To Trap A Temptress (Southern Sanctuary - Book 2) (16 page)

“You
know…”  Julie looked up from drying her hands.  “That Elise has me
wondering… what would Drum look like in leathers?”

Nell
laughed because her friend's words were exactly mirroring her thoughts...
Goddess was she in trouble.

Chapter
Sixteen

The
sunset was making a final bold push across the horizon, streaks of dark red
joining the blazing oranges and deep golds already present.  Nell put her
almost full and way too warm glass of champagne down on a nearby table. Drum
beside her was growing increasingly tense with every passing minute; like a
jungle cat ready to pounce but unsure in which direction his prey lay. 
His tension was contagious.  Nell felt the hairs on her arms standing at
attention and her skin felt clammy despite the humid night breeze. 

“If
you like we could head inside.”  She offered.  “I think they’re
starting to put out the food.” 

“No
I’m good.”  Drum shrugged off her invitation.

“Well
I’m starved.”  Julie announced laughing as her stomach gave a
corresponding gurgle.  “Time to feed the beach ball.” 

Grant
with a laugh escorted his wife off in search of food, several other couples
following in their wake.  The numbers on the upper deck quickly reduced to
a handful of people. 

Alone,
Nell gave Drum a considering look.  “Problem?”

He
sent her a quelling look and when all she did was meet his gaze with an
imperious eyebrow raised he let out a small rumble of laughter, the tension in
his shoulders reducing a miniscule degree.  “To be honest I’m not one for
enclosed spaces.”

“Given
your height perfectly understandable.”  Nell felt a warm glow in the pit
of her stomach.  He-man was comfortable enough with her to express a
weakness that had to be a really good sign right?  “I’m in no rush to
eat.”  She acknowledged, casting a look upwards as the last of the sun’s
rays gave way and a blanket of twinkling stars overhead took up the gauntlet of
lighting the sky.  “It’s a nice night for a cruise, calm waters… clear
skies.”

Drum
gave her a small half quirked smile, was the good Doctor trying to handle
him?  “You want another drink?”

Nell
shrugged.  “I’m not desperate for one.”

“Well
I could use a beer.”  Drum looked around for a waiter.

“I
think all the staff are helping with the buffet.”  Nell grabbed Drum’s
hand and pulled him across the deck until they reached the far railing
overlooking the stern of the boat.  “Looks like you have to serve yourself
now.”  They looked down on the bar set up on the lowest deck in the rear
of the large cruiser.  Drum hesitated, causing Nell to roll her eyes skywards. 
“Competent, capable adult remember.”

“You
want anything?”

“Something
cool and harmless would be nice.”

“I’ll
be right back.  Stay here where I can keep an eye on you.”  He
growled the order out tersely in a crisp commanding tone.  Nell sent him a
carbon copy of the blank death stare he often tried on her.  Pausing, Drum
couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.  Maat his
woman was feisty.  “Please… please stay here where I can see you.”

Nell
sent him a soft smile.  “Promise, I won’t move a muscle.”

Speaking
of which, it was a treat to watch Drum’s muscles in motion as he sped down the
three sets of external stairs to the lower deck.  Something about the way
that black silk shirt clung to his large frame made her mouth dry and her skin
hyper-sensitive.

“I’m
sorry but you two make the oddest couple… and I’m not just talking about the
height difference.  What could the man possibly see in you?”

Nell
turned to find Devon sashaying across the deck to join her at the
railing.  In a black silk halter dress and sparkling strappy black
diamanté stilettos that perfectly complimented her dark complexion and flowing
loose glossy hair Devon really was a stunningly beautiful woman.

“Nice
shoes.”  Nell couldn’t help herself, they were really nice shoes.

Devon
rolled her eyes skywards, issuing an exasperated breath. “I insult you and you
compliment me.  I know you’re ‘Miss Insipid Sweetness’ and all but that’s
just wrong. Where’s the guts?  The fight?  So tell me what’s up
between you and The Hulk?
 
You may not be
paying the man to be here as your date but something is going on.”

Nell
glanced down to find Drum standing in the crowd at the bar, his eyes riveted on
her and Devon.  She gave him a little wave to make sure he knew she was
okay and quite capable of handling Devon on her own.  She didn’t need heap
big He-man to come to her rescue.

“You
really want to do this here and now?”  Nell asked, keeping her tone low
and conversational. 

“Do
what?”  Devon gave her a small superior smile.  “I’m just participating
in some inane chit chat waiting for my fiancée to fetch me a drink.”

“Then
why don’t we talk about you and Case?”

Devon
shrugged.  “What’s to talk about, we’re engaged.”

“And
the man looks completely miserable.”

Devon
chuffed out a small laugh.  “We’ve been spending this weekend hammering
out the pre-nuptial agreement. Case is very particular, bordering on anal that
we dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s.  That attention to detail is
something the two of us share, along with our profession, interests and
friends.  What do you and Drum share in common?”

Nell
couldn’t hold back the small satisfied smile that crossed her face. 
“Surprisingly more than you might think.”

“From
the look of that cat’s got the cream smile I’m guessing the two of you are at
least compatible in bed but what about the rest of the equation?  Once you
stop knocking boots what do you talk about?   How much he’s recently
bench pressed or do you run down the high points of the latest medical
journal?”

“We
never seem to lack a topic of conversation.”  Nell replied airily. 

“Physical
attraction fizzles out just as quickly as it ignites you know.”

“Jealous?” 
Nell couldn’t help but enquire.  “Trying to figure out what my secret is?”

“Please.” 
Devon scoffed, tossing her streaming mass of hair back over one shoulder.

“Well
one thing I do know, approaching a relationship in an imminently practical
manner sucks all the joy out of everything.  I appreciate that you and
Case have a lot in common but I haven’t seen the two of you share a joke or
even a smile since you arrived Devon.  Are you seriously going to marry
someone just because your families are pressuring you?”

“Pressure
and my family’s expectations go hand in hand.”

“But
if you and Case aren’t suited…?”  Nell couldn’t believe that she was
starting to feel sorry for Devon Patel. 

The
girl had everything; looks, money and smarts.  Yet she seemed insistent
upon tying herself to a man who wasn’t right for her.  Yes back at the
Southern Sanctuary her own family applied a lot of pressure on her generation
to find their meld matches so the family protective power grid over the
Sanctuary could be maintained but they would never insist upon a match if the
two person’s involved weren’t deliriously, completely in love with
another.   

“But
that’s just it.”  Devon had a puzzled faraway look in her eye as she
studied the ocean with a small moue of distaste on her lips.  “We are well
matched in every way.”

Nell
wasn’t sure whom Devon was trying to convince, herself or Nell.  She was
tempted to ask where love fit into Devon’s equation of suitability but the
sudden frozen mask of indifference that slid across Devon’s face halted her in
her tracks.

“We
were talking about you and Drum.  Drum?  Does the man even have a
last name?  He’s buff, bronzed and lethal looking.  And you’re
Pollyanna goes to med school.  I believe you were going to enlighten me on
exactly what you two have in common?”

“And
I would share anything about my personal life with you… why exactly?”

“Because
you want to fix the world don’t you Pollyanna?   You’d even stoop to
fixing me.”

“If
you asked for my help I’d willingly give it.”

Devon
snorted in derision, her hair swirling in a sudden gust of wind.  “I’m not
asking.”

“Just
exactly what is it about me that irks you so Devon?  Is it the fact that
my grades were always better than yours back at med school?  That I was
offered the surgical internship at St Marys?”

Devon
issued a short sharp laugh.  “You think this about professional
jealousy?  Let me remind you who is the country Doctor here and who is the
highly sought after Specialist.”

It
was Nell’s turn to roll her eyes.  “Ears nose and throat?  Seriously,
why didn’t you just go into research Devon?”

“Oooh,
the kitten has claws.”

“Honestly.” 
Nell breathed out a soft sigh of exasperation.  “I just don’t get why
you’re so antagonistic towards me.  Any rivalry between us, either now or
ten years ago exists purely in your imagination.”

“Rivers
and lakes, you are so righteous and moral. It was irritating back then and now…
now it’s like a gnawing at my bones.”

Nell’s
mouth dropped open in shock.  “Rivers and lakes?”  She whispered the
words.  “Damn it Devon, are you the one who’s been trying to kill me?”

Devon
froze for a moment, pinning Nell with an unmistakably surprised look. 
“Kill you?”

“At
the cove and yesterday during the hike, did you try to drown me?”

For
the first time in living memory Devon was completely speechless.  Finally
she shook her head in the negative, the ocean breeze picking up a few locks of
her long hair causing them to twist and writhe in the air, all too reminiscent
of Medusa and her head of snakes.  “What happened on the hike?”

“There
was a small stream on top of the last hill. Something grabbed me as I crossed
it.  When Drum tried to rescue me the stream turned into a raging river
almost killing us both.”

One
of Devon’s finely arched eyebrows rose for a split second in
contemplation.  “No… that doesn’t make sense… he said he got lost...
unless.”  Some realisation hit the other woman as first she went very pale
and then colour flooded her face.  Her eyes suddenly stormy, the green
flecks in her brown eyes practically sparking, her mouth set in a thin line.

“Devon...” 
Nell’s next words froze on her lips as Devon’s head snapped downwards, all her
attention suddenly directed towards the lowest deck. 

“That
low-life conniving bastard!”  Devon hissed softly under her breath. 
Then her eyes narrowed with surprise and suspicion.  “Just what game is he
playing at now?”

A
sense of impending danger flooded Nell’s body, her snake tattoo writhing
against her skin like sand paper.  Drum!  Goddess, Drum was in some
sort of danger.  Swiftly she sought him out with her eyes.  He was
making his way across the lower deck, his attention fixed fully on her and
Devon.  Couldn’t he sense the approaching danger?  Of course he could
but he thought she was the one at risk.  His name was poised on her lips
even as a shadow raced towards Drum across the deck.  Moving liquid fast
and reflecting the night sky above it was difficult to work out exact details
as it swept towards Drum, growing bigger as it moved, like a wave hitting the
shore.  For a split second before it hit Drum Nell saw a face. 

“Case!” 

Her
eyes could barely cope with what she was seeing as Drum was picked up bodily
and swept overboard.  Case’s liquid form engulfing Drum fully just before
they hit the ocean surface.  It all happened so fast no one else seemed to
be aware of what happened.  Nell reached out, gripping Devon hard by the
arm.  “What the hell is going on Devon?  Why did Case just attack
him?
 
Goddess, we have to help Drum.”

Devon
released a loud put upon sigh.  “That man is proving to be more trouble
than he’s worth.
 
If I break a nail in
all this someone is going to pay.  Come on.”  Two of her long glossy
black curls whipped out, twining themselves around Nell’s slender wrist. “Close
your mouth Pollyanna, we’re about to go for a swim.”

Thirty
seconds later Nell found herself deep underwater travelling at a dizzying
speed, hauled along by Devon, who was nothing but a dark indistinct blur in
front of her. 

Nothing
made sense.  Both Devon and Case were water…. liquid creatures? 
Except Devon appeared to retain her basic form in water whilst Case became some
sort of an invisible liquid force. 

Devon
had been honestly surprised to learn someone had been trying to kill her. 
And now that Nell had caught a glimpse of Case’s water form she was guessing
she knew exactly who had been behind those attacks.  Yet she couldn’t
fathom why Case would try to kill her.  Nor did she have any idea why Case
would choose to attack Drum tonight.  Questions, worries and fears plagued
her, threatening to send her into a full blown panic. 

Bizarre
thoughts tumbled around Nell’s head as they whipped passed underwater rocky
outcrops along the ocean floor.  Goddess she hoped Devon knew where they
were going and she hoped for her own sake they would be arriving there
soon.  She got the distinct feeling that breathing under water was not
high on Devon’s list of priorities, unlike her good self as dark spots began to
dance behind her eyes.  The ache in her lungs was just beginning to border
on excruciating when they abruptly changed direction to head upwards.  For
a moment they were completely enclosed in darkness, rock walls only inches away
from her on either side.  Nell gritted her teeth, she couldn’t afford to
panic and screaming would prove deadly no matter how tempted she was to express
the terror that swamped her.  Suddenly there was light again and they were
breaking the surface of the water and lovely life giving oxygen was available.