Love's Fiery Jewel (45 page)

"And you, ma petite, do not lie very convincingly."

Unable to sustain the pretense a moment longer,
Amethyst raised a pleading glance. "Armand, please, I
don't wish to go into this any further. You understand
my position correctly. I am...committed to Damien."

Raising his hand, Armand touched Amethyst's cheek
lightly, his expression deeply disturbed. He was at a loss,
never having felt the necessity to plead his case to a
woman before, but unable to bear the thought of her
passing to another, he whispered, "Was I wrong in
assuming that there was a warmth between us, ma petite,
something drawing us together?"

"Armand, this is senseless. We cannot retain our
friendship. Damien is too jealous."

Armand's hand was caressing her cheek. "Surely you
realize it is not friendship I seek, Amethyst."

"I...I didn't encourage your attentions, Armand..."

"I needed no encouragement, ma petite."

Searching his face with her eyes, Amethyst looked for
a sign of deception. Surely this handsome, virile man
who had loved many sophisticated women could not be
serious about his feelings for her. But she could find no
sign of deceit in the dark eyes of the man looking down at
her.

"Oh, Armand," she whispered despairingly, "I find it difficult to believe you are the ruthless man of the world
some would have me believe. I can only believe you are
sincere, and I must respond accordingly. I am indeed
very fond of you, and I must admit that you stir a true
warmth inside me. I find you handsome and charming,
Armand. I enjoy being with you and I am sorely affected
by your distress, but... but... it's too late."

"Ma petite Amethyst," Armand interrupted quietly,
"I would have you for my wife..."

Stunned into silence, Amethyst could do no more than
stare disbelievingly at the man before her. The antithesis
of Damien Straith, his skin a natural olive, his dark
brows, eyes, and strong features compelling, he was also
Damien's antithesis in manner. Quietly considerate with
a suave, understated wit and entertaining personality, he
held a generous appeal, toward which Amethyst was
helplessly drawn. But it was impossible... too late...

Her eyes filling with tears, Amethyst raised her hand
to his cheek. Her voice was soft, wistful. "Oh, Armand,
you are truly a lovely man..."

The obvious regret with which she spoke her soft
endearment pushing him over the bounds of restraint,
Armand groaned softly, "MonDieu...this is more than
I can stand..."

Snatching Amethyst against his powerful chest,
Armand covered her mouth with his for a long, searching
kiss. The touch of her lips igniting the passion he had
suppressed for so long, Armand strained Amethyst ever
closer to him, his kiss deepening. Finally drawing away,
his dark eyes bright with emotion, he said raggedly, "Je
t'aline...I love you, Amethyst, mon coeur. "Kissing her
lightly again on the lips, he pleaded softly, "Come with
me tonight, ma petite amour. We will leave now...
quickly. We will drive to a spot where Monsieur Straith
cannot interfere and we will be married."

"No, Armand." Struggling to free herself, Amethyst whispered frantically, "You don't really wish to marry.
You aren't a man meant to be tied to a wife."

"I did not wish to marry before I met you, ma cherie,"
Armand's melodious voice insisted, "but I am no longer
the same man."

"But I am committed to Damien, I tell you. Please let
me go, Armand. Damien will return soon, and I don't
wish to have him find us together."

Suddenly angry, Armand said sharply, "I do not worry
should he find us together. This commitment... it is
nothing, and can be dissolved."

"It cannot..."

"Yes!" His dark eyes snapping angrily, Armand
insisted, "Yes, it can and will be dissolved!"

Violet eyes slowly raising to his, Amethyst held his
glance silently for long moments before responding. Her
voice was a desperate whisper. "No, Armand.. .it
cannot. It's too late. I carry Damien's child."

Startled into silence, Armand searched her pale face,
his own expression finally registering belief as he said
quietly, "When ...when will you have this child, ma
petite?"

"In six months."

Tears suddenly overflowing the great purple orbs,
Amethyst whispered hoarsely, "Don't think ill of me,
Armand, please. I cannot explain the circumstances that
brought me to this, but I don't wish your scorn..."

"Not my scorn, cherie." Considering her solemnly,
Armand finally whispered in return, the pain of her
disclosure obvious in his darkly handsome face. "No, not
my scorn.. .just my fervent wish that I were he..."

Gently enclosing her in his arms, Armand held her
close against him for long moments, finally about to
speak when a strong arm suddenly jerked them apart,
flinging him roughly against the opposite wall.

Her eyes wide with fright, Amethyst saw the rage on Damien's face the moment he turned to deliver a
crashing blow against Armand's jaw. Caught unaware,
Armand was unable to defend himself against the vicious
blows that Damien delivered to his face time and time
again, snapping his head from side to side as blood
spurted from his nose and mouth. Pounding and
pummelling the battered Frenchman senseless, Damien
watched unaffected as Armand's powerful body doubled
over, collapsing into a silent heap upon the floor.

Standing threateningly over his inert form, his chest
heaving from the exertion of his attack, Damien spat
venomously, "I warn you now, Beauchamps, touch
Amethyst again or even attempt to contact her and
you're a dead man!"

Turning back toward Amethyst, Damien grabbed her
arm and jerked her forward. Dragging her down the
hallway behind him, he ignored the few rushing to the
Frenchman's aid as he did those who stood gawking from
the doorways to the Assembly Room, and continued on
to the exit door where a frightened servant stood with
their outerwear in his hand. Stopping to wrap Amethyst
securely in her cape, he pulled her unceremoniously
through the doorway to the carriage that stood waiting.
Jerking the door open, he turned and lifting Amethyst
roughly, dumped her on the seat inside. Getting in beside
her, he signaled the driver forward and sat stiff and silent
for the duration of the ride home.

Not bothering to respond to Mary's hesitant greeting
as she opened the door, Damien allowed Amethyst to
precede him into the hallway. Silently sweeping her cape
from her shoulders, he proceeded to remove his own
overcoat and throw it on the chair near the door. His eyes
burning furiously into hers, he started up the staircase,
taking her arm to drag her along behind him as he did.

Her heart pounding furiously, Amethyst could not
suppressor own anger as Damien pulled her into the master bedroom and slammed the door shut behind him.

Rounding to face him, her eyes sparking fire, she hissed in a low, ominous tone, "How dare you! How dare
you behave so barbarically?" A picture of Armand's
bloodied Face flashing before her mind, she felt tears
choke her throat, and struggling to speak, she continued
haltingly, "You attack Armand Beauchamps brutally,
without cause, and then treat me like an errant kitchen
maid. You are a savage, sadistic animal, Damien Straith,
and I will not stand..."

A sudden burst of laughter interrupted her tirade,
startling her into silence while Damien regarded her with
bitter amusement. Advancing slowly, he stopped to stand
towering above her, his glance scathing, his overpowering size and obvious rage in blatant intimidation.

"My congratulations, Amethyst. That was an admirable try! But your ploy will not work. You will not
deter me with your attack. Your noble swain, Armand
Beauchamps, will not forget the lesson he learned tonight
and neither will any other man present at the ball."
Reaching out, Damien suddenly clamped his hands on
Amethyst's shoulders, sneering as he did, "And now it's
your turn, my sweet!"

"Take your hands off me!" Amethyst hissed, reaching
out to push and shove against his chest in an attempt to
free herself. "If you think I'll stand here and calmly
allow you to abuse me, you're mistaken!"

Suddenly snatching Amethyst against him, Damien
caught her wrists behind her back, holding them
effortlessly with one wide hand as he used the other to
force her face up to his. His voice a low growl touched
with admiration, he said softly, "You're like a small,
angry kitten, hissing and spitting its defiance against the
inevitable." His glance hardening, he continued hoarsely,
"Tell me, Amethyst, why did you allow Armand
Beauchamps to take you to that secluded spot? Couldn't you resist the thought of his arms around you, the
thought of his lips on yours? Did you enjoy his
embrace?" His mouth descending savagely in a brutal
kiss smothered her response. Finally drawing back from
her bruised lips, Damien whispered softly, "Did you find
his kiss more thrilling than mine.. .his touch more
pleasing? Do you think Beauchamps will consider those
few stolen moments worth the beating he suffered? Well,
you are a fool! To Armand Beauchamps you're just
another woman to add to his long list of conquests,
nothing more than another feather in his cap!"

"As I am to you, Damien?"

His expression stiffening at Amethyst's taunting
question, Damien did not deign to answer. A bitter smile
curving her lips, Amethyst continued softly, her voice a
whispered gasp as she winced against the pain of
Damien's crushing embrace, "Well, you're wrong!
Armand is sincere.. .a true gentleman..."

"Fool!" Suddenly realizing she struggled to catch her
breath, Damien loosened his hold and freed her wrists,
his hands slipping around her back to hold her more
gently than before. "You merely played into his hands,
Amethyst..."

"His intentions were honorable."

A scoffing laugh broke into her response, filling
Damien's voice with ridicule, "You're a bigger fool than I
thought!"

"He asked me to be his wife."

The laughter slowly leaving his face, Damien hesitated
for the briefest second before responding sharply, "He
was deceiving you. He would never marry you."

"I believe him. He said he loves me, Damien."

His eyes cold, Damien's response was flat, devoid of
expression. "And what did you say to him?"

Lowering her head, Amethyst responded hesitantly,
"I...I told him that it was impossible... that I was committed to you..."

"But that did not deter the Frenchman from pressing
his suit."

"No, it didn't..."

"And?"

"I told him.. .I told him I carried your child..."

There was another brief hesitation on Damien's part
before he said slowly, deliberately, "And what was his
reaction?"

Her eyes moving to a far corner of the room, Amethyst
bit her lips nervously, her barely audible whisper finally
breaking the uneasy silence. "He said ...he said he
wished the child was his..."

Her soft response hung heavily between them, filling
the silence that ensued with an air of expectancy that
sent a chill of apprehension racing down her spine.
Unable to bear the suspense a moment longer, Amethyst
lifted her eyes to Damien's unreadable facade. A small
muscle twitched in his jaw, and Amethyst braced herself
for another outburst. Suddenly blinking, Damien raised
a hand to Amethyst's cheek in a small, tender gesture
that shook her far more than his violence of the past
hour. His voice was a soft caress.

"But the child is not his, Amethyst. It is mine...
ours... and nothing can change that. And you are mine,
Amethyst. No one will ever take you from me..."

Lowering his mouth slowly, Damien covered her lips
with his gently, tenderly, his arms moving to hold her
against him with a sweet urgency that left her breathless.
Finally drawing his mouth from hers, he moved his hands
up the back of her dress, unfastening the buttons with
practiced precision, punctuating his deft effort with soft
kisses on her cheek and brow, small nibbles on her ear
and neck, and finally another long, searing kiss that left
her weak. Without her conscious realization, Amethyst's gown fell to the floor around her slender ankles. The heat
of his kisses increasing, Damien slipped the delicate
chemise from her body. Finally clad only in white silk
stockings extending just above her knee, Amethyst stood
trembling visibly before him.

Closing his eyes briefly in an effort to subdue the
passion raging through him, Damien pressed a fleeting
kiss on Amethyst's trembling lips before bending to
loosen the ribboned garters and slip the flimsy wisps
down her slender legs. Following their descent with his
lips, Damien kissed the small, perfect feet as she slipped
them from her shoes. Slowly retracing with his lips the
path he had followed just minutes before, he continued
steadily upward, his passion growing with each tender
kiss until he reached her slender thighs. His blood
rushing through his veins as the heat of passion assumed
control, Damien looked up to Amethyst's face. Her
expression bemused, she returned his stare, her body still
and motionless as he lowered his head to the tender flesh
between. She was trembling wildly now, as his lips circled
the triangle of black, shining ringlets, finally emittinh a
small gasp as Damien cupped her rounded buttocks with
his hands and brought her forward to press his lips tightly
against the vulnerable crease.

Lost to her passion, Amethyst felt the first penetration
of Damien's tongue, a jolt of ecstasy shooting through
her as he pressed deeper and deeper to taste and draw
from the sweetness within. No longer able to think
coherently, she could feel only the joy of his erotic quest
as his tongue fondled her intimately, teasing, searching,
demanding a response she was no longer able to withhold.
On and on he persisted, his.heady penetration moving
deeper and deeper until the glorious languor creeping
through her veins assumed control, shaking her small
perfect body with deep, heaving spasms lifting her to a euphoric plane of brilliant sensation and breathless
glory, her body quivering violently as it released in
gasping tribute the sweet nectar of love and total
Fulfillment. His mouth pressed tightly against her,
Damien shared her ecstasy, accepting gratefully,
lovingly, her body's homage to his passionate ministrations. Supporting her gently, he waited until the last
tender spasms had passed, his lips relinquishing the
tender slit begrudgingly, lingeringly. Moving quickly to
his feet, he scooped Amethyst's swaying figure into his
arms and carried her to bed. Laying her down gently, he
quickly removed his clothing and within moments his
strong, anxious body lay atop hers. Lifting her heavy lids
slowly, Amethyst whispered softly against his lips,
"Damien, I did not want this..."