taking Melanie from him. He wasn't even sure he'd come back up here again, much less have anything to do with Melanie once he took her off the mountain. His decision on what to do became clear. If she said she wanted him, no way in hell was he leaving her here with this man. Jared glanced down and raised his brows. Arian's short stature wasn't reflected in the size of his cock. The thing must hang down to the middle of the guy's thigh even when his pecker was soft.
"It is nice to meet you, Jared." Arian turned to Melanie. "Have you talked? Where are you going to reside?"
"We haven't really . . . ."
"I'm taking her home with me." Jared raised his gaze to the other man, and challenged him to disagree.
"I understand. Good, good. She will make you a wonderful companion." Arian lifted one brow. "I've enjoyed her for years."
Jared stepped forward, his hand fisted at his side, but Melanie gently wrapped her fingers around his wrist. An overwhelming urge to protect her from other men came over him . She belongs to me, damn it.
He pivoted away from the scene in front of him and bent his head to speak to Melanie. "Is there anyone else you want to say goodbye to before we leave?" He couldn't claim to understand what was going on here or how Melanie had the ability to blur the line between fantasy and reality for him. He swallowed. The incredible attraction he had toward her overruled any sane rationalization. If she wanted out, he'd damn well help her leave.
"You believe me then?"
"I have no idea what I believe anymore." He cleared his throat. "I'm hoping once we are both back in civilization where people wear clothes and don't magically disappear, I'll be able to think clearer.
She squealed and threw her arms around his neck. Her breasts squished against his chest, and to his surprise, his cock pressed at his jeans in pleasure. Hell, he couldn't even control himself when a strange man stood no more than six feet away. How was he any different from Arian?
"Yeah, I'll take you to my house. Maybe back there I can figure out where the hell you people came from, and you can find out if you want to strike out on your own and live a more normal life." He muttered against her hair. I know I'm going to regret this. Damn Pete for filling my head with this mythical shit.
Chapter Five
After Melanie hugged and kissed all the other naked members of her group and promised them she'd remember every new sexual game she learned while away, Jared grabbed her hand and tugged her out of the common area faster than he suspected any nymph traveled through the forest. His impatience seemed to delight her, and she laughed the whole way.
"Do you need anything from your cave?" He didn't stop, but kept the pace he set and hoped she'd say no. With his mind made up, he wanted to get her home and think about the huge decision he'd made. Every time he second-guessed himself, he recalled the way the few men who had been around had jacked off while staring at the women, or touched any female that strolled by. A jealous possessiveness he didn't even know he owned reared its ugly head.
She shook her head. "No, my cave will always be my home, and we can come back to the forest anytime we want. I am ready to head down the mountain." He skidded to a stop and Melanie stumbled into him. How the hell did he expect to get her home without drawing attention? The sight of Melanie's body would have every man—and woman—salivating.
"We have to get you some clothes." He scratched his head. She wrinkled her nose. "I don't have any." She bit down on her lower lip. "Once I go down off the mountain, I have been told my magic is not reliable. I might not be able to disappear long enough to make it to your house." She smiled. "We could stop by Lawrence's cabin and ask him if he has extra clothes I could borrow."
"No, I don't want to involve anyone else. Let me think . . . ." Jared ran his hand through his hair. He hadn't considered all the repercussions of his actions. What if others found out about the cult . . . the nymphs, whatever they wanted to call themselves? Could Melanie survive in civilization? Hold a job? Move out on her own? If she's as innocent and naïve as she appears to be, she probably thinks I'm going along with her idea of a long
term relationship. Jared chewed his lip for a moment, trying to find a solution. Shit. I'll straighten that out later, after I figure out what the fuck I'm doing. He stripped off his shirt, slipped it over her head and tugged it down to her thighs. "That'll cover you up till I work out how to get you more clothes." Right now, he only wanted to get her away from this place, protect her and keep her away from Arian. Something about that man gave him the creeps.
No way was he about to leave her behind and let Arian use her for his pleasure. Jesus . . . just thinking about her being at the mercy of those people every day and night, letting them touch her intimately, filled him with a jealous rage. Thanks to Melanie's help guiding him through the trees, the trip down the mountain proved easier than the hike up. At the small, gravel lot where he'd parked his car he breathed a sigh of relief. The place was deserted. At least he'd get her home without anyone getting a good look at the half-dressed woman he'd brought with him out of the forest.
He pulled the seatbelt around her, clicked it into position, pushed her gently back in the seat and laughed. The way she kept popping her head closer to the window to peer around outside reminded him of Buster, a dog from his childhood who loved to go on car rides. "Anyone would think you'd never been in a car before."
"I haven't." She giggled. "Once a few of us snuck down out of the forest far enough to watch them zoom along the road. I'd never seen anything travel so fast. Even the airplanes flying in the sky go slow. You'd think they'd fall down. I have no idea how they stay up. Even I can't stay levitated long." She turned and ran her hands along the dash, pushing buttons and flipping switches.
He waited till she finished then redid all the dials and knobs. Satisfied she had finished messing with the controls for the heater and radio, he started the car. "Don't touch anything else while I'm driving, okay?"
"Okay, Jared." She tugged at the neck of the shirt. "How long does the journey take?"
"About forty minutes." He shifted into reverse and backed out of the turnout.
"When we get to my house, we're going to sit down and have a serious discussion. You'll need to be quiet and listen to what I tell you, okay?"
"Sure, sure. Anything." She rocked from side to side to position her hands under her thighs. "Am I allowed to speak now?"
He chuckled. "Yes, you can talk."
He expected her to start in on a litany of subjects, but she remained quiet with her face turned toward the side window. What was going on inside that beautiful head?
The way she was staring at everything, you'd think she'd never been outside the forest before. She seems so innocent and . . . . The truth gripped him in a sudden, revealing flash—so very young.
"How old are you?" His gut tightened. That should have been his first thought before he removed her from the only home she'd ever known. Given his typical luck, she'd be underage, and he'd find himself in a world of trouble.
"I am one hundred and eight seasons." She kept her face averted. His foot came off the throttle, and he had to consciously reapply the pressure to keep up with the traffic. One hundred and eight? Wait, she said seasons, that means . . . .
"You are twenty-seven, right?" He shifted his gaze back onto the road ahead. "If there are four seasons in a year, you'd be twenty-seven years old." She turned and smiled. "If you say so."
"I'd never have guessed you're that old," he mumbled. He wiped his forehead; suddenly his skin felt cold, clammy. A symptom of how nauseous he was at the thought of everything they faced. How could he explain her presence? Hey, everyone, meet the woman I found living in the forest. He snorted . Yeah, that'll work.
Inside the city limits, he turned into the first fast–food drive-thru he found, ordered them each a meal and handed Melanie her first treat of something other than nuts, berries and plants. She didn't utter a word but savored each bite. Her moans and sighs filled the car. He sniggered. She sure found pleasure in the damndest things. He had no sooner pulled up in his driveway than Melanie doubled over in the car seat, her face contorted in pain. The empty fast-food wrappers lay at her feet. Uh, oh. It didn't take a genius to understand that her first taste of convenience food had made her feel sick.
"Jared?" She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't feel well. Something is wrong with my stomach."
"Come on, follow me. I'll show you where the bathroom is." He unclipped her seatbelt, hurried around to open the car door and escorted her up to the house. In his haste, he fumbled with the lock, but eventually he managed to get her inside; all the while she groaned in pain. Speaking soothing words, he guided her down the hall and into the bathroom. She raised her head; tears pooled in her eyes. Damn, he should have realized what processed food would do to her stomach.
"I don't . . . I . . . ." She cried out in pain.
He pointed to the toilet. "Sit on it or throw up in it. I'll give you some privacy. If you need anything, yell."
Bent at the waist, she shuffled over and opened the lid. "Go out. I don't want you to watch."
He shut the door and walked into the kitchen. The message indicator on his phone was flashing. He hurried over, pushed the button and groaned. Six messages and he bet all of them were from his boss about missing the meeting this morning. Rolling his eyes at the irate voice on the recorder, he fast-forwarded so he didn't have to listen to Mr. Swanson's anger. He'd sort it out on Monday.
At the last message, he released the fast-forward button and let the recording play.
Jared . . . Pete here. Just checking in to find out if you caught the nymph on your hike today. Loud laughter broke out over the speaker. Jared shook his head. Asshole. After a moment, the laughter died away and Pete finished up his message. Anyway, Chrome- dome threw a fit at the meeting because you were AWOL. Give me a ring back. More laughter. I want to hear all about the fabulous sex you had with the woman. Jared pushed the stop button. What a dickhead.
He rubbed his stomach and realized he was still bare-chested because Melanie had his shirt. He went into his bedroom and found some old T-shirts and sweatpants for her to wear plus a couple of pairs of shorts with strings at the waist she could pull tight enough to stay up on her narrow hips. He'd have to go out and buy her a few outfits tomorrow.
Actually, the thought of her wandering around his house in the nude excited him. His lips twitched. He rather enjoyed the way she pranced around in the buff without a shy bone in her body. His cock rose to attention. Maybe the sheltered wood nymph show she put on for his benefit wasn't an act, and Pete was right all along . . . he'd wandered into a group of wood nymphs. His heart raced and he grinned. Damn. My own wood-nymph-o-maniac living right here under my roof. The next time she offered to play with him, he'd take everything she offered him. God, it was wonderful to be back on his own turf where he felt more confident, where he set the rules. She'll mess up somehow, and I'll figure out what she is up to with this charade. He rubbed his cock through his pants and closed his eyes. Hmm, he could just picture her spread out on his bed, her fingers slick with her own juice, begging him to get her off. With one final squeeze to tide him over until he could have the real thing, he picked up the pile of clothes and returned to the living room. Melanie sat on the sofa, minus the shirt he'd lent her, naked once again. He plopped down beside her, laid the bundle of clothes between them and smiled over at her. She lifted hesitant eyes to him. God, she was adorable. The way her mouth pouted with the edges turned down like a little lost puppy.
Her hand clutched at her waist. Poor honey. I really screwed up, thinking she'd enjoy some real food. "Your tummy still hurt?" He shifted on the couch. His engorged dick pressed against his jeans, making it uncomfortable to sit normally.
"All the food came out of my mouth." A tear slid down her cheek. "I think I am dying. I don't think I can survive without my trees." She sniffed. "Plus, I ruined your shirt."
"Come here." He patted his chest.
She crawled over the clothes and curled up on his lap. He sucked in a breath. Her tight, heart-shaped ass pressed against h
im as she squirmed to find a comfortable spot. She finally settled down with his cock following the crack of her ass, making him pulse with need. He drew her into the circle of his arms and rubbed his hands over her flesh, enjoying the feel of female skin, so smooth and delicate.
"You're not going to die." He chuckled. "Even people who've eaten at restaurants their whole life can experience what you're going through. You're not used to meat or grease, and it has upset your stomach. Haven't you ever thrown up before?" She shook her head. "I also drank something in your bathroom called mouthwash, and it burned my throat clear down to my belly. I thought it might make my mouth not taste so bad."
"Yeah, that's what it's for, but you're not supposed to drink it. You just put a little in your mouth, swish it around then spit it out. Poor baby. Just sit here and you'll soon feel better. We'll have to figure out things for you to eat for a while. I'm not a cook, and usually I just get take-out." He kissed the top of her head. "Everything will work out in time." He laid his cheek on her head.
"I guess I have a lot to learn."
"Not so much. You'll do fine. I'll teach you." He rubbed his hand in a circle on her belly and smiled at the way she purred at his touch.
She was warming up his already heated desire, so he stretched his legs out to give his engorged cock more room. She smelled wild, as if he had plucked her out of a flower garden. His heartbeat sped up as his fingers roamed along her arm, down over her hip to trail to the top of her thigh. He was very close to groping her, but he didn't know if he'd be able to stop once he started.
Under his caresses, she uncurled and stretched out her legs, allowing him to explore the rest of her body. She laid her head back on his arm and smiled, tracing the side of his face in a lover's caress. Surely that signaled her willingness to have him go ahead?
Bending his neck, he kissed her; the taste of wintergreen mouthwash hit his lips. He cupped her hip and drew her closer; the bare skin of his chest encountered her breasts. He groaned and pulled his head back. Her striking beauty sucked the breath right out of him.