Drawn (Moon Claimed) (5 page)

TEN

Over the next few days Joanne and Tess developed
a pleasant routine, enjoying the early mornings and preparing breakfast together. It was easy for the two women to bond over muffins, cookies and gardening, and Tess felt herself relax and forget the rest of the world. The deep, even painful, yearning that had been a dead weight on her chest lessened with every passing day as she began to feel…at home. The only one missing to make it perfect was, of course, Erin. Their regular phone calls made them feel close, but it wasn’t quite the same and so Erin had decided to come up to Montana as soon as she had the time. In the meantime her sister took great pleasure in teasing her about Nathan.

Nathan. Tess had tried her best to keep him out of he
r thoughts as much as possible. Concerning her body it was easy to avoid too many sizzling encounters. But her mind was a different matter entirely and didn’t make it easy for her. In her dreams, he was always there – which really didn’t help at all. The sexual frustration was killing her. And she knew it was her own damn fault. She sighed to herself as she made her way towards the main cabin. It was just that she wasn’t used to that kind of reaction to a man, Tess could admit as much. What he created in her was fire - scorching, blazing and devouring - whereas the other few men she had been with in her life had only managed a tendril of smoke compared to that. And she had no idea what to do about it.

Tess
didn’t look up when she entered the kitchen that morning, automatically grabbing an apron and tying it around her waist, and asked, “Morning. So what’s on today’s schedule?”

“
On her list are waffles, berries almond smoothies, cream scones, zucchini omelets and hash browns.”

Her head snapped up and she stared at Nathan.
Speechless.

He looked absolutely eatable in faded jeans, torn at one knee, and a
white t-shirt. His feet were bare, showing how comfortable he was here, as if he were standing right in his own kitchen, and his hair was still a little damp from a recent shower.

When she managed to find her voice it was to stupidly ask, “Where’s Joanne?”

“She can’t be here today, so I’ll take over.”

“Is she alright?”

“Yeah. No need to worry.” He cocked an eyebrow. “So…want to help me?”

Or are you too chicken
, rang clearly in the air.

Tess
pursed her lips. She didn’t want to spend the morning here with him, surrounded by delicious scents and the oven’s heat, but then again, neither did she want to boost his ego by thinking she was thrown off guard by him. Even if it was the truth, he didn’t need to know that. And so she straightened her back. She could do this.

“I’ll help.”
She rolled up her sleeves and approached him in a way that she hoped looked professional. “Where do you want me?” She regretted her choice of words as soon as they were out of her mouth.

His eyes seemed to flash gold as they twinkled with mischief and something very wicked and very hot. “Wherever
is just fine.”

The hungry voice was like an expert caress against her clit.
Rolling her eyes at him, in an attempt to detract from the effect he had on her, Tess took her post at the island and shot him what she hoped passed as an unimpressed look. “I’ll take care of the scones, waffles and smoothies. Can you handle the rest?” She was glad that for once her voice didn’t sound as needy and breathless as she felt.

“Oh, I can handle a lot of things, at the same time.”

Flashing a rather wolfish grin, he got out the pans and pots they would need and they got to work.

Tess loved getting lost in the scents and tastes of baking and cooking. Loved toying with recipes and following impulsive ideas. She could get lost in it, her head clear and sharp, her blood singing with energy and…life. There wasn’t much else in the world that made her feel that way. All in all t
he morning turned out to be not as bad as she had expected, especially when they were actually busy making breakfast for the guests and talked about her life in general, her work as a tourist guide and what brought her here.

Tess tasted one of the hash browns to which he had added a dash of oregano and green onions. “
Mmm, that’s damn good. I’ve never met a man before who could cook, I mean, really cook by using a little imagination.”

He shrugged. “Mom wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Tess laughed at that and nodded. “Yeah, guess so.” After taking another bite she suddenly blurted, “I’m thinking of quitting my job.” As surprised by that admission as Nathan she cocked her head to the side, frowning. “Though, until now it hasn’t been more than just that, a thought.”

“But apparently it’s something that you want to do.
Or is something, or someone, keeping you from doing it?”

Tess was so absorbed in figuring out her own thoughts that she didn’t notice Nathan’s gaze darkening at the last question.

“Not really. I love it here. It’s just…”

He frowned. “What?”

“My sister. I can’t imagine living so far away from her. It’d be a first for us. It’s always been Erin and I against the rest of the world.”

“Just the two of you?”

She knew what he was asking. “Yes, we were orphaned. Young. Took us three attempts to land in a reasonably healthy family. They were good parents, don’t get me wrong. They tried their best. But we were already teens when we got to them and after college…Well, nowadays we only see each other twice a year and hear from each other via phone or birthday card.”

“I’m sorry
to hear that.”

“It’s okay.
” Her eyes sparked with an idea. “Hmm, maybe I’ll just have to convince Erin into moving here when she comes to visit.”

Nathan laughed.
“That’s the spirit.”

She smiled at him.

As they continued talking Tess noticed once again how easy it was to connect with him, like it had been from the first moment they had met. And yet the morning was also the torture she had expected. Her frustrated body and mind wanted to picture – and better yet, reenact – all of his well-placed innuendoes, and she was so utterly aware of his every move in the kitchen, that had suddenly become too small and too hot, that when breakfast was done she was feeling as if about to explode.

They were cleaning up the
kitchen; Tess was just finished doing the dishes that didn’t go into the washer while Nathan dried them. Turning towards the bucket full of budding flowers that was standing on the counter to the side, she pulled out several stems and started to arrange them. When she moved to put the small bouquet in the vases that were arranged and waiting to the side, Nathan suddenly reached over to put something away at the same time and his arm brushed against her breast. She froze.

His
heady and sexy scent invaded her brain, turning it useless, and Tess could feel the heat of his body all the way down her left side as if he were pressed against her. His warm breath against her ear, made her tremble.

She turned her head
, looking up into his eyes over her shoulder and delicious shivers ran down her spine as she saw the desire in them. Their gazes met and tangled, molten with sexual awareness, searching each other’s faces. Once again, in the blink on an eye, she was completely turned on by him. Ready for him.

Then he surprised the hell out of her by stepping away from her, a wickedly mean glint in his eyes.
He wanted to make her suffer, did he?

Inwardly she groaned with frustration. Wanted to scream with it. But, yeah, she got it. It was her step to make.

Nathan’s eyes took her in, eating her up, and a grin that did bad things to her body curved his lips.

Eyes narrowing on him, she asked,
“What the hell are you smiling at?”

“Nice flowers.” He gestured towards her hand.

Her gaze followed and widened as she noticed she was still clutching the bouquet in her hand. But what stunned her the most was the fact that the earlier budding flowers were now in full bloom. Her mouth dropped open as she saw that all the other arrangements were as well, surrounding them in a sea of colors.

ELEVEN

Tess didn’t know what to think or to do anymore. So much weird
stuff was going on, from the dreams to the flowers, that she wasn’t even upset about it. But she wasn’t searching for reasons or answers either - those she was afraid of. She felt like being summoned to see her boss after another client complaint, with a lead ball in her stomach, cast out of dread and apprehension. Something was going to happen, she just knew it. But whether it would be good or bad was a mystery.

It was late afternoon and she had decided to hike up to the lake again, in the hope to clear her head.
But apparently that wouldn’t be possible. Tess stopped dead in her tracks, stunned out of her thoughts by the sudden sunlight bathing her. Then she shook her head when she finally realized where her feet had taken her. She was standing at the edge of an all too familiar clearing. Nathan’s house was only a dozen yards away.

She contemplated heading back for only a second, then the noises registered and curiosity won out.
The sounds of saws and other tools she couldn’t identify reached her ears, growing louder the closer she got to the house and leading her around the back.

Oh
boy. The sight was like a kick to the gut and made all her female parts somersault and clench.

Nathan was
working bend over a large, sort of a desk and saw, a jeans and a workers belt riding low on his hips. His bronzed back was bare and bathed in sunlight, with beads of sweat caressing the bunching muscles as if only waiting to be licked off. The muscles working in his arms and shoulders a treat for the eyes. Tess was so glad that he couldn’t see her gawking openly as she imagined running her hands and tongue over that hard body.  

She
noticed a scar on his arm, shrugging off a faint tickling of a lost memory in her mind, and decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to disturb his obvious concentration, especially out of fear she might startle him and he’d end up hurting himself, so she remained where she was. The wind whipped a strand of her hair in her face and she tucked it back behind her ear, not wanting to miss a second of the offered view. Suddenly his head snapped up and he whirled around, his eyes immediately finding her.

Tess tried to keep her cool, although his piercing gaze seemed once again to see right through her, to her soul – and to her desire. “Hey, I didn’t want to disturb you. I was afraid it might end in you getting hurt or something. That thing looks scary, and is quite loud. You couldn’t hear me. Obviously.”
Stop babbling for God’s sake
, Tess chastised herself. Heat crept up her neck and she discreetly ran her suddenly sweaty palm against the thighs of her jeans.

A gentle smile spread across his handsome face, making her heart ache with something she didn’t dare to look at more closely.
She didn’t have any idea as to why but she was thankful when he didn’t hide his own need as he looked her up and down, his smoky gaze almost a physical touch.

“I was working on a sink. And that block there
…” He laughed. “Well, actually it doesn’t know what it wants to be yet.” He shut down the saw, locking down the safety cover and put away his goggles, running a hand through his hair and turning it into a dark, sexy mess.

She approached him
her hands safely tucked into the pockets of her jeans as a precaution, lest they developed a life of their own and came out to play with fire. Only she was allowed to do that for now. Not able to resist, she drew closer until standing face to face, their bodies sensing each other but not touching. His eyes were dark with want and focused on her, only her, and it thrilled her with an intensity that was new to her. Playing with fire, yes she was. Tipping her head back a little, she locked her gaze with his and then kissed him. It started softly, a feathery touch exploring his jaw, moving up to his lips. Their breath mingled, their gazes held. Her tongue darted out, tracing the seam of his mouth and begging for entrance.

In a move so swift it barely registered, he
grabbed her around the waist and sat her down on his working desk. Now it was his time to play. With a groan he dove deep, exploring her mouth, and heat exploded in her veins and pooled between her legs at the taste of him. His hands kneaded her hips, deliciously biting into her flesh as he pressed his hard length into her, making her understand what she did to him. It was heady. His scent, so familiar now, enveloped her as she traced a line to his neck with her tongue, tasting salt, man and sunshine. When she bit him there he moaned and retaliated, biting the soft flesh underneath her earlobe and then lapping the sting away. She shivered.

“Like that do you?”

She couldn’t speak. Yeah, she liked that, a lot.

God, w
ho had she been kidding, restricting herself to only nibbles of him? Utter nonsense. She wanted all of him. Her hands tangled in his hair as she pulled him down once more for a heart-stopping kiss.

His hand
palmed her bra-covered breast, the thumb circling her hardened nipple, and then he pushed his hips against her, his denim-covered length hitting her clit and making her cry out. He didn’t stop and she moved eagerly against him. Their tongues danced with each other, their hands stroked and pinched, their bodies thrusting and the blood rushing through her sang with sweet ecstasy. Tess had never felt so wonderful before, her body was buzzing, close to the release it so desperately wanted.

One hand tangled in her dark blond locks
, he gave a tug to make her look at him. His eyes were dark, sparkling silver gold. “Come for me.”

The deep timbre of his voice and another rub of his straining cock against her was all it took
. Her body tensing she cried out his name, stars bursting in her blood as she held on to his shoulders, her nails biting into his flesh. Her breathing was ragged as wave after wave of light pulsed through, even reaching her toes.

Resting her head against his chest, she breathed him in already imagining how she could return the favor.
Somehow Nathan had known that she wasn’t ready for the real thing, no matter how absolutely ridiculous it might seem – even to her.

But
those thoughts tumbled and fell apart when she opened her eyes again. She immediately saw the scar wounding around his upper arm. So familiar. And of course, now of all times, it had to click into place in her still pleasure-fogged brain.

It couldn’t be. Confusion and
a feeling of betrayal flooded her, making her tremble and taking away her warm glow.

He felt her tense.
“Tess.”

Looking up from the scar and s
taring into those beautiful eyes that always seemed to glint with gold in the sun, she whispered, “Oh my God. You’re him.”

Her imagination
or sexual frustration hadn’t just randomly given the man in her dream Nathan’s face. No, Nathan had been in her dreams long before they had met. The man with the scar, who stood at the lakeshore, alone and sad watching the lake and the moon and waiting for her… was Nathan.

It was too much to take.

She pushed him away and scrambled of the desk.

Nathan took a step towards her, but she held up her hands.
“Tess, let me explain.”

Tess
ran.