Page 43 of Don't Bite the Botanist
“Oh, it’s definitely quality fabric,” she said as she climbed to her feet. “So velvety,” she added, running a hand over her breasts.
She glanced at Ethan and saw him swallow roughly, his eyes locked on her chest.
This is almost too easy.
“Do you want to touch it?” she asked him, dropping her voice an octave.
Ethan took a step forward, his hands twitching at his sides.
Just give in.
“What do you think, Ethan?” she asked seductively. “Do you want to feel how soft I am right now?”
Human ears might not have heard the tiny whimper that escaped her mate, but Tressa definitely caught it.
Oh yeah, I’ve got him now.
Ethan lifted his hands and…
…shoved them in his pockets. “I’ll take your word for it,” he choked out.
Damn.
Why did her mate have to be the only male in existence with willpower?
Ethan cleared his throat and strolled across the room to grab his water bottle. “Um, anyway, I was just going to say earlier that you can save the running for the trail. You know, don’t tire yourself out too soon.”
Oh, he had no idea.
“I guess I’m just excited to get out,” she said. “I don’t usually hangaround the compound for long periods of time. I tend to be on the road a lot. You know, life of a vampire hunter and all. Gotta go where the action is.”
A flash of something like disappointment flickered over Ethan’s face, but it vanished quickly as he said, “In that case, let’s head out.”
“Sounds good,” she chirped, then made for the door. Pausing at the threshold, she tossed him a wicked grin over her shoulder. “Oh, and just so you know, I don’t tire easily. You might even say I can go all night.” When he made that painful choking noise again, she laughed. “Running, I meant.” She winked at him. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
She left him standing there flustered in the gym and headed for the garage, confident he would follow once he regained his senses. If he thought that teasing was bad, he had no idea how far she was willing to go.
Game on, Ethan.
Chapter twenty-four
Ethan
“Holy shit,” Ethan breathed out, staring at the massive trees looming above his head. There were some decent arbors in the San Jose area, but they were nothing compared to these ancient giants. “Sequoiadendron giganteum,” he whispered, running his hand reverently along the bark.
“What?” Tressa asked, coming up beside him.
“Oh, sorry. It’s the scientific name for these. Giant redwoods. I didn’t know they had any in this part of California.”
Tressa shrugged. “I think most people only know about the famous one that you can drive a car through. Very few tourists make it all the way out here.”
“You’re not kidding,” Ethan muttered, glancing around. They’d driven past Burney Falls a while ago, and ever since then, he’d seen nothing but trees that kept getting bigger and bigger as Tressa drove farther into the forest. By the time she pulled off onto a dirt road that ended at a small trailhead, he hadn’t seen another living being for miles.
“So you approve?” she asked, and he thought he detected a hint ofworry in her tone.
How could she be nervous that he wouldn’t like this? His eyes traced up the colossal sentinels that bordered the parking area and then down the murky pathway they flanked. Craning his neck, he could barely see where it twisted off into the heart of the forest. There was just enough light to make out the trail, and that was perfection for him.
“I love it,” he told her. “I had no idea it was so secluded. You’re not secretly a vampire, are you? Because this would be the perfect place to dump my body if you were.” He chuckled, feeling proud that he actually could joke about it after what he’d been through. He wasn’t a therapist, but that felt like progress.
