Love's Fiery Jewel (62 page)

A world of bright, careening colors overwhelmed her, a
world of warmth and raging desire as her night rail slowly
slipped from her body. Damien's mouth was both gentle
and seeking against her flesh, his broad palms leaving no
area untouched in his aching desire to possess her
completely. Her eyes closed against her tumultuous
emotions, Amethyst felt the soft flutter of Damien's lips
against her forehead, eyelids, temples, the smoothness of
her cheek, her lips and chin. His seeking mouth moving
slowly downward to her graceful throat and shoulders,
paused for long moments to savor the sweetness of her
breasts. His hands remaining to knead the soft white
mounds hungrily, his lips trailed to her navel, and within
minutes were nuzzling the dark triangle of curls below.
Snapping abruptly from the hypnotic lethargy of his
lovemaking, Amethyst pushed frantically at his head,
tearing at his heavy gold hair in an attempt to deter his
obvious intent.

"No, Damien, please. I don't want you to...
please..." Amethyst's voice was a soft, broken plea. She
could not allow Damien to break her down so completely,
to make her give herself without reservation. She must
protest this ultimate intimacy that would allow her to
hold nothing back, lay her body and soul open to do with
as he desired. "No, Damien, please... please..."

His eyes lifted to hers, mirrored her own passion as
Damien replied huskily, "I must, darling.. .1 must..."

His head slowly descending, parted the sensuous
crease awaiting him, his tongue driving inside in quick,
stabbing caresses that sent jolts of ecstasy searing
through her veins. Gasping in the throes of the brilliance
overwhelming her, Amethyst knew nothing but the
searing heat consuming her, the exquisite jolts of erotic
sensation sweeping over her in quick, overlapping waves
as Damien continued his heady administrations. Pressing on to seek, consume, devour, Damien knew only the
raging sweetness of his loving assault; the spasms of
ecstasy moving the small, beautiful body he ached to
consume with his love driving him relentlessly onward.
Deeper and harder he pressed, drawing, tasting, fondling
the moist inner reaches of her body with his tongue, his
passionate frenzy knowing no bounds until the graceful
body within his grasp began heaving in deep, jerking
spasms in ultimate tribute to his impassioned lovemaking. Groaning deeply, unable to contain her body's
response, Amethyst was lifted to the supreme glory of
love, her passionate reward accepted humbly, gratefully,
as Damien's mouth remained tightly pressed against
her. Waiting until the last heaving spasm was over,
Damien slowly lifted his mouth from her body, his eyes
moving to cling to Amethyst's lovely face as she struggled
to regain her breath.

But a deep need still ached inside him. He could not be
sated until he had dispelled any doubt that she was totally
his, and his alone. His lips moving down, he kissed the
moist crease again, the first touch of its warmth
escalating his passion beyond restraint. Again and again
he brought her to brilliant climax, each shuddering
response raising him on euphoric wings as he renewed his
intimate claim. Slowly, insistently, his sensuous mouth
worked its magic. His tongue fondling, searching, teasing
Amethyst's body to the brink of yet another tumultuous
descent, Damien poised to survey her impassioned face.

Slowly he slid his massive frame over her small writhing
form, his throbbing hardness pressed tight against her.
Passion-filled violet eyes looked directly into his, the
agony of aching desire apparent in her expression. His
voice hoarse with emotion, Damien rasped softly, "Tell
me, Amethyst, say it now. Tell me you want me to love
you... ache to feel me inside you.. .burn for the
ultimate release only I can give you." But there was
silence as Amethyst continued to return his stare, her
soft lips working lightly as she struggled to swallow past
the emotion blocking her throat.,

Moving to cup her face with his palms, his elbows
resting on the bed, Damien demanded hoarsely, "Tell
me... tell me, damn you, tell me! I want to hear you say
it, darling." Waiting tensely for Amethyst's response,
Damien's heart hammered wildly in his chest as his
manhood swelled stiffly against her.

"Amethyst, I swear..."

But she could hold out against him no longer. Her
lavender eyes bright with tears, Amethyst sobbed softly,
her arms moving to circle his neck in a tight embrace.
"Yes ...yes, I want you, Damien. God help me, I want
you so much..."

The glory of her admission flashing a searing joy
through his veins, Damien raised himself slightly to slide
deep within her, her moist warmth closing around him,
bringing him to a height of ecstasy without equal. Slowly,
smoothly, he moved inside her, his eyes intent on her
face, savoring each groaning gasp that escaped her
beautiful lips as his passion quickly mounted. Her arms
clinging to him, Amethyst met his thrusts with equal
passion, her body lifting, meeting, crushing against his
until he could suppress his response no longer. With a
last surging thrust, Damien pushed deep inside her, the
fury of his possession carrying her with him in a glorious,
spiraling descent from the intense, dazzling ecstasy of total fulfillment.

His breathing slowly returning to normal, Damien's
powerful body overwhelmed Amethyst's petite frame as
he lay spent atop her. Lifting his face from the soft pillow
of shining black tresses, Damien pressed light kisses
against her ear as his clear, translucent gaze moved
slowly to meet hers. "Darling.. .my darling..." he
whispered softly, stopping as a noise in the hallway
interrupted his ardent declaration. Reluctant to part
from the warmth of her body, Damien slowly drew
.himself to his feet. His glance warm, he scooped her
slender body into his arms, holding her tight against his
chest for a few long seconds before putting her on her
feet.

"You must get dressed now, darling. We'll take Marian
and leave for Chestnut Street now. You need not pack.
Everything is waiting for you at home." Damien's
emphasis on the word "home" seemed to shake
Amethyst's blank expression for the first time, her eyes
blinking suddenly in reaction.

Kissing her lips lightly, Damien turned to his clothes,
dressing quickly as he continued to speak, "If you wish,
you may send a short note to Beauchamps explaining
your departure, but I will not allow you to see him at any
time, Amethyst." The fire of jealousy already beginning
to kindle at the thought as he completed dressing,
Damien turned back to Amefhyst to see her standing in
the lavender silk wrapper, her brilliant black tresses
streaming" down her slender shoulders in riotous
disarray, violet eyes wide in a pale, expressionless face as
she held in her small, delicate hand a pistol pointed
directly at his stomach.

Almost disbelieving his own eyes, Damien frowned
darkly, waiting as Amethyst swallowed tightly. Finally
able to speak, she whispered haltingly, "T... take your
coat, Damien, and walk slowly toward the door.

Now...you are leaving, and you will never come back
here... do you hear what I say? Never.. .never come
back."

Damien's response was low and confused. "Amethyst,
you don't mean what you say." Taking a step forward, he
continued ardently, "You're coming home with me now,
you and Marian."

"Stop!" Amethyst's harsh command halted Damien's
advance as she continued in an almost pleading voice, "I
don't want to shoot you, Damien, but I swear on the life
of my child, if you take one more step toward me or
attempt to take Marian from this house, I'll pull this
trigger. At this close range, it won't matter how good a
shot I am. I won't miss."

The small hand that held the pistol was shaking badly,
and steadying it with the other hand, Amethyst repeated
her soft command. "Now, quickly, move to the door and
unlock it."

His eyes quickly assessing her strained expression,
Damien had no doubt she meant what she said, and
picking up his coat, Damien turned wordlessly toward
the door. Unlocking it, he swung it wide and walked into
the hallway. Waiting until Amethyst stood a few steps
behind him, he directed his glance into the foyer where
Tillie and Raymond sat together, engrossed in quiet
conversation. Their glances springing to him as he
appeared at the rail, their eyes widened incredulously as
Amethyst appeared behind, holding the pistol.

Turning to give her one last glance, Damien said softly
into her eyes, "You're not thinking clearly now,
Amethyst. I've pressed you too hard... confused you,
and for that I'm sorry, darling. But there are some truths
that we cannot deny. We are meant to spend our lives in
each other's arms, you and I, just as those two down
there are meant to be together. A word from you is all
that is needed to bring us all together."

Her hand was beginning to shake violently on the
pistol as Amethyst mumbled softly to herself before
suddenly saying aloud, "Go, Damien! Go now, without
another word! Now, damn you...Now!"

Taking only a moment more to allow his eyes a full
sweep of her presence, Damien walked slowly down the
staircase. Signaling Raymond to fall behind, he walked
silently through the front doorway and down the steps. It
was only when the door was firmly locked behind him
that Amethyst allowed the hand holding the pistol to
drop to her side. Racing quickly up the steps, Tillie was
just in time to steady the small figure as she swayed
weakly. Supporting her against her sturdy frame, Tillie
held her silently as deep sobs began to shake Amethyst,
her words coming out in small, jerking sentences.

"Tillie.. .you don't... don't hate me, do you?
I'm.. .I'm sorry. I don't want to keep you and Raymond
apart. I wish ...I wish I could help, but I can't go back
to him.. .I can't, Tillie! I'm frightened of his power
over me.. .of what he can do to our lives.. .to
Marian's life. Please... please don't hate me, Tillie..."

Taking Amethyst soothingly into her arms, Tillie
rocked her gently, her smooth cocoa-colored cheek
resting lightly against Amethyst's silky tresses as she
cooed softly, "You not to worry, Amethyst Greer. Tillie
not hate you. Tillie love you like him own child. Tillie
and Raymond be together some day. You not to worry,
child. You not to worry."

Gulping softly, Amethyst nodded her head, her eyes
thankful as Tillie led her gently into her room.

A few hours later Armand returned to a well
functioning household that showed no signs of the
disruption of earlier in the morning. Moving quickly up
the steps, he knocked lightly on Amethyst's door, his
darkly handsome face creasing into a smile as Amethyst opened the door. Dressed in a light blue velvet gown, the
high neckline bringing the bright color up to her face to
reflect brilliantly in lavender eyes appearing a startling
blue in reflection, Amethyst was fresh and lovely to his
eyes. Taking her hand, he kissed it lightly.

"You are lovely today, mon coeur. Have you had a
good day?"

Her eyes flicking away from his for only the briefest
second, Amethyst's voice was a trifle husky as she
responded, "Yes, a lovely day, Armand." Sliding her
hand tightly into his, she led him quietly to Marian's
dotfr. "Come, Marian is up now. I can hear her cooing.
She'll be happy to see you." Raising her clear eyes to his
for a short moment, she said quietly and sincerely, "We
are both very fond of you, Armand.. .so very fond..."

Shaking her head lightly in answer to the thoughts
running riot inside, Tillie dropped the small articles of
clothing into the tub of warm water. Absentmindedly
taking the soap into her hand, she began scrubbing the
dainty apparel, her mind far from the task before her. It
had been two days since Captain Straith's and Raymond's
visit, and she was still confused and perplexed. Certain
she knew what had transpired behind the locked door of
Amethyst's room, her heart bled for Amethyst's agony,
realizing her soul-child was completely possessed by the
same black magic she feared. But frightening her even
more was Amethyst's reaction to the assault she had
suffered. Obviously frightened beyond rational thought,
she had turned fully and completely to Armand
Beauchamps, her dependence on him for the stability she
sought growing greater each day. Her eyes turning to him
glowingly when he spoke, her obvious preference for his
company, the brilliance of her smile when Armand held
her small daughter so tenderly in his arms, did not go
unnoticed by the handsome Frenchman. Obviously growing more secure in her apparently blossoming
affection, Armand became less cautious, the true
magnitude of his feelings often openly displayed. To
Tillie's knowing eyes, it was obvious there was soon to be
a breaking point in Armand Beauchamps's strictly
controlled passion... and she feared for the result.

Suffering her own torment, Tillie fought to strike from
her mind the longing in Raymond's dark eyes as they had
stood so close, realizing his suffering mirrored her own.
But she could not set herself free from the memory. Nor
could she forget the trembling of Raymond's massive
body as he took her into his arms, or the passion in the
deep whisper that still echoed in her brain, `Tillie...
Tillie Swann... Raymond hold him woman again. Soon
Raymond `n Tillie be together always..."

But their ecstatic reunion had almost ended in a
violent dispute as Raymond had insisted adamantly,
"Cap'n Straith be good man. Him say Tillie and Raymond
gowan be together when him `n him woman be together
again. Him say..."

"Him be obeah-man, Raymond! Him use him magic on
Tillie's soul-child, make him soul-child suffer!" Tillie
had countered heatedly, aghast at Raymond's traitorous
words.

"Cap'n Straith not be obeah-man, Tillie." Raymond's
voice had been softly persistent. "Him love him woman,
'n him gowan get him woman back...'n Raymond `n
Tillie be together."