Tristan's Loins (23 page)

The question took Selene off guard. She did
not mention the baby she had on board, or that Tristan was not her
husband.

"No, not yet." She watched Tristan peer over
the fence in the backyard. "We wanted to wait a while."

"I don't want to seem pushy, but this house
is a great deal, Selene," she remarked as she went through the
paperwork. "You won't lose out here. Even if you were to resell,
you would make a killing on it."

"I want it." The realtor beamed and started
the paperwork for a purchase agreement. "Will I be able to take
possession by the first week of August?"

"I don't see why not. This is a cash
sale."

Selene nodded and smiled and wandered away to
inspect her new home. She was looking inside the massive walk-in
closet in the master bedroom when Tristan arrived. He had a naughty
gleam in his eye as he pushed her inside the closet and shut the
door.

"Tristan, not here!" she argued as he jerked
her up against his hard chest, her excitement obvious as he lifted
her against the wall of the closet, his lips seeking her neck. "We
can't! Tess is just downstairs!"

"She is on her phone out in the driveway." He
kissed her neck. "I told her we needed to discuss matters. She said
to take all the time we need."

Selene sighed as he pulled up her navy skirt,
his fingers easing down her nylons and pulling down her panties.
She gasped as he balanced her against the wall and undid his jeans.
She sighed in delight as he took her quickly against the wall of
the closet, biting her lip to keep from sobbing aloud as he brought
her to a shattering orgasm, his face buried in her neck, his
breathing ragged.

"We discussed matters to my satisfaction," he
whispered and she giggled as she slid down his hard body and
struggled to stand on her wobbly legs to pull up her panties and
nylons. Her shoe was laying nearby, one on, and one off.

"I like how you discuss things, but we have
to go," she said and smiled up at him. "I bought the house. We can
go back to Tawas now."

Tristan smiled as he fastened his pants. "I
knew you would buy it when you saw the writing room downstairs. It
is perfect for you."

Selene was touched he had also seen that. "I
felt it the minute I walked inside that it was perfect for me. It's
bigger than I wanted, but overall, it's exactly what I need."

Tristan looked at her with such an intensely
satisfied expression he took her breath away. Their lovemaking was
getting even more pleasurable. Selene could hardly keep her hands
off of him, and hated the two and a half hour ride home until she
got him alone again.

Tess waited for them in the kitchen, and
Selene avoided her gaze as she eyed them speculatively when they
rejoined her.

"Alright, Selene, I'll be back with you on a
closing date," she said and her amused gaze seemed to know what
they were doing upstairs and approved. "I'll just lock up behind
us."

Selene got into the car and glared at
Tristan's obvious smirk. "She knew what we were doing!"

"You bought the house, Selene. It is yours."
Tristan's hand found hers, his eyes filled with amusement. "It is
only fitting you make yourself at home."

"What a way to make myself at home."

"Think of how wonderful it could be for us,
Selene. If you would relent and allow me to stay," he reminded her
as he brought her hand to his lips, nipping at her fingers.

Selene drove back to the interstate and
thought of what he said. It was that easy in Tristan's mind. In
hers, she was at war with the knowledge his staying deprived the
innocent Rhiannon of her happy ending. She would be at the mercy of
Tristan's uncle or whoever took Raven's Keep in his absence. She
could not be so selfish.

They stopped along the way to eat. She
watched Tristan eating his burger and thought he had come very far
this last month. He accepted everything in her time without the
merest surprise anymore. She taught him how to use a telephone and
laughed when he dialed random numbers just to talk to someone,
fascinated by the gadget. He was still in awe of toilets, flushing
them over and over, wondering where the water went.

Everything amazed him, and it was enjoyable
seeing his delighted expression when he discovered another modern
wonder. She would miss him more than she liked to think about, but
wouldn't consider his staying. He did everything he could think of
to change her mind.

Her cheeks flushed at the thought of how they
spent their time in bed. He convinced her of his passion and his
feelings for her, but everything else she refused to go back on,
much to his dismay. He worked tirelessly to make her see a life for
them was possible. The life within her reminded her she had to send
him home.

They got back to the beach house around four
in the afternoon. Tristan took Daisy for a walk and she went
through her forwarded mail. She frowned when she found the letter
from her Father. His last email was two weeks old. The postmark
from China indicated the letter was sent the same day. Her eyes
scanned it and a tear fell from her eyes, knowing why her Father
had been so set on this trip. The letter informed her he did not
plan to return. He left his heart meds behind. Bryce Campbell had
gone as far as set up everything with his attorney prior to his
departure. The house was to be sold and the proceeds to go to the
collegiate association. Everything in it was hers. She fought to
breathe, and stiffened from the pain in her heart. Her Father's
wealth was considerable. She was a wealthy woman and had always
known she would inherit everything when her parents passed away.
The beach house was hers, he informed her in his letter. He asked
she not attempt to stop him, and gave his blessing to her and
Tristan. He told her he would miss her but he wished to be with her
Mother. Tears fell as she dropped the letter, sobs escaping her
lips to know he would not be coming back from his trip. Without his
meds, his heart would give out eventually. He had planned it from
the beginning, wanting to be in China when it happened. Her parents
had gone there on their honeymoon. The place held a special
significance to them both.

Panic filled her and she spent the next hour
trying to get through to his hotel in Beijing. Soon, she was too
hysterical to speak with anyone and Tristan hung up the phone and
held her, his big hand stroking her hair.

"Selene, it is what he wanted. Please, you
have to calm down." Tristan stared down at her tear-streaked face
in concern. "He told me what he was planning before we left. You
must leave him to it."

She pulled away and looked up at him angrily.
"He's a sick old man who just lost the love of his life! He is not
thinking clearly! How could you keep this plan of his from me?"

"He knows what he wants, Selene! He expected
to go before your Mother. He told me life has no meaning to him
now. Leave him be!"

"You had no right to keep this from me! He is
committing suicide by not taking his medication and you said
nothing?"

"In my world, he has lived twice as long as a
normal man," Tristan said and grimaced at her pained expression.
"It is not my place to question an elder of his years. He made me
promise to say nothing to you."

Selene ran out of the kitchen and to their
room and fell across the bed, sobbing in anguish to know her Father
would not return from China. He made his arrangements already.
There was nothing she could do. Still, the thought of being alone
in the world now, and facing losing Tristan too weighed upon her.
She cried herself to sleep.

It was dark when she woke. She got up and
went downstairs. The clock on the mantle in the living room said it
was after six in the evening. She sniffed into the air and followed
the wonderful odors into the kitchen where Tristan cooked along
with Rachel Ray. His eyes on the small TV on the counter were
intense as Rachel went through the recipe. The man was attentive,
and his efforts looked delicious. She smiled as she came in,
sitting at the kitchen table as she watched him moving quickly at
the counter to the stove.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked as he sautéed
the onions and looked over at her. "Darcy called. She said, "were
on for the Fourth", whatever that means. Axel called and said to
call him back. That is the weakling you went out a date with, is it
not?"

"Axel is a nice guy, Tristan. You don't have
to worry. He is not the guy for me, if that is what you think. I
did not think twice about him when you came along."

Her words made him visibly relax. He dropped
the pork chops into the pan and went back to listening to Rachel's
instructions. Selene found him adorable. His initiative in cooking
their dinner delighted her. He seemed pretty comfortable in the
kitchen too.

Selene left him and found her dog. Daisy
whined to go out and she opened the glass doors to the deck. She
needed a walk on the beach to clear her mind. She knew being angry
was a worthless emotion.

Her Father was seventy-three years old and
not in good health. His decision to go off his meds was his choice.
She could not force him to take the pills that regulated his
heartbeat whether he was here or in China. He was giving himself up
to fate, however long it took for his body to give out.

The thought of being alone in the world was
not as terrifying when she thought of the child she carried. She
was barely five weeks along, and knew she must have conceived the
first time she had sex with Tristan. She hadn't thought at all
about birth control. She hadn't believed he was real; much less, he
could get her knocked up!

Tristan's child growing inside of her made
her feel better. She had always wanted a house full of kids. The
thought of having this child alone did not scare her. Just
imagining her child looking just like his father made her anxiety
diminish.

She bit her lip at the deceit in her keeping
it from him. He would refuse to leave her. Tristan and her had the
summer and he would go back to his world.

He called her after a short time to let her
know dinner was done. She was impressed with his glazed pork chops
and baked potatoes. He preened when she praised him over and over
again during the meal. When they did the dishes later, he washed
and she dried. He was looking at her with an adoring
expression.

"I did not make dessert, Selene."

"It's alright, I’m full. I have no room."

"You’re full? Let us see if you have room for
more," he said as he tossed the towel on the counter and swung her
into his arms.

"Tristan! Put me down! You drag me off to bed
every chance you get! Can we spend one quiet night in front of the
TV?" she asked as he carried her out of the kitchen and up the
stairs.

Tristan grinned as he deposited her on the
bed and went to close the door to the room. He turned and looked at
her as he pulled off his t-shirt and his hands went to his jean
shorts. Her breath became labored as she saw him slide the shorts
off. Her mouth grew dry at the sight of his huge penis jutting
forward.

He eased her jeans off and pulled off her
panties, his hands lingering on her legs. Selene moaned as he
kissed her calves, his teeth nibbling along the inside of her knee
and then the inside of her thighs.

She bit her lips as his hands ripped at the
t-shirt and bra she still wore until she was as naked as him. His
mouth was ravenous as it took hers; leaving her breathless and
trembling as his mouth went to her breasts and then lower.

Cries escaped her as his mouth found her, his
teeth taking the stiffening button between his teeth. He tormented
her with deliberate flicks of his tongue until she was breathless
and so aroused she could not think straight. When his big body slid
over hers, her knees came up. Raw moans escaped her as he thrust
hungrily within her, her nails raking his back. He took his time,
driving her wild and refusing to hurry.

Selene clutched his shoulders to her, eyes
wide as powerful waves of pleasure shook her until she was weak and
gasping. Tristan lay still within her, his lips hovering over hers,
a smile playing about his lips.

"Tell me you can live without me, Selene. Say
that you can give me to another woman and feel nothing."

"Tristan, please don't."

"No, I have found the love of my life,
Selene," he whispered as he moved within her once more. "I’ll fight
for you until you realize we belong together."

Selene sighed and her arms wrapped around his
wide shoulders, her hands smoothed his long silky hair. Every
breath in her body wanted to tell him yes, but with every breath,
she knew his destiny lay within the novel she had yet to finish. He
was her immortal lover. Even when she was old and gray-haired, he
would be forever young and victorious in the pages of her book.

Selene loved him, real or made-up, it did not
matter. He was hers. This moment was all they had. It was more than
she could have ever dreamed. When they lay entwined and he slept at
her side, she got up. She pulled the digital camera from the drawer
and took many pictures of him while he slept. At least she would
have these to remind her Tristan had been here. He was getting
quite annoyed at how many pictures she insisted upon, but she could
not help it. Her favorite was of him and Daisy asleep together on
the couch. The dog adored him and followed him everywhere. Selene
knew how that felt. She would follow Tristan just about anywhere
too.

Memorial weekend they went to the parade in
town. Tristan dug in his heels when they went to a carnival nearby
and she insisted they ride the Ferris Wheel. He went very pale when
he saw it.

"No, I’ll not ride this thing, Selene." He
backed away, eyes filled with fear.

"Tristan, it's safe." She pointed to the
laughing children spilling out of the area where the ride ended.
"Look, they laugh. It's fun. Come on, this is nothing compared to a
sword fight. You will walk away, trust me."