James, Stephanie (19 page)

expression in a man’s face. And she would happily live the rest of her life without ever witnessing it again.

When he finally spoke, Dev’s voice was as deadly as the secret sword in his cane.

“For the sake of formality let’s run through a couple of quick explanations before I beat the living

daylights out of you.
Who the hell is he?”

Eight

«^»

He had never known this kind of sheer, masculine outrage in his life, Dev realized vaguely through the

haze of his fury. This emotion wasn’t the cold, lethal anger he had felt toward the men who had

threatened Tabitha. It wasn’t the fatalistic, brooding feeling he had known for a while after the realization

that his marriage was faltering. It wasn’t the wary animosity he had been experiencing toward Delaney

lately.

It was the primitive male rage that engulfed a man when he found his woman in a compromising situation

with another male. Dev had never truly experienced the sensation before, but his instincts told him exactly

what it was when the emotion washed over him.

Damn it to hell! He hadn’t meant the reunion with Tabby to go like this at all! During the entire trip to

Port Townsend, he had tantalized himself with daydreams which all revolved around the image of having

Tabby in his arms. He had wanted only to hear her purr again.

Now he wanted to see real fear in her eyes.

He wanted her quivering beneath the force of his rage.

He wanted her throwing herself at his feet and pleading for his understanding.

He wanted her so terrified of him that she would never again even think of waking up in the same room

with another man; never even
look
at another man.

Especially not another man who only looked to be about twenty-five years old, by God!

But Tabitha wasn’t shivering in terror or rushing to beg his forgiveness. She was holding her tousled head

with both hands and glaring up at him in grim disgust. Dev had never seen her look at anyone in quite that

way.

“If you don’t stop shouting,” she said with gentle dignity, “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Page 78

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“The hell you are! Who is he, Tabitha?”

“My name’s Ron. Ron Adams.” With grim determination Ron managed to get up off the couch.

Cautiously he circled toward the door, leaving plenty of space between himself and the older man. “I, uh,

was just on my way home. Honest. Bye, Tab. Great party. Happy birthday…”

Dev watched Ron’s progress through evilly slitted eyes. At least this puppy was showing a bit of healthy

fear. There was some satisfaction in that. “Don’t rush off, Ron Adams. We have a few details to

straighten out here.”

“You leave him alone, Devlin Colter!” Tabitha hissed behind him.

Dev ignored her. He was having more success terrorizing Ron Adams, so he decided to pursue the task.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing spending the night with my woman?” He lowered his voice

to that deceptively soft level that had been known to send chills down the spines of more resolute men

than Ron Adams. When you are pushing forty and find yourself in a face-off with a twenty-five-year-old,

you have a right to use a few tricks, Dev told himself.

“Look, Mr. Colter or whoever you are, I didn’t know she was yours! That’s the truth. Tell him, Tab!”

Ron swung a pleading glance at Tabitha, urging her to defend him.

“I don’t belong to anyone!” she stormed and then groaned as the sound of her own voice vibrated

painfully through her head. “I wish you both would leave.”

“What happened here last night?” Dev growled, paying no attention to her request. He concentrated on

Ron Adams.

Ron put up a placating hand and shook his head. “Nothing,” he declared earnestly. “I swear it. I came to

Tab’s birthday party with my sister and some friends. Had a few drinks. Then Tab and I started

talking…” His voice trailed off weakly.

“Talking about what?” Dev prompted coldly.

“It’s a bit fuzzy,” Ron admitted morosely.

“The state of your memory might very well determine your physical condition when you leave this

house.” Dev waited with all the arrogant intimidation he could summon. It was a considerable amount and

it had its effect.

“Animals,” Ron remembered almost immediately. “That’s all we talked about, wasn’t it, Tab? Animals.”

“Animals!” Dev thundered. He sent a ferocious glance at Tabitha. “
Animals
! You told
him
about the

mating habits of medieval animals? How did you dare? You’re only supposed to use that line on me! You

have no right to go around discussing that sort of thing with every other male you come across! Tabby

Graham, I really am going to beat you. I’m going to make certain you don’t sit down for a week.

Animals. I can’t believe you actually went that far!”

“Why not?” she retorted spiritedly. “It worked so well on you I decided to try it out on another man.

Field testing, so to speak.”

Page 79

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“Field testing!” Dev realized he was nearly speechless with shock and outrage. He swung back to Ron

Adams, who was almost safely out the door. “Listen to me, you young twerp. I’m going to let you go

without breaking both of your legs only because I can see for myself that you didn’t wind up in bed with

Tabby. But if you ever come near her again, I won’t be responsible for my actions, is that clear?”

“Very.” Ron dashed gratefully for the door.

“And just forget everything you heard here about the mating habits of medieval animals. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Ron assured him quickly, his hand on the doorknob. “Actually, I don’t think we got past

dragons. That’s the truth. Scout’s honor.”

“You discussed dragons?” Dev asked ominously. Tabitha had called
him
a dragon. “What did she tell

you about dragons?”

“I…I’m not sure. It’s all a bit vague,” Ron explained hastily.

“Think hard,” Dev advised grimly.

“Oh, Dev, will you cut it out? I’m sick and tired of all this male nonsense,” Tabitha complained.

“Not until I hear what you told him about dragons.” He saw Ron trying to gauge his chances of escaping

through the front door and swung his cane up to bar his way. Intimidatingly he leaned toward the younger

man. “Try very hard to remember, kid.”

Ron swallowed awkwardly. “I, uh, think I asked her how dragons made love or something.”

“And what did she tell you?”

Ron frowned in desperate concentration. “She, er, said something about them doing it magnificently, I

think.”

“Did she?” Dev smiled his best highwayman’s smile and slowly lowered the cane. “She ought to know.

She’s had personal experience of the matter. I’m the dragon in question, you see.”

Ron gulped. “I was beginning to get that impression. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.” He didn’t

wait for permission, moving down the steps with unsteady haste.

Dev watched his fleeing foe with savage satisfaction; then he turned back to confront Tabitha, who was

sinking slowly down into a nearby chair, still clutching her head.

“What the hell did you want with a kid like that?” he muttered. “He must be a good five or six years

younger than you!”

“It’s the latest trend,” she gritted, massaging her temples. “Younger men start looking very good when a

woman hits thirty, you know.”

“No, I didn’t know! Damn it, Tabby, I’m about at the end of my patience. What kind of game are you

playing, anyway?” He stalked closer, wanting to see a little terror in her. But she had closed her eyes in

obvious suffering.

Page 80

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“The theory is that you can train them properly if you get them young,” she explained. “Older men are

rather set in their ways, you know. They’re sneakier, less trustworthy.”

“Tabby!”

“Yes sir, give me a younger man every time,” she said, leaning her head back against the chair cushion.

“They’re cute. Eager to please, too.”

“I’ll bet!” Dev stalked forward another step, his knuckles whitening as he gripped the handle of the cane.

“My God, Tabby, you’re really walking the edge this morning, do you know that? The only thing saving

your neck right now is the fact that I know you didn’t actually go to bed with him!”

“How do you know?” she taunted.

Where was she getting the courage to defy him? Dev wondered furiously. Why wasn’t she cowering and

apologizing and generally pleading for mercy? Belatedly it occurred to him that no one had ever said

tabby cats lacked guts. “Well, for starters, you’re both still fully dressed,” he mocked brutally. “You’ve

even got your pantyhose on. Most women who’ve spent the night in wild abandon with a young stud lose

their pantyhose somewhere along the way.”

“Oh.” Tabitha opened her eyes and glared balefully down at her stocking-shod feet. “I always said you

were very observant,” she sighed.

“Furthermore, it’s obvious he slept on that small sofa. There really isn’t room for two on it. And it looks

like you slept on the other one. One of your shoes is still on the cushion,” he added derisively, flicking a

scathing glance at the article of furniture in question.

“What good eyes you have, grandpa.”

“Don’t call me grandpa!” Dev roared. It was the last straw. He dropped the cane and closed his hands

around Tabitha’s shoulders, hauling her unceremoniously to her feet. “I may not be twenty-five any

longer, but I’m willing to bet I can get further than that young puppy did last night! Shall we find out,

Tabby? Let’s see if a few years of experience make any difference! If you’d spent the night with me, you

wouldn’t have awakened this morning still wearing your pantyhose!”

“Maybe I’m not interested in your kind of experience,” she shot back bravely. “Maybe I don’t want a

man who lies to me. Who makes me think he’s someone he’s not. A man who deliberately leads me to

believe he’s gentle and vulnerable and shy. A man who makes me think he’s a lot like me! Who
deceives

me!”

“Tabby, I didn’t deceive you!” Oh, God, he’d been afraid of this. How was he going to fight the

accusations? How could he explain why he’d been another man when he was with her?

“Yes, you did. You go around cutting throats for a living with that…that sword you carry. You’re not a

travel agent!” she exclaimed furiously.

“Yes, I am a travel agent, damn it!”

“You see? Lying is second nature to you now that you’re nearly forty! You’ve probably been doing it so

long you don’t know how to tell the truth! Are you going to try to pretend you’re the emotionally

sensitive and vulnerable man I thought I met on that ship?”

Page 81

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“Damn right, I am!” he blazed.

“Hah! It’s too late, Dev. I’ve seen you in action. I know you were only using me. I made a nice cover

for you, didn’t I? Who would expect a real, live secret agent to hang around with a woman like me?”

“What makes you think you know what I do for a living?”

“Steve Waverly told me all about it during that pleasant little wait I had while you figured out I was never

coming back from the rest room!” she fumed, remembering.

Dev sucked in his breath. “Did he?”

Tabitha frowned even more severely. “Why are you turning pale?”

“Probably because I’m realizing that he meant to kill you. He would never have told you anything if he’d

intended to let you go free. I should have cut the bastard’s throat.”

“You see? That’s exactly what I mean! An emotionally sensitive, gentle, vulnerable man doesn’t go

around threatening to cut other men’s throats!”

“Tabby, you’re going to listen to me if I have to beat the facts into you!” He gave her a small shake and

saw her eyes widen abruptly. But it wasn’t with fear. “Tabby?” he prodded with sudden anxiety. “What’s

wrong?”

“I think I’m going to be sick,” she announced gravely.

“Oh, hell.”

Her hand flew to her mouth. “Go away, Dev. Just go
away
!” She tried to twist free of his grip but Dev

only gathered her closer.

“Which way is the bathroom?” he demanded. When she gestured mutely, he started purposefully

forward. It was a little awkward holding onto her and balancing himself without the cane but they made it

in time. Barely. He held her gently as she leaned over the porcelain bowl, and wiped her face with a

damp cloth afterward. “Feel better?” he asked softly when it was all over. She was shivering now, not

with fear but from reaction to being so ill.

Tabitha nodded but for the first time that morning her eyes slid away from his and Dev realized she was

embarrassed. “Thank you,” she said very formally.

“Come on, you need a good hot shower and a decent breakfast.” Holding her against his side, he

industriously began getting her out of the black dress she was wearing.

“No, Dev, please!”

But she was really too weak to resist him, although she slapped futilely at his hands. When he simply

ignored her small struggles, she appeared to give up and submitted meekly to being undressed and put

into a hot shower.

“You didn’t wear a bra last night!” he accused as he folded the clothing she had been wearing.