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?
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Excerpt (+18
Language Present)
She spun around to face Brad, who stood inches from her. Her
body chilled then heated in one tumultuous second. “You’re back already?”
“I finished the race.”
Relieved he hadn’t noticed her conversation with the tree or
the shakiness of her voice, she drew on every ounce of self-control to appear
unaffected by his nearness. He smelled of motor oil, gasoline, sweat, dust, and
raw power. She imagined him hovering over her, his stubble grazing her face,
his lips locking with hers, his rock-solid arms pinning her down. She
swallowed. “Did you win?”
“I did.” He gave an easy smile as if winning were a given.
“That’s amazing. You must be over the moon.”
“It hasn’t hit me yet. I thought you’d left. I—”
“Don’t you have to go somewhere? I won’t leave. I promised.”
“I’ll wait for the awards ceremony. Nowhere to go yet. My
agent’s lapping up all the attention.”
He’d rather be with me? Confusion sent her head into a spin.
Her day had been strange, her responses to this man foreign to her. Longings
that she’d pushed down for years surfaced. Speak before you do something
stupid! “You look tired. Can I get you a drink?”
“I’d like that.”
He fell in beside her while she walked, and another odd
sensation assaulted her. He belonged near her, just like she belonged in nature,
amongst the trees where sap pulsed more than blood. This man’s veins seemed to
pump hot and sexy and oh-so-desirable. Every fiber of her being strove to sense
and memorize his movements.
She couldn’t help granting him a huge smile.
“Where do you live?” he asked as they reached the counter of
the mini-bar in the clubhouse.
“Not far from here. Moreleta Park.”
“Oh, I’m staying in Centurion.”
A suburb near her. Her heart rippled as if in a breeze, and
she became aware of the throbbing pulse in her neck. “Small world.”
“I want to see you again.”
He moved too fast. At the moment, she just wanted to drink a
soda with him. “I don’t know.”
The bar lady handed them their drinks, her face rough and
uninterested. He gulped his down.
“Another one?” Lina held back a laugh.
“I should be buying you a drink.”
“Nope.” She grinned. “You’re the winner.”
“I can’t believe it. It’s my first official win, and it’s
nationals.” He glowed with a sense of achievement—that tired yet pleased
feeling of having accomplished something great.
How could she feel this growing respect for him when he’d
harmed the trees? “You must have trained hard.”
“I did. My family’s hardly seen me.”
She almost lost her grip on the soda. “I…. Are you married?”
He touched her elbow, guiding her outside. At once, her heart
rate eased. She always felt safer outside near trees. She used the opportunity
to make her way to the bride’s bush and stood under a branch.
“Nah, not a chance of that happening soon. I’m way too busy
for a wife.” Brad leaned on the trunk and gave a relaxed smile.
She almost said good but kept her mouth shut. She didn’t want
to appear like the anti-marriage type.
His gaze swept over her. “You like plants?”
Heat flushed her cheeks. “Why?”
“That tree’s practically kissing you.”
“What?” She spun around. The tree’s branch eased away from
her head. The synergy and bond she shared with the trees had become so
automatic she often forgot how it looked to other people.
“Are you real?” His pupils grew large, with…. What,
tenderness, awe, curiosity?
“I am. You can see my ID book.”
“I’ll take your hand instead.” He reached out, grasping hers.
His palm was still moist from the soda can or maybe from
driving like a madman, and his fingers were large, encompassing, and muscular.
Her pussy tightened in immediate response, and she wished for more than casual
sex with him. Wouldn’t a long-term relationship be perfect?
Yanking her hand away, she stumbled back into the tree,
knocking a branch onto the ground. For the first time ever, she’d forgotten
about one of the creatures and only thought of a human. Ashamed of herself, she
edged away, her face flaming. “I-I’d better go.”
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Vicki:
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