track of unwanted strangers. You might keep that in mind."
Damon shook his head sadly. "You surprise me, Winter . I would have expected you to keep going in the fast lane. All the way to the top, wherever that is. People used to say the sky was the limit where you were concerned. Now look at you, getting ready to run an inn in a sleepy little village on the coast. Picked just the right kind of woman to go with your new life-style, didn't you? She looks sweet, Winter. Maybe a little too sweet for you. After all, you're accustomed to something with a little more tang, aren't you? I never—Hey! Damn you, what the hell do you think ...?"
"Jess!" Elly whirled around, stunned to see Jess come away from the counter in a smooth, coiled movement.
He had Damon flattened against the wail before Elly fully realized what had happened. Raw menace etched Jess's face, and his eyes were like ice as he leaned forward. His voice was a harsh whisper.
"Get out of here, Carrington. Don't let me see you again. Is that very clear? I swear as God is my witness I won't be able to guarantee your safety if I ever see you again. If you come near Elly I can promise you that I'll make you pay."
Damon hissed, "Pay? You're the one who's going to pay, Winter. You owe me!"
"For what?"
"For what you did to Marina!"
"I didn't do a damn thing to her except divorce her.
And as I recall she was already tired of me anyway. Are
you crazy, Carrington?" _
"She's dead!"
"I didn't kill her and you damn well know it," Jess growled.
"She'd be alive today if it hadn't been for you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You cut her off without a penny," Damon said accusingly.
"So? She'd socked away plenty while she was married to me. Not exactly my fault if she didn't invest it! You are crazy."
"She wouldn't have had to sleep with that old bastard if it hadn't been for the way you left her high and dry."
"I get it," Jess said wearily. "If she hadn't been sleeping with him for his money she wouldn't have been on his yacht when it capsized. Therefore, it's all my fault. Is that your logic? You're out of your mind, Carrington." He released his victim. "Get away from me. I don't want to see you anywhere near Elly again. Get out of here!"
Damon moved warily away from the wall, straightening his rumpled black shirt. "You owe me, Winter ."
Jess ignored him, reaching for Elly's arm as she came around the counter. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," she whispered, shaken by the violence. "Yes, I'm ready."
The chime sounded as the door closed abruptly behind Damon Carrington. Elly jumped a little at the noise. "Excitement," she said almost inaudibly.
"What?" Jess was turning off the lights with swift, chopping motions of his hand.
"You said the Carringtons brought excitement into one's life. I don't think I'm into excitement, Jess. Not if that's any sample of it."
Jess halted at the door, turning to look down at her. His eyes were fierce. "And you're not going to get 'into' it. You're not going to get anywhere near it, do you understand? I don't want you in the same room with Damon Carrington. Elly , I've seen Carrington in action.
The man's a warlock where women are concerned. He casts spells on them."
"Not on all women," she denied.
"You don't know what I'm talking about."
"Little Compass Rose hated him on sight." And it didn't take me much longer to hate him, Elly added silently. She had begun to hate and fear Damon Carrington the moment she realized he was a threat to Jess.
"Compass Rose? Oh, you mean Sarah Mitchell's kid. I'm not talking about his effect on children. But I've seen him manipulate women, and they're like putty in his hands. Stay out of his way. Do you understand me, Elly ?"
"I understand." She couldn't think of anything else to say. Her instinct was to give him the agreement he demanded and then change the subject. Once again she found herself hesitating to push Jess.
Out on the street there was no sign of
Damon shook his head sadly. "You surprise me, Winter . I would have expected you to keep going in the fast lane. All the way to the top, wherever that is. People used to say the sky was the limit where you were concerned. Now look at you, getting ready to run an inn in a sleepy little village on the coast. Picked just the right kind of woman to go with your new life-style, didn't you? She looks sweet, Winter. Maybe a little too sweet for you. After all, you're accustomed to something with a little more tang, aren't you? I never—Hey! Damn you, what the hell do you think ...?"
"Jess!" Elly whirled around, stunned to see Jess come away from the counter in a smooth, coiled movement.
He had Damon flattened against the wail before Elly fully realized what had happened. Raw menace etched Jess's face, and his eyes were like ice as he leaned forward. His voice was a harsh whisper.
"Get out of here, Carrington. Don't let me see you again. Is that very clear? I swear as God is my witness I won't be able to guarantee your safety if I ever see you again. If you come near Elly I can promise you that I'll make you pay."
Damon hissed, "Pay? You're the one who's going to pay, Winter. You owe me!"
"For what?"
"For what you did to Marina!"
"I didn't do a damn thing to her except divorce her.
And as I recall she was already tired of me anyway. Are
you crazy, Carrington?" _
"She's dead!"
"I didn't kill her and you damn well know it," Jess growled.
"She'd be alive today if it hadn't been for you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You cut her off without a penny," Damon said accusingly.
"So? She'd socked away plenty while she was married to me. Not exactly my fault if she didn't invest it! You are crazy."
"She wouldn't have had to sleep with that old bastard if it hadn't been for the way you left her high and dry."
"I get it," Jess said wearily. "If she hadn't been sleeping with him for his money she wouldn't have been on his yacht when it capsized. Therefore, it's all my fault. Is that your logic? You're out of your mind, Carrington." He released his victim. "Get away from me. I don't want to see you anywhere near Elly again. Get out of here!"
Damon moved warily away from the wall, straightening his rumpled black shirt. "You owe me, Winter ."
Jess ignored him, reaching for Elly's arm as she came around the counter. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," she whispered, shaken by the violence. "Yes, I'm ready."
The chime sounded as the door closed abruptly behind Damon Carrington. Elly jumped a little at the noise. "Excitement," she said almost inaudibly.
"What?" Jess was turning off the lights with swift, chopping motions of his hand.
"You said the Carringtons brought excitement into one's life. I don't think I'm into excitement, Jess. Not if that's any sample of it."
Jess halted at the door, turning to look down at her. His eyes were fierce. "And you're not going to get 'into' it. You're not going to get anywhere near it, do you understand? I don't want you in the same room with Damon Carrington. Elly , I've seen Carrington in action.
The man's a warlock where women are concerned. He casts spells on them."
"Not on all women," she denied.
"You don't know what I'm talking about."
"Little Compass Rose hated him on sight." And it didn't take me much longer to hate him, Elly added silently. She had begun to hate and fear Damon Carrington the moment she realized he was a threat to Jess.
"Compass Rose? Oh, you mean Sarah Mitchell's kid. I'm not talking about his effect on children. But I've seen him manipulate women, and they're like putty in his hands. Stay out of his way. Do you understand me, Elly ?"
"I understand." She couldn't think of anything else to say. Her instinct was to give him the agreement he demanded and then change the subject. Once again she found herself hesitating to push Jess.
Out on the street there was no sign of
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