Fire and Desire (Arabesque)

by Jackson, Brenda

  The aircraft was warmed and ready to go by the time they reached it.

  “You can put me down now,” Corinthians said softly to Trevor. She knew to have carried her all the way down the mountain and across the stretch of clearing to the plane must have been quite an ordeal for him. Ashton had been right. The path down the mountain had been rougher, which she knew required an increased amount of strenuous exertion on Trevor. She wouldn’t consider herself a lightweight person by any means, and added to that was the fact he had also carried his overnight bag on his back.

  When Trevor made no effort to place her on her feet, she repeated herself, thinking he must not have heard her. “You can put me down now.”

  He dropped his eyes momentarily to hers before adjusting his hold on her when one of the military men rushed over to relieve him of his overnight bag.

  “Thanks, Major,” Trevor said to the man.

  “You’re welcome, Captain.”

  Corinthians raised a brow. Captain? Had Trevor been a captain in the Marines?

  All thoughts left Corinthians’s mind when Trevor began climbing into the plane with her still cradled securely in his arms. Once inside, he walked down the aisle of the small military aircraft and lowered his body in a seat with her planted firmly in his lap. He didn’t say anything as he secured the shoulder harness over them and fastened the seat belt around them.

  “Aren’t you going to put me down now?”

  “No.”

  Corinthians frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want to.”

  Corinthians felt her face heat up. Why was he treating her as if she were an invalid? Being sore wasn’t that big of a deal. She was about to tell him that, then changed her mind. In all honesty, she actually liked being held by him. She enjoyed feeling the dormant strength in his body as his arms curved around her waist, holding her to him.

  Cushioned against the solidness of his chest, she began feeling sleepy when she heard the plane’s propellers beginning to turn.

  “Get some rest, Corinthians,” Trevor whispered to her softly over the noise of the plane’s engine as it roared to life. He gently pressed her head against his chest and adjusted her more comfortably in his arms.

  Corinthians suddenly felt extremely tired. Then she remembered that neither of them had actually slept last night. They had been too busy yelling and screaming at each other, then later they had been too busy making love.

  She closed her eyes as the engine continued to roar to life. By the time the pilot had gone through all the start-up procedures, and the plane began moving for takeoff, she had fallen asleep in Trevor’s arms.

  Trevor tightened his arms around Corinthians, knowing that this would be the last time he would ever hold her like this. Sadly enough, their adventure was ending, but he would remember the time he had spent with her in the jungles of South America for the rest of his life.

  Physical pain I can handle, Trevor.

  Those words she had spoken to him earlier still consumed his thoughts. In so many words, she had let him know it was the mental anguish and pain of what he had done to her that would always remain with her.

  Trevor took a deep, soul-searching breath. He then made a promise to himself that he would never hurt her again.

  It took all the desperate strength he possessed to accept what he must do, what he had to do. He looked down at Corinthians and thought how adorable she looked sleeping peacefully. And he wanted her to retain that peace, always.

  Until the day the last breath left his body he would love her. But in defeat, he acknowledged the fact that he would never have her. He knew that because of what he had done to her, and what he had taken away from her, the best thing to do was to give her up and walk away. For the rest of his life, his punishment would be to forever love a woman he would never have.

  He closed his eyes briefly before looking back down at her. His heart felt heavy, and overflowed with the love he felt for her. He could no longer hold back saying the words to her. He had to say them to her, but this time he would say them in English. He had spoken them to her in Portuguese, when he’d been making love to her, knowing she hadn’t understood what he was saying.

  He reached down and lifted her chin with his fingers, waking her. When she looked up at him with sleep-filled eyes, he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her lips.

  “I love you,” he whispered softly, quietly, intently.

  She smiled faintly at him before drifting back off to sleep.

  It was completely dark when the aircraft landed on the military base in Key West, Florida. Corinthians was still sleeping.

  When the plane came to a complete standstill, unlike the others on board, Trevor didn’t move. For just a little while longer, he just wanted to sit and hold her in his arms.

  “Trevor, it’s time to go.”

  Trevor’s breath caught in his throat upon hearing the words Ashton directed at him. “All right. Just give me a minute,” he responded quietly.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ashton eyeing him closely. “You okay, man?” Ashton asked with deep concern in his voice.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Ashton nodded then hesitated for a brief moment before turning to depart the plane along with the other military men onboard.

  Through the aircraft’s window Trevor saw a white military limo pull up beside the plane. A man he knew was probably Joshua Avery got out, along with a tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built older man. There was something about him that conveyed his ability to inspire confidence and garner respect. In the bright lights lining the runway, Trevor was able to note some similarities in the older man’s features to that of the woman he held in his arms. He quickly reached the conclusion that the man with Senator Avery was none other than Corinthians’s father.

  A part of Trevor inwardly applauded Joshua Avery’s decision to have them flown here instead of being taken back to the embassy. Although he was sure the senator had done it for his own self-serving purpose, it had proven to be a rather good move. No doubt there were reporters waiting for them to arrive back at the embassy, but there were no reporters here. There would be no questions to answer, no speculations to defend and no explanations to give.

  There were only goodbyes left to be said.

  Knowing he could not delay getting off the plane any longer, Trevor unfastened the shoulder harness and seat belt from around them. Corinthians stirred in his arms and snuggled closer to his chest, turning her face into the curve of his neck as she continued to sleep. He stood with her in his arms and slowly began walking toward the front of the plane.

  Trevor stood in the plane’s doorway and looked down at the small group of men gathered below before descending the plane with a sleeping Corinthians still cradled in his arms.

  He was sure he could give credit to the dark, hard stare he gave Joshua Avery that kept the senator from coming forward to take Corinthians from him. He watched as Corinthians’s father walked toward him. When the older man came to a stop directly in front of him, he gazed into the other man’s eyes and read deep relief and sincere appreciation in their depths. The man then glanced down at Corinthians, and Trevor read both love and joy in his eyes. He then looked up and met Trevor’s intense gaze. “Thank you for keeping my daughter safe and bringing her back home to me, Mr. Grant.”

  Trevor tried to say something and couldn’t. He glanced down at Corinthians. “She’s been out like a light for quite a while,” he finally felt compelled to say to the man who had fathered the woman he loved. “She’s been a real trooper, sir. You would have been proud of her.”

  The older man nodded, but said nothing. He continued to look at Trevor intently.

  “The last twenty-four hours were pretty hard on her. She deserves as much rest as she can get and will probably sleep throughout the night,” Trevor added, not understanding why he found it necessary to ramble.

  “Thank you for letting me know that,” was Reverend Nathan Avery’s soft
reply.

  Trevor nodded. Then he gently transferred a sleeping Corinthians into her father’s arms. He felt he was losing a part of himself in the process.

  Trevor blinked several times before meeting the man’s gaze again. “Take care of her,” he whispered hoarsely to the man.

  “With God’s help I will, Mr. Grant. And I pray God will continue to take care of you, as well.”

  Trevor nodded and without saying any more words, he turned and slowly began walking away into the darkness.

  Chapter 19

  “Would you care to explain what the devil went on back there, Trevor?”

  Trevor released a long, deep sigh as he turned around to stare into Ashton’s face. He should have known his friend would follow him inside the terminal with questions. Trevor’s dark eyes narrowed slightly. He didn’t care what questions Ashton had, he was in no mood to answer them.

  “Nothing went on,” he replied curtly. He watched as Ashton rolled his eyes and knew his response had not been good enough.

  Ashton shook his head slowly before saying. “I know what I saw back there, man. It’s plain to see you care a lot for Corinthians Avery. Why did you just give her up?”

  “Is that what I was doing?”

  “Looked that way to me.”

  Trevor let out a frustrated sigh as Ashton’s statement slashed into him. He jammed his hands into his pockets and continued to meet Ashton’s gaze. “You can’t give up what you never had. She was never mine to begin with. I was the wrong man from the very beginning. She’s in love with someone else.” He didn’t add that the man she was in love with was a man he considered as a brother.

  Ashton’s brow lifted, surprised at what Trevor had said. As far as he was concerned, there was no way Corinthians Avery was not in love with Trevor. He had seen the way she had looked at him. It was clear as glass that Trevor was the man who owned her heart.

  “Well, I happen to see things differently,” Ashton said slowly, wondering how two people could be in love with each other without the other knowing it. “I don’t know what went on between you two before I arrived, but from what I can see, she is yours in every way a woman can belong to a man. I’ve never seen you display that much care and concern toward any woman before.”

  Trevor closed his eyes and lowered his head, fighting the pain he felt in his heart. Moments later when he opened his eyes and lifted his head, his gaze clearly showed the torment he felt. “I hurt her, Ashton.” His deep voice shook with raw emotion.

  Ashton frowned. “I don’t know about all that, but I do know she’s going to be hurt even more when she wakes up and finds you gone without having told her goodbye.”

  “It’s better this way. Corinthians and I need time to put things back in perspective. Our paths will cross again since she works for Remington Oil,” he said. And hopefully when I do see her again, I’ll be prepared for the pain, he thought further.

  With a heavy heart he walked across the room to gaze out of the huge window overlooking the runway. Only a few military personnel were still out there. Against his will, his eyes moved to the spot where the white limo had been parked moments earlier. It was gone.

  “There’s an old Indian saying my father shared with me on my sixteenth birthday,” Ashton was saying behind him.

  “What is it?” Trevor asked as he leaned over and pressed his forehead against his hand on the window.

  “He said there are two things a man should never give up—his land and his woman. At least not without a fight. Tonight I saw you give up your woman, Trevor. And you gave her up without a fight.”

  Corinthians was in a state of deep sleep. She was completely drained of energy from her vigorous lovemaking with Trevor, combined with her lack of sleep the night before. She snuggled closer into the arms wrapped gently around her.

  “Trevor.” In sleep, the name was whispered like a soft caress from her lips as she continued to replay her dream over and over in her mind. In her dream, Trevor had told her that he loved her. “I love you, too,” was her quiet, sleepy reply as she cuddled closer into the arms holding her.

  The Reverend Nathan Avery pursed his lips thoughtfully after hearing his daughter’s whispered declaration of affection for Trevor Grant. He was glad Joshua had gotten out of the car moments earlier to clear their departure at the gate. Joshua was the last person who should be privy to his sister’s subconscious thoughts and inner feelings.

  He gazed down at his daughter as she slept peacefully in his arms. So that’s the way it was, he thought as he continued to gaze down at her. Physically she looked fine, but he had a feeling that there were scars he could not see. Scars of the heart.

  As he shifted positions to hold his nestling daughter more comfortably, he was reminded of Proverbs 4:23. Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. It seemed Corinthians had not guarded her affections and had fallen in love. He had a gut feeling that it would influence and change her life forever. He wondered if she was ready for those changes, the joys and happiness, as well as the heartbreak and disappointments. Love encompassed many things, and love was never easy, especially to someone who may not have been prepared for it.

  He released a long, deep sigh. Corinthians was fast approaching thirty-one. For years her only love affair had been with her job. It was time for her to settle down, find a good man and become a wife and mother. He turned his thoughts to Trevor Grant. There was no doubt in his mind that the man cared deeply for Corinthians, but evidently there was some sort of problem between them.

  Reverend Avery shook his head. He had a gut feeling Corinthians and Trevor Grant had a lot of things to work out. Something had happened between them in the jungles of South America that didn’t go over well and needed repairing.

  “Dang, she’s still sleeping?” Joshua Avery asked in a whispered voice as he got back inside the car. “Maybe we ought to take her to the hospital and have a doctor look her over. There’s no telling what Trevor Grant did to her.”

  Reverend Avery frowned at his son’s statement. Since Joshua’s emergence into the political arena, he had become the type of man that only parents could truly love. “What he did to your sister, young man, was to keep her alive, and don’t you forget it.” He leaned back against the seat. “Your mother is waiting for us at the hotel, and she’ll take care of Corinthians. Besides, you and I know what a hard sleeper your sister is after working herself into a state of total exhaustion.”

  “But still, Dad, I—”

  “Enough Joshua. The only place Corinthians is going is to the hotel. Then we’ll take her home to Louisiana.”

  The man in the dark suit was angry. Extremely angry. Araque’s men had not captured Corinthians Avery, and had gone so far as to get captured by the United States military. At least he didn’t have to worry about them talking and implicating him. Only Araque knew his identity and he wouldn’t talk. He had too much to lose if he did. As long as he continued to supply Araque money to help finance his illegal activities, he would keep quiet.

  He threw down the newspaper he had just finished reading. He knew all about the political machinations going on between South America and the United States to capture Araque and release the hostages without any ransom being paid. He was not concerned with the hostages, only with Corinthians Avery.

  Only yesterday, he had ordered that a special room at his secluded hideaway be decorated for her. He had ordered the finest and most expensive of furnishings. And the clothing he had purchased for her, all lingerie, handmade from the richest silk, was proof of her value to him; proof of how much he wanted her. And thinking that she would soon be within his reach had made his desire for her increase that much more. He couldn’t get out of his mind how beautiful she had looked at the dinner party that night.

  So much for depending on Araque, he seethed silently as rage covered his face and his hands tightened into fists at his side. Soon, he would have Corinthians Avery and he would personally pick someone he felt he
could depend on to do the job. She may have escaped being captured once, but she wouldn’t do it twice.

  There were three happy people sitting around the dining-room table. It was almost three o’clock in the morning, but Stella Grant couldn’t contain her happiness or excitement. Trevor had called and told her he had checked into a hotel in Key West, Florida, and had made arrangements to fly home to Texas sometime later that day. The thought that her son was coming home had returned a smile to her face and the sparkle to her eyes. Her nightmare was over. But her heart went out to the families whose loved ones were still being held as hostages in South America. She said as much to Maurice and Regina.

  “I wish there was something we could do.”

  “There is,” Maurice said, reaching across the table and taking her hand, squeezing it gently. “We’ll continue to pray for their safe return.”

  Regina nodded in agreement. She had seen her father take her mother’s hand and hold it a number of times since she had returned home from her business trip. The gesture seemed so automatic she doubted he realized he was doing it. Over the past few days she couldn’t help but notice how close her parents seemed to have become.

  She released a deep, satisfied sigh. Nothing would please her more than for them to get back together. When she noticed the sad silence around the table, she decided to switch the conversation to a more lighthearted note.

  “I wonder if Sterling Hamilton came up with a good excuse for his wife as to why he was caught on camera leaving Diamond Swain’s hotel room at three in the morning.”

  Maurice Grant raised a brow. “Who?”

  Regina shook her head, smiling. “Sterling Hamilton, Daddy, the movie star. According to this morning’s paper, he was seen leaving his costar, Diamond Swain’s, hotel room at three in the morning. And he just got married last month, which in itself was a shocker since he was a devout bachelor.”

  Regina took a sip of her coffee before continuing. “A reporter asked Sterling Hamilton’s wife about the article. Her response was that she didn’t believe it. Can you believe she would say that after seeing that picture of him holding Diamond Swain in his arms? That picture probably hit the front page of every newspaper in this country, as well as abroad.”