Druid Temptation (A Druid Quest Novel Book 2) (6 page)

“It was enough.” Gabriel set aside his glass and rose to leave, eager to get back to Diana. If Pastor Williams truly believed she was a Druid, she could be in far more danger than he previously believed. The man would stop at nothing to get his hands on her. “I did not mean to keep you so late. I should be going.”

“No trouble. Why did you want to know?” Inquisitive bright green eyes met his.

Gabriel debated the wisdom of telling the truth. If there was a chance he could learn more, he couldn’t pass it up. “My bride claims to be a Druid. And I’m beginning to believe her.”

Samuel’s brows snapped up, his face dropping ten years in his eagerness. “I would like to meet the lovely woman who’s finally captured you.”

Gabriel waited for the overwhelming panic at the thought of being trapped in marriage again, waited for the urge to flee. Instead, his chest warmed at the thought of waking every morning to find Diana at his side. There was something about her that drew him, and he refused to let her slip through his grasp. It was more than just attraction. She needed him, whether she knew it or not, and he had no intention of letting her down.

“We’ll be departing for London shortly.” Gabriel would not be budged. He needed to secure Diana’s safety. He refused to put Samuel in danger by involving him more. “I’ll be sure we stop on the way back.”

The chair creaked as Samuel leaned back, a satisfied smile curling his lips. “I look forward to it.”

Gabriel left, his mind sorting through the pitiful few facts he’d learned. He wanted to ask Diana more questions, but she was so skittish, he feared she would cut him out of her life completely.

He hadn’t cared when his first wife ran off to London.

The thought of Diana leaving gutted him.

* * *

D
iana played with Emilie
, determined to keep her mind off Gabriel and their disturbing conversation. It didn’t work. Time and again her concentration wandered. How could she have so foolishly disclosed her past?

She jerked when the door opened, startled when Gabriel’s large form filled the entryway. It was easy to forget how big and imposing he was when he wasn’t near, his sheer size a bit overwhelming. His eyes landed on her and lingered, as if he’d found something he liked, then he winked, every trace of the pensive, remote lord gone, and Dana blushed, thrown for a loop at his uncharacteristic action, practically squirming under his regard.

“Emilie, did Diana tell you the news?”

“What, Papa?”

Diana frantically shook her head, desperate to stop Gabriel. Despite how much she wanted the future he offered, she needed to keep him from making the biggest mistake of his life.

Tendrils of sadness wound through her.

She had to tell him she couldn’t accept his generous offer.

Gabriel knelt in front of his daughter, blatantly ignoring her not-so-discreet attempts to gain his attention. “Diana has agreed to be your new mama.”

Emilie cheered with pure joy and threw her arms around Gabriel. Warmth spread through her the way he so carefully hugged his daughter, but she couldn’t dismiss the misgivings crowding her mind.

Gabriel met her gaze, and she narrowed her eyes—he appeared as pleased as a cat with a mouse caught under its paw.

A slow realization crept over her—she’d been conned by both of them from the beginning. Since the moment she entered the house, they’ve been scheming against her.

Emilie broke into her thoughts. “…and you can stay here.”

“Only for a little while sweetheart, and then we have to go to town.” Gabriel laid a tentative hand on his daughter’s shoulder, his eyes glowing as she snuggled closer.

“London?” Her eyes grew wide, her voice an exaggerated whisper. “
All
of us?”

Gabriel nodded.

“Yippee!” Emilie threw herself at Diana. “You are the best. I will be the perfect daughter. You’ll see.” She wiggled with excitement.

“Emilie, why not pack your bags?” Gabriel prodded his daughter out the door.

Diana watched Emilie skip out of the room, and it was all she could do not to call her back. Cowardly, maybe, but the child was the perfect shield.

“You did that on purpose.” Diana practically growled as she threw the accusation at him.

“Of course.”

His cheerful response stopped her cold, leaving her flustered. To avoid staring at him, Diana stooped and began collecting the toys scattered around the floor. “Why?”

“Life is about risk. You’re worth the risk.”

He sounded so smug, she became annoyed all over again. “You don’t even know me or the dangers you’re inviting in your life.”

“I believe I do.”

His sincerity sent a shiver of unease down her spine.

He couldn’t know…could he?

Once they were married, he would have law on his side. She would be forced to obey him. She struggled not to panic, but something about the rigid way he held himself, as if waiting for her reaction, kept her from speaking without weighing all the consequences.

Her response mattered to him.

She let out a defeated sigh. She was tired of running, and something about those broad shoulders made her want to lean on him.

Diana shook off her distracting thoughts. “What do you know?”

“What you told me of your past was no more than a few obscure facts, hardly what most people would consider believable.”

“I didn’t lie.” She lifted her chin, stupidly offended at being called a fraud. It didn’t matter that it would be wiser for him to think her a lunatic.

Taken aback by her fierce denial, Gabriel carefully thought over everything he’d learned. Despite her precarious situation, he readily forgot the chit had already stood up to him once, not to mention evading the more sinister Pastor Williams for months. His stare was famous for making grown men quake in their boots. He couldn’t help but admire her when she didn’t even fidget. “Nor did you tell me the complete truth, but that can easily be remedied after we’re wed.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She paled but stuck to her story. Gabriel ignored her stubbornness, determined not to let her get away. He reverently took out the special license, satisfaction settling in his gut to see her name next to his. “Our names are already printed. I will not be bullied by Pastor Williams.”

She stared at the page and just blinked.

Gabriel repressed a smile, enjoying that he could completely flummox her.

Emotions meant she cared at least a little.

“I have already sent a servant to collect your belongings. The carriage has been ordered. Our train leaves tonight.” He would not let her back out, even if he had to kidnap her himself. Not trusting the way she was eyeing the license, he reverently refolded the paper and tucked it back in his pocket before she had a chance to snatch it away.

“Gabriel—”

“The journey will seem relatively short if we ride through the night. Come.” He stood and held out his hand, letting his eyes roam over her slim form, his brows furrowing when he noticed her dress appeared loose, almost as though it had been created for a larger woman…or she’d recently lost weight. “Let’s go down for a light lunch before the ceremony. You’re nothing more than skin and bones.”

Gabriel instantly realized his misstep when those icy-blue eyes of hers snapped fire, and he was masochistic enough that his cock hardened.

“I am fine, thank you very much.” She spoke through gritted teeth, and he resisted the urge to lean over and kiss her senseless.

Gabriel coughed to hide his obvious reaction, sending one last volley over his shoulder, lust thickening his voice. “Yes, very fine.”

“Insufferable man.” He heard her mutter the words under her breath, but there was no heat in them, and Gabriel smiled. She might be mad at him, but she wasn’t thinking about leaving.

She would go through with the ceremony.

Then she would be his.

For the first time in years, contentment settled in his bones, and he gave a deep, satisfied sigh.

* * *

D
iana trailed after Gabriel
, fingering the knife sheathed at her waist. She was tempted to force a vision to help her decide if she was making the right choice.

A small cut was all that was needed.

Something about the magic in her blood could trigger a vision when it hit air, the tangy-sweet smell would suck her into a different world. She would no longer be in her own body, but a ghost watching the future unfold.

Most visions were portents of danger, something her gift felt she needed to know.

And while a vision could leave her vulnerable, that wasn’t what made her hesitate.

She was terrified to actually know the future.

Foretelling was fraught with danger.

Trying to change the future could actually make it happen…or worse—not happen at all.

The meal passed quickly and all too soon, a knock on the door let them know the pastor Gabriel had summoned from the neighboring town had arrived. Unsure how it happened, Diana found herself standing next to Gabriel while the pastor intoned about the sanctity of marriage.

The ceremony happened in a blur.

She waited for her power to register danger, warn her away from tying herself to this man.

To her shock, her gift remained stubbornly silent.

Almost as if it believed Gabriel would keep her safe.

He kissed her forehead, and Diana tingled from head to toe, barely resisting the need to lean into him and demand more. Diana blinked repeatedly, trying to separate fantasy from reality. A tiny flame of hope kindled in her chest that they might actually have a future together.

The pastor smiled at her and, for better or worse, the matter was done. Gabriel seemed to know how unsteady she felt and kept her close. While they accepted the well-wishes of the staff, he shielded her from their touches, protecting her without conscious thought.

She marveled the way his casual touches on her arm or hand made her feel like she mattered. Heat radiated from him like a furnace, seeping past the walls she built around herself, and she shivered, unconsciously moving closer to temptation.

A mistake.

His spicy masculine scent invaded her senses. Her body came alive with the need to touch him back. She could not yet think of him as her husband, that she was allowed to touch him any time she wanted. Confused and uncertain at the possessive thought, she tried to pull back, only to have him trail after her relentlessly. He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, the movement so new and unexpected she didn’t immediately pull away. Muscles flexed under her touch, as if inviting her to explore him further.

He glanced down, his normal blue eyes dark with some emotions she couldn’t name. Her stomach fluttered when his head lowered, his mouth parted as if to speak—or the goddess help her—actually kiss her.

“Is it time?” Emilie jumped between them, and Diana wobbled on embarrassingly weak legs, fighting a blush at the promise in Gabriel’s gaze.

He scooped his daughter up in his arms, then reached out and wove their fingers together. A surge of pleasure tingled through her at the contact. “Come, it’s time to go.”

“So soon?” A sudden attack of nerves tarnished the bright future he offered. She’d been alone for so long, her chest tightened at the idea of allowing anyone into her life. The thought of telling him about her abilities left her sick to her stomach. Everyone she’d ever cared about had abandoned her, and she couldn’t bear to grow attached, only to lose him, too. She tugged on her hand, but much to her consternation, he pulled her closer with an ease and relentlessness that should have given her pause.

He gave her an emphatic look, then nodded. “It would be best under the circumstances.”

Her argument deflated without a word.

The sooner they left, the safer they would be. “You’re right.”

“The bags have already been sent ahead. We should reach London early tomorrow morning. Then we can implement the next stage of the plan.”

She wiggled her fingers, finally able to pull her hand away.

To her dismay, she immediately missed his touch.

She watched him cradle his daughter while they headed toward the carriage, his tenderness surprising in such a large man.