Enthralled

by Ann Cristy

  "Open the card or I will." Nancy snapped her teeth together over the last of her sandwich, then glared at a matronly woman who had begun to pull one of the roses from the spray. "Stop that!" Nancy stood up and grabbed the rose from the woman's hand. The woman sniffed and walked away.

  Teel opened the small white envelope and looked at the card as though she had just drawn the black marble in a gladiator's arena.

  Thank you, my darling, for a beautiful evening. Always yours. Chazz.

  Teel's head thumped. "I'll kill him," she said as .Nancy pulled the card from her lifeless fingers and read it

  "Wow!" Nancy looked at Teel, shock and envy warring in her eyes. "You're a dark horse on the field of love." Her exaggerated sigh penetrated Teel's haze.

  "Give me that," she raged at her friend. "You had no business reading that drivel, those lies."

  "You're a regular Jekyll and Hyde, ain't ya?" Nancy laughed and stepped out of range when Teel would have poked her in the arm.

  "Nancy," Teel fumed, "if you want to continue to be my friend, you will say nothing more about this disgusting flower arrangement."

  "It may be disgusting to you, but it's sexy to me." Nancy's face fell. "Why doesn't something like this ever happen to me?" She studied Teel, grim-faced. "I'm telling you right now, if I thought I could find someone like Chazz in a banana republic in Central America, I'd be on a plane in a minute."

  "Be quiet," Teel pleaded, then rose and left the flowers where they were.

  By the end of the day, everywhere Teel looked, she saw people with a white rose in their hair or pinned to their shirts. The sight made her ill.

  That night when the other moderators gathered with Nancy and Teel in the hotel lobby, Teel kept looking over her shoulder expecting to see Chazz coming up behind her. She knew he had planned to pick her up at the Garden and would be angry when he arrived and found the place closed and Teel nowhere in sight. "Ah, listen group," she said, "I've decided to fly back to Selby tonight and not wait for the finals."

  Everyone looked surprised. Nancy stepped close and whispered "Chicken." Teel ignored her.

  "But why do you want to go back now?" Buz asked.

  "There are a lot more helpers for the games than we figured," Teel explained, "so it's just as well that I get back and tackle some of the paper work that has been accumulating."

  "But we were planning such a nice dinner at that French place Chazz told us about," Clint said. "Sure you won't change your mind?"

  "Do change your mind," Nancy cooed.

  Teel glared at her. "No, I think I'll see about getting an evening flight. I can eat at home."

  "If you're sure you won't change your mind," Clint urged.

  Teel shook her head, anxious to be gone. She hoped she had time to pack her belongings and leave before Chazz caught up with her. Once back in Selby on her own turf she would be able to rebuff the great Chazz Herman quite easily. The thought cheered her as she rode the elevator to her room. It sustained her during a call to the airline to ask for a reservation and then to the desk to say that she was checking out.

  When she'd finished packing, she slung her garment bag over her shoulder, picked up her purse, and balanced a small bag in the other hand. All the time she was at the desk checking out she expected to feel a hand on her shoulder. Her back began to itch in anticipation. The desk clerk stared at her as she wiggled trying to alleviate the annoyance.

  "I have an itch," she explained.

  "Oh." The desk clerk looked suspicious'

  Teel considered taking the Port Authority Bus to La Guardia but decided the walk to the terminal was too long. She didn't want to take a cab for such a short hop either, so she decided to take a cab directly to La Guardia instead.

  She leaned back against the seat, feeling safe for the first time, until the ride began. Her breath caught in her throat as her driver caromed off the wall of the tunnel and zoomed up the ramp. Teel felt as though she were on a roller coaster ride.

  "I don't like tunnels," the driver explained, chomping on a big wad of bubble gum and grinning at her in his rear-view mirror. It seemed to Teel that he looked at her too much and at the road too little. She was about to mention this when he careened around a truck with much horn-blowing, yelling, and shaking of fists. "Some of these guys think they own the road," her driver informed her, blowing a huge bubble that Teel was sure obscured his vision. 'Trying to quit smoking," he explained tersely.

  "Admirable," Teel answered finally, when he continued to look at her expectantly.

  "Yeah. The way I figure it, you gotta do something else close to smoking, so I chew bubble gum." Another bubble began forming on his lips.

  "Marvelous."

  During the rest of the ride the driver expounded at length on religion, politics, and his deep reverence for capital punishment. When Teel at last stepped out of the cab at La Guardia, she had to restrain an urge to kneel and kiss the cement. She tipped the driver ten dollars. "That's for flowers in case you have an accident."

  "Thanks, lady. You sure have a weird sense of humor."

  "So I'm told." Teel escaped into the airport lounge, glad that she had to wait only half an hour for her flight. Between watching the doors for Chazz's appearance and trying to fight the blues at leaving him, she was feeling a little sad by the time she boarded for the short trip to Selby.

  She sipped a Coke the air flight attendant served her and gobbled down a small package of peanuts. Her stomach protested at not having had lunch or dinner, but after seeing the roses arrive at the Garden, she had been unable to finish her lunch. Right now the rest of her group would be sitting down to dinner.

  Teel's thoughts of Chazz didn't stop even on that brief plane flight. She missed him as though he had been a limb attached to her that someone had amputated. She swallowed and blinked away the sting of tears. She would just have to work hard and force herself not to think of him. Sure, an inner voice chided, don't think of him— for maybe fifteen minutes out of every twenty-four hours. No, it wouldn't be like that, another inner voice insisted. Time was a great leveler. Maybe she wouldn't forget him altogether, but there would be long periods of contentment in her life. Her work was satisfying mentally and physically, and spiritually uplifting as well. She couldn't be around her students long and still feel down; they always buoyed her spirits. She took a deep breath. She would be content with that.

  It was raining when the small jet landed in Selby. Teel stood at the empty cab stand and sighed. She would have to wait. It was too long a walk to her house, and she didn't want to disturb any of her friends during what could be their dinner hour. Binny's was the only local taxi service. No doubt Monica Binny would be the driver. Teel settled down to wait in the dingy waiting room and listlessly flipped the pages of some year-old, dogeared magazines that had been flung on a rickety coffee table. The cab arrived forty-five minutes later. She stowed her bag in the trunk and got into the back seat to listen to Monica Binny's long list of complaints.

  "My bunions are killing me," Monica wailed. "All the hard work I do." She glared in the rear-view mirror as if daring Teel to disagree with her. "I'm going to Florida for a vacation. Boy, do I need the rest. I'm going to Disney World."

  "Oh," Teel replied, wondering how Disney World would help Monica's bunions.

  Monica drove through the center of town and began the circuitous climb up the narrow road that led to Teel's house, the old stone carriage house on the Minder estate just outside of town. The estate had been sold years ago.

  The big stone mansion had been converted into the town historical museum and renamed the Selby Museum.

  Just inside the stone walls—the iron gates had been removed many years before—stood the carriage house that Teel had purchased shortly after arriving in Selby. The town fathers had decided that the sale of the unused carriage house would bring revenues they could use on the mansion-museum.

  Teel had been delighted with her purchase, despite the fact that it needed a thorough cleaning and lacke
d every modern convenience except electricity. With great enthusiasm, she had wangled a home-improvement loan from a local bank and proceeded to remodel the inside. She had hired a couple of college kids to paint and clean the stone work outside and had planted a small garden on the quarter acre of land that the town fathers had staked out as her property. It had taken Teel five years to refurbish the cottage. Though there was nothing fancy about it, she was happy there.

  The downstairs consisted of one large room that served as a combined living room, dining room and kitchen. At the carpenter's suggestion, she had added a tiny but convenient powder room with a shower cubicle.

  As Teel unlocked the front door, she looked around her and sighed with pleasure. Everything was just as she had left it. The round, braided rugs in red, cream and blue looked bright and colorful when she turned on the light. She glanced up the steep stairway that hugged one wall and smiled at the braided rug oblongs in the same red, cream, and blue colors on each step. She left her garment bag and suitcase at the foot of the stairs. She would carry them up when she was ready to go to bed.

  She walked into the small kitchen, which was separated from the lounge area by a long counter topped in azuelos tile that her aunt's friend had sent her from Central America. She was leaning on the counter eating apeanut butter sandwich and drinking a glass of milk when the doorbell rang. She frowned as she walked across the room to answer it, wondering who it could be.

  She threw the door wide open, not fearing intruders, and gasped when she saw who was standing there.

  "Hello, darling. You have peanut butter on your mouth." Chazz stepped inside and pulled her into his arms, his mouth covering hers, his tongue licking the peanut butter from her lips.

  Immediately Teel's head began to ache, and a sweet lassitude invaded her limbs. Chazz had found her!

  The kiss deepened before Teel could rally her defenses and fend Chazz off. His tongue teased the inside of her mouth, lighting small fires wherever it touched.

  Teel heard someone groan his name, then, as her arms came up to hold him, she realized it had been her own voice. Sanity returned in a cold wave, and she tried to thrust Chazz away. She succeeded in wedging only a centimeter of space between them.

  "Stop that! Just where do you think you are?" she huffed, getting crosseyed from staring at him so closely.

  Chazz nodded and swept Teel off her feet. "You're right. It's too cold here to make love. We'll close the door and do it inside."

  "We will not!" she shouted at him, struggling to get free. It irritated her that he managed to hold her and close the door with his shoulder at the same time. "This is my home... and... you... have no rights here." She continued to push at him even when he sank down onto the couch next to the fieldstone fireplace.

  Chazz held Teel in his lap and looked around him. "This is very nice, Teel. I think we'll be very comfortable here."

  She looked at him, mouth agape, anger pulsing through her. "You have a few slices missing in your loaf, man, if you think I'll let you stay here."

  "I'm staying. You owe me for all those days and nights on the Deirdre, all those great meals Rowan cooked for you. Good chef, isn't he?"

  "Yes." Teel tried to wriggle out of his lap.

  "Darling, when you move like that you make me forget everything but how good we are together in bed." Chazz feathered her forehead with tiny kisses.

  "Stop that," she hissed, glaring up at him, cursing her blood pressure that was steadily rising. "If I owe Rowan for those meals, then I'll pay him. Just make out a bill."

  "I'm Rowan's employer. You owe me."

  "Then make out the bill," Teel repeated.

  "You couldn't afford it. But since I'm a magnanimous—"

  "Balderdash and twaddle," Teel interrupted, taking in deep breaths, trying to keep her fury in check. "You're a Sephardic rug merchant who intends to take me to the cleaners."

  "You got it," Chazz agreed simply, kissing her under the chin.

  "Stop that." Teel glowered. "I'll get a loan. I'll pay you back."

  "You aren't listening, sweetheart. You couldn't afford it." Chazz leaned back on the couch, taking her with him, keeping her pinned to his chest. "Yes, it's nice here. I like it. And it's just a short flight from New York."

  "Is that how you got here? There wasn't another flight before or after mine." Teel's eyes narrowed on him.

  He chucked her under the chin and kept a firm grip on her. "I flew my own plane, love."

  "Oh, no!" Teel closed her eyes. "You're disgusting."

  "Love, I wish you wouldn't call me names. Think how upset our children will be."

  "We're not having children."

  "Of course we are. You're not the kind of woman who would want to be childless. But we won't discuss it right now, if you'd rather not." Chazz lifted her hand to his mouth and sucked on each of her fingers in turn. "You taste good, Teel."

  She took advantage of his absorption and wrenched her body away from him. In her scramble to be free of him she almost tumbled to the floor, but finally she staggered to her feet. She stood in front of him, her fists on her hips. "If you think I'm going to listen to my children bewailing the absence of a father out gallivanting with assorted women, you're one brick short."

  Chazz leaned back against the cushions, his arms folded across his chest, a smile lifting the corners of his mouth. "I love your expressions, angel. What did you do? Take a crash course in archaic English?"

  "Don't mock me, you—you—international woman chaser, you." Teel sucked in a deep angry breath.

  "Angel, did you know that your breasts look wonderful when you do that?" Chazz's voice held a soft promise.

  Teel hunched forward, suddenly remembering that she was braless. "Don't change the subject."

  "What was it?" Chazz took off his jacket and leaned down to slip the short tooled boots from his feet. "Ah, that's better. Courting you is exhausting. You'd think you'd take pity on a hard-working man and not hop all over the state."

  "Take a walk," Teel said unfeelingly.

  "I'd love to, but not tonight. I'm tired."

  "Then get a motel," Teel said between gritted teeth.

  "No. I'm staying here. I've already left orders for Sibley to pack more of my things. Darby will drive them up here once I phone and give him more specific directions." Chazz grimaced. "You might have given me a more detailed idea of my destination." "Leave."

  "No." He met her gaze without flinching. His voice was still bland, but a metallic glint shone in his golden eyes.

  "I'll call the police." Teel fought down her growing panic. She had to get rid of him, she just had to.

  "Go ahead. I'm not leaving. And if they try to take me forcefully, I'll call the newspapers and give my side of the story."

  "Which is what?" Teel demanded, her voice hoarse.

  "Only that you promised to be mine and now you're intent on dumping me. That I'm pining with a broken—"

  "Stop that. Stop it right now." She tried another tack. "How can you want to stay where you're not wanted?"

  "Oh, I'm wanted, love, and by you. Shall I show you just how much we want each other?"

  "No!" Teel shouted. "You can't sleep in my bed."

  Chazz shrugged. "I'll sleep in another room if you insist."

  "I don't have another room," Teel said, triumphant. "You'll have to go to a motel."

  "No." Chazz's voice was like steel rivets. "I'm staying here." He looked around. "If worse comes to worst, I'll sleep here, on this couch."

  "You can't. You're too tall. You'll be cramped," Teel argued desperately.

  Chazz pulled up the cushions. "This is one of those hide-a-bed things, isn't it?"

  "Yes, but it's a regular size, not a king size. Your feet will hang off the end." She watched him. When he turned a speculative look on her, she hurried on. "My bed is queen size. It would be too short for you, too."

  "But better than the double bed."

  "I'm going to use my bed—alone." Teel prayed he wouldn't try to
change her mind. She knew she would take very little coaxing, despite all her intentions.

  "All right," Chazz conceded. "I'll take this bed." With that he was on his feet, making Teel jump backward like a scalded cat. He pulled the cushions from the couch and placed them neatly on a nearby chair. "Where are the sheets?"

  Teel stood staring at him, her hands clasped into tight fists. "Well?" Chazz asked.

  "What? Sheets. Yes, I'll get them." She rushed up the narrow staircase, taking the steps as fast as she could.

  At the top of the stairs she tried to catch her breath, feeling disoriented. I'm going to marry that man, she moaned silently. I'm not going to resist him at all, she groaned, her teeth coming together so hard that she wondered briefly if they'd cracked. He's holding me in a velvet trap! The more I struggle and yell at him, the tighter the trap gets. Why don't I fight harder? she grated to herself.

  Because you want to marry him, her inner self pronounced like a death sentence. You want him, no matter what the cost, despite the pain.

  I'll keep fighting, she moaned to the voice.

  Save your strength for when you're married to him, crackled the unfeeling person deep inside her. You'll need it.

  Teel plunged her hand willy-nilly into the shallow linen closet, grabbing whatever she found, tumbling several neatly folded sheets and towels onto the floor. "Damn, damn, damn," she muttered. "He makes more work for me. And he's ruining my health." She refolded the linens that had fallen and returned them to their proper piles. "Why should I put up with this? I'll hire a body guard. No, a guard dog would be cheaper. I'll get a killer Doberman," she told the lace-edged pillow case that Aunt Tessa had embroidered for her.

  Teel ran gentle fingers over the beautifully worked lace, remembering how her aunt had told her to save the pillow cases and sheets that she had embroidered for her own hope chest.

  Teel blinked, then grabbed two sheets, two pillow cases, and a blanket from the pile and started pell-mell down the stairs.

  Chazz's voice froze her in her tracks. "For God's sake, Teel, be careful." He frowned up at her from the bottom of the stairs. "Do you always come down the stairs in that headlong fashion? You need me in more ways than I realized." A smile spread slowly over his face. "Come down the rest of the way. Don't just stand there."