by Tena Stetler
“Are you sniffing me?” she asked in an amused voice.
“Yes. I love the lemony and sometimes raspberry fragrance of your hair.” He wound several strands around his finger, then released them to bounce around her face. “Your many fragrances intrigue me.”
“They do?” she asked, shyly unbuttoning several buttons at the neck of his shirt, slipping fingers inside to caress his bare chest.
He caught her hands in his and held them in front. “Before you derail my train of thought, I’d like to talk about us.”
She tilted her head up at him with a puzzled expression. “Can it wait? This is such a beautiful moment, don’t spoil it with words.”
He sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly. “I’m sorry, but I’ve been thinking a lot about us recently and it’s time for a decision. Let’s make use of the cabana.”
Reluctantly, she followed behind him as he tugged her toward the structure. Inside two chairs covered with matching yellow striped material sat side by side. He motioned for her to sit down and pulled the other chair around to face her, eased into it. Taking both her hands in his, he stared into her sparkling but uncertain blue eyes.
“You have become a very important part of my life, a part that I am unwilling to give up. Your upcoming move to Colorado will complicate our relationship.”
“But you can’t ask—”
“No. I would never ask you to give up a job you love and worked hard to get. But I don’t want us to end up in a long-distance relationship. I couldn’t bear it.” He stood, paced around the area inside.
“Tristian, we can make it work, I know—”
He paused in front of her, hands behind his back. “Just let me finish. I’ve thought long and hard about this. I’ve decided to accept Bruce’s offer to manage my security teams rather than participate physically in the assignments, unless absolutely necessary.”
“I’m so glad.”
He raised an eyebrow and frowned at her.
“Okay, I’m listening.” She picked at the hem of her dress where Tristian had attached it to her hip by magic.
“Geographically, I’d be tied to D.C. only when Bruce was absent. The rest of the time, I can handle my teams’ day-to-day operations from any location I want. We’ve plenty of time to find a house in or around Colorado Springs that will accommodate both our needs. We can upgrade the security systems, add high-speed internet if necessary, whatever will allow you and me to work from that location.” He settled into the chair again.
“I can’t ask you to leave your family home,” she protested.
“You’re not. It’s my decision. We can use my home in Maine as a vacation getaway or a base of operations when necessary.”
“It sounds like we are moving from one day at a time”—she paused a beat, nibbled on her lower lip—“to planning a future together? Am I understanding you correctly?” she asked, peering at him with her irresistible blue eyes coyly from under her long reddish lashes. The edge of the cabana walls flapped in the ocean breeze catching her attention momentarily.
He waited for her full attention. “You’d be correct. “When I wake up, I want to see your beautiful face and sleep tousled hair on the pillow beside me. At night, I crave your soft, sexy body entwined with mine. I want to spend the rest of my life committed to loving you.” Tristian slipped out of the chair and knelt on one knee, pulling out a red velvet box from his pocket, and flipped open the top. Inside the box, a marque diamond ring sparkled surrounded by deep blue sapphires. He took her hand in his and placed the box in her hand. “Would you do me the honor of agreeing to be my wife?”
Hannah’s hand flew to her mouth, as her eyes rounded. “Oh Tristian—”
“Now before you answer, there are a few things I want to make clear. If you agree to be my wife, I want to get married as soon as possible. Our wedding will be attended by only those privy to what I do for a living.”
“Tristian—my family.”
“Now before you go off—listen to my reasoning and future plans.” He tried to put a finger to her lips, but she backed away.
“I can’t get married without my family’s blessing. What kind of a wedding would that be?” Tears welled up in her eyes, though she attempted to blink them back, a single teardrop rolled down her cheek.
“It’s for their own safety, right now. When things settle down and I’m out of the field for a while, then we can have a big reception in Ireland with your friends and family.”
He reached out wiped the tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “This is the way it has to be. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to your family because of me or my enemies looking for revenge.”
“What about me?”
“I know this is going to sound bad. But you know what I do, you know first-hand what can happen. And still, you’ve chosen to be with me. Your family members are innocents, unaware of the danger being related to me poses.”
“So we tell them. Your…our secret is safe with them.”
“Maybe, but I am unwilling to take on that responsibility right now. It’s a big step for me taking you into my life, given what happened to my parents, then Angie due to being mated to Bruce. But I can’t help myself. I’m in love with you.”
Hannah stood, handed the ring back to Tristian and walked stiffly out of the cabana without a word. The ocean breeze caught her hair, flung it around her head creating a red halo in the sun, still she walked on down the beach into the waves. He rose to follow her and thought better of it. She needed time to think. Am I being selfish not putting her family at risk? Maybe… I can’t let her go. But what if? Pacing usually helped him sort out things, but this time. Not so much. So he waited, watching her walk along the shoreline, waiting for the waves to crash over her feet.
It seemed like an eternity until she changed direction and walked toward him. His pulse quickened, his heart thundered. Was this it? Will she leave me? Can I compromise and tell her family regardless of the danger? How could I keep them all safe? Would they accept me, knowing what I am? He stared at the little red box in his hand and cursed, finding no answers.
A light touch on his shoulder and her soft, soothing voice gave him a start. He looked hesitantly into her eyes, fearing what he might see. The compassion, love, and understanding he found there was unbelievable.
“Yes, Tristian, I will be your wife. I love you more than you can ever imagine. But promise me you will find a way to include my family in our celebration as soon as possible after the wedding.”
“Of course, I told you I would. We’ll go to Ireland, have a celebration.”
“Also you need to be aware, that my sister, Brandy, and I have a deep connection. It is possible that we can’t keep this from her. She’ll feel my distress at having to keep our marriage secret. Or she’ll feel my happiness at our wedding. I can’t help it. My family—we’re close—and keeping our marriage a secret is going to hurt them terribly. Also, there is a chance she could appear without warning, even at the wedding.”
“If that happens, we’ll tell her as much as necessary to keep her safe.”
Hannah took the box from his hand and slipped the sparkling ring on her finger. She held it out, wiggling her fingers, watching it wink in the sunlight. “We have a wedding to plan. Do you have a date and place in mind?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
“Of course you do.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips to hers. “Now how about we finish what I started earlier—” Her lips curved in a seductive smile as her sculptured brow arched.
He took her mouth hungrily, lifted her off the ground, and she wound her legs around his waist.
“Right here?” She nuzzled into his neck and kissed a trail along his jawline.
He waved an arm toward the one side of the cabana that was open facing the ocean, a flap of matching material swung across the opening. “Yep, right here.”
If you enjoyed A Warlock’s Secrets, you’ll want to watch f
or Tena Stetler’s next book from The Wild Rose Press, Inc. Here’s a sample:
A Vampire’s Unlikely Alliance
by
Tena Stetler
Demon’s Witch Series
Chapter One
Don’t Loiter On Trails After Dark
Perched on a boulder, hidden behind scraggly branches of scrub oak, Stefan sniffed the air appreciatively. In Glacier National Park, a few yards off the popular Avalanche Lake hiking trail, he watched and waited as the last stragglers made their way down the trail.
The dusky purple sky faded, his favorite time of day when the deserted trails were his alone, except for an occasional wolf, bear, or other nocturnal wildlife. The nightly routine of running the trails around Going to the Sun Road at top speed exhausted his body and reduced his bloodlust. This enhanced his ability to work among humans with little discomfort to him or danger to them.
The blood he’d appropriated from St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena sated his thirst for now. But the supply was dwindling and finding a new source was at the top of his to-do list. Was leaving the Vampire Council his best option? The blood supply was always fresh but his duties sucked. Playing politics wasn’t his strong suit, but orders to terminate the loser went against his moral compass.
Jumping down from the boulder, he landed silently on the balls of his feet and took off at a dead run, too fast for the human eye to detect. Tonight, his run covered several trails as the full moon rose over the mountain tops.
Croaking frogs settled at the edge of a pristine mountain lake, while an owl screeched overhead winging its way through the night sky. This tranquil existence was very different from his previous life.
Nevertheless, the premonitions that kept him alive as an assassin, made him feel things were about to change, almost ominous in nature.
It was nearly midnight when he cut across the Sun Road to another trailhead, so intent on his goal that he nearly collided with an attractive young woman. He skidded to a stop, spraying gravel, rocks and small twigs down the road in front of him.
A pinecone dislodged and bounced along the road past her. Tall and slender, she had miles of fiery red hair that hung down her back in a cascade of curls.
Intense emerald eyes stared back at him, as he attempted to regain his composure, not to mention balance. What the hell was she doing here at this time of night?
“Whoa.” She stepped lightly to the side to avoid the flying debris. “You really should watch where you’re going, especially at that speed.” Her voice scolded, but the smile on her lips teased. “Someone could get hurt.”
Pretending to pant, he shrugged, holding his palms up in surrender. “Just trying to get my run in before work. Stefan Talltree, at your service.”
He stepped closer leaned over in an exaggerated bow and caught her hand, brushing his lips over the palm and wrist, inhaling her sweet scent. AB negative with a pulse of adrenaline, perfect. Her pulse beat a tattoo against his lips. He backed away.
Her heart thundered as she drew her hand from his grasp. “The name’s Brandy. Pleased to meet you, Stefan.” He liked the way her smile reached up into her bright eyes as they swept over him with an appreciative glance. Her voice had a hint of Irish lilt to it. He liked that too.
“Where do you work that requires you to report in at ”—she glanced at her watch—“midnight?”
Nostrils flaring, he paused. Blood? Not hers. The sound of Brandy’s voice brought his attention back to her and the situation at hand. “Oh, shit, I’ve gotta go!” He sprinted off, leaving her standing alone.
As he started down the trail, the tree branches swayed in the silvery moonlight, casting eerie shadows across the trails edge. The breeze brought with it the coppery scent of fresh blood mixed with sulfur. He turned for one last look at her as she wrinkled her nose and crept silently into the wind, tracking the source of the stench.
****
Gravel crunched beneath Stefan’s feet when he crossed the parking lot. Cody had driven his old, beater of a pickup rather than his sleek, black Corvette convertible. No hot date tonight, huh, old man?
Stefan slid the key into the lock and yanked open the radio station door. As he walked by the empty receptionist desk, a faint scent of flowery perfume wafted past him. Turning, he rushed down the dimly lit hallway to the second door on the left. The “On Air” light glowed red above the door. Stefan waved through the glass window of the control room.
Cody flipped the mic off and motioned Stefan in. “Well, well, look what finally dragged himself to work.” Cody ran his hand over the stubble on his chin. “Come to think of it, I don’t remember you ever cutting it this close. Russ’s golden boy ain’t perfect,” Cody crowed shaking his head in mock amazement.
“Shut up. I’ve ten minutes before you’re off shift.” Stefan said, glaring as he closed the door. He took off his leather jacket, tossing it on the back of a chair located under the tiny window to the outside. Glancing around the small room, he finally located the play and traffic lists hanging on a hook above the computer monitor suspended from the ceiling.
He yanked the lists off the hook and reviewed all the commercials set to run during his shift. Stefan noted Cody had checked them all off and made sure they were in the correct time slots. Stefan’s expression softened, the corner of his mouth lifting in a half grin as he looked down at the older DJ. “Thanks, man. I owe you.”
“Gee, now there’s something new. Hey, you get lost on the trails again?” Cody tugged his hand through his brown hair, which was graying at the temples. Then turning back to the board, he checked the minutes left on the song and made sure another was in cue. Though everything was computerized now. But old habits die hard and dead air, whether from computer error or human mistake was something to be avoided at all costs.
“Maybe.” Stefan’s grin faded. He snatched the playlist off the counter and quirked a dark brow, staring down at Cody. “Does it matter?”
Cody snorted and gave Stefan a sideways glance. “Or was it one of those groupies who’s always hanging around at your remote appearances hoping for an intimate rendezvous.”
Stefan narrowed his eyes. “You know I don’t mess with that kind. Not my type.”
“Hell, then send them my way. That petite brunette last week at the Flathead County Fairgrounds was HOT!” Cody wiggled his bushy salt and pepper eyebrows then grinned.
“She probably has a boyfriend. You’ll be hiding out like last month after you met up with…who was it?” Stefan dropped the list of songs onto the counter. An eyebrow arched, he looked at Cody.
“Sophie. How was I supposed to know she was married?” Cody’s hazel eyes twinkled with feigned innocence.
“Uh, the gold band on her left hand is usually a dead giveaway.” He slapped Cody on the back and gave him a shove. “Now get out of here. I’m sure you have better things to do than shoot the shit with me.”
Cody raised his hand in a sloppy salute, turned and sauntered out the control room door. The latch clicked softly behind him. Stefan checked the playlist and commercials against the computer, one final time then grabbed his headphones. It was ten minutes before his first stop set, so he swung his leg over the chair and settled in.
Leaning back in the chair, his thoughts drifted to the woman on the trail and the foreboding feeling that crept through him before meeting her.
Normally, the solitude of the radio station’s midnight shift soothed him. But tonight he was edgy. Pacing back and forth across the control room floor like a caged animal, desire stirred inside him, and the unwelcome craving for naked female flesh under him. Tired of one-night stands, he wanted someone who mattered. He swore under his breath and muttered, “Never again.”
Yet the need to find that red head seemed all-consuming. Even though he knew instinctively it wasn’t safe for either of them…unless. Ruthlessly, he shut down the emotions swirling in his gut and turned back to the control panel. I have a job to do. He shoved her out of his mind, adjusted his headphones and tu
rned on the mic.
“Cody has left the building,” Stefan said in an amused voice. “I’ve quite a lineup for you tonight. So kick off your boots, sit back, and relax. Need to hear something? Give me a call. I’ll be here all night at Big Fish radio.” His deep smooth voice flowed out over the airwaves to his listening audience of night owls. With a flick of his finger, the “On Air” light went off, and his mind flipped back to the mystery woman.
Avoiding the trails for a while seemed the best course of action. She’d be an unwanted complication in his world. He couldn’t be trusted and certainly not with a human female. If she was human, why didn’t she shy away tonight? Normally, warm-blood’s subconscious knows I’m a danger to their very existence.
Although he had to admit, since settling down in Whitefish, not many shied away from him anymore. The more interesting question was…what if she wasn’t human? She’d make an intriguing diversion.
Knowing he shouldn’t didn’t keep him from wanting to return to the trails and look for her.
The blue flashing light on the wall signaled a phone call and yanked him out of his thoughts as he snatched the receiver. “The Big Fish, what’s your pleasure?”
After a slight pause, a sultry female voice whispered through the phone. “Is this the tall, muscular hunk that prowls the trails of Glacier National Park after dark?”
Waves of lust crashed through him without warning. He stood to relieve the hard-aching ridge forming under the zipper of his jeans. Staring out the tiny window into the darkness, he said, “Well, it depends on who’s asking.”
“I guess you’ll have to come back to the trails to find out,” she purred and hung up.
Standing at the counter, he stared at the receiver. “What the hell?” he said to the empty control room, slamming the receiver down onto its cradle. Rubbing the back of his neck, he rolled his shoulders to release the tension.
A word from the author…
