by Tena Stetler
Chapter Five
A Perfect Gentleman—Too Good to be True?
And her body was never found… She shook her head to dislodge the voice from her mind and followed him to the trail. He took hold of her hand and intertwined their fingers as they walked the rocky coastline until the trail wound through the brush and trees down to the beach. Waves crashed against the shoreline, and wind gusts brought the ocean spray raining down on them. The sun hung low in the sky as she pulled her jacket tight around her.
The man was a puzzle. One minute he’s gruff and unresponsive, the next patient, attentive, and talkative. It’s like he’s at war with himself. Damn he’s intriguing and—sexy as hell. She liked the air of mystery surrounding him. If she was honest with herself, the hint of danger that lurked around him was a turn on too. Ma and Da would not approve. She snickered.
“What’s so funny?” Tristian stopped in mid-stride and stared at her.
“Oh, nothing. Just that my attraction to bad boys is alive and well. My parents…”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Boys? I don’t think so. Your parents?”
“Wouldn’t approve of you.” She snickered again. “And I used the term boys loosely, meaning males.” Her gaze slithered over him from top to bottom. “Believe me, I’m well aware you’re not a boy.”
“I’m certainly glad you noticed.” He paused for a couple beats. “Your parents—does it matter?” he asked sliding a seductive glance in her direction.
“It should, but it doesn’t. Where are we going?” The ocean breeze stirred, bringing with it the scent of brine and a chill. She shivered.
“Are you cold?” He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her close. “We should head back anyway. Felt good to get away from prying eyes for a bit.”
“It did. I wasn’t sure at first, but… It was a nice ride and walk. Thank you.”
“Since you survived being alone with me, this time. How about dinner at the new restaurant on the cliffs?”
She looked into his large smoldering blue-gray eyes, mesmerized for a moment. It was bewitching how his eyes changed from blue to green tinged with gray depending on the light. “I’d like that.”
The spell he seemed to weave over her was one of her own making. She was sure of it. But she couldn’t remember ever being so attracted to a man so quickly. They’d only met a few days ago, yet, she was so drawn to him it was scary. Who knew what else would follow, if she didn’t get a grip on herself and rein in her traitorous body.
Her kind wasn’t allowed such luxury. Intimacy had major consequences in her culture. She was positive he was nowhere near ready to take those steps now, if ever. A fun romp in the sack wasn’t in their future. There were no exceptions.
“Here we are. I’ll get the car started it shouldn’t take long to warm up.” He reached around her for the door handle but paused leaning into her, effectively pinning her between him and the car. Even after everything she’d just told herself, somehow it didn’t matter. His warm body pressed against her made her heart race, her arms crept around his neck, she arched against him, and breathed in his alluring spicy scent.
His fingers caressed her cheeks, then he buried his hands in her hair as he covered her mouth with his demanding a response. She gave freely to the passion of his kiss, desire spun through her as he deepened the kiss, his tongue stroked and danced with hers. Too soon, he raised his mouth from hers and gazed into her eyes for several seconds. Then he rested his cheek against the top of her head for a beat, breathed a kiss on her hair inhaling deeply before straightening. One corner of his mouth curved up in a half smile as he bent once more brushing his lips over hers, then opened the car door.
“Better get you home.” Tilting his head, he eyed the sky. “Looks like there’s a storm brewing.”
Easing into the seat, she blew out a breath as he closed the door and sauntered to the driver’s side. Tugging on her shirt, she tried to center herself after that searing kiss. He was as good as he looked. She ran the tip of her tongue around her lips still moist from the kiss and sighed.
By the time they picked up her car at the diner and arrived at her house, the rain was coming down in sheets, lightning crashed all around. She shoved open the door, dashed up the path, Tristian sprinting behind her, and took refuge under the covered porch.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come in for a while, at least until the storm subsides?” she asked.
He eyed the darkening sky. “Looks like we’re in for an all-nighter. Thanks for the offer, but if I came in, I wouldn’t want to leave.” He leaned in and kissed her. “I don’t think we want to go there—yet. Thanks for a lovely afternoon.”
She stood on tiptoe and returned the kiss, lingering and savoring every moment she was in his arms.
“I’ll pick you up Saturday night around seven for dinner?”
She nodded and touched her fingers to her lips. “You haven’t put me under a spell, have you?”
Tristian laughed aloud. “Not yet, but am seriously considering it.” He caressed her arm before turning to sprint down the path to his car, he stopped and waved before ducking into the vehicle.
Fishing the keys out of her purse, she unlocked the door, pushed it open, and stepped inside. When she flipped on the light switch, her cottage was bathed in a warm golden glow. She tossed her keys on the light oak coffee table in front of the brown leather couch with buff accents and plopped down momentarily.
The fireplace she’d stacked with wood and crumpled newspaper before leaving called to her. A warm crackling fire would chase the chill of the early spring weather. She pushed up from the couch, took matches from the mantel, struck one against the rock fireplace, bent over, and lit the edges of the paper, then tossed the match among the logs. She flopped back on the couch, pulled out her phone, and tapped in her sister’s number.
Brandy answered on the first ring. “I had a feeling it was you. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing—everything.” Hannah launched into the situation at work, her application for citizenship, the possibility of relocating in the next couple years to Colorado.
“So…what’s really bothering you?”
“I just told you,” Hannah insisted.
“Nooo—you told me things that will shape your future down the road. What’s going on?”
She huffed out a breath. Sis always knows. “I met a man. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever known. Tall, dark blond hair and beautiful blue-gray eyes, square jaw and his kisses…” She sighed. “He makes me feel—I can’t explain it. Darkness and danger roll off him in waves, but he’s also charming, caring, and so damn sexy. It’s like he’s at odds with himself.”
“Sounds hot and yummy…but disastrous for you. He’s not one of us,” Brandy said flatly.
“No. He’s a warlock.” Hannah picked at the seam on the couch between the brown and buff.
“Oh, Hannah, you don’t want to mess around with a warlock that wields black magic.”
“That’s not it. His magic is powerful, but it’s not dark magic. It’s something inside him, a sadness that engulfs him. His parents died when he was young, and he raised his little sister. He’s had a rough life, but I can’t get a sense of him. It’s like he’s immune to my talents. He works some kind of security but won’t tell me much about it.”
“Your soft heart is overpowering your brain. You need to walk away while you still can.”
“I can’t—Don’t want to. I’m drawn to him and he to me…I think.”
“I’m coming out there. Then we’ll see what’s what.”
“No. That would only make things worse. If I can get him to trust me enough to… Well, he’s already told me about his parents and his sister. I got a sense that it’s not something he tells anyone. The info kinda slipped out when we first met. Both of us were having a really bad day.”
“Information like that doesn’t just slip out. He’s playing you, like a fine fiddle.”
“No, he’s not. I can tell that for sure. Trus
t me, sis. If I’d wanted a lecture, I’d call Ma. I needed someone to talk to, to listen to me, so I could maybe figure this all out.”
“Did it work?” Brandy snorted. “By the way, trust is a two-way street.”
Ignoring her sister’s jab, she said, “Not exactly, but…talking with you has helped me sort a few things out. How about you, hear from that skirt-chasing slime you left in Ireland?”
“Nope. Maybe he’s finally taken the hint. I mean what more can I do? Told him I didn’t love him, wouldn’t marry him if he was the last male on earth.” Brandy huffed out.
Hannah giggled. “That’s cold. Put a dent in his huge ego I bet.”
“Couldn’t be helped. I tried letting him down easy, and he offered to come live over here. Couldn’t have that, now could I?”
“Nooooo. Absolutely not. Sis, I gotta go, five in the morning comes awfully early.”
“Don’t I know it. Are you going to be seeing tall, dark, and dangerous again?”
She hesitated a couple seconds. If I tell her the truth, she’ll be on a plane out here. That’s the last thing I need. Wish I hadn’t called her. “Probably not,” she lied.
“Coming to your senses, are you then?”
“Only time will tell. Talk to you next week. Love you.”
“Right back at ya.”
Hannah ended the call feeling worse than before. Now on top of everything else, I worry about when Brandy will show up on my doorstep. I just made things a whole lot worse. She yawned and put the kettle on for a cup of soothing herbal tea before bed.
Chapter Six
How Can the Right Decision be so Difficult for One Man?
Standing under the cold spray of the shower, he shivered. But at least the heat in his crotch subsided. This was the third cold shower he’d taken since leaving her cottage the night before last. He replayed their last conversation in his head and wondered if she wasn’t the one bewitching him. Every time he thought of her, lust zinged to his groin. Turning the shower off, he toweled dry as the doorbell rang. Who the hell is that? Yanking jeans off the back of a chair, he pulled them on and sprinted to the door.
“Birch, what are you doing here?”
Birch grinned. “Now is that any way to greet a friend?”
“It is if you show up unannounced at this time of night.” Tristian’s voice held a sharp edge, but he grinned, held the door open wide, and motioned Birch inside.
“I can’t stay. Freesia wanted to see if you’ve eaten yet? We’re having a late dinner and thought you might like to join us.”
He thought for a moment, then his stomach growled loudly. He’d worked in the gardens all day, trying to keep his mind off her, which didn’t work, attest the cold shower. “Let me put on shoes and a shirt, and I’ll be right over.”
“Good. That’s want I wanted to hear.” Birch turned with a wave and walked toward home.
****
Dinner was lobster tail, biscuits, fine wine, and friendly conversation until Tristian’s tongue got a little too loose.
“Noticed you’ve been around more than usual, taken some time off?” Birch asked casually.
“Yeah, thought about what you said. Told Bruce, I needed some time off to take care of personal matters. Wasn’t a problem.”
“I would hope not. First time in what—ten years?”
“Something like that.” He shrugged, took a sip of wine.
Been spending a lot of time in town,” Freesia said, clearing the table, then setting out plates of strawberry shortcake.
“Some.” Ahh…now the reason of for the invitation rears its ugly head. Tristian took another drink of wine, leaned back in his chair, and narrowed his eyes at Freesia. “Out with it.”
Freesia put her hand to her chest in a gesture of feigned surprise. “Nothing. Nothing at all. Glad to see you out and about, not moping around.”
“First of all, I don’t mope. Second, what I do is my own business,” he said sharper than he meant to. A small town talked, which is why he kept a low profile. He’d bet his life that someone told Freesia about him and Hannah. He wasn’t going to offer any information, on the off chance, he was wrong about their motive. “So how is your garden doing? Any sprouts?”
Freesia’s gaze flitted between her husband’s and his. “Nan said they caught the hoodlums that broke into the diner, and…”
There it was, the bait for their fishing expedition. He finished her sentence for her. “I was instrumental in their capture, then left the diner with a red headed woman. Is that what you’re trying to ascertain?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about,” Freesia said indignantly red creeping into her cheeks.
“The jig is up, hon.” Birch met Tristian’s gaze. “Yes, Frees, heard you were seeing a young woman, then she appeared at your door the other morning. Son, if you’re trying to keep her a secret, don’t have her coming to your door in broad daylight when Freesia is stalking you.” Birch barely got the last words out before he roared with laughter. He wiped his eyes. “To top it off, a couple hours later she came rushing out of the house, jumped in her car, and sped off, while you stood in the doorway with only jeans on. It’s a good thing we’re the only two houses on this bluff, or…”
“Enough,” Tristian growled. “Yes, I’ve been spending time with Hannah, that’s her name. We’re friends and I enjoy her company. End of story.”
“Well…Not exactly. Ernie’s teenage daughter was walking up the path from the beach with her boyfriend the other afternoon.”
“That’s it. I’m headed home. Thanks for the delicious meal.” Tristian grabbed his jacket and bolted out the door.
Birch right behind him, grabbed hold of his sleeve. “We only wanted to make you aware of the rumors. Making yourself scarce while Angie was in college, only strengthened the lore of the recluse in the big house on the ridge. Now you’re out and about, people are going to talk.”
“I was going to cut her loose anyway.” He jerked away from Birch.
“Don’t be an ass. Obviously, you have feelings for this woman. It’s been twenty years. You’re safe. No one here knows who you really are, nor what you do for a living. Get a life before it’s too late, and you die a bitter, lonely old man.” He grasped Tristian by both arms and gave him a shake. “There are no guarantees in life. Take a chance and live rather than exist.” Birch shoved him away and stalked toward the house.
Unable to let it go, Tristian said, “If I’m alone, no one gets hurt.”
“But you.” Birch shot back shaking his head and closed the door.
God, he hated it when Birch was right—and knew it. Tristian changed into sweats and running shoes, took off across the land toward the forested area of his property. After several laps around his and the Coppervale property, he slowed to a walk. The full moon washed everything in silvery shadows as he stood on the edge of the ridge and watched the tide ebb and flow. This was not the way he’d planned his and Angie’s life. Therein lies the problem. Angie, headstrong and independent, wasn’t going to let anyone plan her life. He should have known better, but she didn’t know—because he’d never told her what could happen, or about their parents, or the magic world. Birch was right about that too. She had to know, and he would tell her, but the timing wasn’t right—yet. He’d provided her a protective existence growing up. Was he wrong?
Tomorrow night he’d see Hannah, have a nice dinner and—Aww to hell with it, things will look better in the morning. On his way up the porch steps, he glanced at the Coppervale’s house where lights still blazed in the windows. He’d always thought the faeries kept strange hours. They were usually up no matter what time he arrived home.
Inside his house, he kicked off his shoes and shed his clothes as he climbed the stairs to the bedroom. A warm shower eased his tired muscles. After flipping the spray to massage, he stood under the stream a few minutes longer. Steam covered the mirrors and bellowed out from the shower when he opened the glass door to step onto the vibrant blue
, plush bath mat. He toweled off and crawled into his lodge-style log king sized bed where the first thing to dance through his weary mind was Hannah. His dreams drifted through different scenarios, but they all had one thing in common—her. The last sequence had him cursing his imagination and wishing she was still under him as he opened his eyes and squinted at the sun already high overhead. He rolled to his side and grabbed the phone off the nightstand. This was the latest check-in he’d done since taking leave. Leaning up on one elbow, he scrolled to the number and pressed the green icon.
“Well, well…you did remember us. Seconds to spare in the check in time frame. Seriously…too close for comfort.”
“I know. Sorry. Late night.”
“I hope you were getting laid.” A low male chuckle came through the receiver.
“Hate to disappoint. Had to run off adrenalin before I could sleep. Didn’t get to bed until the wee hours of the morning…why am I telling you?”
“Don’t know boss.”
“Check-in complete. Talk to you tomorrow.” Tristian disconnected the call and flopped over on his back, threw his arm over his eyes as if he could make the world disappear. Finally, he got up, yanked on worn jeans, a dark blue T-shirt, and boots. After wolfing down a couple toasted asiago cheese bagels and a large mug of steaming coffee, he strapped on the gauntlets that held wrist blades and slipped into his black duster. He checked the inside pockets for the proper weapons and strode to the practice range hidden in the trees behind his house. After three hours of practice with magic weaponry, a variety of guns, his favorite crossbow, and wrist blades, he was satisfied and returned to the house to clean up for his date.
A knot in the pit of his stomach grew as he pulled on black suit pants, light gray shirt with thin black stripes, a black European cut jacket, and polished black boots. The front door closed and locked, he sprinted across the porch and down the stairs. A low whistle caught his attention as he opened the car door. Scanning the area, he spotted Birch and Freesia walking along the path to their house.
“Since you are still on leave, are we to assume you are all dressed up for pleasure rather than assignment?” Birch chuckled as he and his wife passed by the entrance to Tristian’s driveway.
