Druid Temptation (A Druid Quest Novel Book 2) (15 page)

Gertrude gasped and sputtered. “You would kick me out of my own home?”

Gabriel halted in front of her and rose to his full height, towering over the old crone. “My home, you mean?” When she opened and closed her mouth, sputtering for a reply, Gabriel continued in a silky voice. “I’m sure you’ll want to spend more time with your family, anyway.”

With a short bow, Gabriel marched out of the dining room. A minute later the door to his study slammed shut.

Diana couldn’t move.

Gertrude quivered in outrage, her eyes narrowed with spite while she glowered at her. “You’ve ruined everything. I won’t let you get away with it.”

She whirled and stormed out, the door quivering as she slammed it shut behind her.

* * *

D
iana had kissed him
.

Of her own volition.

Then the old hag had to ruin everything.

Gabriel paced the study and groaned at how quickly his control crumbled at her touch. His brain had simply shut down. One kiss, and what little restraint he had vanished. He had been primed and ready to lift her skirts and take her on the spot.

Distracted, he raked his fingers through his hair and wondered if his vow not to touch her might not eventually kill him. He sat and flinched when his cock protested the movement. Only then did he see her mutt had followed him. The newly dubbed Jack gave him a toothy grin, and if Gabriel didn’t know better, seemed to be laughing at his predicament.

“This is all your fault.” Gabriel glared. “You could have warned me.”

Jack sneezed, shaking his head.

“My God. Now I’m talking to a dog.” Gabriel deflated, wishing he knew how to deal with Diana. And if what she said was true about being a Druid, he would need help. Trusted help. Gabriel rubbed his brow, then straightened abruptly. He needed Samuel.

He wrote a quick note, and sent a few coins off with a runner to the telegraph office.

Determined to do something other than track down Diana and finish what they had started, he headed toward the door, intent on spending a few hours of manual labor in the stables to wear him out.

“My lord, Mr. Patrard and Mr. Ashmore—”

Gabriel did not wait to hear the rest. “Send them in.”

“Gabriel…” Rand stopped as he caught sight of his friend. “Next time, remind me to send you home sooner. You look like hell.”

Gabriel gave a short bark of laughter. “Tell me, Rand, how do you survive marriage?” Gabriel walked to the sideboard built into the bookcase, and raised a decanter, silently offering them a drink.

Rand nodded, waiting to answer until everyone sat. He took a drink, then stared at his glass, a smirk on his face. “Sex.”

Gabriel choked on a mouthful of brandy and gasped for breath as the fiery liquid burned down his throat. He already had too much sex on the brain. “Say no more,” he rasped.

“Tallie sent me over. I saw Ashmore on the way and invited him along.”

“How is Tallie?”

“Wonderful, and already planning the ball. Invitations have been sent for four days hence.”

Gabriel raised a brow, “So soon?” He’d expected to have more time to coach Diana and prepare her for society. Time for his lust to cool, so he could look at her without imaging ways to get under her skirts.

“She said the sooner the better, what with all the—” He broke off, glancing discreetly at Ashmore.

“If I am in the way, I can leave.” Ashmore rose as he spoke.

Gabriel took in Rand’s discreet nod and waved a hand. “Stay.”

Ashmore hesitated, then resumed his seat. “If I can be of any assistance…” He shrugged his shoulder. “I have some connections.”

“We’ve run into a bit of difficulty…” Gabriel launched into the same story he told Rand and Tallie. The less either knew about Diana’s true heritage, the safer everyone would be. When he finished, they sat in silence to digest the news, and he refreshed their drinks.

“So you think the incident with the horse this morning was targeted at you?”

Gabriel shrugged. “Unless you can think of another alternative.”

Ashmore stared at him intently. “My cousin Geoffrey is my heir. While I wouldn’t put it past him and my aunt to collude, he doesn’t have the balls for a direct attack.” He rolled his glass distractedly between his palms. “I don’t know what help I can offer. My name behind yours, of course. What would you have of me?”

More than a little surprised, Gabriel sat back. “Why? There is no love lost between our families. In fact, I just kicked your aunt out of my house.”

Ashmore winced. “I’ve never shared my family’s views. They’re a pit of vipers. With Aunt Gertrude back in the fold, they will be on the warpath, and worse than ever. Any help I can give you will keep me away from the house. That’s payment enough.”

“I accept.” Gabriel could appreciate his dark humor. “Where are you staying?”

Ashmore leaned back and took a lazy sip of his drink. “I am staying at the Stranton Hotel. You couldn’t pay me enough to stay with my family.”

“The military hotel?” The hotel had a good reputation, just expensive enough to keep out the riffraff. “You’re welcome to stay here.”

A buffer between him and Diana might be best. Ashmore didn’t answer immediately, and Gabriel upped the ante. “That way, we both can keep an eye on Diana. My daughter is also in residence, so the more protection, the better.”

* * *

A
s Diana left
the dining room, she heard the rumble of male voices from the study, and she was thankful she didn’t have to face Gabriel again anytime soon, not until she had her emotions under control. She lifted a hand to cool off her warm cheeks as she remembered her boldness.

“Fool!” Jack seemed to agree, for he barked in reply. Afraid to attract attention, she shushed him and quickly left the hall.

The staff was bustling around the house hauling trunks and boxes, though none seemed to mind the extra work…except Ketterling.

The woman glared at Diana, obviously resenting what she considered a stepdown in station.

Wishing to avoid the woman’s ire, Diana headed toward the stables. She found Conway mucking out the stalls. “Hello, Mr. Conway.” Diana gave him a nod and headed to greet the mare at the far end of the stables.

“Lady—”

“Diana.” She said it firmly.

“Yes, miss.”

Diana sighed but opened the stall. Without a word, she cleaned out the space, laid fresh hay, before finally grooming the horse.

“You’ve done this before.”

She turned to find Conway leaning against his pitchfork, watching her with admiration in his eyes. Glancing at herself, she could well understand why. Her once-neat dress was matted with hay, her boots crusted with offal, while strands of hair fell out of its knot to plaster to her face. She must make quite a spectacle.

“Conway, have you seen—Diana!” Gabriel stopped short, skidding as he tried to keep from plowing into her, distractedly surveying her from the top of her head to the bottom of her boots.

The flush to her cheeks gave her a healthy glow, and he’d never seen her look more beautiful.

He lifted a hand and plucked a straw from her hair, unable to resist touching her.

When he leaned forward to steal another kiss and finish what she started, Conway cleared his throat. Gabriel jerked away, stunned that after just one look from her, his principles and self-control ceased to exist.

“Come into the house. We have work to do.” Without another word, he turned on his bootheel and marched away. Lost in thought, Gabriel failed to notice Jack and tripped over the mutt, barely managing to keep his footing. He straightened, turning to glare at the blasted dog. If he didn’t know better, he could have sworn the animal tripped him on purpose.

“Do that one more time, and I will have you confined to the stables.” As if the mangy beast understood, Jack cowered and collapsed on his side with a whine.

“Jack.” Diana rushed to Jack’s side and knelt, running her hands over the mangy beast. Gabriel couldn’t believe he was jealous of the damned dog. Imagining her running those same hands over him had his arousal hardening once more. If they hadn’t interrupted, he would now know every inch of her. Instead, he was left with his overactive imagination.

Diana lifted her head and narrowed her eyes on him. “What did you do?”

“Me?” Gabriel jerked back at the accusation. “Nothing.”

Diana cocked her head, her eyes losing focus as she gazed at Jack. The air stirred around her, the hairs on his arm lifting. Then her head snapped up, and she planted hands on hips and faced him. “You threatened him?”

Gabriel glared at Jack for getting him in trouble, and he tugged at his collar. “Not exactly.”

“Then what, exactly?” She advanced on him, and he surprised himself by backing away.

“Uhhhh, we have company.” He avoided answering directly, self-preservation had him picking up his pace toward the house. “I invited Ashmore to stay with us. He could help us with some preventative measures.”

Diana halted at the news, and he grabbed her arm, propelling her forward before she could escape. He welcomed the smallest opportunity to touch her, craved it like an opium addict.

Her continual silence raised the hairs on the back of his neck, and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She appeared more contemplative than angry. He wasn’t sure how to handle a woman who didn’t scream and throw tantrums. He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.

He escorted her into the study, where Rand and Ashmore waited. Diana removed her arm from his grip, and he stiffened, immediately missing the innocent touch. She strolled into the room, and he realized he could sit and watch her for hours. He tore his attention away and swallowed hard, focusing on the task of keeping her safe.

“Sorry about the mess.” She indicated her appearance.

Gabriel winced. In the rush to get her inside, he’d given her no time to tidy herself. He waited for her to berate him, but she didn’t seem to give a fig about what anyone else thought. At Ashmore’s appreciative glance, Gabriel narrowed his eyes, suddenly rethinking his rash invitation.

“You are lovely.” Ashmore lifted her hand with a smile and kissed her knuckles.

Gabriel scowled, ready to trounce the young pup.

The only thing that stopped him from putting thought into action was Rand’s hand on his arm. “Steady, old man.”

Gabriel smiled in triumph when Diana adroitly retrieved her hand and retreated to his side. Gabriel couldn’t explain his deep possessiveness, but her reaction appeased the territorial beast within. To his shock, he realized that Diana never willingly touched anyone…anyone but him, and his chest swelled with the knowledge.

“Ashmore and I are going to retrieve his possessions.” He couldn’t trust himself alone with her, not until he could curb the need to stop pursuing her. Their romance was moving too swiftly. She wasn’t in love with him yet, and until then, he had to keep his hands to himself.

Diana nodded, and he saw her hand touch her spine, where she hid her knife. “I’ll keep watch over the house and Emilie until your return.”

He almost changed his mind, but the more people who were here to protect her, the safer she would be. “We’ll begin your introduction into society tomorrow morning, so prepare yourself for training.”

Diana grimaced. “Must we?”

Ask her to fight, and she calmly collected her weapons. Ask her to go to a ball, and she flinched. Gabriel might never understand women, but he was learning to appreciate his wife’s uniqueness more and more.

“Be up early.” Gabriel resisted the urge to kiss her as he headed out the door. Silence fell between the two men, but he saw the frequent glances cast his way. “Diana and I married in a rush to thwart Williams. We’re still getting to know each other. She’s well versed in the ways of country life, but she’s unaccustomed to the upper crust. I ask you not to flirt with her—she might misunderstand your intent.”

“While she is a lovely woman, I don’t poach on other men’s wives.” Ashmore suddenly grinned. “I’ll have more fun teasing her out of her solitary ways, like the older brother she never wanted…unless you’ve changed your mind about me staying.”