Authors: Ann Cristy
Torn Asunder (20 page)
"I don't want to see it." Cle gritted her teeth,
squeezing her eyes shut.
"Open your eyes, love. Come on, do as I say."
"I don't have to," Cle wailed childishly.
"Cle!"
"All right
...
but I won't take it! I won't like it either!" She opened her eyes to look into
his, wondering how Dev could stand her the way she was acting. She had never
been childish... even as a child, she thought giddily. She had always been
quiet, studious, obedient... Oh, Lord, she thought with disgust she sounded
like a German Shepherd!
"Cle? Cle, will you come out of that daydream and look
at this?" He maneuvered her around in his arms, so that she was facing
more forward. In his free hand he held a square leather box.. .just as she'd
suspected.
Tears filled her eyes. She stared at the box as though it
were Pandora's. Let it be a bracelet
...
necklace ... anything but a ring!
Dev snapped the catch and the top flew back revealing a
white velvet bed. A large sapphire, rectangle in shape, lay there. It was a
deep blue, multifaceted, giving off a mesmerizing fire from its depths. The
setting was gold and ornate. Cle knew it was old.
"It's the Carstairs betrothal ring. Do you like
it?"
"It's beautiful.. .but I could never wear it. It must
be very valuable."
"Very valuable," Dev observed drily, ignoring the
first remark she made. "I've had it cut to your size and cleaned. I'll
keep it until you're ready to wear it."
"Is something wrong with your hearing?" Cle asked
testily, twisting her head around so that she could look at him. "I'm not
wearing it."
Dev looked down at her. "When you get angry with me,
your eyes darken almost to navy.. .almost to the same color as the rim around
your irises." His voice had a musing sound as though he were talking to
himself. "I think I love your eyes best."
"Don't you ever listen to me, Dev Carstairs?" She
glared up at him.
"I always listen to you, darling. You're a very interesting
lady, whose opinions I value."
"Well, you don't sound... You value my opinions?"
She studied his face to detect mockery. There was none.
"Very much so. Other than the closest colleague, I've
never discussed my business more with anyone than I have with you. How often at
night have we sat on the floor in front of the fire and talked with each other
about what we did that day?"
"Quite often," Cle said, recalling how late it
would be sometimes before they realized the time. They had rarely watched
television. They were too involved with one another for such distraction. More
often than not if they stayed home—and they stayed home quite often on a week
night—they would listen to the stereo and talk. Yes, she did know quite a bit
about Dev's business, she conceded. "But you never talked much about your
family."
"My family is not as interesting as my business."
Dev grinned down at her. "But if you want to know about it, ask. There are
skeletons in the closet, but I won't hide them from you. For instance, my
grandmother was one-quarter Irish, but my grandfather loved her anyway. She
only died two years ago and I miss her yet." Dev's face was closed for a
moment. "I sometimes think she was the only one of them who ever knew
me."
Cle didn't move. She watched the hard muscles of his face
move under the flesh because of the emotion he was feeling. "You were
lonely when you were young," she burst out.
"Was I?" His eyes flashed downward like a warm
caress, "I was in Debrett's Peerage. How could I be lonely?" His
voice was light, but Cle saw the shadow in his eyes.
"I would have liked to have known you when you were a
boy. I'll bet you were an awful handful, into everything." She snuggled
closer, sighing when his hold tightened.
"I was. Once when I was at Larren and my mother and
father were traveling as they often did, my mare was ready to foal. I was
afraid for her. I had nightmares that the grooms would be too busy with
Father's hunters to watch over Grilla. So
...
I slipped out of bed late one night, went down the kitchen stairway, and went
to the stables and brought Grilla to my room."
"You didn't!" Cle exclaimed, imagining a boy coaxing
a pregnant horse up the back staircase of an Elizabethan manor house.
"I did," Dev said firmly, frowning at her
laughter, his own eyes bright. "Then I had to go back down again and get
straw and hay before Grilla would settle down."
"She didn't stay the night?" Cle looked at him
wide eyed.
"She did and was quite content with her straw on the
Aubusson carpet, so content that she foaled near dawn," Dev said, his eyes
remembering, his laugh infectious. "I don't know if you've ever seen a
horse foal, but sometimes they have a difficult time. Grilla didn't have a
horrible time but she did have a little bit of trouble and she let me know
about it. Lord, how loud her neigh was! The whole staff came running. The
butler was apoplectic, cook nearly fainted."
"Oh, God!" Cle trilled, hanging on to Dev.
"You didn't really do this?"
"I did. Believe it. My tutor whaled me with a strap. It
took days of cleaning to get the smell out of the house. My father and mother
were furious. My grandmother laughed and took me to stay with her until the
dust settled.
Torn Asunder 145
She even arranged for one of her grooms to go to Larren and
care for Grilla so that I would be at peace. My father didn't dare argue with
her. She would have ripped him apart and if my mother said anything, Grandmama
would reduce her to tears in minutes. She was my bulwark against the world.
When others would call me incorrigible, Grandmama would say I was just like
her dear Willett and glare at everyone."
Tears trickled down her cheeks. "Oh, I wish I could
have known her." She gulped, taking Dev's hankie from his pocket and
wiping her eyes.
"You would have liked her and she would have adored you
with your wild ways." Dev heaved himself from the couch, then swept Cle up
and close to his chest.
"Me?" She closed her arms around his neck as
though it was the most natural thing in the world to be carried to bed by Dev.
"I'm not wild. I'm very sober and hardworking."
"You're wild and free and untamable and I'm glad, even
though sometimes you're a trial to me."
"Monster." She bit his ear, making him flinch.
"Put me down this instant."
"I'm going to.. .just as soon as we reach the
bed." His eyes had a liquid emerald look and Cle forgot everything except
her deep, deep love for him.
"I hope you're not tired tonight, angel. I have a
feeling that I'll want to keep you awake most of the night." Dev undressed
her with a sensual absorption that narrowed his eyes, gave a lazy droop to his
lips, and when at last she was completely stripped caused his nostrils to
flare.
"Dev, I hate it that you were lonely," Cle
whispered as he lowered her to the bed.
"Then make it up to me. Keep me close to you and never
let me be lonely again." Dev nuzzled her shoulder, his mouth wet and
thrilling. "You're mine, Cle. You must see that."
"I do see that, Dev, but..."
"No buts tonight, love, just you and me together."
Cle wondered for a fleeting second if any other woman in the
whole world were as lucky and knew such pleasure. Was she the only one who
caught fire because one man, the only man for her, was there with her?
"Cle, my God, your hands, they're driving me
crazy." Dev groaned, his body writhing next to hers.
There was such a feeling of power in knowing that she aroused
Dev as much as he aroused her. It was always new for them, always the first
time. Cle felt protective and alive with him, shared and alone, ecstatic and
solemn. He was her man and the whole world to her.
The rocket ride to climax was an intolerable heat that
warmed Cle to her soul. There could never be an ecstasy greater than that she
shared with Dev. Rapture and agony fought for control of her mind and body as
she clutched Dev tightly.
"Marriage would be sweet between us, love. Admit
it," Dev muttered sleepily, his hands stroking her in lazy satisfaction.
"Your family would hate me." She nuzzled under his
chin.
"Who cares what they think? I don't." But you
would, someday, she said to herself and sighed.
CHAPTER NINE
Dev seemed to
be
everywhere. He would show up just as Cle -was going to„take a lunch break and
drive her somewhere secluded for a meal. When Cle would protest, he'd smile
then kiss her cheek, and refuse to take "no" for an answer. He knew
she had very little breakfast and was always in a rush in the mornings, but
somehow he always contrived to have them together over juice and coffee. Dinner
was a problem. If Cle said she wasn't hungry, Dev would get something from a
takeout place and they would picnic, sometimes in a park, sometimes in their
air-conditioned lounge. That was the worst... when they were alone. Dev would
watch with that half smile, his eyes like an emerald brand. Almost as bad was
when they were invited somewhere. If Dev were not invited, he would insist on
driving her. That was rare. More and more people invited them as a couple.
When the Nivenses invited them to their beach house again,
it was on the tip of Cle's tongue to decline. Then Diana said that she had
mentioned it to Dev and he was delighted to accept.
"How nice," Cle observed, her voice having a
hollow sound as she doodled on her drawing board and listened to Diana outline
the event. The face that appeared on the paper was Dev's. Dev with horns, a
tail, cloven feet, and a trident in his hand. Cle replaced the receiver on the
cradle after promising Diana-that they would be there. "Damn him, damn
him, damn him! Why is he doing this? He's backing me into a corner and enjoying
every minute of it. It would serve him right if I
did
marry him. Then his whole family might go up in atomic
smoke! She could imagine a throng of Carstairs screaming their outrage at her
inclusion in their illustrious family.
Then what would she do when the dust settled and Dev began to
notice how poorly she fitted with his titled friends and family members. Jump
in the
crumpled the picture of the Lucifer-like Dev and tossed it away, refusing to
dwell anymore on the situation that tortured her.
"
on Saturday.
"A wonderful city. I hope we can visit it often in the
future." Dev laughed when she glowered at him.
Cle was tight lipped.
"All right," Dev said. "Truce. We'll have a
good day surfing, enjoy the company, and then go home."
Cle nodded, watching him, suspicious of his congeniality.
The surf was up! Awesome waves rolled shoreward. The cooling
breeze lifted the black strands of Cle's hair and blew them into her mouth. She
glowed with excitement when Alistair gestured to the beach and pointed to the
boards already down there. Dev was there when she jumped to the sand. He caught
her, laughing.
She couldn't have stopped the bubble of answering laughter
if her life depended on it. She felt good. She always felt good with Dev.
"Stay with
me," he commanded, his voice stern.
A second's rebellion died easily. "I will," she
promised.
He leaned down to kiss
her hard.
When Cle looked around, Diana was watching her, a knowing smile
on her face. She could feel the heat in her cheeks as she pushed her board out
into the water, lowered herself onto it and began to paddle out, then all
thought of anything but the pulsating water left her.
Dev was patient but firm. He refused to let her take waves
he thought were too strong for her, but no matter how many times she wanted to
go out, he agreed.
Finally, she and Diana declared they had had enough and Max
decided he would stay with the women. Then Cle had a chance to see that Dev had
greatly understated his expertise on the board. He and Alistair paddled out.
They were confident and sure on the boards. She couldn't help jumping to her
feet when she saw Dev take the curl, riding down the tunnel of water, balancing
the board, walking it, dipping it up into the curl, his body in total command.
Her heart rose in her throat like a live thing as that roll of power chased Dev
shoreward. When it looked as though he must fall, he corrected and stayed
steady. Cle knew that Alistair had found a big wave as well but her eyes never
strayed from Dev. He was bigger than the wave, bigger than the world. He filled
her vision to the exclusion of all else. When his board hit the beach, she
expelled the breath that until that moment, she hadn't realized she held.
