To Trap A Temptress (Southern Sanctuary - Book 2) (6 page)

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“They’re
saying what?”  Nell’s mouth was wide open, her face drained of all colour.

“I’m
so sorry.  It’s completely ridiculous but I thought you should
know.”  Julie looking bemused reached over to squeeze Nell’s hand. 

“I
… I…”  Nell was so flabbergasted she couldn’t even form the words.

Julie
laughed.  “I know.  I didn’t know what to say or do when I first
heard it either.”

“But…” 
Nell didn’t know whether to laugh or cry herself.  “Who started the
rumour?”

“Oh
I think we could both take a guess at that.”  Julie sipped her orange
juice casting a longing look across the breakfast table at Nell’s untouched
steaming cup of coffee.

“Let
me just state categorically here and now for the record that Drum is not an
escort and I’m not paying him to have sex with me.”  Nell’s voice came out
slightly louder than she intended, casting an anxious look around she was
relieved to note that the poolside breakfast dining area was all but empty
except for them. 

“Please.” 
Julie waved a dismissive hand in the air.  “Jealous much.  Anyone
with half a brain can tell by the way the man eats you up with his eyes that
he’s completely gone over you.  No man is that good an actor.”

“Thanks…
I think.” 

“I
just want to know why you’ve never said anything to me before about him?” 

“Well.” 
Nell took a big bite of fruit salad.  “It’s pretty recent for one.” 
She doubted her friend would believe how recent.  “And secondly you’ve had
a lot on your own plate, what with planning the reunion and the baby.”

“Which
reminds me I haven’t thanked you yet.  I know they say being pregnant is
supposed to make you glow and feel in touch with your inner goddess and all
that malarkey but let me tell you morning sickness twenty-four hours a day for
three months just makes you want to kill yourself and take all those smug know
it all people offering advice with you.  That peach herbal tea you sent
was a God send.  I promise to never make fun of your natural healing
practises again.”

“So
noted for the record.  Getting back to my little problem.  Where
everyone here thinks I’m so sad, desperate and lonely that I have to pay a man
to have sex with me.  What am I going to do?”

“Nothing.” 
Julie scraped butter over a slice of banana bread.

“Nothing?” 
Nell whispered back dubiously, aware of a large group of people entering the
dining area with laden plates from the buffet.

“There’s
nothing to be achieved by you confronting Devon.  Just keep doing what
you’re doing.  Oooh, you have to try this banana bread, it’s scrummy.”

“Julie
focus.  What do you mean keep doing what I’m doing?  Everyone
arriving is giving me not so subtle knowing looks and I can practically hear
the grapevine vibrating from here there’s so much speculation going on.”

“Big
deal, let them talk.  All they have to do is see you and Drum together to
know that the whole story is baloney.  Your biggest worry shouldn’t be
what gossip is doing the rounds but what Devon will do next.”

“What
do mean by that?”  Nell hissed under her breath, trying to force her lips
into a casual smile, hyper aware that she had an audience of intrigued gossip
mongers watching her every move.

“Well
you know how Devon’s always been jealous of you.”

Nell’s
mouth dropped open in shock for the second time that morning. 
“Me?   Why?”

Julie
laughed shaking her head.  “Well your marks for one thing.  You were
always coming top of the class.”

“Well
she could have studied harder and partied less.”  Nell responded gruffly.

“Please,
you know what Devon’s like.
 
She doesn’t
like to overexert herself.  Then there was the fact that everyone liked
you, the staff, the other students, the practise patients and nurses.”

“Well
she shouldn’t be such a… such a bitch!”

Julie
laughed again.  “I love it when you get all righteous.  But you have
to know Devon’s always had it in for you.  Though I bet she started that
whole escort rumour because of Case.”

“What
does Case have to do with anything?”  Nell asked perplexed.

“Please
Sweetie, you need to watch more crappy TV.  You saw how surprised Devon
was last night to find out you and Case are old sweethearts.
 
Plus major salt in the wound that the man is
obviously still crushing on you.”

“We
were not sweethearts and the man is not crushing on me.” 

“Wake
up and witness the longing looks Nell.  Plus the way he interrogated
Drum?  It was definitely like he was sizing up his competition.”

“I
haven’t heard from Case in one, no, two years.  There were no longing
looks, he was just happy to see an old acquaintance.”

Julie
heaved a sigh, rolling her eyes as she absently rubbed her tummy.  “Let’s
agree to disagree on this at the moment and move on to the salient point here…
what Devon thinks.  And just what she’ll do next.  I would guess
starting a rumour that you’re paying Drum to be here as your escort is only the
start of her campaign.  You need to watch your back.”

“Please
we’re grown-ups now.  Do you really think she’ll start some silly vendetta
against me?”  Nell fought the urge to rub her throbbing temples. 
Goddess who had the time and energy for all these bitchy machinations? 
“What…”

“Sssshh,
Devon and the she-devil wannabes have just walked in.  No don’t
look!”  Julie hissed.

Nell
rolled her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh.  “Honestly what are we
fifteen?  Let’s stop dwelling on all the nonsense and you start filling me
in on all your news.  I bet your parents can’t wait to be grandparents.”

Chapter
Six

Nell
eyed Grant’s full breakfast plate dubiously.  “I thought you said last
night you were trying to get back into triathlon shape?” 

“I
am, but after the hour I just spent in the gym.”  He thumped his gut
lightly.  “Need to feed the machine.”

Julie
cast a half amused, half affectionate smile her husband’s way; his strawberry
blonde hair sticking up in sweaty wayward clumps, his pale skin still blotchy
from his early morning exertion. 

“What?” 
He asked his wife with suspicion.

Julie
laughed, reaching over to pat his hand. “Nothing, just thinking that I hope the
baby has your gorgeous blue eyes.”

“Thanks
Hon.”

Julie
shared a silent laughing look with Nell as they watched Grant dig into his
large pile of eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast with gusto. 

“Was
the gym busy?”  Julie enquired, dutifully finishing the last of her juice.

“Packed.” 
Grant managed to get out between mouthfuls.  “Some real machine hogs
there, couple of guys almost came to blows.”

“Wow,
I would have thought more people would have been sleeping in.”  Nell
slicked on a layer of sun proof lip gloss now that she’d finished
eating.  Checking her watch she noted that she still had a few
minutes before she needed to be on the beach to meet her paddling guide for the
day.  Suddenly the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a strange
hush filled the room.  Devon’s throaty ‘Oh My God’ uttered three tables
over clearly audible across the eerily quiet room.

“Damn.” 
Grant dropped his fork like it was an electrical wire.  “Maybe I’ll try
swimming tomorrow.” 

Nell
glanced up to find her friends’ heads locked and focused on something on the
far side of the pool.  Curious she followed their example turning slightly
in her chair she likewise froze in place.  Good Goddess.  It was Drum
approaching up the pathway from the beach looking like a modern day warrior of
Atlantis freshly risen from the waves.  Droplets of water clinging to his
massive shoulders and impressive six-pack caught the morning sunlight,
twinkling like diamonds on a coffee coloured canvas.  He wore a maroon
sarong tied low on his waist, the material wet and see-through in places,
clinging to his spectacularly muscular thighs and giving a sneak peak at the
black snug hip hugging bathers he wore underneath. 

Nell
fought hard to breathe, he looked like a statue come to life, all that was
missing was the trident.  Reaching up Drum ran a casual hand through his
wet hair, resulting in several audible sighs from the women in the immediate
vicinity who noted the way the muscles stretched tight over his chest and
stomach.  Moving through the bright morning sunlight the rays kissed and
glimmered over acres of perfect unblemished café au lait flesh, the snake
tattoo glistening with hidden silvery iridescent blue depths in its black
scales.  Its head frozen in place low on the left side of Drum’s throat,
the majority of its long body hidden from view before it’s lower half appeared
twisting down over the right side of his chest to disappear once more from
view, before reappearing entwined around his left bicep, down his forearm to
the very tip of its tail, depicted resting on the side of his wrist.

“Wow.” 
Julie muttered clearing her throat. 

Grant
pushed away the plate of half-finished food in front of him.  “That’s just
really… really cruel.  No one should be that blessed.  Please tell me
he has a flaw.”  He grabbed Nell’s hand, thankfully pulling her attention
away from the approaching disaster.  At least she wouldn’t be sitting
there like a dazed ninny when he arrived.

“What?” 
Okay… remember not a ninny, what had Grant said?  Oh yeah flaws. 
“Well I think a lot of people find him kind of intimidating.”

“Good…
that’s a start” Grant nodded.  “What else?  Come on Nell, fragile
male ego here at stake.”

“Honey
you need to calm down.”  Julie reached across and snagged her husband’s
free hand.  “You can’t... ahhh isn’t that sweet.”  Julie sighed
smiling, her attention once more on Drum. 

Unable
to help herself Nell turned back to see what had put the goofy smile on her
best friend’s face.

“That
rat bastard.”  Grant hissed without rancour. 

The
still hushed dining room inhabitants watched collectively as a little girl of
about five with bouncy blonde curls and a bright pink bathing suit captured
Drum’s hand as he rounded the resort pool.  Without a second thought the
big guy swung the child into the air, laughing himself as she giggled and
shrieked in delight.

“Now
if that doesn’t melt your heart nothing will.”  Julie gave a heartfelt
sigh.

Goddess
double damn the man, he was supposed to be shaping up as fling material. 
She did not want this cosy domestic picture in her head.  Determinedly
Nell forced her attention away from Drum once more, leaning over to pick up the
small waterproof knapsack she would be taking with her on today’s jaunt.

“What
do you two have planned for today?”  She asked quickly to change the
topic.

“Relax,
swim, no more gym for you today.”  Julie warned Grant.  “Maybe an
afternoon nap if junior decides to let up on the boogie woogie oogie.” 
She patted her protruding stomach with a smiling shake of her head.  “What
about you and Drum?”

“Well
I’m not sure what Drum has planned but I’m going on the paddling tour of the
reef, then we head over to Diamond Sands Cove for lunch and a lazy afternoon
before paddling back.”

“Count
me in.” 

Nell
jumped slightly in her seat as Drum’s rumbling bass breathed across the side of
her throat as he leaned on the railing separating the open to the elements
dining area from the pool. 

“What…?”

“Spending
the day with you… sounds like fun.”

This
close she noted several grains of white sand clinging to his shoulder, it was
all she could do not to reach out and brush them away.  Remember cool,
calm and controlled she reminded herself.  “The tour leaves now and you
haven’t had breakfast.”

“I
grabbed something from the kitchen when I got up but this…” He reached over
snagging a croissant from Nell’s plate that she’d only nibbled at, tearing off
one end with those sharp white teeth of his.  “…will tide me over until
lunch.  Come on Doc, you said the tours leaving.  Catch you guys
later.”

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“I
really am capable of walking on my own you know.”  Nell tried
ineffectually to shake Drum’s hold on her arm as they emerged from the path
onto the main beach. 

“Sorry.” 
He didn’t look at all sorry as he slowly released his hold.  “Force of
habit, always keep those that are dangerous and the ones you want to protect
close.”

Nell
turned and stormed across the sand.  “You don’t have to protect me. I’ve
been looking after myself for almost thirty-three years now.”

Despite
the shifting sand Drum suddenly loomed next to her, sweeping the crook of his
arm once more around hers.  There was something about her walking away
from him that he just really couldn’t stomach.  “Actually I’d designated
you more under the dangerous heading Doc.”  He looked down noting his hold
on her once more.  “Like I said, hard habit to break.  Come on that
looks like our guide.”

He
pointed towards a weathered middle aged native, wrapped in a sarong of gold and
blue, the resort colours, waiting by the water’s edge near the hire shack. 
He smiled at them as they approached, though the smile drooped slightly as his
gaze shifted to something behind them.  Curious Nell turned her head, gob
smacked to find Case and a long line of women trailing them, Devon wearing a
barely there black bikini covered by a sheer black sarong leading the charge.

“Wow
you’re like the piped piper of women.”

“Why
would they be following me?” 

He
looked genuinely confused enough to make Nell laugh.  Goddess darn it,
didn’t the man have a conceited bone in his all too perfect body? 

Finding
her sunglasses in her bag Nell slipped them on, this was going to be a very
long day if she had to spend it watching all these predatory females circle
Drum like sharks.  Surprising even herself this time she grabbed his arm and
tugged.  “Come on let’s go get our paddle boats sorted out before they run
out.” 

She
was not acting out of jealousy she told herself manoeuvring her body so she
kept the voracious women at bay, she was just protecting the big innocent lug.

*                     
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Drum
closed his eyes for a brief second revelling in the feel of the sun heating his
skin, recharging his soul.  He couldn’t remember a time in the last five
months that he’d just kicked back and relaxed like today. 

He’d
felt selfish as hell contacting Marcus and the others this morning to tell them
that he was taking an enforced cosmic vacation.   They’d been more
than supportive of him but what he really heard in their voices was
relief.  Perhaps he’d been driving everyone too hard in the search for
Serena and the Chaos demi-god brothers.  With Vaughn’s priorities
elsewhere – namely on dealing with the ramifications of being melded to
Hadleigh when they’d shared blood following her near death experience
 
– he’d felt the need to step up, prove to his
friend that the team was just as capable under his leadership as they had been
under Vaughn’s care.  Okay so maybe he’d been going a little overboard
with the scheduling, the demands and the assault training drills. 

Of
course just because he was on vacation didn’t mean he could let down his guard
as he manoeuvred his paddleboard yet again to block Nell’s wannabe boyfriend
from her intern days from getting too close.  Mumbling an insincere
apology at the near collision he dug his paddle in deep and slipped up
alongside Nell.  Who was so busy peppering their guide for the day, Bindi,
a local ex-fisherman with questions on the coral and types of underwater flora
available in the region she barely seem to remember that he existed. 

Their
paddleboards bumped briefly together sending a small wave of water over Nell’s
luscious legs, wetting her already soaked shorts.  Unconcerned she sent an
absent smile his way before returning her attention back to the Bindi and the
scores of colourful fish weaving between the coral in the clear water directly
beneath her. 

With
a warrior’s innate training he scoped the immediate area for any signs of
danger.  Relatively easy to do as seventeen resort guests and their two
guides drifted over various pockets of the small reef located half way to their
destination.  For the umpteenth time he ignored several knowing looks from
the female contingent and the grumpy pissed off look from Case Chambers. 
He made a mental note to find out more about Case.  He wasn’t sharing a
room with Devon. He was one of a few people on this tour who, like Nell, had
pre-booked the paddling activity.  His name appearing on the sign-up sheet
right under Nell’s.  And there was something in his eyes when he looked at
Nell... interest?  Whatever it was he didn’t like it one little bit. 

Just
as he was coming to loathe the smirking, in some cases salacious looks several
of the women kept casting his way.  What was up with that?  Maybe
they were being adversely affected by the sun.  It wasn’t as if many of
them were dressed appropriately or even had the forethought to bring water with
them.  Not like the Doc.
 
He looked
her over, pleased to note her sensible outfit as she took a swig from her water
bottle.  There was a woman who could look after herself, imminently
practical and at the same time kind of sexy the way her soaked shorts clung to
those shapely thighs.  He snapped out of it as yet another lady fell off
her paddleboard, hitting the water with an ear piercing shriek.  Ignoring
the bedraggled makeup smeared woman he followed Nell and Bindi as they moved on
to the next reef out crop that had caught Nell’s eye.

*                     
*         
            *

Diamond
Sand Cove more than lived up to its reputation.  Beaching her paddleboard
Nell lurched none too gracefully to her feet, phew her arms were probably going
to be sore tomorrow.  The small cove with its pure white sandy beach was
surrounded on all sides by sheer cliff faces, dotted with exotic trees, vines and
flowers.  The entrance to the cove was via a crevice just wide enough to
allow access for the luxury resort catamaran that awaited them anchored just
off the beach. 

It
really was a stunning place.  A perfect spot to have lunch and spend the
afternoon relaxing with the cliff faces providing filtered sunlight across the
beach area whilst the protected crystal calm waters of the cove lapped at the
sand.  An old fashioned wooden pontoon moored a few metres out in the cove
completing the idyllic scene. 

Several
of the ladies in the group fell and stumbled as they made their way, sweaty and
red-faced from sun exposure, to the chairs and drinks that had been laid out in
preparation by the resort staff for their arrival.  Nell ignored their
grumbling and muttered swearing instead turning to make sure her paddleboat was
sufficiently secured on the sand so that it wouldn’t float away.  Feeling
extremely self-conscious to note Drum next to her, his eyes intent and focused
purely on her.