- All For The Love Of Thomi
- The Resurrection of Joleigh-Anna Kelmann
- The Kingsley Twins - Dalton's Last Stand
Chapter One continued . . .
The crunch of stone behind her startled her. She turned, expecting to see Rikki or Lyndsay, or perhaps a fan come to walk on her cliffs so it could be said s/he had. No gate guarded this section of the property--yet. Ming started forward, growling a warning.
Thomi, although glad of her dog's protection, curbed his belief that she desired an attack in her behalf--at least, just yet--commanding him to be quiet and get back here! He complied, but kept up his strict vigil on her behalf. He had no more trust for this guy than she did.
She knew at once who the man must be. For while his resemblance to Charley was not striking, his likeness to his father was most certainly. Her encounter, the early part of last week, with Greggory Deverill wasn't one she'd likely forget in a hurry! This man had the same red-gold hair and eyes of a deep sapphire blue as had his father, though she couldn't remember the elder having such glorious curls. Nor had he this look of sunny warmth and delighted anticipation.
Of course, the meeting had lasted a mere five minutes, but it had left her with no doubt of the elder man's opinion of his nephew's new love.
Thomi kept her gaze coldly aloof. Charley's happy expression had belied his true temperament. Why should it be any different with his cousin? Whatever could he want? Come with an offer from his father to bribe her into leaving Charley alone? Maybe she'd take it, so she could face her own father with less trepidation! Wasn't a stretch of the imagination to figure out what he'd say if he knew she'd greased Charley's wheels so generously!
Not put off by her unwelcoming attitude, the man proceeded leisurely forward, keeping a watchful eye on Ming. Thomi turned away, hurled a few more rocks into the sea, ignoring him rather than challenging his trespass of her property. Hopefully he'd take the hint, and go away!
Ming's warnings became downright sinister. Thomi, although glad of her dog's protection, curbed his belief that she desired an attack in her behalf-at least, just yet-commanding him to be quiet and get back here! Again he complied, but kept up his strict vigil on her behalf.
Irked that she was herself under scrutiny, Thomi mentally set the newcomer beside his cousin Charley and flung a smooth, nicely balanced stone at this vision with force and precision.
But, alas-no regard to safety.
The step taken in order to execute her throw found no ground beneath it. In a winking of an eye, she tumbled over. Twisting desperately, she latched a lucky grip onto a scrubby little bush. There she clung, heart pounding so loud it drowned the thunder of the waves below--and that from the clouds above.
Oh please . . . please! I didn't mean it when I said the earth could open up and swallow me!
Even her father's wrath and her brothers' scorn would be infinitely preferable to being dashed to pieces on those merciless rocks below, swept away as fish bait thereafter. The first root of the bush ripped from the soil. Through the thin stuff of her blouse, Thomi felt the rough unyielding rock against her body. She grabbed for a hold in a groove above her, but it wasn't quite deep enough. Her fingers slipped off, and another root let go of the cliffside.
Above her, Ming whined and barked encouragingly, then suddenly gave an ominous growl. An exasperated, deep, liquid voice responded to it. "Here, we've no time to argue! Let me help!"
Ming backed him off, meanwhile the bush loosened its grip some more. Urgently Thomi cried out, "Quit it, Ming! Let him help!" Ming acquiesced, but refused to let down his guard, keeping an eye on the man's every move, right down to the blink of his eyes.
The bush heartlessly dropped her another inch or two, and she caught her breath on a frightened gasp, involuntarily glancing down. Foaming, swirling waters beneath her held her mesmerized. They beckoned-even seemed to persuade her to let go and be received into their depths. Time and again, they surged up, reaching to drag her back with them. Each wave more powerful, more insistent, than the last one. Closer. So very close, she could feel the mighty force in their thrust. Their crashing descent back into the sea reverberated through her body, dragging her heart with them. She froze, unable to do anything but wait for the inevitable.
"Tami! Look up here! Grab my hand!"
Although he lay as close to the edge as he dared, his hand was just beyond her reach, and she was reluctant to try for it. "I don't . . . think I can!"
He was pardonably annoyed by her reluctance. "You'd better! That bush is history!"
One . . . two . . . roots popped out from the cliff side as he spoke. She would have to move at once, or forever lose the opportunity. Another gave way. A powerful wave slammed into the cliff a mere foot below her, showering her with its spray. Taunting her, bragging the next time would be her last one.
"Come on, Tami! NOW!"
The urgency of her situation, and that in the man's voice motivated Thomi to thrust herself upwards, assisted by a small toehold her scrambling foot discovered. His hand caught hers in a strong clasp as the bush parted from the cliff wall and tumbled into the surging sea below in a shower of dirt and rocks. He hauled her unceremoniously over the edge, then guided her to a spot some distance from the edge. Thomi twisted out of his hold; her legs gave way, and she sank to the ground. Propping her head in her hands, she sought to recover her composure.
"Are you all right?" He bent slightly over her, one hand on his hip, the other at his knee.
"I'm fine!" Without looking up. "No big deal!" Never giving it a thought that her trembling fingers would belie that piece of nonchalance.
Ming didn't believe her. Anxiously, he probed her head, and then her arm, finally forcing his way under it. He whined, snuffling her face, begging for reassurance.
She pushed him impatiently away. "Ah, Ming, stop it! I'm all right!"
"Fortunately," observed the man dryly. "Careless move, wasn't it--or was it meant to be?"
A pause. She shot him up the briefest of glances. "Well, of all the stupid things to say! I'm not about to kill myself over anything--or anyone . . . yet!"
"That's telling me!" He knelt beside her, keeping an ever watchful eye on Ming. "I am right--you are Tami, aren't you?"
Thomi gave him no answer, nor any other indication she'd heard him. Intrigued though he might be with the radiance and thickness of her true black locks--for even in the shadow of the impending storm he could detect the blue highlights in them--he desired her complete attention, and he meant to have it. With imperative fingers, he made her look up.
In her eyes, of an emerald green, glinted a measure of resentment and a certain hauteur. "I am Thomasyna! Or Thomi!" she informed him coldly. "Sometimes Syna! Don't call me Tami-or Tami Lynn!"
Taken aback, he uttered, "There's a name you don't hear everyday!"
"Yes, I do!"
He laughed. "I meant in the general way, it's not a common name!"
"Take it up with my father," she told him. "He named me--and all my sisters!"
"I'll look forward to doing that," he said smilingly. "I'm Stephan Deverill!"
Replied Thomi, unimpressed, "Yes, I know . . . Chucklehead's cousin!"
It surprised a laugh from him. "You're better off without him, you know!"
Thomi hadn't the least desire to discuss her affairs with him. "Yes, I know that, too!" She stared at him broodingly a moment, then bluntly stated, "She said she was better off without you, too! That why you're making a gift of her to him--whoever she was?"
"Oh, I'm infinitely better off without her! No one special, believe me!"
Must've been true. He displayed no hurt, no anger, or resentment, nor even disappointment. Well, hadn't Charley mentioned his cousin's wedding was just around the corner? Despite his claim right now, he must have loved her in the beginning to have considered a marriage with her. Thomi marveled at his supreme indifference. Must be handy to be able to do that!
Oho, but what was this look coming into his eyes? A look like this could only start trouble. Her regard turned both suspicious and apprehensive. He'd come expressly to see her, and not, apparently, to bribe her, nor even to discover what she might have known about this affair between Charley and his fiancee--whatever her name was. Charley'd generally referred to her as Stephan's Latest.
For what then?
"Thomasyna, have dinner with me."
The unexpected request, sincerely delivered, startled even Heart-who betrayed her earlier resolve, wanting to give in to the sweetness of his smile, the lazy warmth of those oh, so blue eyes, and the glory of his chestnut curls. Although, by far Stephan Deverill's most dangerous quality was his deep liquid voice, its hypnotic effect lulling the best of defenses. Nothing like it had she ever heard before. Beside it, Charley's voice seemed now heinously ordinary! It wanted to suck her under just as those waves had.
Hastily, she rose up, backing away from him, stumbling over Ming close beside her. "Not on your life!" Her voice choked with suppressed emotion.
"No," he agreed, rising up with her. "On yours! Because I've saved it!"
Thunder cracked, and twin forks of lightening lit the sky. But that didn't cause her to catch her breath as did those words. Oh, she couldn't allow him to hold this circumstance over her. One dinner could lead to the very situation she vowed to avoid--for life if possible. At least for the next ten years!
"So, I'm supposed to fall at your feet, and swear myself your most loyal slave forever!"
"I'd be honored!" he answered simply.
"Oh, please!" with great skepticism, and she turned abruptly to leave.
Stephan prevented her. His fingers closed upon one of the most tender of the bruises Charley had inflicted, and she involuntarily cried out. Ming swiftly revealed his opinion of that move. Stephan swiftly released Thomi. Her sharp command prevented disaster. Just barely.
Assured that Ming wouldn't finish the attack unbidden, Stephan watched her gently massage the arm he'd just released. He said contritely, "I'm sorry! I hadn't the intention of hurting you!"
Unthinkingly Thomi uttered, "Ah, it wasn't you who did!" Her bitter tone piqued his interest, but she put up a defiant chin. "You've no right to be here! Leave-please!" Her please decidedly more a command than a plea.
"Such a small favor I'm asking . . ." he said mournfully, showing no inclination of obeying her.
Her eyes narrowed. "Don't do that!" she warned him. Lightning illuminated the gloom. In the same instant, so did a certain revelation. "But that's what you came for--isn't it? To get me to go out with you! Why? Because he took-Whatsherface so you think you're entitled to me? I don't think so!"
"Tami--" It flamed her anger, and he corrected hastily, "Thomi! Thomi . . . I'm sorry--Thomi! But Charley always referred to y--"
"So? I don't want to hear those names again! Thank him for that!"
"I promise, I'll never make that mistake again!"
"You won't have the chance!"
In his eyes she read otherwise. With annoyed indignation, she demanded, "Oh, look, why would you want to? Your father would disown you as fast as Charley says your grandfather disowned his grand-- " There was that in his manner, in his gaze, and the way his mouth tightened for just that instant. "No, ah, come on! You actually want some kind of revenge!" Her emotions raced through stages of anger, incredulity and frank bewilderment. 'What makes you think he'd care?"
"Long before they reach L.A., he's going to realize what he's left behind and want you back. Charley has an aversion to winter, and he's making the trip with the Snow Queen!"
It gave her pause. Could that have been Charley's purpose yesterday? To beg forgiveness of his brutal treatment of her? Of having used her for whatever the relationship might gain him. Was it possible he would at some point return to beg for it again? Even claim his love for her still burned? Actually expect her to run right into his open arms?
Oh, no! No, I couldn't handle that!
To Stephan, she replied obnoxiously, "So, let him suffer! Why should I care what happens between them? And don't look at me like that! You're all the same! Always wanting something! Somebody's body or else their money-or both! Never a real relationship!"
His hand shot out as she backed another step away, but dropped back to his side at Ming's response to the action. Thomi's cynical gaze conveyed plainly that she wanted this time to be the last time she ever saw him. With a curt word to Ming, she set her back to him, and went off down the path opposite the one he had come by, disappearing directly through a slight gap in the thick hedges that hid from sight much of the high white stone wall that surrounded the house.
Pushing open the thick wooden door in the wall that gave entrance to the property, Thomi waved her dog through. "Ming," she said, locking the door behind her, "if he's stupid enough to come back--I won't mind if you charge him an arm and a leg!"
No worries, though. Who'd come back after a reception like that?