Pathway to Love Read online

  When she was knee deep in the water, she splashed in and swam underwater until she was in the centre of the pond.

  Ida was treading water when hands gripped her thighs and pulled her under. In the murky haze, she could make out the bright gleam in Dromer’s eyes.

  The water fled from between them as he kissed her and his mouth pressed against hers while they spun under the water. She was dizzy and clinging to him when they surfaced, and she pushed away from him to suck in air.

  He held onto her hand and kept in contact with her while he swam, slowly turning her in a circle.

  When she took in his serious expression, she caught on. He was trying to do his own version of the swan mating dance.

  Ida felt tears spark her eyes as she bent her elbow to drift in close as they turned around each other in slow motion before switching arms and directions.

  They turned, twisted and moved in the water, sending ripples spinning outward. The focus that they both exerted kept them moving and twisting together until Ida called a halt to it. She pulled him in close and kissed him.

  As they floated in the water, he wrapped an arm around her and held her against him.

  She pressed her forehead against his and chuckled. “I think that we have both agreed to mate.”

  “I hope so. Either that or I just changed my cell phone carrier.” He kissed her quickly and used his grip on her to carry her with him as he stroked back toward the edge where they had entered the water.

  She chuckled as he led her out of the water, both of them dripping wet.

  “It seems that Teebie thought of everything.” He went to the picnic basket and pulled out a tube. Inside the tube was a wide, soft towel that he applied to her hair with care.

  “Wow, what is that thing made of?”

  “No idea. I use one similar to this when I run.”

  She was surprised. “You run?”

  “How else was I going to catch you?” Dromer smiled and knelt, cupping each breast in turn to dry under it.

  She blushed, partially from his comment and partially from his attention to the folds of her sex as he continued to dry her off.

  He glanced up at her and winked. “Don’t get too comfortable. You have to do me next.”

  The amount of images that filled her mind when she thought of doing him were enough to heighten her blush into a five-alarm fire.

  When she was damp but nearly dry, he wrung out the cloth and handed it to her.

  She whispered, “Stay on your knees for a moment.”

  “However you want me.”

  She moved behind him and towelled at his hair. The tight braid hid the length of his hair. He had it tucked and twisted in a knot that defied unravelling.

  “You are going to have to show me how to do my hair like that.”

  He chuckled. “I am afraid you will have to bribe me. It is one secret I am loathe to part with.”

  She ran the microfiber towel over his neck and onto his shoulders. “Really? That is the only one?”

  “Well, one of many, but to uncover them all will be an exhausting venture on your part.” Dromer looked over his shoulder at her. “You will have to be dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge.”

  “Stand up.”

  He gracefully rose to his feet. She dried his back with only a few long swipes against his skin. The curve of his butt invited her to tarry, but she kept her mind on business. She treated him to the same long caress he had given her, with a gentle cupping of his testicles for added measure.

  She finished his backside and steeled herself. Time to head around and face him.

  Chapter Six

  Dromer’s eyes were closed. She wrung out the towel, dripping the water down his leg.

  His brilliant gaze was suddenly on her. “What was that for?”

  “I wanted to make sure that you didn’t fall asleep.”

  “It is your own fault for taking so long.”

  She glanced down. “It looks like part of you was paying attention.”

  His erection emerged from the only body hair that Dromer’s body exhibited away from his head. The long, thick stalk bobbed slightly at her attention.

  She wiped his neck, shoulders, each arm and then turned to his chest. Ida stroked her hands across his pecs, fighting the urge to nip him. The bands of muscles on his chest were intriguing, and she wanted to feel him without the fabric between him.

  “This is trickier than it looks.”

  He looked down. “I have dried my cock before. It is fairly straightforward.”

  She made a face at him and knelt, drying the member in question before finishing up with the water she had wrung out on his leg.

  “There you go. All dry.” At least one of them was. Touching him, even through the cloth, had her wet and ready to try again with less constraints.

  The water dance had gotten her swan’s full cooperation with whatever she wanted to pursue. Was the afternoon next to the pond the right time and place?

  She sighed and walked away to wring out the cloth. She shook it out and folded it up, rolling it to put it back in the tube.

  She was kneeling next to the picnic basket when two voices became audible.

  Dromer moved fast, and she was soon tucked back into his shirt with the few buttons she had fastened.

  She pulled her hair out of the shirt as the couple came wandering down the same path that Ida and Dromer had used earlier.

  The elf male looked at Ida, and she felt the change in Dromer. Her affable, cheerful companion transformed into dark, seething energy.

  “Holy shit.”

  Ida stared, and the other elf bodily lifted his companion, carrying her back the way they had come.

  “Dromer. Calm down. It is your fault for buying this elegant and semi-transparent with the light behind it shirt.”

  Dromer looked at her, the hectic power rippling around him in jagged streaks of lightning.

  She reached into the basket and pulled out an apple. With a calculated move, she threw it at his head.

  The sound of the apple striking him in the head reverberated for a moment before fading. Dromer shook his head, and the crackles of lightning faded.

  “Did you just hit me in the head with an apple?”

  Ida nodded. “I can work my way up the food pyramid if you like.”

  He looked at the apple and picked it up. “I have never been assaulted with fruit before.”

  “Ah, our relationship is truly beginning. Get used to it. I played softball in school, and I can throw any number of things. Don’t test me.”

  He bit the apple, taking out the softening spot that had struck his skull.

  “So, bravo on the emergency clothing. I have never had a shirt put on me before. It was interesting, if a bit panic inducing.”

  Dromer grimaced. “Sorry. When you are around, all of my reflexes are a little topsy-turvy.”

  “Don’t you dare blame this on me.” She settled on the blanket and started foraging for food in the basket. “Your self-control is usually up to scratch.”

  He snorted and came to have a seat next to her on the blanket. He didn’t bother reaching for his jeans, so she silently wished him a hearty sunburn.

  She unpacked the basket, and when she turned, the food was neatly arranged in two servings. “Nice. How did you find your way into the food industry?”

  He shrugged. “I have never had a problem with humans, and I liked to watch them. They grow so fast, and their world is constantly changing. It was nice to be a part of it.”

  “And by setting up the diner, they came to you.”

  “Yeah.” He picked up his plate and started to eat. “This is pretty good.”

  “Yes, it is.” She licked some of the sandwich filling from her fingers and smiled.

  He was watching her as she licked her fingers, and she could swear that she heard the plate he was holding crack.

  “Watch your self-control, Dromer. If you break that plate, I am not going to shred this shirt to bandage
your hand.”

  Dromer sighed. “You wake something within me that hasn’t risen in quite a while.”

  “So I saw.”

  He grimaced and focused on his plate.

  “So, what was that?”

  “Ah, a holdover from my old work for the king. You have heard of the carrot and the stick?”

  “Yes.”

  “I was the stick.” He grimaced. “It was fine for a few hundred years, and then, it began to impinge on my social life.”

  “Ah.” She had no idea what to say to that.

  “I am interested in full disclosure for things of that nature. I do not wish you to ever have doubts about the man you are bonded to.”

  “So, you were an enforcer for your monarch.” She wouldn’t have guessed that. She bit into her sandwich.

  “Correct. I did many things in my history that would get me locked up by today’s standards. They occurred in the time before the fey and human worlds had begun to blend, so we were literally a law unto ourselves. I can assure you that my actions were never engaged against humans. I was only for the punishment of other fey.”

  She smirked and chewed a cherry tomato. “So, you were a tool.”

  He gave her a dark look. “Very funny.”

  “I thought so.”

  “I appreciate your sense of humour.”

  There was something in his eyes, so she followed his gaze to her exposed breast where the shirt was gaping.

  She shrugged and left it where it was. It wasn’t like she couldn’t see all of him. Fair was fair. She slipped the shirt off and folded it behind her.

  Ida carefully lifted her plate and continued her lunch.

  When she was done with her meal, she reached into the basket and pulled out a thermos. She had already put out two cups, and she filled them from the thermos. It looked like lemonade was on the menu.

  Ida lifted a cup to Dromer. “It isn’t an apple, will it do?”

  He took it with a smile. “I already got the apple.”

  She snickered. “It worked to snap you out of whatever that was. In all the years I have known you, I have never seen you do that.”

  “It takes a bit of effort to startle that reaction out of me. Even being attacked by wolf shifters, I didn’t activate. I didn’t want to hurt the youths for simply being idiots.”

  With her eyes wide, she asked, “What did you do?”

  “I didn’t have to do anything. A customer was there who came to my aid. She was most effective.”

  “Who was it?” Ida fought the trill of jealousy.

  “Bethany Layhey. She came to the Crossroads shortly after that and now is living with her mate.” He glanced at her. “Did you know she could make a sonic whistle that would drive dogs nuts?”

  “I had no idea. I mean, I knew she was a bat, but nothing beyond that. What is her mate?”

  Dromer grinned. “A wolf.”

  Ida snorted. “Well, that works out well for her. One wrong move and she can deafen him.”

  “It would certainly be attention getting.”

  She finished her lemonade and started packing up. It was relaxing to be in nothing but her skin under the sun.

  Dromer handed her his dishes, and she packed them away with the rest.

  When everything was tucked away but the blanket, she turned to him. “Thank you.”

  He looked surprised. “For what?”

  “For dancing in the water with me. I wasn’t expecting it, and it definitely won my beast over.”

  “Well, your beast is quite splendid, so I am honoured she was impressed.”

  She sighed. “I suppose we should get back to the Open Heart.”

  “Why?” Dromer cocked his head.

  Ida ran through the answers in her head and finally settled on one. “Because my clothing is in shreds, I am not going to swim on a full stomach and I would like to explore contact between us in a safe environment. As we have already learned, this isn’t precisely private.”

  “Excellent thoughts. I heartily agree.”

  He got to his feet, retrieved his jeans and pulled them on, tucking his erection carefully into place before zipping the fly shut. The button held it all together.

  Ida slipped her panties back on. She tucked the skirt up and tied it in place. The skirt wasn’t really fastenable, so she had to tie it closed.

  She sat and pulled her shoes on, buckling them into place. When she was all decent, Dromer pulled her to her feet. She wrapped her arms around him and held on for a moment, enjoying the sun-warmed scent on his skin. He smelled even better than normal.

  “I thought you wanted privacy for what comes next.”

  Ida chuckled. “No, I just want to enjoy this moment. For the first time in my life, I can appreciate a moment without staring into the future and wondering what it holds. I now know what is waiting for me, so I can slow down and enjoy the journey.”

  “If the balance ceremony is what I have been told, it is going to be a very long trip.” He hugged her tightly.

  “I have heard folks mumbling about that, but no one wants to explain it in detail.”

  “The basics are sort of like this—I get half of you and you get half of me.”

  “That sounds a little pervy.” She leaned back and walked her fingers up his chest. “Which parts of me are you interested in having?”

  He let out a low sound that she couldn’t translate, crushed her to his chest, and a moment later, they were soaring through the sky.

  Lightning crackled around them, and the touch of his magic against her skin was multiplied a thousand times. The effect it had on her system was unprecedented. The wreaths of energy wrapped around her limbs and stroked her body from the inside out.

  Ida held on tight as he landed them on a balcony, and to her surprise, they were back at the Open Heart.

  The door opened, and he carried her inside, the arcs and twists of Dromer’s power were still wrapped around her when he set her down. It seemed they didn’t want to let her go.

  Dromer removed his shoes and jeans while she remained wrapped in the energy bands.

  He gestured, and she was pulled upward by the crackling power.

  “This is... ah... fun... but what are you... eeep... doing?” Ida yelped and tried to focus on talking while her body was heading through the stages of arousal at a rampaging pace.

  “I am giving in to an urge that I have had since the time you ditched your prom date to hang out in the diner.”

  He ran his hands over her, and her body moved like that of a magician’s assistant. She was elevated, rotated, and his hands ran over her as if her clothing was there. It was the energy between them that was touching her. The more his magic pressed, the more her own rose up to answer the pressure, and her senses were caught in the wedge.

  “This would be more fun if I was naked.” Her voice was husky.

  He chuckled. “I thought you would never ask.”

  She heard the tearing of fabric and felt the cool touch of air on her skin. It was time to see if years of longing could match the reality.

  Chapter Seven

  Ida had never been one to read comic books, but she had seen the covers, and the man walking toward her definitely looked like her own personal hero.

  She tried to reach out for him when he came into touching range, but her arms were bound. “This would be a lot more fun if I could touch you.”

  “I am having a lot of fun.” He smirked and ran his hand over her; the magic between them caused sparks to dance on her skin.

  She fought the restriction that he put on her while he stroked his hands over her limbs until every inch of her had been electrified with his touch.

  Her beast was dangerously close to the surface, and when he pressed his lips to her belly, she snapped. Her wings sprouted from her back and broke his hold on her. She dropped onto the bed and bounced slightly.

  Dromer blinked in surprise. “No one has ever done that before.”

  She rolled to her side and got up on
her knees, her wings tucked behind her. She was panting, her thighs were slick with her own moisture and her skin was sweaty. She gave him a sarcastic look. “I am so glad I could be your first.”

  She pulled her wings in and stood on the bed so her head was above his. “So, if you want to continue this, I think an even playing field would be a good idea.”

  He gently reached out and stroked her inner thigh, feeling the wet heat. “I believe that it might be the way to proceed.”

  She grinned, draping her arms around his neck. Her breasts were inches from his mouth, and she winked. “As you are older and wiser than I am, I thought you would know where we should direct our focus next.”

  His hands wrapped around her waist, and they covered the narrow span. She wanted to wriggle and get more of his direct touch on her skin, but the warmth of his hands was far too soothing.

  Ida kissed him and teased him with her tongue until his hands clenched around her.

  The world tilted and the bed pressed against her back. She focused on the hot, wet slide of his tongue against hers and the length of his fingers pressing into her.

  She moaned, she twisted and clutched at him until the moment that the tension snapped. She pulled her head away from his and clenched her teeth as her body shook with a short, trembling climax.

  When she finished her gasping, she looked up, and Dromer’s features had an intense cast. He kissed her again, pressing her into the bedding and holding her arms above her head. The magic between them sparked and crackled as he stroked her with his body in a slow undulation.

  Her nipples pressed against his skin as he moved against her. Ida clenched her fingers around Dromer’s and held tight while the slow caress took her higher and higher.

  The musky smell coming from him had a spicy undertone that she wanted to wallow in. Her beast was enjoying the stroking, but then, her inner swan was a bit of a tramp for petting. Every undulation stroked his cock against her thighs and belly, a delightful tease which made her arch into him. All in all, her senses were overwhelmed, and it was a matter of minutes before she was on the verge of an orgasm.