Love's Fiery Jewel (15 page)

"Amethyst, dear," his voice was husky as he spoke,"I
realize you must be stunned by my actions tonight. You
probably did not expect..."

"But I did expect!" Amethyst's voice was low, her eyes
steadfastly maintaining contact with his, the only sign of
her mounting anger the spark that burned in their purple
depths. "I told you yesterday that I did not believe you
had helped my mother and me without an ulterior
motive. But I had not realized that you would attempt to
come between me and the man I love in order to cancel all
debts between us."

"You do not love that young fool!" Damien stated
emphatically, his face stiffening in anger.

"And how would you know if I loved him or not?"
Amethyst demanded, inching away from him in anger to
draw herself up haughtily against the side of the carriage.
"Do you profess to read minds as well as perform black
magic?"

"Come now, Amethyst, I had thought you far too
intelligent a woman to believe all the poppycock that is
whispered about my powers of obeah! If I hold a power
over you, it has nothing to do with magic."

"You hold no power over me whatsoever, Captain
Straith!"

"Oh, is that so, Amethyst?"

In a swift, unexpected movement, Damien pulled her
close, his strong, arrogant mouth closing over her
slightly parted lips, efficiently shutting off all protest with the strength of his kiss. But once begun, the lesson
quickly grew out of hand. A deep, pulsating heat surging
through him at the first taste of her lips, Damien pulled
her closer, closer still until Amethyst's soft, tantalizing
body was crushed roughly against his in an endless kiss
that stirred him to the very soul. He could not hold her
close enough. His one hand sliding around her narrow
waist to press her intimately against him, his other hand
slid up her back to close over the white, bared shoulder.
Delighting in the coolness of her skin, thrilling as his
caress moved up the back of her neck, he slid his hand
into her hair to hold her head fast and tight under his
kiss. Gradually Amethyst's protests lessened until she no
longer struggled against him, her lips softening under the
relentless pressure of his mouth, her body growing
relaxed and compliant under his touch. And still his kiss
went on, searching, devouring greedily the unbelievable
beauty unfolding beneath his lips. Finally his mouth left
hers, his lips trailing heated, hungry kisses up her cheek,
across the fragile, almost transparent lids closed with
passion, along her temple and hairline to her small
tempting ear, before returning with renewed eagerness to
consume once again the welcoming mouth awaiting his
kiss. His heart pounding in his chest, all rational thought
lost from his mind, Damien finally drew himself away to
search the lovely face so close to his. Her expression
bemused, almost frightened, Amethyst stared up into his
face.

Damien's voice was a ragged whisper. "So, I hold no
power over you, Amethyst." Pressing another warm,
lingering kiss against her vulnerable mouth, he felt the
trembling of her petite frame, and a flush of exaltation
slid over him.

"You have answered my question without words,
darling," he whispered, circling her lips with kisses,
sliding his mouth down the slender column of her throat before pressing heatedly, with escalating fervor, against
the soft white swells exposed in her decolletage.
Following the daring neckline to the full depth of its
plunge, he covered the smooth breasts with warm, moist
kisses, his mouth moving and nudging against their
softness until they were almost free of their narrow
confines. He could feel her heart pounding against his
cheek, and barely able to restrain the wild heat pulsating
through his veins, he raised his face to gaze into
Amethyst's impassioned expression.

"And this, darling," he continued softly, "is the
reason I know you do not love that young man in the
theater."

His last sentence seeming to shock her from her
mindless lethargy, Amethyst suddenly attempted to jerk
herself free of his embrace, the heat flushing her lovely
face apparent even in the semi-darkness. Her voice
trembling as she sought to regain her composure,
Amethyst said in as haughty a tone as she could manage,
"Do not be deceived by a short, thoughtless lapse,
Captain Straith..."

"My name is Damien, Amethyst. I want you to call me
Damien..." His voice a husky whisper, he ignored her
shaken statement to continue a barrage of kisses against
her cheek and mouth. But she continued to speak.

"...I have had a terrible fright tonight and am merely
reacting hysterically. I'm afraid I'm not responsible..."

"You are reacting with the same hysteria as I,
Amethyst," Damien interrupted softly, "and that is the
hysteria of realizing we..."

"I realize nothing, Captain," Amethyst began, stopping abruptly as she became aware that they were in front
of her house. How long had they been there in full view of
curious eyes? How many people had witnessed her
wanton display from their windows? Swallowing hard,
she continued determinedly, "I only know that I am exhausted and must go inside now."

His brows drawing together in a small frown, Damien
said softly, "Why do you deny the feeling between..."

"Please, Captain," Amethyst exclaimed softly, her
wide eyes filling with unexpected tears, "I want to go
inside now."

The tone of her voice hinted at the true hysteria
beginning to overwhelm her senses, and Damien
considered her thoughtfully for a few long moments
before gradually lessening his hold. Anxious to be out of
his arms, Amethyst made a quick move to escape, only to
find Damien's grip tightening warningly.

"You don't have to run away from me, darling," he
said softly. "I'll take you to your door now if that's what
you truly want."

Averting her eyes from his, Amethyst repeated softly,
"Yes ...yes...I do want to go inside now."

"I want to go inside, Damien, "'Damien prompted,
tilting up her chin so that she looked into his eyes once
again. "Come on...say my name, Amethyst. It's really
not that hard, is it?"

Swallowing hard once again, Amethyst said breathlessly, "Alright... Damien..."

A small muscle twitching in his cheek at her whispered
response, Damien stared unfathomably into her incredible beauty for a few long moments before stepping from
the carriage. Turning, he offered her his hand and helped
her to the street. Sliding his arm around her possessively,
he pulled her close to his side as they walked the few
short steps to her door.

Looking up, Amethyst felt the heartstopping impact of
his clear gray eyes shake her body. She was speechless
against his mesmerizing stare and watched helplessly as
he lowered his mouth once again to plunder hers with a
rising passion that left her shaken.

Finally raising his head, Damien's voice was ragged, his hand trembling as he raised it to caress her velvet
cheek. "Goodnight, darling. Go inside now and sleep
well. We have much to discuss tomorrow."

Her voice a hoarse whisper, Amethyst said softly,
"Goodnight."

"`Goodnight, Damien, "'was the prompting response.

Shooting him a quick, unreadable glance, Amethyst
whispered softly, "Goodnight... Damien."

Turning abruptly, Amethyst entered the house, the
remnants of the strange trembling she had experienced in
Damien's arms still remaining in the small, intermittent
tremors that shook her small frame. What was the
weakness that seemed to overwhelm her each time
Damien forced his attentions on her? Remembering the
pressure of his full, hungry lips against hers, the purely
male scent of his body as he crushed her intimately close,
his voice soft and husky as he murmured, "Amethyst,
darling...", Amethyst was once again assailed with the
same malady. What was wrong with her? She despised
Damien Straith for the opportunist he had proved to be.
Then why did she seem to forget everything she truly felt
about him the moment he took her into his arms?

The sound of movement at the entrance to the living
room snapped Amethyst's head around to Tillie's
accusing glance.

"What kind of show you put on in that carriage, Miss
Amethyst Greer? You mama work hard to keep you
names good and clean. Be you tryin' t' wipe out all him
work in one night?"

"Please, Tillie," Amethyst's voice was sharp, "I'm not
in the mood for a lecture. It's been a terrible evening.
You don't know..."

"I know everythin' that happened tonight," Tillie
corrected in a low, knowing voice. "That man...him
set him duppy on you. Him make you run across that
stage and act like a fool 'til people in the audience split him sides laughin'. Then when you come out to charm
the people with you sweet song, him bring the ceiling
down on you!"

"Tillie, you exaggerate!" Amethyst scoffed in an effort
to deny the same fear that had been crowding her mind.
"The batten fell, that's all. It was extremely frightening,
but I'm alright now. It was just an accident..."

"It be no accident, Amethyst Greer!" Taking the grisly
charm from her pocket, Tillie held it out again in
Amethyst's direction. "You take this now and him lose
him power over you!"

"I don't want it, Tillie!" Her face flushing in anger,
Amethyst shook her head firmly. To accept the charm
would be to acknowledge Damien's control over her
emotions. The very thought of it raising her color to
higher level, she said adamantly, "I can handle Captain
Straith by myself!"

"Like you do in the carriage, missey?"

Her face maintaining her hot color, Amethyst drew
herself up haughtily. "I was not myself tonight. I had
suffered a terrible fright.. .1 was shaken..."

"That man, him got him eye on you, Amethyst, but
him not gowan marry you. Him not marry anyone, and if
you not be careful, Mr. Sheridan not gowan want you
either!"

"You needn't worry about that, Tillie. William loves
me."

"But that man gowan take you and use you. Mr.
Sheridan not gowan want second-hand woman for him
wife!"

"Tillie!" Tears springing to her eyes, Amethyst
responded softly, "You know I wouldn't let that
happen."

"Tillie see you in that carriage, Amethyst." Tillie's
short glance contradicted her protest. "Him already have
power over you, but him let you go this time. Next time him not gowan pull away."

Her face suddenly draining of all color, Amethyst took
a small, inadvertent step backwards as Tillie put into
words the fear that had been permeating her senses.
Unable to respond, Amethyst turned abruptly toward her
room. Grasping the door knob with a shaking hand, she
tossed over her shoulder in the firmest voice she could
manage, "I'm going to sleep now. I'll feel better
tomorrow and you shall see just how little `power'
Captain Straith has over me. Goodnight, Tillie."

Unable to face even her own thoughts, Amethyst spent
the dark hours of the night tossing and turning in her bed
as a myriad of emotions swept over her. For the first few
hours she waited hopefully for William, but she waited in
vain. Why had William not come to see how she had
fared? Was he angry because she had left with Damien?
But she had had no choice... she had not wanted the
ghastly scene to continue. Would William really desert
her as Tillie had intimated? No, he loved her. He had
proved his love for her in countless ways over the past
year, and they would be married now had she not been so
hesitant. Perhaps she had been wrong in refusing to
marry William. If she were married now, Damien Straith
would not be a problem. No...that was not reason
enough to marry. There must be true love on both sides
in order to marry, and no hesitation. But she did love
William, didn't she? Drawing the image of his face to her
mind, Amethyst felt the same sense of warmth steal over
her that always accompanied his presence.. .his touch
...and she relaxed for a few short moments, basking in
her temporary escape, until uncertainty again overcame
her senses. Well, she would get up at dawn tomorrow and
would go to Sheridan Plantation to see William. Perhaps
he was hurt far more seriously than she thought. A stab
of true fear jabbed her insides viciously at the thought. Please, God, no! In an attempt to escape her fear, she
closed her eyes tightly and turned her face to her pillow.
She must empty her mind of thought now and go to sleep.
It would do her no good to worry all night long. She had a
long walk ahead of her at dawn...

Finally falling asleep, Amethyst seemed to awaken
only a few minutes later to find the bright light of
morning slipping through her window. Shooting a quick
glance to the clock on her dresser, she gasped audibly.
7:30! She had wanted to be away at dawn so that no one
would be aware of the direction in which she headed.
Furious that she had not awakened on time, she jumped
out of bed and pulling off her night rail, grabbed her
underclothes and began to dress. She would go to
Sheridan Plantation anyway, and damn the knowing
glances that would follow her! So engrossed was she in
her hurried dressing that she failed to hear the rattle of
the wagon that pulled up in front of her house, or the soft
knock on the door that preceded the conversation that
jerked her head away from her reflection in the mirror
and caused her to drop her brush as she ran to her
bedroom door and pulled it open.

"William!" Without waiting for his response, Amethyst flew across the room to throw her arms around his
neck with relief. Hugging the familiar warmth of him
tightly against her, she murmured over and over against
his ear as he bent to scoop her in a tight embrace,
"William, William, I was so worried! Why didn't you
come to see me last night? I waited and waited until I
became certain something dreadful had happened to
you." Running her hand into the thick mahogany hair at
the base of his neck, she inadvertently touched a huge
swelling at the same moment William winced with pain.
Drawing away, she looked worriedly into William's face
for the first time, noting his unusual pallor and bloodshot
eyes. As he returned her glance, he swayed for a brief second, and reaching out, gripped the chair beside him
for support.