To Shackle a Shrew (Southern Sanctuary Book 7)

by Jane Cousins

  Okay, yes, she had to date his half-brothers during that time frame, but that meant less than nothing, she was going to marry one of them after all. Elisabeth Bright however, was an altogether different matter, if she so much as laid an inappropriate finger on Liam, well she’d soon be discovering what it felt like to have the flesh stripped from her bones, Makura style… not that she was jealous or anything.

  * * *

  “Hands!” Devon slapped away Liam’s hand. Normally she’d have her hair do it but currently her mass of raven locks were knotted at the base of her skull, as per climbing regulations.

  Liam laughed in her ear, he was so close behind her she could feel his body heat soaking through the back of her thin black yoga pants and raspberry coloured fitted top. It took a surprising amount of will power for her not to sink back into that heat. Honestly, what was wrong with her? She was like salmon in spawning season.

  “Relax Princess, I was just adjusting your harness. You certainly didn’t seem to have a problem with my hands on you last night… or this morning.”

  Devon thrust a sharp elbow back, effectively silencing him for a moment. Even though she and Liam were alone on the far side of the room, standing at the foot of the black climbing wall reserved for more experienced climbers, she was very aware that the spritely seniors were avid gossips and no doubt expert eavesdroppers.

  “Have I told you what a nice surprise it was to have you join the class today?” Liam enquired, glancing over at the green beginner’s wall to ensure all the seniors were doing okay.

  “No.” Devon stared up at the wall in front of her with anticipation. “Though I was pretty sure you weren’t upset by the way you kept staring at my legs.”

  “Actually, to be honest, it was more your butt I couldn’t keep my eyes off.”

  Devon hid a smirk. “Told you it was perfect.”

  Liam leaned down again, his whispered words heated and distracting in her ear. “And now I’m not only a believer but a devoted follower of it.” Liam straightened. “Enough fun and games, time for you to test your skills on the black diamond.”

  Devon had taken to climbing easily and it had been obvious to Liam that she needed more of a challenge, which was Devon all over. If she wasn’t being challenged she was walking out the door. How would a man ever keep up with the woman on a permanent basis? Not that he wanted to be permanent or anything.

  “The black wall is a little different from what you’d normally find at a climbing school. Some of the holds are on timers, so they’ll appear and disappear and some will vibrate. It’s designed to keep you alert and continually thinking about all of your options. Right.” Liam tapped her on the shoulder. “You’re good to go, remember, I’ve got you. If anything happens just let go and I’ll lower you to the ground.”

  Devon shot him a look of contempt, as if she ever needed help.

  Liam grinned. “Have I told you how cute you look in that helmet?”

  Devon rolled her eyes, even as she found herself smiling, stepping up to grab the first hold. As she focused on the climb she forced herself to admit that Liam was a very good teacher. He had the patience to deal with even the slowest and most inept person in the class whilst also keeping the more eager and experienced students busy. He effortlessly cajoled reluctant or scared learners with his easy smile and a ready joke. He really was a natural leader, all the students listened attentively to his instructions and his laid back manner made sure everyone still had fun.

  There must be plenty of climbing schools in Sydney that needed experienced instructors. The pay probably wouldn’t be great but at least the work was respectable. She frowned as the hold under her right hand began to shift, quickly she clambered up two holds and to the left. With a few little tweaks and a nice wardrobe she could see him fitting into her life in Sydney… wait! What? She had gone daft.

  There was so much wrong with that plan she didn’t know where to start. First off, she’d have to marry him. Nothing killed sexual attraction faster than a shot gun wedding, and Liam had been pretty clear, he didn’t want to marry her.

  And so what if she got him a respectable job. She knew from his reckless manner and innate Merrow swagger that he wouldn’t settle down for long in a low paying role that required him to work regular set hours. He didn’t seem to be built for that sort of life. He’d quickly grow to resent her, hate her, then they’d be stuck together for ten years.

  The next two holds were vibrating so hard that Devon had to move sideways rather than climb before she could find a secure place to rest for a moment and plot her next move. Ah, there. She climbed steadily upwards whilst her thoughts churned. For some reason she kept thinking about the way Liam had grinned so broadly when she’d walked into the climbing centre an hour ago, the heat in his eyes.

  It had been all she could do not to return his smile but inside she was doing a little happy dance at the opportunity to spend more time with him. And there it was… the thing she’d been avoiding since Nell had made her accusation two days ago. It wasn’t just good sex that had her humming and smiling. There could be no avoiding the fact that Liam made her happy.

  Sweet Yami, Makura didn’t do happy. It meant you were weak and had lost your focus. That was why Makura didn’t marry for love or keep men around in their lives permanently. And just to ram home the point in technicolour, Devon, distracted by her thoughts, abruptly found herself flung backwards, away from the wall. For a moment she thought she’d fall but the line went taut and Liam’s voice drifted up to her.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

  Devon kept her body relaxed, like she’d been taught as Liam lowered her smoothly to the ground.

  “You okay?” Liam approached, intending to unhook the harness.

  “Fine.” Devon quickly unhooked herself, not wanting Liam’s hands near her right at that moment. The man was all kinds of temptation, and she needed to resist him at all costs.

  “You did really well for your first time.” Liam absently gathered equipment. “Do you want to try again?”

  Devon shook her head quickly. “No. I don’t have the time.”

  “Heading back to the hospital?” Liam glanced up at the clock, it was getting late.

  “No, I have to get ready, I have a date tonight.”

  Liam froze. “Excuse me?”

  “A date.” Devon stepped out of the harness and began to fiddle with the strap of her helmet. “Didn’t I mention it? I decided to take your advice and not play by Alma’s rules. All going to plan I should be done and dusted with the obligation meet and greets by Saturday.”

  Liam was more than a little surprised at the hollow feeling that filled him. “And then you’ll make the announcement? Who you’re going to marry?”

  Devon pulled off the helmet and worked at unknotting her restless hair. “The sooner I make the announcement the sooner I can head home to Sydney.” She looked up at him. “And you can get back to your life.”

  “Ah, yeah, I can.” Liam bent down picking up some auxiliary ropes, giving him a split second to hide the frown that had settled over his features. Devon was going on a date tonight with one of his half-brothers, she’d concocted some scheme to speed through the remaining dates and she intended to make her choice of husband known by the end of the coming weekend.

  By rights he should smile easily, wish her well and walk away from her right now. Staying… staying didn’t accomplish anything. She had a police escort everywhere she went to protect her. There was the sex of course, the great sex. But he could always find other gorgeous women to have sex with. Ones who didn’t come with all the baggage of a betrothal contract hanging over their head. Yeah, he should definitely leave, but it seems his mouth had other plans. “Well, I’ll see you tonight then, when you get home.”

  Devon handed over her helmet, never more sure that she was making the right decision. Walking away from Liam right now would be symbolic, she was done having feelings for the man. If he chose to hang around like a bad smell, we
ll, that was his decision. She would focus on her future, her bright shining career and her comfortable life back in Sydney.

  With a polite smile she turned and headed for the change rooms, it felt as if a hundred pounds had been lifted from her shoulders. Honestly, what had she been thinking? Dallying with Liam? Perhaps it was just her last single girl hurrah. Of course, it was obvious, she’d just been using Liam. It all made sense suddenly. Feelings? She didn’t have feelings for the man, she was just using him as an excuse to avoid the prospect of her looming respectable marriage.

  As she exited the climbing facilities area, she passed by Elisabeth Bright, entering, her blonde ponytail bouncing, her bodacious bosom doing likewise in skin tight spandex gym wear.

  “Liam…”

  She heard the older woman exclaim his name loudly and warmly before the doors closed shut behind her. Instantly Devon’s hair was snapping at the empty air and her killing nails were out and poised. She was not jealous. She was not jealous.

  But as a wave of sick dread filled her Devon finally faced the truth. She was jealous to her very bones. She didn’t just have feelings for Liam, she was half way to being in love with the man.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I saw Francis give ten dollars to a homeless guy.”

  The accused, Francis, flung an angry glare his brother’s way. “Once! And I only did it to impress a woman.” He then looked to Devon, of all people, for understanding. “It wasn’t altruism, trust me. It was just the price of admission to get into some random do-gooder chick’s pants.”

  Devon didn’t know whether to roll her eyes or laugh out loud. In the end she did neither, just sipped more of her wine and continued to enjoy the show.

  She should have done this weeks ago. Pitting the brothers against one another on a date was proving more entertaining than the Jerry Springer show. She had triple checked Alma’s rules and nowhere in them did it state that it was mandatory for her to meet the candidates one on one. Tonight’s dinner dates were suitors eight through ten; Francis, Hugh and Fredrik.

  To ensure the men turned up tonight, on time, she had lured them in easily with the promise of ten thousand dollars each, half up front, the rest when the ninety minutes was up. True to form, each of the brothers had counted their five thousand when they sat down. Typical money hungry rude Merrow.

  Devon had been kind of dreading the conversation portion of the evening, but the men had barely pocketed their money before they commenced attacking one another verbally. Though it had to be the funniest slagging match she’d ever witnessed, as they continued to accuse one another of kind or altruistic acts, obviously hoping to steer Devon’s decision of whom to choose as a bridegroom away from themselves.

  “Well, Hugh helped a guy move house out of the goodness of his heart.”

  Hugh pushed reddish blonde hair out of his blue eyes. “I thought the guy was robbing the place. I assumed we were going to split the take.”

  Fredrik issued a snort of derision, shaking his head in disbelief. “You spent practically a whole day moving furniture and you never thought to ask once whose stuff it was? Imbecile.” His light blue eyes widened and he cast a glance Devon’s way. “I mean, what a nice guy.”

  Devon took another sip of wine. This was funnier than any lame comedy show. Sitting back she studied each of them in turn, Fredrik and Francis clearly shared more than just their father’s DNA, she was betting they had the same mother as well. Which didn’t speak well of the gene pool if their ditzy mother had gone more than one round with the Merrow King.

  Their hair was white blonde, though Fredrik’s was cut within an inch of his scalp while Francis wore his razored back from his face. They had similar eyes, bluish grey and were of the same height and build. Francis claimed to be a luxury cruiser salesmen living in the Bahamas, and Fredrik’s business card boasted that he was a real estate developer in Florida. Obviously the two were as crooked as a barrel full of fish hooks.

  And Hugh… or should she say Lord Hugh Chambers, as he claimed to be… yeah, right, his story of inheriting a title from his mother’s father in Scotland was clearly a complete fabrication. Though with his foppish red blonde hair, pale blue eyes, sturdy fit build and that slight Scottish burr of his she had to admit he played the role well. She could imagine many an American tourist falling for his shtick and eagerly offering him money to help pull his ancestral home out of creditor’s hands or whatever bullshit story he was selling along with the title.

  The one thing all three had clearly inherited from their father, besides their questionable morality was their chin, Liam had the same one she realised. Strong and firm. And there was a similarity around the nose and mouth she realised.

  Francis tapped his finger lightly on her hand to get her attention, his blue grey eyes full of practised sincerity. “I hear tell that Hugh is fantastic in bed.”

  “You bastard!” Hugh threw half a bread roll across the table, striking Francis on the forehead. Looking at Devon he flashed a confident grin. “While I’ve had no complaints in the bedroom Lassie, I don’t believe I’m half the man Francis is. Now whilst my technique is unquestionable, when it comes to size, well Francis here is your man.”

  Devon dug her nails into her palms to keep from laughing. “Really?” She looked to Francis, raising a querying right eyebrow for a split second as she contemplated him with feigned interest.

  “Um….” Francis was trapped. He didn’t like the way Devon was looking at him but his male ego refused to let him claim to be anything other than generously endowed. His eyes flicked to Fredrik for a moment and it was clear he was deciding whether to throw his brother under the bus. Though, perhaps because they were full brothers, or perhaps because Fredrik was within kicking distance, Francis decided against such a tactic. Instead, he lifted his chin and sent Devon a cocky grin. “All true. And once I get the all clear from my doctor, I’d be more than happy to take you for a test run.”

  Oh, good save. Not only a smarmy come back but claiming to have a sexually transmitted disease. Devon had to admit the man was quick on his feet, he was probably a damn good cruiser salesman. That’s if the cruisers existed at all she supposed, or if Francis had the right to be selling them.

  Hmm, on the pro side, if she were to marry one of these three she wouldn’t have to worry about messy feelings or entanglements. Problem was, all three would no doubt steal all her friends and colleagues blind. They’d be run out of Sydney before their first year anniversary.

  Although, there hadn’t been much said regarding Fredrik as yet, perhaps he was still a viable candidate.

  Fredrik caught her eyeing him and smiled as his brothers continued to squabble. “I bet I’m looking pretty good about now.”

  Devon was surprised, was there actually a Merrow who realised that out of all the betrothal contracts their father had negotiated for his sons, she was actually the prize?

  Fredrik lifted a hand, ticking off several points. “I don’t smoke, drink to excess and I’ve yet to meet a prosecuting attorney that could make the charges stick.”

  Devon couldn’t help but laugh at that. “But…?”

  “How do you feel about being a step-mother?”

  Devon froze, a kid? They hadn’t factored into her equation but she wasn’t adverse to the idea. Watching as Fredrik lifted up his phone and tapped through several photos for her to see.

  “Triplets?” She stared at the three boys, aged about seven years of age, the photos depicting them in headlocks, jumping, running, falling, screaming… she bet the little devils never sat still. And they were clearly Fredrik’s children, with their white blonde hair and his eyes.

  Silence had fallen across the table and she glanced over at Francis and Hugh who were staring at Fredrik’s phone with clear envy on their faces.

  “Fuck.” Francis shook his head, now glaring at Fredrik. “You had to play the sprog card, didn’t you?”

  Fredrik picked up his wine glass, relaxing back in his chair, a smug smile on his f
ace. “And then there were two, gentlemen.”

  “Hugh likes animals and is kind to old people!”

  “Francis gives blood and is practically a vegetarian!”

  The two brothers made their accusations simultaneously, their voices echoing around the all but empty bar. No one had expected Devon to hold a date in the middle of the week and she found herself kind of missing the crowd. The locals would have loved these three.

  Yami, now she was having soft and fluffy feelings for the locals? It was unacceptable and the person she should be thinking about killing in retribution was Alma.

  She was the one who’d insisted she live here. She was the one who’d set up the timetable so it would drag on for months. If not for her, Liam wouldn’t have stumbled over the plot to kill Devon and gotten himself caught in the middle, getting seriously hurt… twice, and forced to stay at her place to recover.

  No, thanks to Alma and her convoluted machinations everything had gone spiralling out of control. It was beyond frustrating. All Devon had wanted was Alma’s expert opinion in helping to choose a suitable husband who would fit into her lifestyle back in Sydney. Instead she got this never ending circus of clowns, reprobates and con men.

  She glanced up with a smile as Nico placed her meal down in front of her. What with her morning at the hospital and the afternoon at the fitness centre she was starving. Hmm, fish of the day, a tuna steak with an avocado and wasabi sauce accompanied by roast potatoes and steamed spinach, perfect.

  “Everything okay?” Nico directed his question towards her as he placed plates in front of her dinner companions whilst Hugh and Francis continued to hurl terse words at one another, continuing to accuse each other of random acts of kindness and selflessness.

  “Dinner and a show.” Devon smiled up at him. Nico was good people. He could have called around and got a crowd of patrons in here within minutes of her arrival this evening but he hadn’t.