What!
Oh, of course it was Nate. She needed to get used to the fact that he
didn’t slobber all over her or shower her with compliments. No, when he looked
at her, he no doubt saw a woman with fizzy hair wearing an imminently sun
practical, if rather hideous outfit. Oh Goddess, she hadn’t even run a
brush through her hair this morning before pulling it into a pony-tail.
And this colour did nothing for her complexion but make her look like death
warmed over. This was so embarrassing. No wonder the man was busy
looking around the rock rather than continuing to look at the hideousness that
was her.
Nate
hadn’t come down in the last solar flare. He knew that whatever had its
claws sunk deep into Charisse loathed the way his attention was captured and
held by that ridiculous blanket thing she wore, the gusty breezes making it
cling to those narrow hips, fantastic long legs and full breasts of hers.
He could actually see the black creature tightening and squeezing her psyche
when his focus shifted from her gorgeous body to that enticing wide mouth of
hers.
With
a determined effort he’d yanked his gaze from her completely and scoped out his
surroundings. Something any warrior of Maat should have done first when
arriving at a new location, rather than spend his time wondering how long it
would take him to cut all that material off of the gorgeous woman in front of
him.
The
rock was large, bordering on small island proportions. Even at high tide
he doubted the sea did no more than lap over the very edges. The centre
of it was covered with sand like a beach and that was where it looked like
Charisse did most of her work. He noted the easel and canvas set up under
the shade of a billowing colourful sheet of tarpaulin. One end attached
to a tall pole, the other attached to what looked like a small metal shack with
windows, that someone had painted a glossy red.
“Is
that a… ship’s cabin?”
“Yes.
One of the larger industrial fishing vessels ran aground out here about ten,
no, eleven years ago during a storm. It was easier to dismantle it than
try and tow it back to the docks so I offered to purchase the main cabin.”
“And
they just said yes? What about the fisheries and wildlife departments,
they’re just okay with you squatting out here?”
Charisse
laughed, it came out low and husky and did not so surprising things to the
lower half of his body, thank Maat his trousers were practically dry already.
“I
petitioned the local Council for permission.”
“Of
course, and just how many family members of yours sit on the Council?”
Nate began striding across the rock. Something about that painting had
caught his eye.
“Hey
don’t touch that… the paint’s still wet in places.” She came to a halt
beside him, breathing hard.
Goddess, the
man moved like lightning, no wonder Darcy couldn’t keep up with him.
“This
is good.” Nate eyed the canvas with interest. “And familiar.”
The scene was of the ocean horizon, waves cresting, seagulls wheeling overhead
as a storm hinted in the distance. Nate leant over to get a better view
of the signature.
Behind
him Charisse squirmed in place, soft colour filling her cheeks. She
wasn’t used to people, especially men, paying attention to her work whilst in
her company… usually they were too busy waxing lyrical about the shape of her
eyebrows, the shell like proportions of her ears or some such other nonsense.
“You’re
C.Hariss? The painter?”
“Umm…
well yes. Would you like a drink?” She twirled and headed inside
the cabin without waiting for his response. Outside again she wasn’t
surprised to find he’d made himself comfortable in one of the two collapsible
striped chairs she kept under the shaded veranda she’d rigged to the front of
the cabin.
Nate
took the cold can of soft drink from her, popped the top and gave a grateful
sigh after he’d drained half its contents. “Thanks.”
Taking
the seat next to him, Charisse felt awkward, she wasn’t used to entertaining
men – period. Oh she had plenty of male visitors, but none who expected a
conversation from her. Usually there were just lots of flowery
compliments, tearful declarations of love and a lot of marriage proposals
whilst she worked hard to fend off their advances and get them off Bettina as
swiftly as possible, before the she-bitch could over eat and develop
indigestion.
“So
how did you come to be C.Hariss, the crotchety old reclusive seadog painter?”
“By
complete accident of course.” She popped the top of her own can and took
a small sip. “I’d been painting for a while, to please myself mostly and
just pass the time. One day I had several of my cousins over to my place
for drinks; they saw some of my work and dared me to show it to a
gallery. Next thing you know my work is selling and the whole C.Hariss
persona is born thanks to an accidental smear of paint and the fact that I like
my privacy. Rumours began circulating and before I knew it, I was an
ex-fisherman in his retirement years who liked to paint.”
“You
wear your years well.” Nate commented raising his can in a toast.
“Thanks.”
Charisse laughed. “So what are you doing up at Great-Great-Uncle
Maurice’s place?”
“Renovating
it.”
“Yes
I can see that, but why?”
“Because
it’s crumbling down around my ears for a start and I really needed a project
and a distraction. Though I hadn’t quite realised what a fixer upper’s
dream it was when I bought it.”
“Wait…
you bought Kaleidoscope Folly? The Council knows right?”
“Of
course. I went before them in an emergency session last Saturday; ten
minutes later I was a home owner.”
“That
seems kind of fast.”
“Let’s
just say I needed a threshold to call my own rather urgently. I’m hoping
my petition to have your cousin issued with a restraining order is put into
effect just as speedily, they’ve promised it will be served by midnight
tonight, if it doesn’t, well then I’m not sure how much work I’ll be getting
done if I have to keep diving off cliffs.”
“Are
you insane? Tell me you didn’t request a restraining order against
Darcy?”
“What
else can I do? She’s proving to be annoyingly tenacious.”
“Goddess,
I don’t know whether to be in awe of you or scared for you.”
“Definitely
be in awe of me, Cyd.” Nate quirked up an eyebrow casting a sexy come
hither smile her way for all of two point five seconds before he seemed to
recall who he was talking to. The smile disappearing in a flash,
the twinkle in his whiskey eyes likewise was history.
Was
it the damn muumuu and rat’s nest hair or was it just her, this so called
serial flirt, wouldn’t lower himself to waste his energy on? “A Council
restraining order, that’s kind of huge and extremely binding.
Darcy won’t be able to get within a mile of
you without your permission or else there will be exceedingly painful
repercussions for her. Why don’t you just talk to her? Tell her
what she wants to know and she’ll leave you alone.”
“Problem
is, I don’t know anything more than what I’ve already shared with
Hadleigh. Do you think Darcy will believe that?”
“Maybe
after she tortures you for a solid straight week… or two, she might.”
“Exactly
and quite frankly, I like all my most important bits non-singed and non-fried…
I’m kind of particular like that.”
“You’ve
heard of Darcy’s reputation?”
“I
wasn’t aware of the lengths and breadths she was prepared to go to until she
began targeting me. She’s left some breathtakingly inventive threats on
my voicemail. Don’t tell her, but I’m writing them all down and intending
to use them against my fellow warriors sometime in the near future.” Nate
finished his drink and looked around. “Speaking of which, I suppose I’d
better get a move on, Darcy’s probably renting a speed boat about now.”
Nate
had no more said the words when the sound of metal striking rock reverberated
through the air. Nate shot out of his chair lightning quick and rounded
the shack.
Charisse close on his
heels. Oh Goddess, well the good news was, it wasn’t Darcy, the bad news
was, it was two lovesick and from the looks of their sunburnt faces and blurry
eyes, drunk fisherman, in a dinghy. No wonder that bitch Bettina had been
quiet for the last five minutes, she’d known these two inebriated fools with
their inhibitions lowered would be lured here.
Damn,
how could she have been so inattentive? She’d been singing whilst
she’d been looking for Nate’s body hadn’t she, after he’d dived off the
cliff.
The
two men stumbled over one another as they clambered out of their damaged
boat. Honestly, how stupid were these guys? She’d lined that side
of the rock with bumpers and fenders to prevent this very type of accident from
happening.
“Hey
fellas.” Nate moved forward to help the pair. “You guys okay?
You look like you’ve had a little accident.” Nate was staring into the
dinghy as it slowly began to fill with seawater. “Fellas?” He
turned around, surprised to find the two guys ignoring their sinking
boat. One was now kneeling before Charisse, the other stood next to his
friend, swaying drunkenly. Okay the dinghy was kind of small and old but still,
Nate was surprised the twosome weren’t a tad more worried about their vessel
and fishing gear.
Walking
back to the centre of the rock he noted that Charisse’s full lips were
compressed into a thin line as she studied the unexpected visitors, so it
wasn’t like she knew them, or if she did, she certainly didn’t like them.
Hmmm, the whole incident was kind of strange.
Weirder
still, the invisible to everyone but him black scaly demon, encasing Cyd’s
psyche, had lessened its grip on her ever so slightly. Through the
retracted tentacles he caught glimpses of deep peaceful greens, simmering hot
pinks and bold golds. Wow, this woman really was stunning inside and out,
well, if you could ignore the insidious dark shadow that all but encompassed her
soul.
The
drunken guy standing finally found his voice. “You’re so pretty.”
“Dude,
your boat’s sinking.” Nate studied the two men with a frown, was the guy
on his knees crying? How much had they had to drink?
“Er...
that’s okay.” The drunk took a step towards Charisse. “You know
your skin is like freshly… poured milk.”
Nate
winced, this guy had to be kidding, Charisse was covered from head to toe, in
fact the only visible skin was her paint splattered hands and zinc covered
nose.
“Umm.”
Charisse shifted from foot to foot, Goddess this was embarrassing. Two
half-drunk accolades worshipping at the Siren altar whilst Bettina slurped down
on the unexpected buffet. Urgh, she hated that feeling of their emotions
sliding through her, travelling down the bond. Tomorrow the two would
wake up with massive hangovers and feel strangely empty and a little bit dazed
for a day or two. Thankfully, their memory of having met her would take
on a dream like quality.
In
the meantime though, she had to suffer through the guy who was standing listing
off half-baked compliments whilst the guy kneeling seemed to be content to just
silently weep, his gaze never shifting from her. She wasn’t fond of the
weepers but at least they were generally quiet.
“You’re
eyes are like the deepest, bluest pools of ocean.”
Nate
snorted a laugh.
“Hey!”
Charisse felt kind of offended. Nate might not think her up to his high
standard of women to flirt with, but he didn’t need to rub it in.
“What?
Sorry. It’s just bozo here can’t even see your eyes behind those
sunglasses. Their green my drunken friend, at least get your facts straight if
you’re going to play the bard.”
Nate
had remembered her eyes were green… hmm, what did that mean?
“Green!”
Her admirer jumped on the word and ran with it. “Eyes the colour of
freshly cut grass…”
“Maat,
what are you, a farmer? First with the milk and now with the grass.
Look snap out of it, your boat is still sinking.”
“That’s
okay… not my boat… borrowed it.” He shuffled forward, his hand now
clutched over his heart. “I love you, I don’t think I can live without
you, I don’t want to live without you.” Her admirers eyes fluttered shut
for a moment. Him being inebriated meant Bettina was having a much easier
time of siphoning off his emotions. He’d be falling into a deep sleep
soon.
Nate
swept past the drunk, placing his arm protectively around Charisse. The
moment his hand came to rest on the small of her back she jumped on the
spot. Ouch, that had hurt. A sharp jolt of pain had coursed through her,
rather like being bitten by a snake. Nate must have felt something too as
he was rubbing his hand and glaring at her … breasts? No slightly lower
down… weird. Well she’d already guessed Bettina wasn’t fond of Nate but
until he’d tried to touch her she hadn’t figured out exactly how much.
“Sorry.”
She tried to shrug off the incident. “Must be some static electricity in
the air.”