Rowan couldn’t make out the exchange, but she could tell he wasn’t about to let the other woman keep him from his objective. He stepped around her and strode toward Rowan. Uncertainty roiled in her middle as he moved closer, heedless of Kathy’s yammering.
Gwydion nodded at Beth as he passed the row where she stood then stopped in front of Rowan with only a clothing rack between them.
“I would speak with you,” he said, his voice a low murmur that stroked her nerve endings.
She turned and checked the time on the wall clock behind her then looked at her boss who’d crossed her arms over her chest and glared pointedly at her. “I’ve got two hours until my shift ends…”
“I’ll wait.” He frowned.
Beth stepped forward. “Actually, the employee handbook says that as long as your shift is covered, you can go.” She glanced at her watch then smiled sweetly at Kathy before turning back to Rowan. “My my shift ends in two minutes. Why don’t you clock out, and I’ll finish up for you? I could use the hours anyway.”
Rowan smiled gratefully at her friend. “Thanks. I owe you.”
Beth leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Yes. You do. Details. And a brother if he’s got one.”
“Fine,” Kathy snapped, her voice tight and brittle sounding.
Smothering a giggle, Rowan looked at Gwydion. “I just need to get my things. I’ll be right back, okay?”
He nodded, his eyes fierce.
Gwydion ignored the stares of the remaining women and watched Rowan disappear through the same door she’d come through moments earlier. The blonde woman’s watery blue eyes were narrowed as she watched him. Her anger and hatred hung heavily in the air like poisonous clouds. It was a wonder she didn’t smother everything around her.
The other woman seemed much more pleasant. With dark hair and bright eyes full of laughter, she seemed the complete opposite of the bitter hag glaring at Rowan as she made her way through the heavy, metal door.
He fell into step beside her as she wended her way through the countless racks of clothing and headed toward the gaping opening where sounds and sights collided to create one of the most unpleasant environments he’d ever experienced. There were so many people and shops. And the noise seemed to echo endlessly off the walls. The smells of cooking food mixed foully with the cloying scent of chemicals and flowers. Grabbing Rowan’s hand, he quickened his pace and tugged her toward the door. The sooner he escaped the press of the crowd and commerce, the better. He took a deep breath as soon as they stepped through the outer doors. The air was still tainted, but it was far better outside than it was in the smothering atmosphere of the building.
Rowan squeezed his hand and smiled sympathetically. “It’s pretty awful in there.”
He guided her from the shadow of the massive structure and into the bright afternoon sunlight. “You spend your days there?” he asked.
“It’s a job.” She shrugged. “And it helps pay for grad school.” She looked around. “How did you find me, anyway?”
He turned to face her. “You summoned me. I will always be able to find you.” Her deep-blue eyes widened and her breath caught. Her gaze dropped briefly to his mouth, and it was all he could do not to drag her against his body and capture her lips. He desperately wanted to taste her.
Blinking rapidly as though waking from a dream, she pulled her hand from his and took several steps back. “How did you get here?” she asked, filling the heavy silence that stretched between them.
“I willed myself to your side.”
Slinging the bag she carried over her shoulder, she nodded before moving toward the acres of vehicles. “Well, I’m headed home. You’re welcome to come with me, or I suppose you can will yourself wherever it is you’re going next.”
“I’ll go with you.” He didn’t want to admit it, but traveling to her had been more difficult than it had been the night before. Perhaps he hadn’t allowed his physical body enough time to rest, or perhaps the tainted air was affecting him in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
Rowan led the way to her yellow VW bug, Gwydion walking purposely at her side. Her stomach still fluttered nervously. He’d been about to kiss her—she was almost sure of it. And stupidly, she’d panicked and backed away.
This was one of the times she wished she could be more like Meaghan—impulsive and a little bit reckless. Meaghan wouldn’t have hesitated. In fact, she probably would have jumped on the whole sacrifice idea when he’d first arrived in the woods.
Sighing, she unlocked the car and got in, watching as Gwydion folded himself into the tiny passenger seat, his knees smashed against the dashboard.
“You can move the seat back and get a little more room. Just reach down between your legs, there’s a thingy you can pull and…”
His eyebrow raised, and his firm lips quirked into a wicked grin.
A flush crept up her neck and colored her cheeks. “Oh knock it off. That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”
His warm laughter washed over her, and she rolled her eyes. She watched as he leaned forward and felt around before he found the release and eased the seat back. She didn’t miss the way his thighs flexed as he shifted. The tingle of awareness that was present whenever he was around increased immensely. Forcing her gaze from his thighs and every other part of him, she put on her seatbelt and insisted that he do the same.
She pulled out into traffic and headed toward home. Gwydion didn’t say anything, but he didn’t seem comfortable with the movement of the car, so she took the back roads. She could introduce him to the highway later. If he stuck around long enough. A pang of sadness tightened her throat at the thought of him leaving. And that was just stupid. She barely knew the guy. Of course, he wasn’t going to hang around. He had better places to be and more interesting things to be doing. After all, he was a god.
As they traveled along the country roads, they discussed what he’d been able to find on the internet. It still surprised her how quickly he’d adapted to this century, but she supposed that whatever mystical powers he possessed played into that.
A reddish-brown streak raced into her peripheral vision. She stomped on the brakes, but a sickening thump let her know it was too late. She’d hit whatever it was.
Chapter Four
Rowan whipped the car to the side of the road and threw it into park. Throwing open her door, she heard Gwydion follow as she raced to the back of the car. A fox tried to lift its head, but it flopped limply back to the ground, a trickle of blood running from its mouth onto the pavement. It looked as if the animal’s back might be broken.
The sound of revving engines reached her from the field. Kids on dirt bikes tore through the new growth hay. They must have startled the poor thing toward the road and into the path of her car.
As Gwydion approached, Rowan dropped to her knees beside the animal, her eyes filling with tears. They began to fall as she looked up at him. “Is there anything you can do?”
“I can put her out of her misery,” he said as he knelt across from Rowan, the fox between them.
“Can’t you heal her?”
He frowned as he petted the creature’s head. “Sometimes, it’s best to let nature take its course.”
“Nature didn’t hurt her. I did.” She glanced at fox panting on the ground. “Please.”
He caught her gaze, his bright-green eyes holding her immobile. “There will be consequences.”
“I don’t care. Just do something.”
He nodded once, his expression solemn. “Give me your hands.”
Rowan held out her suddenly trembling hands, and he turned them to hover palms down over the body of the fox who now gasped for breath. He laid his much larger hands over the tops of hers, closed his eyes and chanted in a language she’d never before heard. A heated rush of energy washed from his body through hers, warming every part of her before it reversed direction and flowed into the injured creature.
Their hands and the animal glowed with an ethereal light that
shined intensely despite the bright sun overhead. Beneath her palms, she felt muscle and bone knitting together, becoming whole again. The knot of horror in Rowan’s chest began to ease as the unnatural bends in the fox’s legs and spine straightened and the broken bones healed. The animal’s breathing slowed, falling into a more natural rhythm, and her eyes closed as if she were asleep.
Rowan had no idea how long she and Gwydion knelt over the creature, but she eventually felt the energy flow slow and finally stop. He lifted their hands from the coarse, red fur. Sitting back on her heels, she watched as the animal opened her eyes and lifted her head. She quickly shifted to her stomach before pushing up on all four legs. She head-butted Gwydion’s knee then turned and sprinted away, far from the annoying hum of the bike engines in the field.
Rowan threw her arms around Gwydion’s neck and hugged him. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”
He pulled her against his body, his arms circling her waist. “Just remember—you were warned.”
She leaned back, pulling from his embrace and looked into his eyes. He looked exhausted, but his gaze still glowed with an otherworldly light. How much had that healing taken out of him? As she stared at him, she became aware of something else. Desire flared brightly to life, twisting low in her abdomen and dampening her pussy. The sudden shock of lust momentarily stalled the breath in her chest. She’d never felt anything so intense in her life. She shifted to her feet and walked toward the car, but moving away from him didn’t lessen her arousal. Instead, it seemed to be growing. Exponentially.
Crawling into the driver’s seat, she felt the seam of her jeans rub against her swollen clit. She’d come if she so much as moved. Gwydion slid into the passenger seat and buckled up, his eyes never leaving her.
She ignored him as best she could and started the car. The hum of the engine vibrated through her, and she had to stifle a groan as she pulled back onto the road. She tried to tell herself she was almost home, but a mile had never seemed so long. By the time she pulled into the driveway, her palms were sweating and she was practically shaking with need. Her nipples had pebbled into aching bundles of nerve endings that rasped torturously against the normally comfortable fabric of her bra.
Turning off the car, she shoved a trembling hand through her hair. She’d never experienced anything like this before. It was almost as if she had a fever. A fever combined with the worst case of horniness that had ever existed. What the hell was wrong with her?
Yeah, she found him incredibly hot. And yeah, she could admit to herself that she wanted him, but this was something else. This was almost uncontrollable. If he touched her, it would be all over. She’d jump him and ride him where he sat. Hell, even if he didn’t touch her, she might do that anyway. Shoving open her door, she got out of the car before she gave in to temptation. He followed a moment later.
“What’s wrong with me?” She forced the words past her dry lips and peered at him through the hair that had fallen across her face again.
“I told you there would be consequences.” His voice sounded strained, and his hands tightened into fists at his side.
“So your healing magic makes people unbearably aroused?”
He took a step closer to her. “It merely amplifies what you already felt toward me. If you’d been angry, you’d be in an uncontrollable rage. If I’d made you sad, you’d be weeping. Since you desire me…” He left the sentence hanging.
“When does it stop?” she demanded.
His lips curved upward in an almost feral smile that made her stomach flutter with anticipation.
“When you’re spent.”
Her mouth dropped open, and she sucked in a needy sounding breath.
He didn’t touch her, but he didn’t have to. His eyes traced the lines of her body, and her skin prickled, his gaze as tangible as a caress. She was on a runaway train. The longer he stared at her, the more intense her need for him grew. Judging from his expanding pupils and increased breathing, she wasn’t the only one affected.
Rowan stepped toward him feeling almost as if she were hypnotized. Glancing down, she noticed the bulge of his hardening cock, and she remembered the sensation of his body cradled between her thighs. Raging desire smothered the last vestiges of her common sense. She grabbed the neckline of his shirt and tugged him forward, drawing his head down. Standing on her toes, she pressed her lips against his.
She’d barely kissed him before his hands settled roughly at her waist. He turned her and pushed her against the back of the house, taking control of the kiss, taking control of her body. A rush of moisture soaked her panties as he lifted her, pinning her against the wall and grinding his cock against her pussy. She locked her ankles around his back and yanked off his T-shirt, letting it fall to the ground. She needed to feel his bare skin against her. She needed to feel him inside her. She needed to have him in the most desperate and primal way possible.
The coursing energy she’d experienced when they’d healed the fox returned with his touch. Every brush of his mouth, every stroke of his fingertips amped her need higher, making it pulsate within her and turn her entire body into an erogenous zone. His lips trailed from her mouth along her jaw line to her ear. His breath, hot against her skin, sent shudders through her as he sank his teeth into her earlobe.
Releasing the tender flesh, he whispered, “You’re mine, Rowan. From the moment you called me from the mist, you’ve been mine.”
She shook her head. It was impossible to respond with anything resembling intelligible words, but she tried. She didn’t belong to him, but at this moment, her body did. It was his for the taking, and they both knew it. When nothing more than a wordless groan escaped her, she gave up and pressed her lips to the hollow at the base of his throat. Her tongue darted out, and she tasted him. Slightly salty and utterly male and she wanted more. She wanted to taste him in the most intimate way possible.
Releasing her grip around his waist, she slid to her feet then dropped to her knees. While she fumbled with the button and zipper of his jeans, she pressed kisses to his stomach. The silky hair covering his taut muscles and skin teased her lips.
A strangled sound escaped him as she freed his cock from the confines of his clothing. Wrapping her fingers around his girth, she drew him to her mouth, engulfing the thick head. His breath hissed through clenched teeth as he buried his fingers in her hair. His short nails abraded her scalp as his hands opened and closed, sensuously tugging at the strands, urging her to take more of him.
Hollowing her cheeks, she swallowed as much of his thick length as she could. She swirled her tongue around his shaft and traced the pulsing veins as she took him deeper. As she looked up the length of his body, she saw that his eyes were closed and his head had fallen back as he pumped slowly in and out of her willing mouth. She’d never been a huge fan of giving head, but there was something about Gwydion that made her want to please him. She drew harder on him only to find his fingers tangling in her hair and yanking her head back.
His cock slipped free of her lips as he tugged her to her feet. “Unless you want your friend to come home to find me fucking you against the wall, I suggest we go inside.”
At that point, she couldn’t honestly say that she cared. Not when all she could think about was having him pound into her until she couldn’t see straight anymore. But she let him lead her into the house and down the hall to her bedroom. As soon as they were inside, he kicked the door shut then spun her around, pressing her back against the cool, painted wood. Slipping a knee between her thighs, he kissed her until she was breathless and writhing against him.
She opened willingly beneath the pressure of his lips, her tongue stroking his as she learned his taste and the contours of his mouth. He caught her startled moan as he reached between them and cupped her breast. The scant contact through several layers of fabric wasn’t nearly enough. She needed more. Arching her back, Rowan pressed her chest into his palm, begging him without words.
His gaze held her immobile as he def
tly unbuttoned her blouse, stripping it off her and baring her lace-covered breasts. Her nipples tightened insistently against the almost sheer fabric, desperate for his touch. She didn’t have long to wait. He yanked down the cups, freeing the aching mounds and exposing them to the cooler air.
Reaching out, she tried to tug his head down. She wanted his mouth on her. Now.
His eyes brightened, and he caught her hands, pinning them to the door above her head. Holding her in place, he traced her areola with his fingertip watching intently as her nipple peaked and goose bumps spread across her skin.
She squirmed between his body and the door, her clit rubbing against his thigh. She was so desperate to come, she was willing to dry hump him like a teenager. Of course, there was very little dry about her at the moment.
Lowering his head, he tugged one swollen nipple into his mouth before switching sides and tormenting the other. Rowan rocked her hips. God, she needed him inside her. And she needed him now.
“Please,” she whispered.
He lifted his head from her damp nipples long enough to answer. “Please, what?”
“Please just fuck me already.”
The feral grin she’d seen earlier was back, and it curled her toes. He released her wrists and slid to his knees, his lips brushing over her belly as he lowered himself to the floor. He quickly unbuckled her belt and unfastened her pants, jerking them down her legs and leaving her in nothing but a pair of sodden underwear and a bra that was half on and half off.
She dropped her hands to his shoulders, urging him to his feet. The energy still bounded through her body. If he didn’t fuck her soon, she’d lose her mind. He stood and wrapped her fingers around the large clothes hook mounted on her door.
“Keep them there,” he murmured against her hair. “I will not be rushed.”
A shivered crawled up her spine as she tightened her hands around the chilly metal.
Sensuous Summoning Page 3
