Page 62 of Touched By Moonlight
It tingled under my fingertips and sent a rush down my spine. I knew thatsensation.
Power. Not any magick, but Faepower.
Lifting his head, Nicolas gave me a questioning look. I slid my hand down the tree trunk, the tingle increasing in my body. Power to power. Fae toFae.
“A Fionn Fae was here,” I said. “I can smellit.”
He shook his head. And then he shifted back. Naked he stood before me. “Grayson made certain the land was cleansed before settling here. You must smell something quiteancient.”
Far from it. This scent was new. Fresh as this week. And the power that rushed into me was quite faint, buttangible.
“No. I know what itis.”
Nicolas touched the tree, his nostrils flaring. To my surprise, he shrugged. “I’ll take your word that a Fae was here. Maybe a mild sprite or a forest fairy could have come here and tended to the trees. They did have a bout of fungus last year. Your kind does like to healnature.”
I shuffled my feet in the dirt, feeling a familiar itch to remove my hiking boots and run wild and free through thewoods.
“The tree must hold a scent for your wolf. Why else did you check itout?”
He rubbed the bark, his long fingers caressing it, his expression filled with respect. “Grayson put his mark here, to signify this is his territory. It’s a wolf thing,Sienna.”
A shiver coursed through me. If the alpha had marked the tree, and the scent carried a strain of Fae, it meant Grayson had tangled with the Faebefore.
Had Grayson associated with other Fae before me and not told his pack? Had he slept with other women who were Fae? Why wouldhe?
He took his backpack from me and we continued on through the woods to the river, Nicolas comfortable walking barefoot and nude. I did not shed my clothing. Not yet. Too many questions swirled through mymind.
The path snaked through the trees to a gently sloping riverbank. The area had been cleared of jagged boulders and there were even a few picnic tables set on theground.
Upstream, crystal clear water spilled over rocks, forming a waterfall and a deep pool. Someone hung a rope swing over a sturdy tree limb. The pack must enjoy outings here with the youngones.
After unlacing my hiking boots and removing the thick socks, I dipped my toes into the river. Icy cold and delightful. Giving Nicolas’ well-endowed equipment a mischievous look, I gestured to theriver.
“Comingin?”
Answering with a wide grin, he sauntered over to the rope, grabbed hold and swung, dropping into the pool with a loudsplash.
Clothing shed in record time, I chose to wade into the pool. It was icy cold and felt wonderful. Delighted, I dove beneath the waist-high water, investigating the sandy bottom, the small quartz pebbles glittering in the sunshine. A fat trout, hovering near the waterfall, waved its gills and regarded me withoutfear.
This was a sacred place, a place where creatures lived in harmony and peace. My Fae spirit sang with joy as I swamunderwater.
When I emerged, Nicolas stood nearby, fists clenched, anxiety etched on his face. The scar on his cheek flaredwhite.
“You were down there a longtime.”
My smile faded as I realized he had worried. Another barricade dropped between us. “I’m sorry. I can hold my breath underwater for minutes. Iforgot.”
Then his gaze dropped to my bare breasts and the worry fled. Heat entered his gaze. Good thing the river was ice cold, because his desire for me was definitely warming thingsup.
I crooked a finger. “Comehere.”
Invitation issued, he swam to my side and stood. Water beaded in the thick hairs of his chest, droplets glittering in the sunlight dappling the river. He drew in abreath.
No words were needed. Emotion flared on his face as he touched my breasts. When he began kneading them in gentle, arousing strokes, I reached over to touch his face, needing the connection between us. Faint bristles abraded my fingers as he rubbed his face against my palm, like a wolf seeking affection from hismate.
Leaning into him, I allowed better access. Each caress sent fresh dampness between my legs. The river water rippling around us, wind rustling the pine boughs and the warm sunshine added to my passion. Nick smelled like spices and rainfall on meadow grass, his natural scent bleeding through the fragrance of pine andforest.
Only once had I made love in the water. Back then it had been a Fae in my father’s colony who thought to absorb my power. He was a crude, fumbling lover thinking only of his own pleasure, and sensing this, I held back both my magick and my pleasure. When he came, gasping and pleased with himself, I separated from him and retreated from the water, scrubbing between my legs with leaves to remove his scent and hisseed.
