Gift of Fire (24 page)

Verity had done a great deal of thinking during the night.

She had awakened this morning overcome with remorse, and with a new perspective on Jonas Quarrel. She scolded herself for having been so wrapped up in her own problems lately. She hadn’t paid nearly enough attention to Jonas’s feelings.

Verity walked around a curving bluff and paused to glance down into a tiny cove. She was about to move on when she saw a small boat that had been drawn halfway out of the water and tethered to a pine bough. It was a sleek, fast-looking little craft. She glanced around, searching for whoever had arrived in it. There was no sign of anyone. The cove’s pebbly shore was impervious to footprints.

Verity made a mental note to tell Doug Warwick that there might be visitors on the island.

She turned and walked a little farther before deciding that the brisk wind was too cold to make further hiking pleasant. She swung around and started back to the villa. It was time to give Maggie a hand with lunch preparations.

But Maggie wasn’t in the kitchen when Verity arrived. Doug Warwick had not yet returned from his trip to town, either. Crump and Spencer were in the salon, but Verity decided not to strike up a conversation. She headed up to her room.

Jonas was not in the bedroom and she assumed he was busy earning his consulting fee. Verity decided to see how he was doing. She was on her way down the hall when she ran into Maggie Frampton.

“Here now, you looking for Mr. Quarrel?” Maggie said, surprisingly helpful. “I believe he decided to check out the dungeons. Saw Little Miss Sunshine with him.” Maggie was obviously eager to impart that last tidbit.

“Thanks, Maggie.” The thought of Elyssa and Jonas checking out the torture chamber together was annoying. “Was Preston with them?”

“Nope. Mr. Yarwood is in his room. He’s not in a good mood, I can tell you. He and Little Miss Sunshine appear to have had a falling out, haven’t they?” Maggie observed with relish.

“Something like that,” Verity agreed dryly. “Excuse me, Maggie. I think I’ll see how the big treasure hunt is going.”

“You do that. But I’ll tell you right now, there ain’t no treasure here. Just a big lonesome old house that no one but me and Digby really loved. Now Digby’s gone, and I’m not gonna get a chance to stay on to take care of the old place.” Maggie shook her head and moved off down the hall. She was wearing another of her seemingly endless supply of housedresses. The dull overhead light gleamed briefly on the plain metal chain she wore around her neck. “Reckon I’ll see about lunch.”

“I’ll give you a hand in a little while,” Verity called after her. Then, with a determined stride, she headed for the stone staircase.

At the top of the stairs, something made Verity glance back over her shoulder. She caught Maggie watching her with a curious expression of anticipation.

She knows something
I
don
’
t know,
Verity thought. But she had a feeling she would soon be let in on the secret. She found her way down into the bowels of the villa without much difficulty, using the route she and Jonas had followed to return to their room the preceding evening. When she reached the door of the torture chamber, she found it ajar. She was not particularly surprised to hear Elyssa’s sweetly cajoling voice from within.

“I have received guidance in this decision, Jonas. I have opened myself fully to the positive forces that prevail within me. I have gone inside myself and consulted with the spiritual side of my nature. Saranantha has helped me understand that what I seek is right. She has assured me that I am on the proper path. I am quite certain about what I am doing.”

“Well. I’m not.” Jonas’s voice was impatient. “if you don’t mind, Elyssa, I’ve got a lot of work to do here. Your brother is paying good money for my report, and I’d like to get it done on time.”

“You don’t understand, Jonas. I feel I’ve been building toward this moment for several lifetimes. All the power of my woman’s body has been developing for thousands of years, growing stronger, more fertile, more perfectly adapted as it prepares itself for the perfect mate. You are my psychic mate. You’ll see. When we are joined in true harmony, there will be no doubts in your mind.”

Jonas’s voice cut in, sounding a trifle hoarse. “Look, Elyssa, I’m sure you believe everything you’re saying, but the fact is, I’m not what you think. I’m not your perfect psychic mate. Trust me on this, Elyssa. I know what I’m talking about. If you want a psychic stud, go back to Yarwood or one of the others.”

“No, Jonas, you are the right man for me. I know it as surely as I know the sun will rise tomorrow morning. You’re just nervous, that’s all. But you have no need to be. I have envisioned everything. I have seen it all on a psychic plane that transcends this level of reality. I have seen us making love, Jonas. Beautiful, free, uninhibited love. On that other plane, I’ve felt your hand on my breast. Our mouths have touched. I’ve felt your seed pouring into my body. Now it is time to unite the reality of the higher plane with the reality of this one. This afternoon is perfect. I’ve checked all the astrological charts and meditated with crystal. Everything is harmonically aligned.”

“You mean everyone is either out of the villa or busy elsewhere,” Jonas said bluntly. “Beat it, Elyssa, I’ve got work to do. Verity will be wondering where I am.”

“Verity is gone too. In any event, I feel sure she would understand. I sense that she is a very psychically aware woman. She and I are sisters in the way all women are sisters. She knows in her heart that you and I must mate. She will accept it.”

“The hell she will. You don’t know Verity very well, do you?”

“Actually,” Elyssa went on in a confidential tone, “there’s no need for her even to know about it, if you would prefer to keep it a secret.”

“Elyssa, if you’re not going to get out of here, then I will. Dammit, Elyssa, get out of my way. What do you think you’re doing? Jesus, what’s the matter with you? Are you crazy? Elyssa, no, don’t do that. Hell, I’m getting out of here. You can explain to your brother why his report is late.” The rest of Jonas’s protest was abruptly cut off.

Verity could wait no longer. She shoved open the door of the torture chamber and stood glaring with narrowed eyes at the sight of Elyssa in Jonas’s arms.

Jonas saw Verity in the doorway and was momentarily stunned. He had been in the process of firmly disengaging himself from Elyssa Warwick’s unwanted embrace when the chamber door burst open to reveal his obviously furious lover. He had never before seen that particular expression of outrage on her face, he realized dimly.

“Verity!” Angrily, he shook himself free of Elyssa. “Verity, listen, it’s not what you think,” he began quickly. Then he stopped, not at all certain what she did think. After all, she hadn’t seemed particularly upset yesterday when Elyssa had asked her for a loan.

The hell with it. Jonas decided against further explanations for the moment. As it turned out, he didn’t need to do the talking anyway. Verity and Elyssa were handling that end of things. Sisters, huh? He had never in his life met two women who were less like sisters than Verity and Little Miss Sunshine. Jonas leaned back against the wall near the dangling manacles, crossed his arms over his chest, and watched the open warfare with great interest.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Verity. She was madder than hell. A fierce, feminine fury radiated from her, which seemed about to set fire to the room. It was certainly setting fire to him, Jonas thought with an inner grin. He felt himself getting hard just watching her as she sauntered into the chamber, looking every inch the lady of the villa.

Verity was shorter than Elyssa and far more slender, but with her wide eyes shooting blue-green sparks, her regal bearing, and that mane of fiery curls, she totally dominated the situation. Elyssa looked like a poodle facing a lioness.

“I thought I made it clear to you yesterday, Elyssa, that Jonas is not available for any moonlighting work.” Verity’s voice was soft and husky with warning. She advanced on the other woman in such an intimidating manner that Elyssa automatically fell back a few steps.

“Verity, please, you’re overreacting. How can I make you understand?” Elyssa said pleadingly. “The union between myself and Jonas is right. It’s meant to be. The consummation must take place.”

“Try consummating anything with Jonas and I can personally guarantee that you’ll find yourself on a very high psychic plane. I will kick your butt up there myself. In fact, I will kick it so high you’ll probably never get it back down.”

Elyssa blinked in astonishment. “Really, Verity, there’s no need to get so upset. We are talking about a matter of deep psychic spirituality here.”

“Really? I got the impression we were talking about a quick toss in the hay with my man. A one-night stand. A cheap thrill, isn’t that all you really want, Elyssa? An opportunity to screw a guy who might have genuine psychic talent? You want to see if any of it rubs off on you? See if there’s anything special about making it with a real psychic? Well, take it from me, you’re not going to get the chance to find out what you’re missing. Come near Jonas again and I will tear you apart into little tiny pieces and then I will throw those pieces into Puget Sound. Do you understand me,
sister?
”

Elyssa’s soft eyes brimmed with tears. “You don’t understand anything. Your mind is closed, after all. Don’t you see, Verity? Jonas and I were meant to experience a powerful sexual experience. It’s my destiny. I must fulfill it.”

“Says who? Get out of here, Elyssa. Now. And don’t you dare come near Jonas again unless I’m personally around to chaperone him. Move it, you twenty-thousand-year-old chippy!”

Elyssa’s eyes widened further, then she burst into tears and fled from the room, her necklaces and bracelets jangling. Her sobs echoed down the stone hall.

In the taut silence that descended on the room, Jonas felt a glorious rush of triumph. It was all he could do to keep from sweeping Verity up in his arms and swinging her around in an exuberant circle.

But Jonas made himself stay where he was, one shoulder against the wall, as Verity turned to him. He didn’t want to spoil her show. She had a right to the fireworks, and he wouldn’t throw water on them now—not for the world. He knew the grin on his face was wide enough to show most of his teeth, but he couldn’t help it. He was feeling too damn good.

Verity stalked toward him, her soft mouth tight, her red-gold brows forming a fierce line above her small nose.

Her eyes were a sea of flames, and her hair was practically crackling with energy.

“Well, well, well,” she murmured, her voice deceptively smooth, “the big, brave, psychic treasure hunter almost got himself raped by the client.”

“Consummated,” Jonas corrected. “I was in some danger of getting consummated by the client. But you saved me.

“You think this is funny?” Verity shifted her gaze, apparently intrigued by the manacle dangling on the wall beside him.

“I think this was one hell of an embarrassing scene, and it’s lucky you came along when you did,” Jonas murmured.

“Why?” she challenged him abruptly. “Were you tempted to get yourself harmonically aligned with Little Miss Sunshine?”

“No, I was not tempted, and you know it. But the whole thing was getting awkward.”

“Awkward?” Verity picked up one of the manacles and began swinging it idly. “Awkward is an interesting description of what I just saw. I didn’t notice anything awkward about the way Elyssa had her arms around your neck. She looked very well coordinated to me.”

Jonas chuckled softly and unfolded his arms. He braced one hand against the stone wall, planted the other on his hip, and grinned devilishly at Verity. “I don’t know about that. Personally, I thought she looked a little top-heavy. A man could suffocate amid all those boobs if he wasn’t careful. But then, maybe I’m just used to a skinny little redhead who makes me think of a sleek, sexy wildcat when she makes love to me.”

“You think you’re going to get out of this with a few flattering words about my talent in bed?” Verity smiled menacingly. She still held the manacle in one hand.

“Not a few flattering words, lots of flattering words.”

“Talk fast, Jonas.” The manacle snapped shut around his wrist.

Jonas froze for a few seconds. His wicked grin faded. He blinked at the strip of metal that now chained him to the wall. “This your idea of a joke, honey?”

“No,” she said, walking slowly around him to where the other manacle dangled on the opposite side. “Nor do I find the idea of you and Little Miss Sunshine hanging around together down here in the torture chamber very amusing. I guess I have a limited sense of humor.” Her eyes traveled over him as if she were inspecting him for market. She picked up the other manacle.

Jonas smiled reassuringly. “Sweetheart, you know damn well nothing would have happened.” Poor Verity. She really was upset, he realized. She’d never experienced raw jealousy before. Of course, she’d never been in love before, either, he reminded himself with a wave of masculine satisfaction. He was the first and only man in her life.

“How do I know nothing would have happened, Jonas?” The manacle swung in a slow, hypnotic arc from her fingers. Her eyes were very wide and troubled as she looked up at him.

Jonas took pity on her. He knew what she was going through. He touched the side of her cheek with his free hand. “Take it easy, honey. I know how you feel. I was damned upset the night I came back from Mexico and found you being carried into the cabin by Warwick, remember? And when I found Spencer climbing all over you, I really came unglued. But it turned out that nothing out of line was happening.”

“Those were different matters entirely,” she snapped curtly.

“The hell they were.”

Verity glared ferociously. Her hand moved suddenly, and before Jonas realized her intention, the second manacle closed around his free wrist. She stepped quickly away from him, her eyes glittering with a new kind of fire.

“For Christ’s sake, Verity, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” He glanced at his tethered wrists. There wasn’t enough play in the chains to allow him to bring his hands together. He was anchored to the wall. Jonas’s mood of amused, indulgent understanding began to evaporate rapidly.