Druid Surrender (A Druid Quest Novel Book 1) (28 page)

“What are you doing?” She picked up the discarded dress, holding it in front of her, hiding all those beautiful curves from him.

The reprimand snapped him out of the fantasy…that she had stripped and been waiting for him wearing only a smile.

“You left.”

Wyatt stalked toward her, and her breathing stalled in her chest at his forbidding look.

She didn’t feel threatened.

Not exactly.

There was something very compelling about having all that focus directed at her, and she shivered at the dangerous allure. Because all it would require was one touch for passion to flare to life, and she would forget everything but her need to be close to him.

For each step he took, Brighid retreated until her back smacked into the wall. “Stop it.”

But he didn’t, not until his body was pressed firmly against hers. He grabbed her wrists, forcing her hands to either side of her head. She wiggled to get loose, both wanting him to take things further, and praying he would not, because then he would see how much she yearned for his touch and take advantage of the weakness.

She twisted her wrists to break free, but his hold remained firm. The heat of his body seeped into hers, the rough feel of his hands on her ratcheted the tension higher until it was almost unbearable. “Let me go.”

Before she made a fool of herself.

“Never.” He leaned down, his face only inches from hers, his breath feathering across her mouth. His lips brushed hers when he spoke. “You broke your promise.”

The danger in his silky comment snapped her spine straight. “I will not be a prisoner.”

He loosened his hold, dragging his hands down her arms. Her skin tingled at the contact, and she pressed her back against the wall to keep from arching into him and demanding more. But instead of releasing her, he placed his palms against the wall on either side of her, effectively surrounding her.

He cupped her jaw, tipping her face up to his, and their gazes locked. “I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

His raw emotion defused her anger, and she rested her forehead against his chest. She’d let things between them go too far. He cared for her, but he didn’t know the truth. She had to tell him, but the thought of losing him terrified her. “You don’t know me or what I am capable of doing.”

She squeezed her eyes shut. She knew this moment would come, but she hadn’t known his opinion would matter so much. She wished she had more time, but he’d somehow found his way into her heart. She had to tell him the truth before he discovered it on his own.

“You know I’m a Druid, but I don’t think you understand what that means.” It took all her courage to lift her head and look him in the eyes. She wanted to judge his reaction without giving him a chance to conceal it. “Why do you think my people are hunted?”

“Tell me.”

He wouldn’t believe her if she told him.

She had to show him.

Her cousins would say she was a fool. Maybe they were right, but when she glanced at him, painful hope lodged in her heart at the possibility of spending a lifetime with him.

Before she did something stupid like throw her arms around him, she thrust out her hands and uncurled her fists.

But his reaction wasn’t what she’d expected.

“You’re hurt.” He cradled her hand in his, a single finger tracing the Celtic knot in the center of her palm, and she bit her lip so she wouldn’t groan at the deceptively simple touch.

She could have smacked herself.

Of course he didn’t know what the symbol meant.

Heat filled her face, and she tugged her hand free before she forgot what she was supposed to be telling him. She balked at openly displaying her power. It would destroy her if his attraction turned into fear.

But she could show him something else. She walked toward the bed. “Come here.”

“Brighid?”

The husky way he spoke her name made her squirm.

“Not that. I want to show you something.” She sat and lifted her feet out for him to inspect. “What do you see?”

He dropped his gaze, his eyes locked on her legs, drawn forward as if in a trance. He knelt and cupped her foot, running a hand up her leg in a lazy caress. “Your tattoos.”

Her foot twitched, and she struggled to breathe as she watched his fingers steal higher and higher. She curled her hands into the duvet to keep from reaching for him.

Then his fingers stopped.

She nearly groaned in complaint, afraid that if she moved, she’d slide off the bed, right into his lap and demand more.

“The tattoo has changed.” He didn’t lift his gaze as he traced the ribbons up her calf.

When she drew back her feet, he grabbed her ankle and dragged her into the sinful warmth of his arms.

“Don’t push me away.”

She dared to believe the promise in his eyes and gave a shaky nod. “Then watch.”

She reluctantly pulled away from his hold and sat back on the bed. She called up her powers and heat surged through the runes, the lines of her feet deepening to a cerulean blue. When Wyatt stood and backed away, fear curdled her stomach, and her spirits plummeted.

She almost called a halt, but she refused to hide anymore. If she didn’t continue, she’d never have the courage to take this step again.

Wind gathered in the room and gave her hair an affectionate tug. The warm air heated her chilled skin, asking for her trust, and she nodded.

As if it were a signal, a current of air whirled around the room before finding its target.

Wyatt.

It swirled around his body in a large caress. His jaw flexed, as if it took everything in him to remain still, his normal tan complexion lightening a few shades. When he reached out to touch the invisible wind, giddiness surged through her, and she allowed the power to fade.

“They hunt us because of what we’re capable of doing. They want to control us and use our powers for their own means. So far, everyone has kept their oath…they’ve all chosen death rather than being held prisoner.”

Wyatt retreated to the chair by the fire. Away from her. She cringed, and a deathly chill burrowed under her skin. He was so distracted, staring at her, that he almost missed the seat. “At the factory, you contained the blast.”

She bit her lip and nodded once. “Yes.”

“Thank heavens.”

Brighid released a shaky breath of such painful hope that her whole body trembled.

He rubbed a hand across his mouth and gripped his jaw. “What other abilities do you possess?”

Pinned under his gaze, she lowered her head, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. She smoothed the fabric of her short chemise, feeling suddenly very exposed.

“Brighid?”

“I’m still learning, but my specialty centers on the elements.”

He’d seen a lot of unexplained things while digging through the underbelly of the world. Nothing shocked him anymore, especially the cruelty of human nature. Although her confession was unexpected, several strange occurrences that happened when she was nearby clicked into place.

He might not understand what she could do, but he understood her. For half a second, Wyatt wondered if she’d put a spell on him to make him fall in love with her, but dismissed it as soon as the thought crossed his mind. She’d pushed him away at every opportunity, fought him at every turn as he tried to court her.

No, he succumbed to her charms all on his own.

How could he not?

She was smart, beautiful and mysterious, a seductive combination that drew him from the start. Her gifts only added an extra dimension that he found irresistible.

Even the phantom caress had aroused him, and he bit back a moan of pure desire. He ached to gather her in his arms, tell her it didn’t matter, but if he went anywhere near her, they wouldn’t be leaving the room for a week straight.

He’d been doing his damnedest to keep his hands to himself and his cock in his pants.

He needed to keep his distance and focused on the hunt.

One mistake could get her killed and that was unacceptable.

Just three more days of unrelenting lust and then he could claim her the way his body demanded.

Wyatt stood then winced when his cock throbbed in protest. Tugging down his jacket did little to hide his arousal. He gave her one last look, then ducked his head away from the delectable sight of her nearly naked form sitting before him, gazing up at him in expectation.

“What you told me changes nothing. You’re my wife, and I’ll be proud to stand by your side when I introduce you as such at the fair.”

“Do you really mean it?”

Her smile was blinding, and he swore his heart missed a beat. When she rose and came toward him, his breath stalled in his chest.

Pure joy shone from her face as she gazed up at him. “I have to admit, I’ve been curious about your secrets, too. It will be nice to start fresh between us.”

“What do you mean?” Wyatt cocked his head, his muscles coiled as he waited for her response.

Her smile wilted slightly. “I thought you wanted to put all the lies behind us. You wanted the truth. I’ve shared with you something from my past so dangerous that it puts what remains of my family in danger.” As the silence stretched, her eyes lost that sparkle that so captivated him “But you have no intention of offering me the same, do you?”

“I don’t know what gave you the idea that I was hiding anything. I assure you, you know everything you need to about me.”

Those brilliant green eyes of her narrowed, and she advanced on him. “Get out.”

He backed away, smacking against the door and rebounded off it as he fumbled with the knob. “We should talk about this.”

She stooped and picked up a slipper and lobbed it at his head. He ducked, watching her shoe smack the wall where he’d stood a second ago. When the second slipper flew straight toward him, he dodged behind the door, tripping over his own feet as he stumbled in to the hall.

The door slammed shut, and he heard the very distinct sound of a key turning the lock. Wyatt sagged against the wall, resisting the urge to barge back into the room and shake sense into her.

Being a spymaster only worked when no one knew you were a spy. He had given an oath to take the secret to his grave. He had no idea what gave him away, but if the news ever slipped out, his family would be ruined. The people he had hunted would come after him, and everything he held dear would be placed in danger, including her.

No, he made the right choice.

In time, she’d come to her senses.

* * *

A
s the day
of the fair approached, Wyatt wasn’t able to come within ten feet of Brighid without her disappearing on him. She became so adept at evading him, he’d swear the smell of her scent lingered in the hall to taunt him.

It drove him insane.

She was being unreasonable.

His frustration bubbled over the day before the fair, and he couldn’t hold his silence any longer. Damn it, he wanted to talk to his wife, but he had no idea how to get her to listen. “Mother, have you noticed anything…wrong with Brighid?”

“Yes.” She snapped and turned her back, acting as if he didn’t exist.

“Not you, too.” Wyatt ran a hand over his hair, then rubbed his temple, trying to relieve the pressure.

The countess glared and picked up a book, clearly dismissing him.

Wyatt spread his hands in exasperation. “This is me asking you for help.”

“You have made a complete mess of everything.” Her eyes narrowed on him, and he held back the instinctive urge to squirm. “You lost, and you didn’t even realize what a treasure you had in your grasp.”

A terrible fear gripped him. “I didn’t lose anything.”

“You crushed something precious with your carelessness.” She picked up her cane as if to thump it on the floor, but seemed to lose the heart for it and set it aside instead. “How long do you think it will be before she disappears?”

Over his dead body. “You don’t understand.”

“She told you about her gifts, and you retreated like a dog with its tail between your legs.”

“You knew?” A pit opened up in his gut.

“Of course. Your great-grandmother had something similar. I recognized it the first day.”

“But—”

“What did you do?”

Wyatt spread his hands. “Nothing. Honest.”

“Ahh.”

“What?” He barked, his frustration threatening to choke him. Who would have thought being a spy was easier than living in a household full of women?

“She told you something so private that it put what remains of her family at risk, and you—” She mimicked him and spread her hands, “—did nothing.”

Wyatt felt his soul shrivel as the implications becoming horrifyingly clear. Hell and damnation…she didn’t understand, and there was nothing he could do to defend himself. “I only meant—”

“To destroy her? To drive her away? To treat her like an abomination? Like—”

“Enough.” He roared out the demand.

“No, it’s not. The child was falling in love with you. From where I am sitting, I cannot see why.”

Wyatt stilled, his world narrowing down to the one word. “Love?”

He ducked when the cane swung toward his head.

“Get out.”