Blood in the Marsh

by Ciana Stone

  “What’re you doing in my room? Get out!”

  “Please forgive me.” He averted his eyes as she adjusted the towel. “I didn’t mean to frighten you, my dear. I merely came to inquire about your date.”

  “Have you ever heard of the concept of knocking?” Lyra secured her towel and crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at him.

  “I apologize.” Leopold set his drink on the nightstand.

  Lyra backed away as he took a step toward her. “I want you to get out of my room. Right now.”

  Leopold regarded her seriously. “What are you afraid of?”

  “I’m not afraid of anything. I just don’t like people coming into my room without being invited.”

  “Yes, of course. Again, forgive me. I’ve overstepped my bounds. It will not happen again.” He left, closing the door behind him.

  Lyra almost believed he really was sorry. But he was not the first of Lexi’s boyfriends to make a move on her. She had learned not to trust any of them. Her skin crawled as she thought about him touching her and she ran back to the shower.

  Maybe the therapists were right and she had been more scarred by the incidents of her childhood than she wanted to believe. Dreams, notwithstanding, she certainly had not had much luck with men.

  Her last so-called boyfriend had been a doctoral candidate. Smart and possessed of a quick wit, they’d gotten along wonderfully until they tried to have sex. Then she froze up. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t go through with it. He wasn’t the right one—the man of her dreams.

  She realized how juvenile it seemed to use a dream man as an excuse for not being able to be intimate but the truth was, she didn’t want to settle. Better to have no sex life than one she didn’t enjoy.

  And who knew? Maybe Nick would be the one who helped her break out of that cycle.

  When she finally finished scrubbing herself, she dressed in a two-piece swimsuit and a pair of cut-off jeans, topped by a cut-off T-shirt. She went down the hall to Lexi’s room and knocked softly. Getting no answer, she tiptoed through the bedroom to the dressing table. Finding a tube of mascara and some smoky gray eye shadow, she went back to her room and put on a tiny bit of the makeup.

  She brushed her hair out and left it loose, then walked downstairs. Nick would be there soon but she had enough time to fix some sandwiches to take to the beach. She packed everything in a basket and then loaded a cooler with beer and soft drinks.

  She was just finishing when the doorbell rang. Running to the door, she flung it open. Nick had a thick package tucked under his arm. He smiled and took her hand, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.

  “You look beautiful.”

  She smiled and blushed lightly. “I was just getting some lunch fixed. What’s in the package?”

  “Pictures. Want to see?”

  “Sure. Let’s go out on the terrace.”

  She got the picnic basket and cooler from the kitchen and led him to the terrace. They sat down at the table and Nick unwrapped the pictures. Lyra looked at them critically, hardly able to believe that she was the woman in the photos. Nick was just as handsome in the pictures as in person.

  “You look great,” She looked up at him. “You should have been a model.”

  “I don’t think so. But you could be.”

  “Hardly.” She fell silent as he handed her a photo from a separate folder.

  In it, he was dressed in his jeans but wore no shirt. It appeared as if she were topless as well, even though she knew she had been wearing a strapless top. It just didn’t show up in the pictures. They were facing one another. One side of her face was against the center of his chest with one hand beside her face. Nick’s face was turned to the camera and his arms encircled her. They looked like two lovers with the soft light and dark background.

  Her first thought was that she wished they really were lovers. Almost as soon as the thought formed, something rose inside her to push it away. For a moment, she didn’t understand the signal. She cut a look at him and that’s whenshe saw it. In his eyes. There was a hardness that didn’t speak of love or tenderness. She wished she hadn’t seen it, but thought it was probably for the best. It kept her thinking realistic.

  “This is really a good picture of you. Can I keep it?”

  “You can keep all of them. I made two sets.”

  “Really, why?”

  “So I could have a set.”

  “But won’t you have to pay for all of this?” She knew he couldn’t have an overabundance of money. “Why don’t you let me pay for it? After all, you did all the work. It’s only fair.”

  “No. Don’t worry about it. Besides, it wasn’t work.”

  Lyra smiled and gathered up the pictures. “Thank you. I’ll treasure these.”

  “I’m glad. Now, aren’t you going to take me sailing?”

  “Just let me run these up to my room, okay?”

  She ran into the house. A moment later Leopold walked out on the terrace. “Ah, the magician.”

  “Yes.” Nick stood. “How are you?”

  “Wonderful. So what brings you around, Mr. Austin?”

  “None of your business,” Lyra said as she walked out. She brushed by Leo with a glare and picked up the basket and cooler. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Nick said nothing as he followed Lyra to the garage. “What’s with you and the Count?”

  “Nothing. I’ll just be glad when he leaves.”

  “Did he make a move on you or something?”

  She refused to look at him. He took her arm. “Lyra, look at me. Did he do something to you?”

  She looked down and clenched her jaw. “It’s nothing. I can handle it.”

  “No, it’s not nothing.” He turned her face up to his. “What did he do?”

  “He was in my room when I got out of the shower.”

  “And?”

  “And nothing.”

  “Come on, what happened?”

  Lyra sighed and looked away. “Nothing. I told him to leave.”

  “And that’s all?”

  “Yes. That’s all.” She looked up at him with a pleading expression. “Look, let’s not think about Count Creep anymore. You want to take my car?”

  “No, we can take the Jeep. If you don’t mind riding in it.”

  “Are you kidding? I’ve always loved Jeeps, but Lexi pitches a fit every time I mention getting one.”

  They drove to the beach and parked in the public access area. Lyra went to talk to the man who ran the storage area and a few minutes later he and two other men pushed the trailer bearing the catamaran to the beach.

  She left her basket and cooler with them and showed Nick how to raise the mast and rig the sails. They pushed it off the trailer into the water. He hadn’t said he knew anything about boats so she assumed he had never sailed before and explained everything to him as they made their way out to deeper water.

  “You ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be,” he said with a smile.

  She turned the boat and they caught the wind. Hooking up the harness, she stood, leaning out as one side of the boat lifted up out of the water. Instead of watching where they were headed, Nick watched her.

  Her hair was blowing in the wind like a dark halo and her eyes sparkled. Her smile seemed as brilliant as the sun and he had a vision of a beautiful mermaid. Her beauty was an unexpected bonus. He contemplated allowing her to live once he obtained what he wanted.

  She stayed in the harness for a few minutes then adjusted the sails to slow them down.

  “Okay, your turn.”

  He wasn’t sure he was ready to let her know he was not a novice when it came to boats. There were many things he didn’t like to divulge about himself. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

  She laughed. “You don’t have to use the harness, but you can steer. Come on, it’s not hard.”

  “And what if I turn us over?”

  “Then we’ll get wet.”

  Nick la
ughed and switched places with her. Within minutes he had the little boat flying along, his feet gripping the edge of the trampoline as he leaned out over the water in the harness. Lyra laughed delightedly, her emerald eyes flashing in the sun.

  They sailed from the southern tip of the island around to the causeway that led to Brunswick then back again. Taking a break, they pulled the boat onto the sand and got the basket and cooler. Lyra spread towels on the sand and took off her T-shirt, spreading it on the rocks that lined the shore, to dry.

  Nick could hardly take his eyes off her. Her long hair cascaded over one shoulder, brushing at the top of her legs as she sat down. Her breasts strained at the elastic material of her top, full and round, and her abdomen was flat and hard. She had a golden tan with no apparent tan lines that made him want to see if there was a place on her that wasn’t kissed by the sun.

  Tearing his eyes away, he pushed back the erotic images that were coming to mind and opened a beer. “This is great.”

  “So you like sailing?”

  He nodded and smiled at her. “And it’s obvious you do.”

  “I love it. When I’m sailing I feel free. There’s nothing but me and the water and the wind and I feel as if nothing can hurt me or make me sad. Sometimes I just want to become the feeling and never return to reality.”

  “I don’t think I’d like it if you never came back.”

  Lyra blushed and looked away and Nick touched her arm. “I mean it. I really like being with you.”

  “I like being with you, too,” she whispered almost too softly to be heard.

  They ate and Nick opened a couple more beers. He leaned back and propped his head against the cooler. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “I guess so.” She lay on her stomach beside him and propped up on her elbows. “What?”

  “You know yesterday when we were talking, you asked me if I’d ever been in love.”

  “Yes.” She took a sip of her beer.

  “Have you ever been in love, Lyra with a ‘y’?”

  She studied her beer bottle, scratching at the label with her fingernail. “No.”

  “Not even in school?”

  She shook her head. “I never had a serious relationship.”

  “That’s kind of hard to believe.” Nick turned on his side and propped up with one arm. “I mean surely you must have had a steady boyfriend in high school or college.”

  “Nope. I dated, but it was usually just a one-time deal.”

  “You mean a one-night stand?”

  “No!” She immediately blushed.

  He changed the subject. “My friend, Mike, the guy I’m staying with and I were thinking about having a little party next Friday. Would you go with me?”

  “What kind of party?”

  “You know, the usual. Food, beer, a little music.”

  “And magic?”

  “I might be persuaded. But it’ll cost you.”

  “How much?”

  “How about a kiss and a smile?”

  She looked down for a moment then nodded. “Sounds fair.”

  Nick leaned over and brushed his lips against hers, moving his hand to her back. He felt the trembling and pulled back, looking into her eyes. She met his eyes without blinking and he moved his lips back to hers.

  After a moment, her lips parted beneath his. She tasted of beer and pretzels and some sweet essence all her own. His hunger rose and the kiss deepened. Almost immediately, she tensed. Nick reluctantly pushed back his desire. It was imperative that she give herself to him freely.

  When he pulled away and looked at her, her face was slightly flushed and her eyes were hooded. She looked like the perfect picture of sensuality and desire. He had to fight the urge to take her in his arms again. To his great surprise, he found that he had never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her at that moment. It was a feeling that made him uncomfortable.

  Lyra stared into his eyes, feeling as if her entire body was tingling. She had never felt that way before. Part of her was afraid of the feeling, but another part liked it. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to forget it or hope it happened again. For some reason every feeling she had about him was accompanied by another equal, but opposite feeling. She dismissed the anxiety and concentrated on the excitement, hoping he would kiss her again.

  He looked into her eyes for a moment then flopped down on his stomach and groaned.

  “What’s wrong?” She immediately thought that either she had done something wrong or he had an upset stomach from the food.

  He laughed and looked up at her. “You don’t have a clue, do you?”

  She shook her head, completely confused. He reached up and lightly pulled her long hair.

  “Lyra with a ‘y’, you’re enough to make a man crazy. I think we better either get back on that boat of yours or take a real long run. Cause if we stay here like this I’m gonna be real tempted.”

  Lyra’s face flushed hotly and her eyes widened in surprise. Nick smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. “Come on, water bug. Let’s take a swim.”

  Sea Island—Thursday

  Lyra had avoided Leopold all week and she was getting tired of the effort it required. He made her feel ill-at-ease in her own home. She had gone to watch Nick perform last night and then they had a late dinner. After the restaurant closed, they walked over to the pier at the village and sat watching the stars for a long time.

  She thought about how it felt when Nick put his arm around her and pulled her close or kissed her. She found herself having thoughts about things she had never considered. Not that she was ignorant about sex. She just never felt such desires and long to act on them.

  Until now. Now she wondered how it would feel to have his body pressed against hers and to feel his hands on her. She thought about how he would feel to her touch and wondered how the act of making love would make her feel. She wondered if she was capable of experiencing the kind of passion she had heard others talk about. Most of all she wondered why she was still afraid to take that step.

  Walking downstairs, she went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. The phone rang and she answered it. “Hello?… This is Lyra… Yes, hello. How are you?… Really? Well, thanks for calling… Yes, I will. Thanks again.”

  She hung up the phone and turned around as she saw movement from the door.

  “Who the hell was that?” Lexi wrapped her silk robe tighter around herself and sat down at the table. “Be a love and pour me a cup of coffee.”

  Lyra fixed two cups and put a couple of pastries into the microwave to heat up. “That was Ben Dellwood, Lucius’ attorney.”

  “Lucius?” Lexi looked up sharply. “Abubakar? That black— Why’s his lawyer calling here?”

  Lyra put the pastries on the table. Picking up her coffee cup from the counter, she sat down across from Lexi. “Didn’t you hear about Lucius?”

  Lexi shook her head and tore off a bite of pastry.

  “He’s dead.”

  The pastry dropped from Lexi’s hand and she quickly put her hands in her lap. But not before Lyra saw the trembling.

  “When?”

  “Before I left school. I guess no one mentioned it to you since you always hated him.”

  “I did not hate him. I just didn’t have anything in common with him. And he was just a weird old fool anyway.”

  “No he wasn’t. He was a nice person and he was my friend.”

  “Your friend?” Lexi arched her eyebrows. “Since when?”

  “Since I was four.”

  “That’s not true.” Lexi shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. “I would’ve known if you were spending time around that — that person.”

  “No you wouldn’t. The staff knew but no one said anything to you because they knew you’d pitch a fit.”

  “Well, that doesn’t explain why his lawyer called you.”

  “I’m heir to his estate.”

  “What?” Lexi jumped up, jarring the table and sending
coffee sloshing everywhere.

  Lyra got up to fetch a cloth to mop up the mess. “You don’t have to have a stroke! He didn’t have any family and his lawyer said he left everything to me.”

  “Who left everything to you?” Leopold asked from the doorway.

  “None of your business,” Lyra said at the same time Lexi said, “A…a black man, Lucius Abubakar.”

  Leopold’s eyes narrowed for a moment as he looked from Lyra to Lexi. Lexi sat back down and Leopold took a seat beside her.

  “Why would he do that?” He directed the question to Lyra.

  “Because they were friends,” Lexi said sarcastically then suddenly turned to Lyra with a suspicious expression. “Did you have an affair with that-that person?”

  Lyra’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Of course not! Honestly, Lexi. Can’t you even imagine people being friends just because they like each other? Not everything has to do with sex or money.”

  Lexi opened her mouth to reply but Leo cut her off. “Well, if you have indeed inherited his estate then I think it only prudent that you retain legal counsel of your own. Also, you will need someone well versed in financial affairs to guide you. Therefore, I think it would be best if you let me handle this matter for you. I will make arrangements to have the house cleared and put on the market.”

  “You’ll do no such thing. I don’t want and don’t need your help. And just for your information, so there won’t be any misunderstandings, I don’t intend on selling Lucius’ house or his things.”

  “Then what do you plan on doing with it?” Lexi asked.

  “I’m going to move into the house.”

  “Alone?” Leopold smirked. “I do not think that is wise. I really think it would be best if…”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think!” Lyra was getting madder by the moment. “So just take your advice and shove it.”

  She walked to the kitchen door and stopped, turning to look at Leo and her mother. “And another thing, Leo. Stay out of my business and stay the hell out of my room because if you come near me again I’ll have you arrested. In case you haven’t noticed, you’re not the big dog around these parts. You’re on my turf now and the authorities around here don’t think too highly of foreign perverts harassing the local women. So save yourself some time and trouble and stay the hell away from me.”