Page 136 of Tiger's Dream
“Test what out?” I groused as I followed her to another tree, a small sapling that grew beneath the branches of its much larger brother.
“Here,” she said. “Turn around and stand right there.”
“Okay,” I replied, folding my arms across my chest. “Now what?”
“Now…you need to kiss me.”
My mouth fell open. “I need to what?” I asked, hoping my mind was playing tricks on me.
“You need to kiss me. Just like you did before.”
“Um, no. That’s not a good idea.”
“Why? Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?”
I snorted. “No. It’s just not the way a brother should act.”
Ana scowled. “You are not my brother.”
“No, I’m not. But if he were here, he would agree with me. It’s a bad idea.”
“Why are you proving difficult? I simply wish to test my theory. All I ask is a simple kiss. You did not object to it before.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing before.” I’d raised my voice and even to my ears I sounded a bit hysterical and nervous. “Look,” I said, trying to figure out a way to avoid doing what she asked, “What are you trying to accomplish here?”
Ana put her hands on her hips, and the part of my brain I was trying to turn off sent me the idea that I could easily do as she asked by grabbing her around the waist and tugging her toward me. I told that part of my brain to shut up and frowned at her.
“That tree,” she said, pointing to the tree behind us while keeping her flinty green eyes trained on me, “was created by us, by our kissing this morning.”
I openly scoffed. “That’s…that’s not possible, Ana.”
“Is it not? The roots go all the way back to the Grove of Dreams. There is a direct link. I can feel it.”
“And you learned all this from a leaf?”
She blew out an impatient breath. “See for yourself,” she said, placing my hands on top of the leaf. “Can you feel it?”
Quickly, I snatched my hand away. I felt it, all right. The quivering leaf trembled like Ana’s limbs had when I stroked them.
Ana went on, “The tiny green veins of the leaf pound against my palm like your heartbeat did against my hand. The roots tickle my toes, asking for more nourishment. The creaks of the branches are wistful. The wind teases me with the memory. I am the goddess of growing things as well. This is my realm. It makes sense that the land responds to me in this manner.” With each statement, she inched closer.
I swallowed and tried to think of a way to reject what she was saying. “So…you’re saying you just want to test this theory. Just a simple kiss and you’ll know.”
Arching a delicate brow, Ana answered, “Yes. I will know.”
Sucking in a lip, I said, “Okay then.” I let out a breath like a man going to the guillotine and placed my hands on her shoulders, barely touching her with my fingertips. “Then let’s do it.”
She frowned and said, “Open your thoughts to the sapling behind you. See if you can sense it as I do.”
Leaning forward, I hesitated long enough to see Ana close her eyes and lift her mouth closer. I pressed my mouth against hers as chastely as I could and then pulled back. I couldn’t help but notice her body shuddered.
She slapped my arm. “What was that?” she demanded.
“A kiss. Just like you asked.”
Pacing as she considered, Ana mumbled, “That was nothing like the kisses you gave me before.”
“No, but that’s all I’m willing to do right now.”
