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making her mentally incompetent. She could feel Chazz's web tightening
around her.
"I hope you don't mind" Chazz glanced at the others " I took the liberty
of telling Arthur we would all like to try 'Arthur's Star,' the specialty of the
house, for the first round. Of course, you must order anything you like, no
need to stick to this. I just thought you might enjoy sampling what Arthur
considers his piece de resistance of drinks." Chazz lifted his glass in a
salute. The others did likewise, all except Teel, who frowned into her drink.
When she noticed the others watching her and waiting, she raised her glass
too. "Here's to good relationships." Chazz clinked glasses with Teel and
drank. "Try it," he urged.
Teel sipped and found that the drink had a piquant pineapple flavor. It was
good. She took another swallow and blinked.
"Careful," Chazz warned, leaning toward her. "That's first-class rum."
"I was hoping yours was first-class hemlock." Teel tittered, then sat
straighter in her chair. The sound coming out of her own mouth irritated her.
"Shall we dance?"
Teel was about to tell him no when he reached down and lifted her to her
feet. "Don't you ever wait for an answer?" she hissed as he headed toward
the dance floor. Several couples were already dancing, but it wasn't
crowded.
The vigorous beguine rhythm seemed to seep into Teel's blood. Despite her
determination to stay as stiff as a board in Chazz's arms, she soon found
herself swaying to the music, caught up in the beguiling beat. Chazz was an
excellent dancer. It was so satisfying to follow his movements, to twist and
turn lightly and surely to the music.
Teel didn't know the dance they were doing by name, but the intricate steps
challenged her. All at once her irritation fled and she whirled around Chazz,
his hand holding hers high as she spun wildly. Glee bubbled up as she felt
her body respond and answer the challenge. She forgot everything but the
fast, swaying rhythm that curved her body away from him then back to fit
perfectly to his form like pieces of a puzzle. Held close to him, with his face
looking down into hers, she saw the laugh lines etched around his eyes and
the dark flecks that rayed out from the center. She had the startling sensation
that Chazz was sending her telepathic instructions, that her body had to
obey.
"You are one beautiful lady, Teel Barrett." Chazz gazed down at her, his
breath coming fast. "I think I could spend my whole life dancing with you."
His voice held a hint of surprise and he continued to look at her, his eyes
going from her nose to her mouth to her hair to her chin.
"Wonderful way to exercise," Teel said absently, her eyes steady on him.
"I can think of many ways to exercise with you that would be wonderful,"
Chazz growled softly.
"Pushups are good too."
"Exactly my thought, darling," Chazz crooned, twirling her around, then
back into his embrace. This time both arms encircled her. He chuckled as
her cheeks grew flushed. "You're lovely when you blush."
"Don't be silly. I don't blush."
Chazz leaned down and let his tongue graze her hot cheek."Then you have a
most delightful sunburn, my angel."
"Stop doing that," Teel moaned, feeling as though she had just walked
through fire.
"Doing what?" Chazz's arms clamped her close as the music changed and
the room grew darker. Now his tongue was tracing her ear lobe.
"People will see," Teel protested, feeling her throat close and her heart begin
to thud. "You have an awful effect on me," she whispered, trying to get enough
strength into her hands to push him away. "Whenever I'm with you I feel as
though I'm coming down with the flu." She tried to focus watery eyes on
him. "I think I'm allergic to you," she finally pronounced solemnly.
Chuckling softly, he lowered his head to kiss her, and her knees seemed to
turn liquid. She clung to him. "Stay with me. Live with me, Teel," he
whispered.
"What? What did you say?" She struggled to focus on him despite the cold
symptoms that seemed to be affecting all her senses.
"Live with me." He kissed a tendril of hair on her forehead. "If you still want
to teach, we'll get a house near Selby. I can commute into New York every
day."
Teel looked at him blankly. "Are you saying you want to come to Selby to
live with me?"
"I also have a home out on Long Island if you'd prefer that."
"Or you could bring the Deirdre up the Hudson, park it in some secluded
waterway, and we could fool around on that," Teel said hoarsely, her throat
so dry and scratchy she could hardly get the words out. She needed a doctor!
"And then what would I do when you tired of me in a few weeks? I might
even last a few months. If I was very, very good. Then would you tie an
anchor round my neck and drop me into the Hudson? No? Too dramatic?"
Strength began returning to her arms or was it that Chazz was pulling
away from her, thus removing the source of her affliction? She bit her lip
and stared up into his golden eyes, which were as dull and hard as freshly
mined rock. "Perhaps I would just slip back into my old routine as though
nothing had ever happened," Teel went on, "as though the bulldozer called
Chazz Herman had never gouged through my life. Well, speak up. Tell me
how to handle being dumped by a playboy."
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