were shown
the door for the athletes and workers.
The next hours passed in a
whirl. Both Nancy and Teel acted as huggers as well as gofers for misplaced
items. When a co-worker tapped Teel on the shoulder and told her he would spell
her awhile, she sagged and gave him a relieved smile. She was starving. She
hadn't been hungry for breakfast, and lunchtime had slipped away, but now she
realized that the day's physical activity had made her hungrier than she had
been since her return from the Deirdre.
She grimaced at the long line
in front of the refreshment stand as she passed there on her way to the ladies'
room. On her return the lines were no shorter. Resigning herself to a long
wait, Teel took her place. When she felt the nudge at her back, she assumed it
was someone behind her getting into line and didn't turn around.
"Damn you. Trying to
convince me you were a nun, then running out on me. You must have taken me for
thirty kinds of a fool, lady." The silky growl in Teel's ear made the hair
on her arms and neck stand straight up and sent the blood draining from her
limbs. A wave of dizziness swept over her.
She reeled in shock, and her
legs wouldn't accept the command from her brain to run. Her shoes felt cemented
to the floor.
"Turn around and face me, Sister Terese Ellen." The voice had the jarring effect of a jackhammer breaking
through concrete. Chazz lifted her out of line with an ease that panicked her.
"So what do I call you now?" he asked in a menacing tone.
"Terese Ellen? Or Teel, as your aunt and the authorities at your school
call you?"
Teel licked dry lips, noting
that his eyes followed the movement. "You've known since the beginning,
haven't you?" she said.
"Almost. Yes.
Why the hell didn't you tell me yourself? I gave you enough opportunity,"
Chazz exclaimed, apparently oblivious of the people thronging around them,.
"Protection."
Teel felt the curious stares of onlookers free herself but to no avail.
"Will you let me go?" the words out of her mouth, feeling shockwaves
through her at his touch. "Many of the people here are parents of my
students. I do not enjoy making a spectacle of myself in front of them."
"Damn you, you lied to
me! By not telling me who you were." His teeth snapped shut like fangs.
"I told you all you
needed to know about me," she retorted.” My name is Terese Ellen Barrett,
and that's what I told Darby. He assumed I was a nun." She glared up at
Chazz. "Why are you complaining? Why didn't you just come out and tell me
that you knew who I was? You're just as guilty of subterfuge as I am. Why
weren't you honest with me?
"You began the charade. I
just continued it."
"On board your yacht I
thought it better to pretend to be a nun," Teel blurted out, trying not to
shout yet struggling to free herself at the same time.
"As I recall, darling,
your masquerade didn't work," Chazz drawled. Teel's neck and cheeks grew
hot with embarrassment. "Shy, darling? It's a little late for that, isn't
it?"
"You knew I
wasn't a nun," Teel hissed. "You should have said something. Stop
grinning, you...you bastard." She tried to kick him in the shin. She
wanted to bury him up to his eyebrows in sand.
"Bastard, am I? After
what you put me through in the last month, I ought to drag you out of here by
your hair," Chazz snapped.
"Tough!" she threw
back at him, fury overriding prudence.
He hauled her hard against his
chest, knocking the breath from her body. She could only stare up at him, her
eyes wide, mouth agape. His own mouth fastened on hers in a moving, searching
caress that horrified her. Then his kiss blotted out all of her senses,
blinding her, deafening her, drowning her in Chazz. There was no world but him.
Her body betrayed her, and she moved closer to him just before he released her.
"You're
mine," he gasped, his amber eyes leaping with liquid fire. "And I'm
taking what is mine. You're coming with me to get something to eat now. You've
been working too hard."
"I can't leave."
Teel swayed,
the door for the athletes and workers.
The next hours passed in a
whirl. Both Nancy and Teel acted as huggers as well as gofers for misplaced
items. When a co-worker tapped Teel on the shoulder and told her he would spell
her awhile, she sagged and gave him a relieved smile. She was starving. She
hadn't been hungry for breakfast, and lunchtime had slipped away, but now she
realized that the day's physical activity had made her hungrier than she had
been since her return from the Deirdre.
She grimaced at the long line
in front of the refreshment stand as she passed there on her way to the ladies'
room. On her return the lines were no shorter. Resigning herself to a long
wait, Teel took her place. When she felt the nudge at her back, she assumed it
was someone behind her getting into line and didn't turn around.
"Damn you. Trying to
convince me you were a nun, then running out on me. You must have taken me for
thirty kinds of a fool, lady." The silky growl in Teel's ear made the hair
on her arms and neck stand straight up and sent the blood draining from her
limbs. A wave of dizziness swept over her.
She reeled in shock, and her
legs wouldn't accept the command from her brain to run. Her shoes felt cemented
to the floor.
"Turn around and face me, Sister Terese Ellen." The voice had the jarring effect of a jackhammer breaking
through concrete. Chazz lifted her out of line with an ease that panicked her.
"So what do I call you now?" he asked in a menacing tone.
"Terese Ellen? Or Teel, as your aunt and the authorities at your school
call you?"
Teel licked dry lips, noting
that his eyes followed the movement. "You've known since the beginning,
haven't you?" she said.
"Almost. Yes.
Why the hell didn't you tell me yourself? I gave you enough opportunity,"
Chazz exclaimed, apparently oblivious of the people thronging around them,.
"Protection."
Teel felt the curious stares of onlookers free herself but to no avail.
"Will you let me go?" the words out of her mouth, feeling shockwaves
through her at his touch. "Many of the people here are parents of my
students. I do not enjoy making a spectacle of myself in front of them."
"Damn you, you lied to
me! By not telling me who you were." His teeth snapped shut like fangs.
"I told you all you
needed to know about me," she retorted.” My name is Terese Ellen Barrett,
and that's what I told Darby. He assumed I was a nun." She glared up at
Chazz. "Why are you complaining? Why didn't you just come out and tell me
that you knew who I was? You're just as guilty of subterfuge as I am. Why
weren't you honest with me?
"You began the charade. I
just continued it."
"On board your yacht I
thought it better to pretend to be a nun," Teel blurted out, trying not to
shout yet struggling to free herself at the same time.
"As I recall, darling,
your masquerade didn't work," Chazz drawled. Teel's neck and cheeks grew
hot with embarrassment. "Shy, darling? It's a little late for that, isn't
it?"
"You knew I
wasn't a nun," Teel hissed. "You should have said something. Stop
grinning, you...you bastard." She tried to kick him in the shin. She
wanted to bury him up to his eyebrows in sand.
"Bastard, am I? After
what you put me through in the last month, I ought to drag you out of here by
your hair," Chazz snapped.
"Tough!" she threw
back at him, fury overriding prudence.
He hauled her hard against his
chest, knocking the breath from her body. She could only stare up at him, her
eyes wide, mouth agape. His own mouth fastened on hers in a moving, searching
caress that horrified her. Then his kiss blotted out all of her senses,
blinding her, deafening her, drowning her in Chazz. There was no world but him.
Her body betrayed her, and she moved closer to him just before he released her.
"You're
mine," he gasped, his amber eyes leaping with liquid fire. "And I'm
taking what is mine. You're coming with me to get something to eat now. You've
been working too hard."
"I can't leave."
Teel swayed,
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