Love's Fiery Jewel (61 page)

Carefully covering her breast, Amethyst rose to her
feet, quietly carrying Marian to her cradle in the corner.
Armand had generously arranged that Tillie share the
room next to hers with the baby so she might sleep
undisturbed. At first suspicious that Armand had made
those arrangements to smooth the way for the time when
he would carefully insinuate himself into her bed,
Amethyst was now ashamed of her suspicions. Armand
had confirmed her initial respect and confidence, a fact
that had allowed him to grow immeasurably in her esteem. But she feared for a confrontation to come. In
the week since their meeting in the State House, Damien
had appeared mysteriously each time she had left the
house on an errand. Turning, she had found him behind
her at the bookseller's.. .waiting at Madame duMaurier's boutique when she arrived for a fitting...
present at the musicale she and Armand had attended...
his presence always disturbing, shaking her confidence,
his sheer masculinity stirring a longing deep inside as he
observed her silently, Raymond always at his side in grim
reminder. But Armand was fast losing patience with
Damien's haunting presence. It had only been her
fervent pleas that-had stopped the irate Frenchman from
facing Damien down, and she feared, should the silent
persecution continue, Armand's anger would not be held
in check. Had she any other recourse, she would leave
Armand now rather than risk his life, for she was certain
it would come to that should a confrontation occur.
Through her anxiety Armand became dearer to her each
day, his unselfishness and obvious devotion to both
Marian and herself warming an already strong affection.

Taking one last look at her sleeping infant, Amethyst
moved quietly toward the door. Closing it silently behind
her as she stepped into the hallway, Amethyst was caught
by the low rumble of voices at the front door. Walking
softly to the balustrade, she peered down into the foyer,
her breath catching in her throat as her eyes touched on a
familiar tawny-haired figure. Dressed impeccably in dark
blue, his hat in his hand, Damien spoke insistently with
the old servant as Raymond stood silently behind him.

"I've come to see my daughter, and I don't intend to
leave until I have ascertained that she is well." Damien's
low voice held the edge of impatience as he reasoned with
the adamant woman.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Straith, Monsieur Beauchamps is not
at home and he has instructed that no one be admitted to this house in his absence." Obviously flustered, the
woman shook her gray head emphatically, stepping back
in spontaneous reaction to the anger that flared in the
cold gray eyes regarding her so intently.

"I don't give a damn what Beauchamps has instructed!
It is my child he has under his roof and I..."

A small squeak in the floorboards as Amethyst stepped
back from the railing drew Damien's attention upward,
his eyes tangling with hers as she clutched tightly at the
dressing gown at her throat. Suddenly springing into
action, Damien pushed past the woman firmly blocking
his entrance, taking the steps two at a time until he was
standing in front of Amethyst. His broad chest heaving
lightly from his quick ascent, his eyes slowly raked the
soft outline of her body under the lavender silk of her
dressing gown, the roundness of her breasts as she
clutched the neckline closed with a slender trembling
hand, the creamy smoothness of her flawless complexion
as she turned her frightened face up to his, the quivering
of the soft, warm lips he longed to crush beneath his own.
But there was terror in the wide, violet eyes that regarded
him intently, and suddenly sick with the realization that
the woman he loved above all things should fear him so
intently, he longed to take her into his arms, to whisper
lovingly into her ear, reassure her that he wanted only to
love her and his child.. .love them for the rest of his
life. But the soft lips parted to speak, her words sending a
flush of rage to his face.

"Get out of this house! You have no right here,
Damien Straith! Armand would not want you up here,
and..."

"To hell with Armand Beauchamps!" Damien growled
viciously, his lips twisting into an angry snarl. "Do you
think I care what Armand Beauchamps wants?"

"You are in his house!"

"And he is holding my woman and my child!"

"I am not your woman!" Amethyst declared vehemently, the fear in her eyes effectively replaced by anger
as she continued heatedly, "and although you have
fathered my child, she belongs to me!"

His arms snaking out, gripped her roughly by the
shoulders as he hissed under his breath, "And to me.
Now tell me where she is, damn you, or I'll take every
room in this house apart until I find her!"

His hands were cutting into her shoulders, but
determined not to wince against the pain, Amethyst said
softly, "She's sleeping. I've just fed her."

"Where is she?"

"You won't disturb her?"

Giving her a hard shake, he hissed under his breath,
"Tell me where she is, damn you!"

Raising her hands, she firmly dislodged his grip from
her shoulders. "If you'll be quiet, I'll take you to her."

Allowing her to precede him, Damien followed behind
as Amethyst walked to the door a few steps away. As he
entered, Damien's gaze immediately fastened on the
small cradle in the corner. Striding quickly in its
direction, he looked down on the face of his sleeping
child, a wave of warmth sweeping over him at the sight of
her sleeping innocence. Bending down, he touched the
fine blonde hair gingerly, smiling as the tiny lips turned
upward in a quick, sleeping smile. His voice was husky as
he spoke.

"She's beautiful, isn't she, Amethyst." Raising his
eyes to hers, he said softly, "Beautiful... just like her
mother..."

Disturbed by the fact that his sudden tenderness was
working its usual magic on her senses, Amethyst frowned
as she answered hesitantly, "No, she doesn't look like her
mother."

"Yes ...yes, she does, Amethyst," Damien insisted,
taking a few steps toward her to draw her beside him as he stood looking down at the small, sleeping face. The tiny
lips worked lightly in her sleep, and Damien said softly;
"See... there... the small dimple in her cheek. When
she grows, she will someday fascinate men with the way it
flicks across her cheek as she speaks. Her hands...
they're long-fingered and slender, like yours... delicate
and expressive..." Taking her hand, Damien slowly
raised it to his lips, his eyes holding hers as he kissed her
fingers with tantalizing slowness.

"Amethyst..."

A hesitant summons from the doorway interrupted the
scene as Tillie said with a tinge of anger to her tone,
"Tillie be here if you need him..."

Her face flushing at the censure in the mulatto's eyes,
Amethyst said quietly, "No, Tillie, everything is
alright. Damien just wanted to see Marian. Now that he
has seen her he is about to leave." Turning back to
Damien, she continued in a firm voice, "Isn't that right,
Damien?"

His glance hardening, Damien turned toward Tillie.
"I'll be detained here a few more minutes, Tillie. In the
meantime there is someone in the foyer that you might
want to speak with until I'm done."

Tillie had come up the back entrance, and had not
passed the foyer, but the inference was not lost on her
sharp mind. Her small intake of breath the only
indication that she realized Raymond was so near, Tillie
said softly, "Would you like me to stay, Amethyst?"

"No, please go downstairs, Tillie. Damien and I will be
through here in a minute."

Nodding her head, Tillie turned away, her steady pace
not indicative of the heart that raced in her breast.

When Tillie had cleared the doorway, Amethyst said
firmly, thankful for the interruption, "We're disturbing
Marian's sleep, Damien. I think it would be best if we
continued any further conversation outside."

Silently following behind Amethyst, Damien's eyes
flicked around in the room in brief assessment.

"You don't share this room with Marian, do you,
Amethyst?"

Startled, Amethyst stopped abruptly outside the door.
"N...no, I don't. Tillie takes care of Marian through
the night, waking me only for feedings. How did you
know that?"

Ignoring her question, Damien suddenly demanded
hotly, "Where do you sleep, Amethyst?" The nagging
jealousy of the past months tore viciously at his insides,
turning his voice into a low hiss, "Has Beauchamps
convinced you to repay his `generosity'?"

The surge of color to her face effectively destroyed the
last vestige of weakening within her. Trembling with
anger, Amethyst spoke slowly and deliberately, "Do not
put me in the same category as yourself, Damien. If you
will look back in your memory, you will recall that I was a
virgin when you took me, and that was not because of any
lack of pressure for me to remain so! You also do Armand
a disservice in putting him in your class. He demands
nothing of me. He is giving, polite, tender, everything a
man should be..."

His expression hardening as she spoke, Damien's
hands suddenly reached out to grasp her shoulders, his
voice harsh as he rasped, "And does he make you quiver
with wanting him, Amethyst?" His one hand slipping
into her hair tightened painfully as the other slid around
her waist to draw her tight against the roughness of his
coat. "Does he make your heart race the way it is racing
now?" His eyes holding hers hypnotically, Damien's
mouth descended to cover hers with a slow possession
that effectively drowned out all trace of protest as his lips
pressed hers apart, his tongue slipping between to touch
and fondle hers as his hand moved warmly along her
back. Finally tearing his lips from hers, Damien said shakily, "Does he kiss you like that, Amethyst?" Not
waiting for her response, Damien moved to spread warm
kisses along her cheek, his chest heaving heavily with
growing passion as his lips slid down the slender column
of her throat and into the opening of her dressing gown.

In a last frantic attempt to stave the weakness swiftly
overwhelming her, Amethyst whispered tightly, "No, he
doesn't, Damien. Armand is a gentleman. He waits for
the day when I will go to him freely. He would have me as
his wife, not as his..."

A burning jealousy raging through him, Damien hissed
softly, "He waits in vain, Amethyst, because you'll never
go to him. I'll see him dead first! You belong to
me...only me..."

Suddenly scooping her into his arms, Damien walked
swiftly to the door beside the nursery, impatiently
kicking it open as he moved inside. His voice was a low
growl as he quickly surveyed the interior. "Is this your
room, Amethyst?"

"Yes." Her voice trembling, Amethyst said with
emphasis, "My room! Now put me down and get out! I
don't want you in here!"

Staring knowingly into her eyes, Damien said softly,
"Don't tell me what you want, Amethyst. I know what
you want, and it's not that I should leave you now."

Walking swiftly to the bed, Damien deposited her on
its surface, turning to quickly divest himself of his coat.
When she mado a scrambling movement to escape from
the bed, his black look froze her in her tracks, his voice a
low threat. "Stay where you are, Amethyst. I warn you.
Don't make me chase after you. My patience is worn thin
and I won't stand for much more."

Within seconds he was stripped down to his shirt and
britches, and in a quick movement had turned to the lock
in the door. Having roughly torn his stock from his neck,
his shirt was open to mid-chest, the broad expanse heaving heavily with the emotion surging through him. A
second later he was beside her, a low groan issuing from
his throat as his mouth closed over hers and his searching
hands began moving warmly beneath her dressing gown.
Suddenly awaking from the lethargy that had held her
immobile for long minutes, Amethyst began struggling in
his embrace, clawing at the hand moving familiarly over
her breasts even as her body cried out for more. But she
was no match for his strength as he twisted her struggling
arms over her head to grip the small wrists easily with one
broad hand. The other hand, moving slowly, sensuously,
stripped the dressing gown from her shoulders, and in
another efficient movement, had slipped her night rail to
her waist. His breath catching as her breasts were bared
to his view, Damien bent to kiss the white mounds
lightly, his breath warm against her skin as he said softly,
"You know you don't want to fight me, Amethyst. You
want me to love you...you want to feel me inside you,
filling you, taking you to the special world where only we
reside, darling." His lips moving slowly along her breasts
teased the soft nipples lightly, nipped at their, fullness,
his tongue making a warm, erotic trail from one rise to
the other until she felt she would scream with the sheer
ache of her desire.

A sudden, frantic knocking on the door interrupted
Damien's seeking quest, bringing his head up slowly to
stare into her eyes as Tillie's voice called from the other
side, "Amethyst! Why this door be locked? Let Tillie
in..."

She was drowning in the clear gray depths of his eyes
as Damien's voice whispered in her ear, "Tell her to go
away. Amethyst. I could not let you go now. I've waited
too long to hold you again. I will have you now at any
cost... any cost..."

A sudden rekindling of fear tightened her throat,
causing the voice that called out to quake. "No...go away, Tillie. You can't come in here now. Please.. .go
away..."

The pounding stopped abruptly, and within a few
seconds Amethyst heard Tillie's slow step move away
from the door. Tillie was leaving... within a few
seconds it would be too late.. .But her last frantic
thoughts were swept from her mind as Damien's mouth
covered hers once again and the rational world moved
abruptly into the distance.