They’d shared a perfect afternoon.
First, he’d taken her on a scenic drive, stopping for a hike through the woods to Track Rock, where he showed her the petroglyphs carved in ancient rocks. She’d even found an old stone arrowhead walking back to the truck.
On the trip back to Maico, they stopped at this local scenic attraction to mill around the exhibits and take in the gorgeous scenery.
“From the road,” Nel began, “this mountaintop looks bald.”
“Hence the name, Brasstown Bald.” Tristan chuckled in her ear.
“How did it get this way? Over-forested? A fungus? Fire?”
“No one is really sure. The top was bare when the settlers came.” Tristan’s voice dropped. “There is a legend, though.”
“Really?” Nel turned in his arms to face him. “A good one, I hope.”
“There are other balds in the southern Appalachians, some right next to fully vegetated mountaintops. I’ve read several ecological and environmental theories, but I’m partial to the Native American legend.”
“Yeah? How does it explain what happened?”
“Before the Anglo settlers invaded, the Cherokee Nation was attacked by terrible flying beasts with a huge wingspan and long, sharp talons. The beasts terrorized the villagers and stole their children.
“A council convened to discuss ways to capture or kill the creatures. After many days, they decided to clear the mountaintops of trees so the bird demons would have nowhere to roost. But the raids continued.
“The villagers built a tower and set up scouts to warn of impending attacks. Eventually, one of the scouts noticed the creatures entering and leaving from the inaccessible cliffs on the mountain.
“Two men attempted to climb down to the den. Unfortunately, they found the task insurmountable due to the smooth, perpendicular walls that protected the giant nest. But they were able to count at least a dozen or more hatchlings feeding on the villagers’ stolen children.”
“That’s horrible.”
“Ever hear of Hansel and Gretel?”
“Good point. Continue.” Nel leaned back into the warmth of Tristan’s chest. His arms wrapped around her waist.
“The villagers urgently prayed to the Creator. Suddenly, thunder roared across a clear sky. Out of nowhere, hundreds of lightning bolts struck the ancient cliffs in succession.
“The earth shook with a mighty force, black trails of smoke curled into the heavens and earsplitting shrieks caused the villagers to fall to the ground, holding their ears.
“Silence fell. The bird demons’ reign of terror was over.”
Silence fell between Nel and Tristan, too. Silence of the amicable kind, not the numbing silence a victim experiences once an ordeal had passed.
Tristan nudged her ear. “Hungry?”
“Not after that story.” In protest, her stomach growled.
“Come on. I know a great place.”
She loved the way he captured her hand, so naturally and without deliberate thought. His fingers curled through hers as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
She shouldn’t like it so much, but she did.
The men she’d previously dated had been awkward and shy, like her. Even a little clumsy when it came to affection. Or they had been so terribly self-absorbed in their own nerdish world that she felt like an outsider in their relationship.
It was all so easy with Tristan. Probably because he’d had plenty of practice. She felt a twinge of jealousy, though she really knew she shouldn’t.
Tristan never made her feel inadequate or not up to his standard. He seemed to genuinely appreciate her company. Maybe even appreciated her.
“You can add mountain climbing to your list of new experiences.”
Nel stopped midstride. “Mountain climbing?”
“Sure.” He pointed at the paved incline they were now descending. “This bald is the tallest mountain in Georgia. We walked all the way to the top.”
Pride pearled in her chest. “Wow. I climbed a mountain.”
“You certainly did, sweet cheeks. You certainly did.”
Chapter 26
Nel awoke in the pillow-soft comfort of Tristan’s oversize mattress. Instead of taking her to the cabin after supper, he’d brought Nel to his apartment to watch a movie. It was a silly comedy neither of them would’ve normally watched, but it contained no violence and no one died, so it was exactly what Tristan had needed. They’d even shared popcorn and soda and a box of Junior Mints.
Nel had eventually fallen asleep while Tristan spoke with Carmen on the phone about the funeral for the boy who overdosed. She rolled to her side, hugging his pillow. It held his clean, masculine scent.
After doing a full-body stretch, she threw back the covers and climbed out. Her toes curled in the thick carpet. Exiting the room, she padded into the living room wearing one of Tristan’s soft T-shirts that hung to the tops of her thighs and caressed her skin as she walked. The yummy smell of bacon and coffee delighted her nose.
She plopped onto a bar stool to watch the chef at work. Earbuds in his ears, he swayed and bobbed to some unknown tune. He glanced behind him, tossing her a saucy wink. Finished with the bacon, he placed the strips on a plate of paper towels to drain.
Tristan tugged the earbuds from his ears. “Morning, sweet cheeks.”
After he poured her a cup of coffee, he leaned across the counter to give her a kiss.
“I could get used to this.” She blew over the rim of her mug.
“Me, too.” Tristan met her gaze.
Nel wondered if Tristan was warming to the idea of a relationship. She certainly was. He opened the oven a few seconds before the timer buzzed, pulled out a ceramic pan and set it on the counter.
“Smells delicious. What is it?”
“Crème brûlée French toast.” He lifted a small pan from the stove and poured the contents over the French toast. “With raspberry sauce.”
“You’re amazing.”
“I try,” he teased without cockiness. He plated the food. “I wanted to serve you breakfast in bed.”
“Mmm.” Nel licked her lips. “Tempting, but we should probably eat here. If we get distracted in bed, the food will get cold and I’m really hungry.”
“I see your point.” Grinning, he grabbed two forks from the drawer and sat next to her as they ate.
“Feeling better today?”
Tristan had not mentioned the boy’s death to her again after leaving the resort. Still, there were moments yesterday when Nel knew Tristan was wondering if there was something he could’ve or should’ve done for the kid.
Tristan gave a noncommittal nod. His gaze lifted from his plate and warmed her skin with a slow sweep of her face. “Are you worried about me?”
“I am.” Nel cared about him. Deeply.
From the start, she’d known better than to allow her heart to become emotionally invested in Tristan.
Everyone had warned her that he wasn’t the type of man to settle down. Yet, the more she got to know him, the more she wanted to believe the naysayers were wrong.
Tristan had a lot more depth to his personality than people realized. Kind, intelligent and sincere, he never made her feel intimidated or lacking.
“Don’t blame yourself for an outcome you had no control over. You can’t save everyone, even though you want to.”
“Figured that out about me, huh?” His hand slid over to hers and he toyed with her fingers.
“It wasn’t hard.” She offered him a smile.
Too bad Tristan wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship. When the summer ended, it would be hard not seeing him. Hard not to call or text.
He probably had the routine down pat.
“What’s wrong?” Concern fill
ed Tristan’s eyes.
“Nothing.” Melancholy would not ruin their time together, no matter how short-lived.
“If you don’t like breakfast, I can make something else. Or we can go out.”
“Breakfast is delicious.” She smiled at him. “If we went out, I’d have to put on my clothes.”
Tristan’s gaze darkened. “I could make it my goal to keep you naked for as long as possible.” He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her closer as he leaned forward. He teased her with a light touch of his lips before he devoured her mouth. He tasted of coffee and raspberries.
“You were asleep when I came to bed last night.” He caressed her thigh, drawing his hand beneath her shirt and along her bare hip.
Heat whipped through her and pooled low in her belly. Anticipation tightened her nipples.
“I’m awake now.”
His fingers danced over her abdomen and down her sex, slipping through her folds.
“I love how wet you get for me,” he breathed heavily.
She loved that he could affect her like that.
He pulled away from her. “Bend over the bar stool.”
“Seriously?” They had a bed, a couch, the floor.
Still, she did as he asked, easing one leg off the seat, then the other. They stood so close together she could feel his heat.
Tristan reached over his head and yanked off his T-shirt. He was a solid wall of perfectly sculpted muscle and tanned flesh. He unbuttoned his shorts and shoved them down. His large erection bounced free.
Her body ached for his hands caressing, stroking her body, his tongue sweeping her mouth, sucking her breasts, laving her folds, his cock filling her, possessing her, driving her to the point of explosive pleasure.
She couldn’t move of her own volition; her bones had turned to the consistency of pudding. He turned her around, urging her to bend over the bar stool and grip the legs for support. Her breasts and belly pressed into the hard wood seat, the hem of the T-shirt rode the curve of her bottom.
“You have a great ass.” Tristan’s warm hands gripped her globes, kneading the flesh. His knee parted her legs, wider and wider.
She swallowed her breath as his fingers slid through her wetness, teasing her opening using the pad of his finger to trace the outer rim.
Oh, god, close. So close.
Impatience grated in her voice as she panted his name. He wouldn’t let her come, at first, drawing out her pleasure until she finally came undone with explosive abandon.
Still reeling in the waves of ecstasy, she felt the plump head of his cock against her folds. He was gathering her wetness before entering. Her knuckles whitened from her tightened grip on the bar stool.
His body curved around her. “Ready, sweet cheeks?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, since speech had deserted her.
Positioned at her entrance, he teased her with false starts. Her groans of aggravation invoked a deep, sexy growl from Tristan.
When he finally pushed a tiny way inside her, she wanted to scream and would’ve pushed back, sheathing him further, if his legs hadn’t immobilized hers.
At his mercy, she would have to endure the sweet torture as he pulled out, entered her again, inching deeper. By the time he filled her completely, she was seeing stars.
He held himself deep inside her and his breaths fell ragged and harsh against the back of her neck.
Good. He deserved to be as on edge as she was.
“I can’t do this slow,” he panted.
“Then don’t.” She gulped.
His sexy laugh was drowned out by the sudden rush of blood to her ears when Tristan began thrusting hard and his sac slapped against her folds. His fingers dug into her hips. The pressure in her sex built to such an intensity Nel felt her body would come undone as wave after wave after wave of pleasure pummeled her senses.
Tristan gave one last thrust and growled. He took several long breaths, then bent over her. “Okay, sweet cheeks?” he asked quietly.
“Uh-huh,” she murmured.
He didn’t withdraw the minute he was finished, and she liked the intimacy of those extra few moments because she could feel Tristan’s presence deep within her soul.
He nuzzled her neck, nibbling up to her ear. God, I love this.
“Me, too.” Nel sighed.
* * *
“What did you say?” Tristan stilled, his heartbeat freezing midstrike.
“Me, too.” Nel turned her flushed face over her shoulder. Contentment shimmered in her eyes. “You said God, I love this and I said Me, too.”
Tristan eased out of her, a smile planted on his face. Something wasn’t right. She shouldn’t have heard his thoughts.
They couldn’t communicate telepathically unless joined through a mate-bond.
A zip of excitement lit up every nerve, every cell in Tristan’s body. He didn’t dare hope it was possible. Independent of a mate-claim, a mate-bond only formed between true mates, binding them together in body, mind, heart and soul. No one in his family had ever developed the ethereal bond with a mate.
Tristan gave Nel enough room to stand and turn around. She tugged down the hem of the T-shirt and he yanked up his shorts.
“We seem to be good together,” she said cautiously. “Or am I totally off?”
He honestly didn’t know how to answer.
“Got it.” She flashed a brave smile but Tristan read the hurt and disappointment in her eyes. “I need to get dressed.”
She turned away.
“You’re not off, Nel,” he said, catching her wrist. “But I don’t know if this is a good thing. My family’s relationship track record is pretty shitty.”
“So, you’re afraid to try,” she said, playfully thumping him dead in the middle of his chest.
He didn’t like how clearly she saw his weakness.
“I wasted too many years afraid to try new things,” she said, chin up and shoulders squared. “I didn’t think I was good enough, smart enough or pretty enough to go after what I wanted.”
“If I ever meet the people who made you believe those things, I might strangle them.”
Probably not the direction she intended the conversation to take, but Tristan didn’t find Nel lacking in anything.
There was a pregnant pause between them.
“If you always do what you have always done, you’ll only get what you’ve always had.” She shrugged.
Tristan really wanted something different. He was tired of filling his life with work so he wouldn’t have too much time to dwell on how empty he felt.
Nel filled the void. Going forward without her seemed unbearable. Shakespeare was wrong. It wasn’t better to have loved and lost than never to have loved. Because deep in his soul Tristan knew if he ever lost Nel, he simply would not be able to go on.
Taking her hand, he led her to the couch. He sat and propped his feet on the coffee table. She scooted beneath his arm and snuggled against him.
“Let’s see how the rest of the summer goes.” Maybe Nel hearing his thoughts had been a fluke. The possibility of a mate-bond forming seemed too far-fetched for him to accept.
He wanted Nel and so did his wolf. But wanting someone didn’t guarantee they wanted you, too. Nor did it guarantee happiness even if they did.
His parents lived with that truth daily. Some people said they were too angry with each other over the accidental claiming to allow the ethereal mate-bond to form.
Others thought a mate-claim was a crapshoot because they didn’t believe mate-bonds existed. Having seen it at work in his friends’ mateships, Tristan certainly believed in the possibility but he simply didn’t have faith that he would be one of the fortunate ones.
As far as he knew, no one in his family ever had a happy mateshi
p. They seemed to thrive on conflict and he had made the choice not to live that way.
Nel snuggled against him, her eyes drifting shut and her mouth curved with a satisfied smile. Tristan pressed his cheek against the top of her head. A feeling of contentment and protectiveness welled inside him.
He’d never actually craved any particular woman, but he certainly craved Nel. He loved her kindness, her bravery, her innocent nature. And the need to join with her, to possess her, to pleasure her, had kept him awake during the night.
And now that he’d given in to the overwhelming instinct, his mind howled Mine, mine, mine with every beat of his heart.
The strange thing was that Tristan hadn’t felt the overwhelming instinct to bite and claim Nel as they made love. He kinda thought he should have, especially if Nel was his true mate.
Instead of having to battle his inner wolf to maintain control, he’d never felt more at peace.
Except for the little prick in his conscience that nagged him to tell Nel the truth about who and what he was.
The doorbell rang.
Nel sat up, eyes blinking rapidly. Tristan handed her the throw he kept draped across the back of the sofa.
With Nel modestly covered, he answered the door.
“Hello, Mother.”
Suzannah swept into the apartment. “Why can’t you answer your phone? You know I hate coming here. Really, Tristan. You can afford to live somewhere other than this dump.”
“This apartment building isn’t a dump,” he sighed. “It’s historic.” Of course, the term was loosely applied. However, he did love some of the old architecture. “Besides, you decorated the apartment for me, remember?”
“Yes, yes. Once I get inside, I’m fine. It’s the hideous three-level walk-up that stabs my eyes.” Suzannah finally took notice of Nel, sitting on the couch, a soft glow of sexual satisfaction radiating from her.
No one could mistake what she and Tristan had been up to this morning.
“Are you feeling well, dear?” She looked at Tristan with a curious gaze.
“I feel great, why?”
“I’ve never known you to bring your sexual partners into your home.”
Charmed by the Wolf Page 18
