My heartbeat and breathing returned to normal, I finally stood up straight and caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye. I spun, instinctively holding my palm out. A kangaroo stood a hundred yards in the distance.
Oh! Without a thought, I sprinted after it.
“Alexis, NO!” Tristan shouted but I ignored him, wanting to see it up close.
The kangaroo sprang away from me, but I was too fast for it. I was nearly close enough to touch it when it spun on me, leaned back on its tail, and lifted its powerful legs. Its huge feet slammed into my face. I landed hard on my back, and the breath flew out of me. OW! I panicked. Power shot out of my hand, and the kangaroo soared ten yards away before landing on its tail and feet. I lay in the dirt, dumbstruck, as it bounced away.
“What the hell are you thinking?” Tristan asked, his voice full of amusement as he appeared in front of me.
“Was . . . it . . . a shifter?” I asked breathlessly as I struggled to sit up, mentally kicking myself for being so stupid and not checking first.
Tristan helped me to a sitting position. “No. Only a kangaroo.”
“Really? Are they always so rude?”
“They’re wild animals so yeah, especially when they feel threatened. Don’t do that again. You’ll ruin my favorite face in the world. Look what you’ve done to it.” He knelt down in front of me and gingerly touched my nose and cheekbones. I flinched. Of course, I couldn’t look at it, but I could feel it—my nose and cheeks hurt like hell. I groaned. The blood flowing from my nose had already stopped, and I could feel the broken bones mending themselves, but I would have serious bruises for a day or two.
Tristan lowered his mouth to my cheek and kissed across it, over my nose, and to my other cheek.
“There’s no open wound. You can’t heal it with your saliva,” I pointed out.
“Thought it might make you feel better, though.”
It did, actually, eliminate the pain. My skin tingled rather than throbbed.
“My lip is cut,” I whispered, and he moved his mouth to mine, his tongue running over my lips that had already healed.
“Would you like to pick up where your dream left off?” he asked.
I stiffened, staring at him. “You know what I was dreaming? Was I sharing it?”
The idea of my dreams seeping out of my head and into someone else’s never crossed my mind. How mortifying!
He chuckled. “No. Looks like I’m right, though.”
“Are you sure? Even Vanessa said something about my dreams.”
“Hmm . . . could be coincidence . . . but your sexy little moans and movements made it obvious to me.”
I groaned. “How embarrassing.”
He chuckled again and brushed his lips across mine. “I was personally enjoying it, my love. But the real thing would be better.”
I sighed. “Sorry about last night . . .”
“You can make it up to me.” He kissed across my cheeks again, parting his lips, his healing powers taking away the pain and replacing it with bliss.
“I will,” I promised.
“Right now?” he whispered against my ear, sending goose bumps across my skin.
I glanced around at our surroundings. Not a soul around, not even any animals. But it was dry and dusty, and the thought of that dusty sand making its way into certain places was not exactly romantic or sexy.
“Hmm . . . follow me.” He took my hand and flashed.
We appeared in a grassy area, surrounded by trees and the bank of a smooth pond in front of us. Its surface duplicated the trees and sky above so perfectly, it was difficult to tell where the real world ended and the reflection began.
“Crocodiles?” I asked but I already knew the answer. The only mind signatures I sensed were birds and a couple of snakes in the distance. Like the night in the woods on the island, I jumped into Tristan’s arms and crushed my mouth against his. And pain shot through my face. I gasped. “Crap.”
“Take it easy, my love.” He lowered me to my feet and took off his shirt, spreading it on the ground. He kissed along my collarbone as he undressed me, then lay me down on his shirt. His lips moved against my breasts, sending electric currents downward. “You’ve taken care of me all this time. Now I can finally take care of you.”