Elemental (10 page)

“Yes,
thank you very much.” Anna added.

“You
are both very welcome.”

The
drive back was beautiful. Snow-laden branches arched over the road and
everywhere they looked a blanket of pristine white stretched over the land. It
was dreamlike, resembling a winter wonderland.

From
the corner of her eye, Mandy noted movement through the trees. For a moment she
could have sworn she saw a large animal running, but when she tried to locate
the source of movement again all she saw was empty forest. Convinced her
imagination was getting the best of
her,
Mandy turned
back in her seat and attempted to mentally prepare herself for the night ahead.

Tonight
she would invite Nicolas back to her room.
To her bed.

*
* * *

Dinner
was slightly strained after the men had dropped their little bomb about the
werewolf marking around the castle’s land. Mandy and Anna both found themselves
on edge after the news, but Mandy was downright afraid.

She’d
narrowly escaped death at the hands of this beast once—thanks to Anna—but what
would happen if it attacked her again? What if they were both injured? Anna
might be able to heal herself, but Mandy was only human. She was vulnerable…a
liability in their world.

Sure,
she had her telekinesis, but that would only help her out for a short time. She
still wore down quickly if she used her ability for long periods of time, or if
she was attempting to move large objects.

And
that damn wolf was huge. Was it so wrong to hope one of the villagers managed
to trap the beast and end his existence? She couldn’t imagine the worry she
would feel over that creature still being on the loose when it was time for her
to return to school and leave everyone here behind.

She
was going to have to face the fact that Nicolas had not mentioned her staying,
and that Jonathan would likely not be returning with her now that he’d found
Anna. She didn’t blame him. In fact, Mandy wished Jonathan and Anna all the
love and happiness she wished to someday find for
herself
.

Sadly,
Mandy felt that she’d found love with Nicolas. He was accepting, caring,
attentive, and affectionate…all of the things she’d wished for. The only
problem was that he seemed to always pull away just when she wanted more. His
lingering touches had been driving her mad, those heated stares warming her
from the inside out, and his mouth… That sinful little half-smile he had could
melt her at twenty paces. But if he was attracted to her and considered her his
soul mate, then why was he always pulling back?

“Mandy?”

Her
name, whispered in her ear, nearly startled her out of her seat. Turning her
head, she found Nicolas wearing a slight frown on his handsome face as he
studied hers. “Yes?”

“Are
you alright? You haven’t said much and you’ve eaten even less,” he pointed out,
gesturing to her still full plate.

“I
guess my nerves are getting the best of me. I’ll be fine, though.” Her stomach
was a jumble of butterflies over both the fact the wolf was obviously still
near and the fact she still intended to invite Nicolas to her room. If he
declined her offer, then she would know where she stood.

“You
really should eat something,” he coaxed. “You’ve been out and about for most of
the day, and I’d hate for you to end up hungry tonight. Maybe I can have
Garrett hold a plate for you, just in case you do get hungry later.”

“That
would be nice, thank you.” There he went, being all considerate and caring
again. Mandy sighed. He really was a confusing man. A small nudge to her calf
had her looking up to find Anna giving her a very pointed look.

“Jonathan,”
Anna said, “I find that I actually am a little tired from our trip to the
village. Will you come up to bed with me?” She smiled sweetly up at Jonathan,
and the man went all soft right before Mandy’s eyes.

He
needed no more prompting than that and they both excused themselves before
leaving the room.

“You
should probably get some rest too,” Nicolas suggested.

“Would
you join me?” Wow, that had come out a little more brazen than she’d expected,
but she could work with it, especially when that spark entered his eyes.

“I
could do that,” Nicolas replied, his voice a husky rasp. He rose from his seat,
called out to Garrett to leave a sandwich for Mandy, and then proceeded to lead
her to the stairs. Just when they reached the base, he came to a halt. “I need
to know, are you inviting me to your room for the reason I think you are?”

How
the hell did a girl answer that? Well, it turned out a blush and a nod would do
just fine. In the next moment, Mandy found herself scooped up into a pair of
strong arms as he took the steps two at a time in his haste. She was eternally
grateful that she’d had the foresight to shower and don her new under-things
before dinner, because it didn’t look like she would be getting the chance to
do so now.

Chapter Eight

Nicolas
could not believe it. Apparently his subtle seduction had worked. His fated
mate was inviting him back to her room. He was tempted to pinch himself, but
feared he would wake up and find that it had all been a dream…again. Every
night since she’d
arrived,
his dreams had consisted of
various scenarios including their making love, her accepting his proposal, and
even one of her rounded with his child.

That
was one of his favorites.

The
few times his brother had asked him if there was anything in particular that he
would like for Christmas, all Nicolas had been able to answer was, “Mandy, with
my ring on her finger,” to which his brother would only smile and walk away.
The infuriating ass.
The truth was
,
he had every intention of asking Mandy to be his before she left, whether or
not they ever became intimate while she was here.

Now,
though, with Mandy’s sweet self, cradled in his arms, her firm breasts pressed
against him with her arms around his neck, Nicolas was barely keeping his
control leashed. He’d wanted her since she’d arrived, had waited centuries to
find her, and finally, finally he was going to be one with his soul mate.

The
gift of her virginity was something he would always treasure as well. To know
that he would be her only lover was a heady thought indeed, but Nicolas was
more than ready to show her the bliss to be found with the one you love.

Quickly
opening the door to her room, Nicolas strode over to the bed and slowly lowered
Mandy to her feet. She was smiling up at him, her silky curls framing her face
with its rosy cheeks, and Nicolas was done for. This woman already had hold of
him and she didn’t even know it. He fully intended for her to know, and soon.

From
the corner of his eye, he noted that he’d forgotten the door, and it now stood
wide open to the hallway beyond. Mandy noticed too, and gave a flick of her
wrist, which resulted in the door swinging closed with a bang. “Sorry, I didn’t
mean to shut it that hard.” She looked up at him and gave a shaky smile, then
pointed one slender finger at the bed, and Nicolas watched as the blankets
peeled back.

Now
that was damned handy. “Now I think it’s my turn to be jealous.”

Mandy
laughed and Nicolas leaned forward, slowly running his tongue over the seam of
her lips, relishing the soft texture and fullness as he nibbled on her lower
lip. When she opened to him on a sigh, he took advantage and allowed his tongue
to sweep inside. A little shy at first, Mandy slowly began to match the strokes
of his tongue with her own and soon they were locked in a possessive,
passionate kiss that rocked him clear to his soul.

Mandy
might be an innocent, but she was a damn quick learner. Nicolas was nearing
desperation in his need to remove their clothes and be skin to skin. His dick
was likely going to be sporting the imprint of his zipper for a while if he
didn’t release himself soon, but for her he would wait. He would make sure that
this night was special for her.
Just as special as it would
undoubtedly be for him.

She
was here, she was his, and he vowed that he would do everything in his power to
see that it stayed that way.

Smoothing
his hands down her back, over the perfectly rounded swell of her ass, Nicolas
tugged her against him, grinding his hips into hers and ensuring she felt his
erection, felt the passion she was building within him. Their bodies were flush
with each other, her hands on his shoulders, her nipples pebbled against his
chest, and Nicolas couldn’t believe how well they fit together, her softness
complementing his hardness in all the right places.

Releasing
her mouth, he pulled back to gaze into her sparkling green eyes. She looked
slightly dazed, and damned if he wasn’t honored to be the one to put that look
in her eyes. Hell, he felt so
proud,
he was just shy
of pounding his chest like a caveman.

Unable
to resist any longer, he bent to her, taking her mouth again, determined to
have her mindless with need before the night was out.

*
* * *

Mandy’s
head was swimming, the dizzying feeling she received from his kiss making her
wonder how she could possibly survive anything more. Nicolas was determined to
find out just what she could handle though, as he slowly turned her, backing
her up until the backs of her legs met the bed.

She
felt his hands slip under the hem of her sweater and luxuriated in the feel of
his fingertips dancing over her belly and up to her ribs. When his hands
drifted farther up and cupped her swollen breasts, Mandy couldn’t help the
little moan that escaped her throat.

“You’re
exquisite, Mandy,” he whispered. “Your skin is as soft as the finest silk.” His
hands continued their exploration, as hers began their own.

Mandy
ran her flat palms over his chest, tracing the dips and swells of the muscles
beneath his shirt, until it simply wasn’t enough. With her shyness quickly
taking a backseat to the passion building between them, she began to tug his
shirt upwards until he got the hint and whipped it over his head.

Wow!
To feel them was one thing, but to actually lay eyes on the impressive array of
muscles along his chest and abs and be able to touch them as she’d longed to
do? Yes, she was in heaven now.

Mandy
was so caught up in the sight and feel of his magnificent body she almost
didn’t notice he was removing her top until the fabric blocked her view as it
swept over her face. Standing, wearing only her bra and her jeans, she watched
as Nicolas took a step back and raked his hungry gaze down her body.

“You’re
still wearing too much,” he growled. “I want you stripped and bared to me. I
want to feel every inch of your body beneath my own.” Oh, the shivers that
coursed through her body at his roughly spoken words. Nicolas dipped his head
and ran his tongue over the swells of her breasts before unsnapping the front
clasp of her bra and removing the cups from his path. He latched on to her
nipple and suckled gently, while his hand lightly pinched and rolled the other,
making her cry out as the sensations grew stronger.

This
seemed to encourage him, and she was glad, because there was a pleasurable
warmth gathering in her center which seemed to grow more intense with every
kiss and stroke he bestowed upon her body.

Her
knees trembled, and Mandy feared they would give out, but Nicolas was right
there, his arms coming around her and keeping her upright.
 
“Let’s get the rest of these clothes off and
get you onto the bed, shall we?”

“
Mmhmmm
,” was about all her muddled mind was capable of at
the moment, but it worked. He slipped her shoes off before disposing of her
pants just as quickly. The next thing she knew, Nicolas was laying her out in
the middle of her plush bed. Mandy watched with open fascination as he slid his
faded jeans down his thick thighs, sucking in a ragged breath when he
straightened and her eyes drifted from his stunningly perfect physique to the
daunting size of his manhood.

His
shaft was long and curved towards his navel, but his width was what left her
equally awed and panicked. She’d never been with a man before and wasn’t
entirely sure that this would be possible with his size. “Um, Nicolas…”

“Don’t
worry, Mandy,” he crooned, “We’re made for each other. Things will work out
just fine. You’ll see.”

Right,
they were soul mates, perfectly matched for each other, so this should be a
piece of cake, right? In the next moment, she couldn’t say that she gave a fig
about his size or anything else. With one hand at the base of her neck, Nicolas
took her mouth in a tender, loving kiss that stole her breath along with any
lingering doubts that she held.

Her
arms wound around his neck and shoulders as she fought to bring their
bodies
closer while his other hand began a lazy trail down
her abdomen, through the thatch of curls at the apex of her thighs and settled
over her mound.