"Don't you think that's sufficient explanation?"
"Do you? You seem very ambivalent about this ring, Flint. Sometimes you scoff at it and other times I get the impression you half believe in it."
He tilted his head, studying her intently in the sunlight. "Maybe you'd better hope I don't buy the legends as fact."
Rani felt chilled. Much of the companionable warmth that had enveloped her as she listened to Flint's tales evaporated. "Why is that?" she asked softly.
"Because if I decide the legend is for real, I might decide to put it to the test. I might seduce you the way those other two men seduced their ladies. If the tales about the ring are valid, you'd be helpless to resist me then, wouldn't you? You'd be bound to me."
Rani felt caught, trapped in a glistening, silky web that made it impossible to get out of the chair and stalk off to-ward the house. The sunlight was suddenly too strong, causing everything around her to become too sharp and clear and full of color. The green of Flint's eyes, for example, was now far too vivid. She remembered what Charles Dewhurst had said about true emeralds. There was a fire trapped within them, green flames that mesmerized whoever looked too deeply. In that instant, Rani knew, she had looked far too deeply into living emeralds.
"Rani?"
She blinked, struggling to break free of the odd, trapped sensation she was experiencing. "What would you do to me if I were bound to you?" she heard herself ask.
"Make love to you often and well." He spoke as though he had already considered the question and had long since decided on an answer.
Rani felt strangely breathless. She must get away from him, but she still couldn't move. "Until your next handyman or gardening job took you to another state or another country? Or until another, more interesting woman came along?"
He smiled faintly. "You forget the ring works both ways. I'd be just as trapped as I was before I made love to you. The only difference is that after I've seduced you, you'll no longer have the privilege of being in charge. You won't be able to keep me dancing at the end of the string."
"I don't see much evidence of your dancing now!"
"Think not? Look at how easily you handle me."
Rani flushed. "I hadn't noticed."
"You tell me when and how to write, imply I'm shiftless and unstable—"
"I never said shiftless!"
"You chew me up one side and down the other just for being in your kitchen when you bring home your date—"
Rani was incensed now. "You deserved that."
"You only let me kiss you when you want to be kissed and you call it off when you want to stop."
Rani's mouth tightened. "It's a woman's prerogative."
"You assume I'm available when you get bored and want someone to row a boat for you," Flint continued blandly.
"That's not true. I invited you along because I thought you might enjoy the outing."
"You've made it clear that, as a lover, you think I'd be a high risk."
"Well, you would."
"And you've also made it clear you're a lady who doesn't take risks. That's not very good for my self-esteem."
"I didn't realize your self-esteem needed to be pampered," Rani snapped. She finally managed to get to her feet. "Look, if you don't want to go out on the lake, just say so. I thought you'd appreciate the break, but I guess I was wrong. Thanks for the story hour. I don't think I want to hear any more Clayborne ring stories today." In her agitation she clutched the empty beer can. There was a crunching sound, and she looked down in astonishment to see the can crumpled between her fingers.
"Don't get the idea you've turned into Wonder Woman," Flint advised with a faint grin. "Anyone can do that with an aluminum beer can."
"I'll remember that." Rani tossed the can in his direction. He plucked it easily out of the air as she turned to stride toward the back door of her cottage.
"Rani," he called after her. "What time tomorrow are we going to the lake?"
She swung around to glare at him, her hand on the doorknob. "This is
"Do you? You seem very ambivalent about this ring, Flint. Sometimes you scoff at it and other times I get the impression you half believe in it."
He tilted his head, studying her intently in the sunlight. "Maybe you'd better hope I don't buy the legends as fact."
Rani felt chilled. Much of the companionable warmth that had enveloped her as she listened to Flint's tales evaporated. "Why is that?" she asked softly.
"Because if I decide the legend is for real, I might decide to put it to the test. I might seduce you the way those other two men seduced their ladies. If the tales about the ring are valid, you'd be helpless to resist me then, wouldn't you? You'd be bound to me."
Rani felt caught, trapped in a glistening, silky web that made it impossible to get out of the chair and stalk off to-ward the house. The sunlight was suddenly too strong, causing everything around her to become too sharp and clear and full of color. The green of Flint's eyes, for example, was now far too vivid. She remembered what Charles Dewhurst had said about true emeralds. There was a fire trapped within them, green flames that mesmerized whoever looked too deeply. In that instant, Rani knew, she had looked far too deeply into living emeralds.
"Rani?"
She blinked, struggling to break free of the odd, trapped sensation she was experiencing. "What would you do to me if I were bound to you?" she heard herself ask.
"Make love to you often and well." He spoke as though he had already considered the question and had long since decided on an answer.
Rani felt strangely breathless. She must get away from him, but she still couldn't move. "Until your next handyman or gardening job took you to another state or another country? Or until another, more interesting woman came along?"
He smiled faintly. "You forget the ring works both ways. I'd be just as trapped as I was before I made love to you. The only difference is that after I've seduced you, you'll no longer have the privilege of being in charge. You won't be able to keep me dancing at the end of the string."
"I don't see much evidence of your dancing now!"
"Think not? Look at how easily you handle me."
Rani flushed. "I hadn't noticed."
"You tell me when and how to write, imply I'm shiftless and unstable—"
"I never said shiftless!"
"You chew me up one side and down the other just for being in your kitchen when you bring home your date—"
Rani was incensed now. "You deserved that."
"You only let me kiss you when you want to be kissed and you call it off when you want to stop."
Rani's mouth tightened. "It's a woman's prerogative."
"You assume I'm available when you get bored and want someone to row a boat for you," Flint continued blandly.
"That's not true. I invited you along because I thought you might enjoy the outing."
"You've made it clear that, as a lover, you think I'd be a high risk."
"Well, you would."
"And you've also made it clear you're a lady who doesn't take risks. That's not very good for my self-esteem."
"I didn't realize your self-esteem needed to be pampered," Rani snapped. She finally managed to get to her feet. "Look, if you don't want to go out on the lake, just say so. I thought you'd appreciate the break, but I guess I was wrong. Thanks for the story hour. I don't think I want to hear any more Clayborne ring stories today." In her agitation she clutched the empty beer can. There was a crunching sound, and she looked down in astonishment to see the can crumpled between her fingers.
"Don't get the idea you've turned into Wonder Woman," Flint advised with a faint grin. "Anyone can do that with an aluminum beer can."
"I'll remember that." Rani tossed the can in his direction. He plucked it easily out of the air as she turned to stride toward the back door of her cottage.
"Rani," he called after her. "What time tomorrow are we going to the lake?"
She swung around to glare at him, her hand on the doorknob. "This is
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