Had there been a trace of pain in his voice, she wondered, or had it been her imagination working overtime again? “I’m not judging you at all, Nicholas. I apologize if you think I was. To be truthful, I haven’t heard that much”—she shrugged—“rumors, that’s all.”
“Good. Good.” Nicholas relaxed back into his chair. “So tell me about your exciting adventures on Killaroo.”
Because of the pain she thought she had heard in his tone, she told him some things she had told very few people. “You know, its funny, but when I remember my childhood, it’s the little things that are the most vivid to me. For instance, I remember how the lanolin from the sheep’s wool during shearing time would make my father’s hands so wonderfully soft. And I remember sitting in a small room with my two sisters doing our lessons while we listened to School of the Air over the radio. I remember how my mother’s laughter used to remind me of music.” She laughed herself, making the dark man across from her tilt his head in order to catch the sound. “Oh, and yes! I remember my father teaching me to throw a boomerang.”
Nicholas interrupted. “You can throw a boomerang?”
“I sure can, and quite well too.”
“I’m impressed.”
Her golden eyes sparkled with laughter. “Are you? I’m not sure I thought that was possible. I feel like I’ve accomplished something monumental.”
Nicholas’s lips curved appreciatively. He couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed himself more. Sydney’s enthusiasm for her family and her home was a tangible thing, and as she talked, she unknowingly was throwing out sparks of light and life, weaving a tapestry of warm emotions around him. To be caught up in someone else was unusual for him, and he found he didn’t want her to stop. “Go on. What else do you remember?”
“Well, I do have one very special memory.”
“Tell me.”
She smiled, recalling, “One magical night, my sisters and I sneaked out of bed and out of the house to witness a corroboree the Aborigines who worked for us were putting on. We weren’t supposed to be there, of course, but we had heard whispers of the celebration, and we decided we couldn’t miss it.” Sydney leaned forward with her forearms on the table. “The night was absolutely glorious, the moon was full, and the three of us had all the energy and enthusiasm of the very young. We hid in deep shadows by the base of a giant banyan tree. The night was full of primitive sounds, but it never occurred to us to be afraid. In the middle of a circle of fires, the Aborigines, their bodies painted with ochre, danced and chanted. Even as young as we were, it was a deeply stirring experience for the three of us to witness a ritual that was as old as time itself. We watched them for hours until we fell asleep.”
“Under the banyan tree?”
“That’s right. The next thing I remember, I opened my eyes and the night seemed to be moving around me. I felt strong arms holding me, and I knew I was being carried back to the house by my father. I fell back asleep before we got there, though, and the next morning my sisters and I woke in our own beds.”
“Safe and sound.”
She nodded. “But I still remember that night as if it were yesterday.”
His voice was soft. “Sounds like you have a lot of good memories.”
“Yes.” She tilted her head to one side and regarded him. “Don’t you?”
He stuck one of his long brown cigarettes between his teeth, flicked a slim gold lighter, and put the flame to the tip. “Not as many as you have probably. I grew up on the streets of Chicago, a pretty tough little kid. I had to be. My family was quite poor, and we had very little.”
“But you must have one good memory,” she said, prodding him. “Something?”
He took a moment to study her, and Sydney recognized the look on his face. She had seen it many times on the faces of men as they tried to calculate the odds of a game.
“Yes, I have one,” he said slowly. “One bitterly cold day I was walking along the street, when something in a store window caught my attention. It was a figurine of a beautiful young girl. I can still remember how cold that glass pane felt as I pressed my face against it, trying to see better. I was awestruck. That young girl made of porcelain represented everything unattainable to me at that time in my life—beauty, gentleness, and a fragility that cried out to me. You remind me of that figurine.”
Disconcerted, she tried to speak too quickly. “B—b—but why?”
“Because of the qualities I’ve already mentioned. And because she had a perfect grace of stillness, and so do you. And because she had a glass dome protecting her, and so do you.”
“I—I—I...” She stopped, upset with herself that he could make her expose her stutter. She gave herself a moment, then spoke again. “I have no glass dome protecting me.” As a matter of fact, she thought, around Nicholas, she found herself less and less protected.
“Actually, Sydney, there’s a shimmering life beneath your stillness, along with a fire. And for a few minutes, while you were talking about your family and Killaroo, you came out from under your glass dome, and I was able to see what it might have been like if that porcelain doll had come alive all those years ago. Seeing you like that has made me determined. I intend to bring you out from under that glass dome, gradually at first, but then more and more, until you can do away with it completely.”
“I—I—I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It’s that control of yours,” he said with a softness meant to seduce. “And it’s so unnecessary.”
She fought against the seduction in his voice. She fought against the warmth in his dark brown eyes. But she had the feeling she was losing, until a discreet knock on the door interrupted the silence that had fallen between them.
Nicholas went to answer the door. It was Julian, and the big man wheeled in a cart with a coffee service and an assortment of desserts. Just inside the door he paused, fished in the pocket of his jacket, and pulled out a note. “Mike said you should have this right away. It just came.”
As Nicholas read the note, Julian wheeled the cart to the table. “Sorry to interrupt, Miss Delaney, but I told the waiter I’d bring the coffee in.”
Sydney had grown used to Julian. And without making the mistake of discounting his menacing facade, she had come to see the shyness that lurked beneath. She smiled. “That’s very nice of you, Julian.”
Her smile appeared to startle him. With his attention still focused on her, he lifted a large hand for the coffeepot and tilted it until coffee began to pour from the spout. Onto the tray. “Oh. hell!” He slammed the silver pot down, and reached for a napkin. “Please excuse me, Miss Delaney. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Can I help?” She reached out her hand toward him, and it so alarmed him that his hand jerked and knocked both coffee cups to the floor, where the china shattered.
“Damn! Oh!” He was stricken. “Please excuse my language, Miss Delaney, it won’t happen again.” He dropped to the floor and began quickly picking up the pieces.
“Be careful, Julian! Oh, no!”
A bright spurt of blood appeared on his hand. “Here”—she grabbed a clean linen napkin and knelt beside him—“don’t move, Julian. You’re hurt.”
“I’m fine, Miss Delaney.” He cast a helpless glance over her shoulder at Nicholas. “I need to clean up the mess.”
Wrapping the napkin around his hand, she said, “Don’t be silly. You’ve got to be still, Julian. or you’re going to make it worse.” Her brow wrinkled with worry. “It’s a deep cut. I think you’re going to need stitches. Nicholas?”
“Yes, Sydney?”
“Does the Isle of Charron have a doctor?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact we do. He’s extremely underworked, but nevertheless very good.”
She smiled into Julian’s face with encouragement. “There, you see. Now, I want you to go to the doctor right away and then give me a ring and let me know you’re all right.”
“Uh, Miss Delaney, I don’t think..
.”
Nicholas reached down for Sydney’s arm and pulled her to her feet. “I think arguing with Miss Delaney is useless, Julian. Why don’t you just go on down and see the doctor?”
Julian raised his huge bulk off the floor, nodded to Sydney, and left.
As soon as the door shut, Nicholas broke into laughter.
Sydney turned to him bewildered. “What’s wrong?”
“You just sent one of the toughest men I’ve ever known to the doctor for a minor cut.”
“I-i-it wasn’t minor! It was bleeding quite a lot.”
“Sydney, that man once dug a bullet out of his own leg and didn’t let anyone know until the next day.” He chuckled. “Bemusement is an expression I don’t think Julian’s face has ever worn before.”
“He was hurting!”
“And that’s the key, isn’t it, Sydney?”
“I—I—I don’t know what you mean.”
“You saw someone you thought was hurting and vulnerable and you rushed to help him without thought for yourself. Do you realize that you didn’t stutter once the whole time you were talking to him? Nor did you guard against it.”
“I d-d-don’t want to talk about my s-s-stutter.”
“Shhh.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “Let’s go sit on the couch. Would you like some coffee? I can ring for more cups.”
Mutely she shook her head.
“Would you like anything?” When she didn’t answer, he took the cushion beside her. “Don’t be embarrassed, Sydney. I find your stutter endearing.”
Her golden brown eyes flashed the anger she was feeling. “Y-y-you can’t possibly understand! Wanting to speak so badly, needing to speak, but being afraid to open your mouth for fear of not being able to say what you want... for fear of making a f-f-fool of yourself.”
Her anger didn’t faze him, because he knew he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight until it had dissolved. “I understand fear, Sydney. And more and more I understand you. When I first heard your stutter, it answered a lot of questions that I had had about you.” With a finger he lifted her chin so that she would look at him. “You appeared so controlled. Even when I kissed you, you didn’t respond completely. But I knew your emotions weren’t frozen. Beneath your surface runs fire. And it’s a fire I’ve just got to have.”
Even though he hadn’t moved toward her, he was about to kiss her. She knew it. She could feel it. “Leave me alone, Nicholas.”
“I’ll give you anything you want, Sydney, but not that.”
She took a deep, steadying breath and moved on the offensive. “So okay, then, satisfy my curiosity. You talk about my control, and you’ve compared me to a figurine who lives under a glass dome. But what about you, Nicholas? You live a life that is every bit as controlled as mine, maybe even more so. You’re a man who keeps himself apart from people, watching them from behind a glass wall. Why is that?”
“I haven’t noticed that I’ve been keeping myself apart from you, Sydney.”
“I-i-is that right? Well, I don’t remember seeing you for the last few nights, do I?”
With a fingertip he feathered a tiny plum-colored curl. “It’s a funny thing, Sydney. Life has taught me to be a man of great patience, but in your case, I find patience to be almost impossible. I had thought perhaps that a couple of nights away from you might lessen the urgency of my desire for you. I was wrong.”
Oh, yes, Sydney thought. Her first instincts about him had been right. The man was danger personified. Allowing a bit of what she was feeling to show, she shook her head. “You totally overwhelm me, Nicholas.”
“No, I don’t. You have beauty and strength, Sydney, and you have passion. The problem is you’ve been chained to the ground by your stammer for far too long. You just have to free that passion in order to break those chains. Then together we’ll be able to soar.”
She couldn’t ignore the sexual challenge he had thrown out, nor could she ignore the way the atmosphere had suddenly become charged. She felt as if she were being pulled toward him. Abruptly panic erupted inside her, because she knew that she wanted to go into his arms more than anything in the world.
It came to him so easily, she thought—controlling the atmosphere, controlling people, this attempt of his to control her mind and her body.
No!
She had to leave. Now.
Hurriedly she got up. “M-m-my stutter is something I’ve lived with my whole life, Nicholas, and despite it I’ve done very well. I need to get back down to the casino now.”
He allowed her to reach the doors of the lift before he spoke. “Sydney?”
As always, his voice stopped her, and she turned. “Have you ever been down to the lagoon at sunset? You really must go. It’s a beautiful sight.”
“Good night, Nicholas.”
“Good night, Sydney.”
Four
“Don’t worry, Addie. I’ll be there as soon as I can. ’Bye for now.” Sydney hung up the phone and rolled out of bed, her mind working fast and furiously. Addie had said she needed her to come at once, and that meant she had a lot to do.
Sydney glanced at the clock. Eight a.m. If Addie had wondered why her sister was still in bed at such a late hour, she hadn’t said a word, but then, that was just like Addie.
A short time later, Sydney was dressed and packed and facing the problem of how to get off the island. She had promised Mike that if she ever left the island, she wouldn’t just sneak away, and she meant to keep the promise. But whom could she notify? she wondered. She was sure that Nicholas was sleeping at his retreat over on the other side of the island. That left Mike.
But once downstairs, she could find no sign of Mike. She inquired at the desk for him, but the young woman who was on duty wasn’t able to help, though she did tell Sydney that the first launch leaving the island wasn’t until one o’clock.
Sydney made her way out onto the terrace and found Sai sitting in a corner having a cup of coffee.
She rushed over to him. “Sai, you’ve got to help me! Where’s Mike?”
Sal rose, his black eyes regarding her enigmatically.
“Please, Sai. I-i-it’s very important. I must talk to Mike.”
The small man seemed to hesitate, but then he bowed from the waist and began to lead the way toward one of the wings. Used to Sai’s silent ways by now, Sydney followed him. When he stopped in front of a door, she cast him a quizzical glance. “Is this Mike’s room?”
Sal bowed again, so Sydney raised her hand and knocked. There was no answer. She waited a minute and knocked again. When another minute had passed and no one came to the door, she looked at Sai. “Are you sure he’s in there?”
Again Sai bowed. With a sigh, Sydney knocked one more time. “Sai, he’s not answering. He must be asleep. I’ve got to get in there.”
Without a word, Sai withdrew a ring of keys from his pocket and inserted one of the keys into the door. Then he opened it and stepped aside.
With a nod of gratitude to him, Sydney entered what appeared to be a living area. The curtains were still drawn, and what light there was in the room was dim. But she could see that the room was empty. Without debating the matter, she headed for the door that she assumed was the bedroom.
Knocking lightly on the door, she called, “Mike?” and listened carefully. Convinced that she heard something, she turned the knob and walked in. But the room was dark and all she could see was a mound of covers on the bed. Well, if she had to wake Mike up, Sydney decided, then she would do just that. After all, it was his own fault. He had made her give her word.
She clicked on the light beside the bed. “Mike, wake up, it’s Sydney.” Gingerly, she poked at the covers. “Mike!”
He shot straight up, and as he did, the sheet and comforter slid to his waist to reveal a broad and very bare chest covered with fine brown hair. “What the hell!”
“Mike, I’ve got to leave the island, and I can’t wait until the one o’clock launch. What can I do?”
Mike’
s green eyes squinted against the light, then suddenly focused. “You’re leaving?”
The covers beside him moved, and a sleepy voice from beneath asked, “What’s going on?”
Absently he patted the mound. “Nothing, honey, go back to sleep. Now, Sydney, you can’t leave—”
“I’ve got to!”
“Does Nick know? Have you told him?”
A head covered with tousled red curls inched slowly from beneath the covers, and blue eyes looked at Sydney with confusion. “Who are you?”
Sydney reached her hand across Mike. “I’m Sydney Delaney. How do you do?”
“I don’t know.” The young woman rubbed her eyes, then looked at Mike, obviously thinking he might have the answer,
But Mike’s attention was totally on Sydney. “Will you please wait in the other room so that I can get dressed? Then we can discuss this in a calm manner. “
“I can’t. I just don’t have the time. But if you’ll tell me how I can get off this island, I’ll be on my way and leave you and...” She looked inquiringly at the very pretty redhead beside Mike.
“Leslie,” the young woman supplied.
“I’ll leave you and Leslie to get on with... whatever.”
“I can’t let you go, Sydney. You know that.”
Leslie pulled herself up, patted several pillows into place, then leaned back against them. Only as an afterthought did she draw the sheet up so that it covered her naked breasts. “Did you happen to bring any coffee with you, Sydney?”
“No, I’m sorry.”
“That’s too bad.”
“You might try room service.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“Sydney”—desperation was edging into Mike’s voice—“if you’ll just wait until this evening, you can talk to Nick.”
“It’s an emergency, Mike, a family emergency, and I’ve got to go right this minute.”
Leslie spoke up. “What’s the problem? This is a resort, not a prison. Mike, doesn’t the helicopter usually fly in to the mainland this time of day to pick up the mail?”
Sydney, the Temptress (The Delaneys of Killaroo) Page 5
