Page 70 of The Mating Claim
Their fingers brushed and she jumped back. So she felt it as well, that sizzling current of pure sexual energy. Her piercing green gaze met his and then he dropped his gaze to see the thin suit clearly showed her nipples standing atattention.
Not wanting to embarrass her, Drust went to the laundry room and found a women’s coverall for swimming, along with a beach towel. He handed both toher.
“In case the sun becomes too intense, you should wearthis.”
But she did not shrug into it to cover her obvious interest. Instead, she clutched both items and stoodmotionless.
“Drust… what is it with you? Why do I feel as if there’s something between us, something that was there for a very long time and won’t end? Like a movie cliffhanger, and you keep waiting to see what happensnext?”
Her lower lip wobbled even though she tried to smile as if this meant nothing. Drust saw through her tough outer layer. Lacey was sarcastic and brusque at times, because she had to put a barrier between herself and a sometimes cruelworld.
Honesty was best. He was an all-powerful wizard and frustrated he did not have any more answers than Lacey did. Acting on instinct, he went to her and slid a hand around her neck, massaging the tense muscles in herneck.
“I don’t know. But let’s not worry about it. You said life is short and should be enjoyed and cherished for every moment. Go suntan on the beach. Go swimming. Relax. Let the movie play out its ending as itshould.”
She stared at his mouth as he tried to fight his own rising desire for her. “Did I ever tell you I hate cliffhangers? I always like to write my ownendings.”
His mouth twitched in a small smile. “Go.”
Drust pulled away before he surrendered to the temptation to kiss her. Because this time he would keep kissing her and not stop until they were naked and giving in to the feelings they bothshared.
Feeling as celibate as an ancient monk, and far more sexually frustrated, he watched her head for the stairs. Drust rubbed his own neck. Ancient monks turned to reading and scholarly pursuits, and so wouldhe.
Upstairs, one of the rooms had been converted to a library lined with books from novels to non-fiction. Sliding glass doors allowed in plenty of natural light and showed the pristine white sands beyond thehouse.
The book he needed was far more complex than a simple novel. Opening the book Caderyn had given him from the Shadow Wizard’s personal library, he began to read the ancient, crampedscript.
An hour later, he knew everything about origin of the Shadow Lands, but was no closer to discovering the location of the entrance where Lacey must throw the book. He shut it, drumming his fingers upon the cracked leathercover.
Sway-backed coconut palms, their fronds rustling in the breeze, flanked the downstairs deck. Beckoning to him in a siren song, the turquoise waters of the outdoor pool sparkled in thesunlight.
You need to lighten up.Tristan was right. Why not enjoy himself for a little while? The box with the book was safely buried, and the sunshine called tohim.
Not Lacey. No, not the allure of Lacey on the beach, sunning herself in that delectable swimsuit that showed her soft skin and roundedcurves.
He went into the smaller bedroom where he’d stored a few pieces of clothing and changed into tan board shorts, a white T-shirt with a surfing logo and shoes he’d heard were called flip-flops. Sitting on the bed’s edge, Drust stretched out his bare legs, giving them a rueful look. Truly this modern clothing was more comfortable, but exposedmuch.
He wandered into the adjoining bathroom and studied himself in the mirror. Well-trimmed black beard and mustache, high cheekbones, physique trim but not muscular like some of the shifters he’d seen, teeth… he smiled. All of them in place and nicelywhite.
Good-looking? He’d supposed. Same way he’d looked for more than 900 years. Back in his mortal life he’d been far too busy trying to protect dragons and shifters and fighting in the violent Fae War than in his looks attractingfemales.
Oh, he’d never had any trouble, but somehow, women and raising a family became secondary to the larger issue of his people’ssufferings.
I look the same the way I did when I died. Well, better than that, considering how Idied.
He’d once told Niki, Tristan’s mate, that he died in a carriage accident. It was a far easier and a less painful explanation than the real cause of hisdeath.
Closing his eyes, he remembered when he’d danced with Niki in Tir Na-nog at a ball held in Tristan’s honor. Newly arrived to Tir Na-nog , happy to be reprieved from the Shadow Lands, he’d enjoyed the ball, but everything had seemed too overwhelming and fragile, as if it would shatter in amoment.
Drust rubbed his chin and stared at his reflection, realizing the uneasy truth. Ever since becoming a wizard of the Brehon, he’d beenscared.
Scared of making mistakes and costinglives.
Scared of letting all that power go to hishead.
Scared of failing his goddess and being returned to the Shadow Lands like one returned damaged goods to a modern departmentstore.
Now he was scared for a different reason. What if he failed to find a way to saveLacey?
