Nel’s cheeks reddened and she stood. “I’ll be in the bedroom. Getting dressed.”
Suddenly, Tristan’s inner wolf wasn’t so happy. Or peaceable.
He waited for the bedroom door to close before he interrupted his mother’s prattle.
“Don’t come into my home and disrespect her again.”
Suzannah moved closer to Tristan, squinting at his face. “Did you do something stupid?”
“No.” Tristan swallowed. “I’m always careful.”
“Good. No woman should have to put up with what I do.”
“Mom, why are you here?”
“I’m looking for the artist you shacked up with a few weeks ago. She wasn’t home. Do your sheriff thing and find her.”
“I don’t need to find Nel, I know exactly where she is.”
The natural arch of Suzannah’s blond eyebrows sharpened. “Are you sure you haven’t done something stupid? You’re not acting like your normal self.”
He’d never felt more like himself. “I’m happy.”
“I do have eyes, dear. Very good ones. You’ve always had a cheerful disposition, but this is something more. You seem...” She looked puzzled. “What’s the word I’m looking for?”
“I don’t know, Mom. Content, maybe?”
“That’s it!” She poked his arm with her index finger. “Content. It’s so very odd for you.”
“Maybe because my screwed-up family is usually driving me insane?”
“Don’t be rude. I raised you better.”
“You didn’t raise me at all.”
Suzannah flinched as if his words had slapped against her face. “Everyone has regrets, Tristan. Probably no one’s are greater than mine.”
The bedroom door opened and Nel emerged neatly dressed with her hair brushed and loosely braided.
“Hello, dear.” Hand extended, Suzannah stepped forward. Her calm, collected demeanor on perfect display. “So delighted to meet you. I’m Suzannah Durrance, Tristan’s mother.”
Nel cautiously accepted the handshake.
“I must say, I admire your work. It’s very quaint and likely very marketable.”
“I don’t understand. You’ve seen my work?”
An uneasy feeling gnawed Tristan’s gut.
“Tristan showed me.”
“What?” Nel’s sharp gaze cut to him. “You know I’m sensitive about my art.”
“Mom found your paintings when she came to see me at the cabin. I didn’t actually show her.”
“I took pictures of your work and shared them with a friend who is a gallery owner in Atlanta. He’s interested in seeing the actual pieces and asked me to arrange a meeting.”
“I don’t know what to say.” A flurry of emotion flickered across Nel’s features.
Tristan held her tightly. He couldn’t be more proud. She had tremendous talent and he wanted the world to see it. He only hoped that when they did, her success wouldn’t take her beyond his reach.
Chapter 27
Nel gripped the armrest as Tristan’s truck jostled along the unpaved road toward a destination she would swear was right dab in the middle of nowhere. The engine strained at the upward climb. Tristan didn’t appear to be nervous or uptight about the steep incline. Maybe she shouldn’t be, either.
She returned her gaze to beyond her rolled-up window. The trees around them were tall and skinny, and the tops bristled with a thick canopy of leaves that blocked a good deal of sunlight.
“How did you ever find this place?” The location was so far off the highway she doubted it appeared on any map.
“Jaxen and I used to roam all through these woods.” Tristan’s grin said he was remembering good times. “I fell in love with the place the moment I saw it. Couldn’t wait to get my license so I could drive up here. It’s a long ride on a mountain bike to fish.”
In the back seat lay Tristan’s fly rod, a well-stocked tackle box, a net and a bucket. Along with a wool blanket and a fairly large picnic basket.
Tucked in the bag near Nel’s feet were her sketch pad and pencils—and a book, just in case fishing wasn’t her forte.
Ahead of them, the woods began to thin and the road began to level.
“Almost there.” He tossed her a wink. “Excited?”
She nodded. “I love picnics.”
“There’s not much better than relaxing outdoors and having a nice meal.”
“So, what is better?”
He shot her a quick look that blazed so hot her skin flushed from the heat. Images of Tristan’s kisses, his hands kneading her flesh, steamed her vision.
She flicked the AC vent toward herself.
“Close your eyes and keep them closed.” Instead of being commanding or demanding, Tristan’s voice sounded playful, so she complied. “Don’t open them until I tell you, okay?”
“Got it.”
The truck bounced a few times, and a slight centrifugal force caused her to lean left. The ride smoothed out and they glided to a stop. “I’d better not see those beautiful eyes peeking at me when I get out.”
He placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
“You won’t,” she sighed against his mouth.
His door opened and he climbed out. The door closed.
Anticipation made her anxious but she kept her eyes tightly shut. Her heart thudded at the crunch of shoes nearing her side of the vehicle. Silence fell, except for the beating of her heart, which pumped a steady stream of excitement into her core. Alone in the woods with a blanket and Tristan...
Her door swung open.
“Did I see you peek?” he teased.
“No, deputy. I did just as you asked.”
“Good. I wouldn’t want to arrest you for failing to comply.”
“I wouldn’t mind the handcuffs.” The words leaped from her mouth without forethought.
Tristan stilled. His hand rested against her hip where the seat belt was clipped.
Nel’s cheeks warmed. She wasn’t sure where that comment had come from or why she said it. Handcuffs weren’t among the few sex toys she had used. Somehow, with Tristan, Nel didn’t think she would mind. She trusted him.
The thought rang clear as a Christmas church bell.
She trusted him.
“Ah, Nel.” He nuzzled her cheek. “You know how to bring a man to his knees, don’t you?”
Really, she didn’t. Her sexual experiences had been quite tame.
She wanted to open her eyes to see Tristan’s face, but he sweetly kissed each eyelid, then sighed.
He helped her from the vehicle and escorted her several feet before they stopped. The roar of water nearly deafened her.
Tristan stood behind her, his arms hugging her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder as his cheek pressed against hers. “Now, open your eyes.”
She did and her breath caught in her throat.
The roar she heard came from a simple but stunning waterfall.
“I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life.”
“I thought so, too, until I met you,” Tristan whispered.
Heat and need fluttered in her sex. Here and now would be the perfect place, but Tristan glanced away.
“We should unload the truck.”
Well, damn. For a renowned ladies’ man, he sure missed a lot of the silent invitations she sent him.
Her heart clenched. Maybe he was losing interest. After all, summer was winding down and she would return to Atlanta soon.
Tristan handed her the picnic basket and blanket without so much as a second glance. He grabbed his fly rod, the bucket and his tackle box. He walked several yards downstream and announced, “This is probably the best spot.”
Nel laid the blanket on the
slightly damp ground. “What’s first?”
“Fishing.” He grinned. “That’s what we’re here for, right?”
“Right,” she said, unenthused. Sports, including fishing, had never interested her much. But neither had mountain climbing or white-water rafting, until she’d gone with Tristan.
He sat cross-legged next to her on the blanket. After opening the tackle box he fingered through a small bin of lures. One by one he held them up in a beam of sunlight, turning each to inspect it from every angle. His brows creased in concentration, his lips pressed firmly together in a dissatisfied grimace until one prompted a toe-curling smile.
“This one.” He held it toward her. “What do you think?”
Nel had no idea, so she said, “Perfect.”
He showed her how to tie the fly onto the fishing line and provided detailed explanations that wafted in one ear and drifted out of the other. Periodically she nodded intently.
She couldn’t care less about the details, but joy danced in Tristan’s eyes as he explained, and she would have to be insane to douse his happiness.
Once everything was to Tristan’s satisfaction, they pulled on their wading boots and carefully eased into the stream. Tristan stood behind her, his left arm curled around her waist, his right arm aligned with hers and his hand molded around her hand gripping the fly rod. After receiving more instruction than she’d ever wanted about fishing, she nodded her readiness.
Tristan slowly pulled back their arms and flicked their wrists. The line whipped over the water. He repeated the action until the lure settled in the exact spot he wanted. Fishing seemed serious business, so Nel didn’t interrupt his concentration. Instead, she relaxed against him, his heat taking the edge off the chilling effects of the water.
Something she could only describe as serenity seeped into her spirit. Not only did she feel Tristan’s presence against her, she felt him deep inside. As if he were rooting into her soul.
She wondered if Tristan felt the same.
After several fruitless casts, Tristan angled Nel slightly and redirected where the hook and bait landed.
She felt a tiny peck on the line. Still holding her hand in his, Tristan teased the line until a solid jerk reverberated up the rod.
“Here we go!” Tristan reeled in the line, brought the fish up and scooped it into the net he had fastened around his hips.
“My first fish,” Nel squealed. “It’s a big one, isn’t it?”
“Yep. You might have just out-fished me.” Tristan grinned. “A few more and we’ll have supper.”
The fish flopped in the net. The large eye on the side of its head stared straight at her. Its open mouth gaped, its gills flared in the air it couldn’t breathe. “We’re going to eat it?”
“Never ate fish?” He laughed.
“I’ve eaten fish.” Never one that she’d caught. “But I don’t think I can eat that poor thing.” Its panicked fish face would forever haunt her dreams.
She bit her lip. This fish was trophy sized. Tristan would never want to give it up, but she had to ask. “Can we put him back?”
She held her breath.
“I’ll tell you a secret.” He removed the hook from the poor fish’s mouth. “I usually put them back.”
Relief poured through her.
Tristan released the fish into the water and it darted away too quickly for anyone to change their minds. He kissed Nel’s temple. “Want another go at it?”
“I’d like to sketch for a while. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all, sweet cheeks.” He helped Nel back to the riverbank and waited for her to get set up, even going back to the truck for the pencils that had fallen out of her bag.
The sun glinted in his hair as he waded back into the water, fly rod in hand. He went out a little farther than he had taken her. His movements were symmetry and beauty. She hoped to capture his essence on the page. When the end of summer came, it might be all she had of him.
* * *
The warm sunlight filtering through the trees reflected off the stream. Even though he wore sunglasses, Tristan’s eyes grew tired from the glare. He’d caught and released more than a half-dozen trout. Nel’s hesitation to consume her catch struck a deep chord with him. She was sweet and tenderhearted to her very soul. He loved that about her.
His heart skipped a beat and he snuck a peek over his shoulder. Her head bowed over the sketch pad, lost in whatever she was drawing, and she couldn’t look more beautiful.
Mine. Mine. Mine.
The sentiment droned in his head and he had no desire to fight it. Her essence was a balm to his aching loneliness.
He wanted more with her, but she seemed content with the way things were between them. Not once had she brought up the matter of what they would do once summer ended.
Nel tucked a ribbon of hair behind her ear and gazed up at him. Catching him staring, she flashed a smile that plumped her cheeks and his cock.
He longed to show her the truth about his wolf but if Nel had no desire to continue a relationship, the revelation might be too much for her to handle.
Although, she had handled more in her life than most would ever suspect. Beautiful, with a quiet resilience, she really didn’t need him to be her champion.
The twinge inside him said he needed her.
She sat up, straightening her back. Her expectant look twisted everything inside him.
He reeled in his line and waded ashore.
“Want to see something spectacular?”
“You bet!” Her eyes glittered. She closed the sketch pad, slipped it into her canvas bag and stowed her pencils.
He reached for her hand and helped her stand. Leading her along the riverbank to the waterfall, he laced his fingers through hers, loving the feminineness of her hand.
“Do I have to close my eyes for this one?”
“That would be dangerous.” He lightly squeezed her fingers.
Her happy expression faltered as her gaze rose toward the waterfall. “We aren’t going to climb up that and jump, are we?”
“I wouldn’t recommend it.” He laughed softly.
“Oh, good.” The cheerfulness in her manner returned.
He led her slightly past the waterfall to a narrow ledge that widened into the opening of a cave. Nel’s mouth dropped open once they were inside.
Eyes wide, her gaze fixed on the curtain of water falling over the larger opening. “We’re behind the waterfall!”
“Yep!”
The sunlight reflecting though the water cast a rainbow of colors inside the cavern. Steam wafted from a hot-spring pool, a rarity he had stumbled upon when he was a kid.
Back then, he’d come here seeking solitude when his parents fought. As a teenager, he’d come when he and Deidre fought. Now he came whenever he needed a clear head, or when lonely or frustrated. He spent more time here than in his apartment.
When he’d set out this morning, he hadn’t planned to show Nel his secret getaway. But now he wanted the memory of being with her here as much as he wanted his next breath.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, almost reverently.
“Glad you like it.” Tristan peeled off his shirt and dropped his shorts.
“What are you doing?”
“Skinny-dipping in nature’s hot tub.”
He sat on the natural edge of the spring, dropping his legs into the perfectly heated water. “Join me?”
“Naked?”
“I’ll leave that up to you.” Tristan slipped into the water.
“Are there amoebas or bacteria in there?”
“None that will harm you.” Tristan treaded water.
At Nel’s hesitation, Tristan relented. “You can sit on the edge and dangle your feet. You don’t have to climb i
n, Nel.”
Though he really wanted her to.
“Will you turn around while I undress and get in?”
“Absolutely not.” His body instantly hard and hot, Tristan closed the distance to the edge. “I’m not taking my eyes off you while we’re near water.”
One little skid on the slippery rock and...
After a long pause of apparent contemplation, Nel turned away from him and began removing her top.
“Don’t be shy, sweet cheeks,” he teased softly. “I’ve already seen you naked.”
She gave him a quick peek over her shoulder, then wiggled her arms beneath her shirt. Seconds later, she dropped her bra onto his pile of clothes.
Her blouse was the next to come off, followed by her pants and panties. She took a deep breath before turning around.
He kept his gaze firmly fixed on Nel’s face while willing his body and his inner wolf to behave. He wanted her safely in the water and comfortable before he gave in to instinct.
She tiptoed to the edge of the pool and sat.
“Ready?” Tristan swallowed hard, his gaze taking in her luscious curves and full breasts.
“Ready,” she said, although her voice didn’t sound as if she were.
He tucked her arm over his shoulder and helped her slip into the water, carefully, so she wouldn’t sink below the surface. “Hold on to me if you want,” he said. “We need to get to the other side. There’s a natural ledge in the rock we can sit on.”
They swam leisurely toward the opposite ledge. “Let me know if the water is too hot.”
“The temperature is perfect.”
They reached the ledge and he made sure Nel was comfortable before situating himself next to her.
“It’s not fair.” Nel’s mouth turned into a pout. She pointed at his chest. “I’m all exposed and you’re not.”
Tristan grinned at the water lapping her breasts. The dark rose nipples hardened into tight points. “I don’t mind one bit.”
“I’m sure you don’t.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“Ah, sweet cheeks. Don’t hide yourself from me.” He tugged her hand free and wrapped her fingers around his stiff cock. “I love seeing you naked.”
“Really?”
Charmed by the Wolf Page 19
