JoshuasMistake (17 page)

She took his hand and let herself be led up to the porch.
Adianca sat in an old rocker and watched the mess in her yard being cleaned up.
Joshua stopped in front of Adianca. “Shaman, this is my woman, Tessa Clark.”

Everything inside Tessa tightened as if she were a rubber
band pulled too tight.
His woman
, was that what she was? He’d said he
loved her. She knew she felt the same, but he hadn’t asked about her feelings.
In the spirit world she’d told him the truth, but that had been so surreal.

Adianca took her hands. “I am glad you found your way back,
child. Only a very strong person could have gone so deeply into the spirit
world and then returned and it will take such a woman to make Lakeland happy.”

The old woman stood and tugged gently on Tessa’s hands to
bring her low enough so she could kiss her forehead. “I wish you a very good
life.”

Joshua leaned forward and she kissed his forehead as well. “Thank
you, Teacher.”

“Now go and sleep. You will have much to do once you have
rested.”

The two women, Rain and Lucy, forced her to eat and drink
something before she was allowed to go to bed. They were right of course, but
she could barely lift a fork to her mouth. Her body had not been active, but
she had had no rest either. All she wanted was to lose herself in sleep and
pray she would not dream.

Even as badly as Tessa needed to sleep she wanted a shower.
She managed to step into the stall and let the warm water beat down on her for
a long time. She didn’t move, too tired to lift the washcloth and soap.

Joshua’s mind caressed hers as he stepped inside the large
shower stall. She never opened her eyes only let his loving thoughts slip
through hers. She allowed his hands to move over her body soaping her. He didn’t
miss an inch of skin, soaping and massaging her sore muscles as he went. He
washed her hair with strong yet tender fingers. When the last bit of soap was
rinsed away he turned off the water.

She wanted to protest, to insist she needed more of the
pounding water. Yet she didn’t. Her eyes opened and she found him tugging the
towel down from the rack. He dried her face, shoulders, neck and arms. He made
his way down her body, slowly and methodically drying every inch of her. It
might have been erotic if she hadn’t been so completely exhausted.

Lifting her off of her feet, he carried her into the next
room and placed her on the bed. She made no objection to being treated as if
she were a child. Even that would have taken too much energy. She sat cross-legged
in the middle of the large mattress, her eyes slid closed and she dozed until
she felt the tug of a brush through her short hair. Once the snags were pulled
away the motion soothed her and she never felt the last brush stroke.

She didn’t know how much time had passed. It was dark
outside when she woke to find herself tucked close against Joshua’s warm body.
She didn’t remember being moved to lie on the bed or having the covers pulled
up over her. It was a bit sad to have missed such loving moments of Joshua
taking care of her.

“Go back to sleep, beautiful.” He kissed her shoulder.

Giving the pillow a plumping, she complied, letting sleep
pull her back under.

* * * * *

It was even darker when she next opened her eyes. Joshua’s
arms still held her. She could see a tray of food on the nightstand.

“How do you feel?” he asked.

“Strange.” It was true. She didn’t feel pain or fear. Her
body was a little stiff and suddenly being in the real world was odd. Had she
cheated death?

“It’s almost dawn. I helped you sleep.”

“How?” His admission should have made her nervous, but she
trusted him.

“I blocked your dreams, made them unimportant. I thought you
might have nightmares and you needed to sleep.”

“Thank you. Did you sleep?” She rolled in his embrace so she
could face him.

His fingers ran through her hair, pushing it out of her
face. “I did. I can direct your dreams while I sleep as long as we are
connected. I hope you don’t mind my entering your aura without permission.”

The corners of her mouth tugged up. While sensing auras was
not one of her psi talents she did sense the hum of his presence within her. He
didn’t invade, only kept the thread of their connection secure. It was as warm
and comforting as being in his arms. “You always have my permission, Joshua.
You may stay linked with me for as long as you wish.”

His arm wrapped around her ass and pulled her in tight so
she felt his cock hard against her pelvis. A hum of excitement vibrated along
the thread. “And if I say for the rest of our lives?”

She was sure her eyes must have been wide. Her heart sped up
and a bubble of excitement started in her belly and spread outward. Joy and
shock warred in her mind. “Is that true? Is that what you want?”

“I want you, Tessa. I want you for as long as you’ll have
me. I don’t know what I would have done if you’d stayed in the spirit world and
your body had died.”

She didn’t know what to say. It probably should have been
something warm and fuzzy. A normal girl would have hoped he’d have stayed with
her but anger at the man who’d nearly left her shattered in the world of the
dead pushed to the surface. “I hope you would have gotten yourself out and
killed that bastard Banta.”

He pressed his lips lightly on her nose. “I would not have
let you die in vain, if that is what you are asking.”

“But I didn’t die. You saved me.”

He shook his head. “I only convinced you to save yourself.”

“I don’t see the difference.”

He was quiet and even though she could have read his
thoughts through their link she waited to hear his words. Some things meant
more when spoken out loud. “I love you, Tessa. You are the one woman who is
meant for me. I would die for you.”

If her heart could have exploded from pure joy that would
have been the moment. Her chest ached with the pressure of the expansion. It
took her a moment to draw enough breath to speak. “I love you too, Joshua. I
don’t know how it can be possible in such a short time, but I’ve loved you
almost from the moment you walked into the room where I was chained to the
table.”

The smile that spread across his handsome face was filled
with so much joy she was sure she would have said anything to keep the
expression there. His cock pressed harder between them. She pressed her hips
forward in invitation.

“Come with me.” He pushed up off the bed and away from her.

She couldn’t help smiling back at him. She looked down at
her naked body and up at his glorious form. “Where are we going?”

Joshua pulled on a pair of jeans and tossed her clothes onto
the bed. “Hurry, there isn’t much time.”

“Time for what?” She had no idea what he had in mind, but in
spite of her curiosity and the fact she wanted his cock buried deep inside her,
she sat up and pulled on her jeans.

As soon as she was dressed he grabbed the Indian blanket off
the end of the bed and a gun from the nightstand. He tucked the first under his
arm and the second in the back of his jeans. Taking her hand, he tugged her out
of the room, through the quiet house and out the front door.

Several men stood guard outside the house. Two were
obviously FBI and three others must have come from the reservation to protect
their shaman. One of the men nodded at Joshua and he acknowledged him before
leading her to a jeep parked with several other vehicles. As soon as she was
buckled in he drove them into the desert.

The sun had not yet crested the earth as they made their way
across the cold rock and sand.

They’d traveled two or three miles before he pulled to a
stop.

She looked at the canyon and back at him. “Is that the Grand
Canyon?”

He smiled and grabbed the blanket from the backseat and the
gun from the consol. “No. We’re still in Nevada. The Grand Canyon is not too
far off.” He pointed toward the east. Come on. Let’s get out of the jeep.”

She walked with him to a group of rocks standing twenty feet
from the edge of the cliff-face that dropped off sharply. The rock walls were
still in shadow as Joshua leaned against a boulder and pulled her back against
his chest. His arms wrapped around her middle and she relaxed against him. His
warm body and the cool desert air were the perfect complement to each other.

A sliver of sunlight shone over the horizon. Light bled onto
the earth and filled the canyon with color. Orange, red and purple were the
most vibrant colors, but every other hue filled the land as if it were a
kaleidoscope against the rock cliffs.

“My God.” Her breath caught on the words.

Joshua’s lips touched the side of her neck and without
taking her eyes off the stunning beauty before her she leaned her head to the
side to give him better access to the sensitive spot. “Not bad, huh?”

“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” As more
sunlight drenched the canyon more colors saturated the rock walls. A few gashes
of clouds across the sky glowed pink and red. She had to remind herself to
breathe.

“You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, Tessa.
The desert sky pales in comparison to you.”

“I had no idea you were such a poet.” She teased him and
wiggled her backside tighter against his crotch.

His arms snugged her closer and he trailed kisses along her
neck and shoulder. He laughed against her skin. “Neither did I.”

The myriad of color continued to strengthen and change until
the full light of the desert sun began to wash out the deeper shades. So much
beauty in such a short time and then it was gone. The canyon and the desert
were still beautiful, but the colors paled in comparison to the saturation of
the first light of day.

Tessa took a deep breath and turned to face him. “So what
happens now?”

“Now if you’ll let me I’m going to make love to you in the
desert.”

A giggle erupted from deep in her chest and she leaned in to
rest her head on his shoulder. “That sounds wonderful, but I was thinking of
our situation.”

He took her head in both his hands and looked her in the
eye. “We win or we die trying. Though I would prefer we live. But first…”

His lips captured hers with a desperation that surprised
her. Even more surprising was her own neediness after everything that had
happened. She wanted to touch him and have him touch her. Her time in the
spirit world made her yearn for things she could touch, things that did not
slip away.

His fingers raked through her hair and gripped the back of
her head. She clutched at his shoulders desperate to get closer while letting
him explore her mouth.

Tongues, lips and teeth gnashed together. Tessa’s body hummed
and her pussy tightened with desire.

Joshua’s grip constricted as his kisses moved across her
cheek to her ear. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“I was lost. I was broken into pieces.” She trembled at the
memory of the pain of having her aura ripped away.

“How can you ever forgive me?”

She jumped up, wrapping both her long legs round his hips. His
cock nestled hard and snug against her pussy. Only denim separated them. “I
made the choice to put down my barriers.”

He gripped her with both hands at the juncture of her ass
and thighs. “You were protecting me. I should have been keeping you safe.”

She palmed his cheeks. “Who made that rule? What are you,
some kind of Neanderthal?”

He laughed.

“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I could no
more let the bullet kill you than you could leave me in the spirit world to
die. Now are you going to keep up this guilt thing or make love to me?”

He eased her back onto her feet. “I’m probably going to feel
guilty for a while, but I’m still going to make love to you.”

“Get over it, Lakeland. We’re both alive.”

“True.” He took her hand, picked up the blanket he’d lain
across the boulder and tugged her back behind the rock formation.

Once they were hidden she realized the stones formed a
circle that protected a small area of earth. Joshua spread the blanket on the
ground, placed the handgun on the ground next to it and turned to look at her.

She kicked the dirt and crossed her arms over her chest,
unsure what to do next. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t had sex before, but her
heart pounded as if she were a virgin after the prom. Something about knowing
he loved her changed the game. Maybe the difference was it wasn’t a game.
Somehow, by some miracle, Joshua Lakeland had fallen in love with her and
wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Just thinking it made her heart
beat a bit faster.

A wicked little smile turned up one side of his mouth. He
pulled the T-shirt over his head, revealing his ripped abs and solid pecs. She
just stood gaping at him while he unbuttoned his fly and kicked off his shoes.
A moment later he stood in front of her, completely naked and unashamed.

In spite of the cool desert morning his cock was thick and
hard. Tessa found her mouth watering at the sight of him.

His gaze never left her as he stretched out on the blanket.

She toed off her shoes and stepped onto the blanket. She
stripped off her shirt and jeans without waiting to feel self-conscious before
straddling his hips and grinning down at him.

Grinding her hips forward, his cock slid along her slit,
sending sensations shooting through her. She was already wet just from the look
of him, a deep moan started in her chest and blended with a low groan from
Joshua. The tip of his cock found her opening and she pressed down.

“Too soon,” he said.

In a heartbeat he flipped her over and braced his hand under
her head so she had a soft landing on the hard ground.

“If you wanted to be on top you just had to ask. No need to
be so dramatic.” She couldn’t help the girlish giggle that bubbled up.