Free Tristan's Loins by Karolyn Cairns Page B

Selene."
    Selene regarded Axel without expression. She
was not going to argue Sal's virtues in a bar parking lot with her
drunk friend ready to hurl everywhere. The man had fed Darcy drinks
all night despite her warnings. It doused her enjoyment of the
evening considerably.
    "Let's just get her to the car."
    Axel eyed her in amusement. "When was the
last time you drove a drunk home?"
    "Nineteen ninety-eight, I think." Selene
frowned as she thought about it. "Maybe it was ninety-nine."
    Axel burst out laughing and she sent him a
quelling look. They got a giggling Darcy into the car and she shut
the door carefully before her friend could flop out.
    She sighed and went to her side. Axel looked
down at her with a composed expression, but his lips twitched at
her irritation.
    "I'll call you tomorrow," Axel said and
Selene would have turned to get in the car but he spun her around
and his lips came down on hers swiftly, making her gasp.
    The fantasy of Axel was not even, close to
what it felt like to kiss him in person. His lips were firm and
sure as they slid over hers, parting hers easily as his tongue
swept inside slowly. She smelled the spicy scent of him and sighed
as he pulled her against his hard frame tightly. Selene felt a
definite ache in her middle before he lifted his lips from hers,
his expression heated and intense.
    Selene felt dazed as she got in her car, not
quite reacting to the kiss until she was halfway back to Grand
Blanc. She touched her burning lips in surprise, her eyes filled
with dreamy pleasure. She definitely liked this side to Coach
Gifford.
    Selene was glad the sitter was so
understanding when they got to Darcy's house. She paid the girl
extra and put Darcy to bed and gave the girl a ride home. When she
got back to her apartment, she was still giddy from the kiss. Axel
was full of surprises, it seemed.
    He had been attentive all night. They had
danced and played pool. She enjoyed herself so much, she regretted
the bar closing until she saw how wasted Darcy was. She could
hardly walk. The barmaid finally cut her off.
    She looked at her computer and bit her lip,
feeling guilty for not doing any writing tonight. Tristan was being
patient. He must be going out of his mind trapped in the scene she
left him in.
    She went and tiptoed over and turned up the
light resolution, relieved to see he slept. The workbooks were
stacked neatly on the table. She would bet he finished them all.
Seeing his face in repose made her nearly sigh. Tristan was
glorious to behold. Seeing him asleep made her middle flutter. He
was male perfection in both face and form. She felt a wave of guilt
for denying him his perfect life.
    Selene woke up early despite being out so
late. It was eight in the morning when she hovered over her coffee
maker. She was determined to do some writing today. That should
please Tristan. She would write him in a breakfast fit for a God to
make up for her neglecting him all night.
    Her dreams the night before confused her. The
fantasy of Axel had definitely played out into a sensual interlude,
but it was Tristan she saw hovering above her before he kissed her
hungrily. She woke bereft to know she harbored such fondness for a
man who was not even real. Axel more than deserved a starring role
in her sexy dream, but took understudy to Tristan.
    Selene sighed, still thinking about the kiss
with Axel. Jim hadn't ever liked to kiss. Very weird, but he did
not like it at all. She felt denied a decent make-out session ever
since she met him. The sex had been adequate but one-sided. She was
ashamed to recall how sometimes she got in the shower afterwards to
masturbate because he had not satisfied her. No, Jim was all about
sticking it in, getting his, and rolling over and going to sleep.
Thinking of her past disappointment had to stop. Jim was out of her
life for good.
    Two cups of coffee later, she wandered over
to her computer. She sat and sipped her coffee. She took the pen
out of the messy bun she threw her hair