The Century Sage
Vicki Ballante
Lina is a tree sage, a gifted person who heals trees,
but her duty binds her to one place for her whole life until she marries. Tree
sages must marry and birth a daughter by twenty-eight, even if true love is out
of the picture. When hot rally winner Brad meets her, he is drawn to her
mystical powers. Lina can’t resist the man who represents something she
shouldn’t go for, but neither can she turn away his sexy touch. Brad offers to
marry her and take her on a world-wide rally tour. She can fulfill her dream of
traveling, and he provides a way to meet the demands of her breed, but will
that be enough? What about love?
When Lina settles in Paris, loneliness and unfulfilled
expectations threaten to pull the shaky relationship apart. Could the barriers
between them be caused by an evil greater than they imagined? Soon, they will
have to fight for Paris, but will they survive?
Excerpt:
She led the
way through the darkened nursery to her front door. The fresh breeze from the
trees calmed her, and she couldn’t resist stopping by the dwarf coral trees
with their scarlet trumpet flowers gathered onto tapered spikes.
“These are
one of the most popular choices for gardens.” She sniffed a flower and caressed
a silky leaf. “They’re hardy and grow fast, but don’t take up too much space.”
Her nerves were making her babble.
Surprise
shook her when his hand caressed the nape of her neck, his touch cool yet sending
searing heat through her.
“You’re so
gentle with them. Kiss me, Lina.”
She turned
to find him inches from her. His breath smelled sweet like the rose or lavender
bush, warm and fresh at the same time. She moved closer to kiss him, and as
their lips met, shivers ran through her. Closing her eyes, she took in the full
sensation of him surrounding her with solid arms. Joy and hunger for more
mingled inside her.
If only she
could have him.
“Let’s go
inside,” he murmured, his voice husky. “I want to see you. The dim light coming
from your front door doesn’t illuminate your beauty.”
For a first
kiss, it was a little disappointing. Too quick, not enough savoring, little
exploration.
“Don’t you
want to look around?”
“Do you
have a brochure I can look at?”
The trees
nattered amongst themselves. Several of them seemed surprised she’d brought a
man home. Smiling, she unlocked her front door, snapped on the lights, and
directed Brad to her living room.
Immediately,
her indoor ferns shimmered, and their leaves plumped up. Brad gaped at them.
No one had
ever noticed the big part of her life—the way plants responded to her
presence—before. Not even Henk had picked up on it.
“I feel it,
too,” he whispered near her ear, sending spasms through her core.
“Feel
what?” Her body moved toward unmistakable arousal. The disappointment from the hurried
kiss faded in the brightness of his male aura. Could she resist?
“This
power, this energy when you come into a room. The trees and plants pick it up.
What sort of talent do you have?”
“I’m just
like anyone else.” A lie, but she’d wished for normality her whole life.
“Oh, no
you’re not. That’s what drives me crazy about you.” He ran sizzling hot fingers
down her neck to the dip where her collar bones met. “Every time I see you, I
get goose bumps on my arms. Tingles run up and down my legs. I struggle to
breathe. It’s more than sexual attraction. I’m drawn to you, to your essence. I
don’t think I could ever enjoy life without you.”
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