Green Fire Read Online Free Page A
Author: Unknown
about?"
"Maybe if I tell you the first part of the tale, you'll understand."
"I told you, I'm not interested," she tried to say. But she was. Vitally interested. Flint seemed to sense it.
"The story goes back to the seventeen hundreds," Flint said as he closed the door behind her. "I'll spare you the details, since you say you're not interested, but the important part is that the woman who owns the ring has an affinity for cats and a woman's power over one particular man. She doesn't know who he is, but once he's drawn to her his future, as well as her own, is sealed."
"That sounds very uncomfortable."
"In each generation that the ring finds its way onto the hand of a woman who can control it, there's a man who is fated to be drawn into her power."
"Whoever said life was fair?" Rani smiled with a flippancy she didn't really feel. "Lucky for you, this ring is a fake."
"I don't know about that. I seem to be here, don't I?"
Rani stepped back, her hand on the doorknob. "Does the legend say what happens to men who chase false rings?"
Flint shook his head, watching as she opened the door and prepared to flee back to the main house.
"No. But the second part of the tale explains the technique the ensnared man uses to make certain the lady is as bound to him as he is to her."
"Really?" she asked scornfully. "What's he supposed to do? Boil up a caldron full of dead bat's tongues?"
"Nothing that complicated," Flint said gently. "All he has to do is take the lady to bed. After that the lady belongs to him, body and soul."
Rani's breath seemed to catch in her throat. Her body was suddenly vibrating with the primitive need to run, even though Flint hadn't taken a step toward her. It was all she could do to summon a cool, derisive expression. "Lucky for both of us then that the ring is a fake. Good night, Flint."
"I'll see you back to the house."
"No," she said with soft arrogance, "you won't." She stepped out into the rain and slammed the door behind her.
It wasn't until she reached the kitchen door of the main house and stood shaking out the umbrella under the leaking porch roof that she realized she'd been followed. Startled, she glanced up and peered through the rain-swept darkness. Flint was standing there, not more than a few feet behind her, his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket as he watched her.
"Good night, Rani."
She couldn't think of anything to say so she hurried inside and locked her door. Leaning back against the wood, her hands on the knob, she drew several steadying breaths and then lifted her lashes to stare at the empty bowls of stew on the table. Zipp was calmly preparing to help himself to what remained in Rani's dish.
"Get off that table, Zipp!"
Unrepentant, Zipp jumped down and wandered back out into the living room. Thoroughly annoyed, Rani scooped up the dishes and carried them over to the sink. The cat and Flint had a similar philosophy of life apparently. They both took what they could get.
She was going to have to keep an eye on both of them, Rani told herself as she did the dishes. She was going to have to stay in control. The life she had created for herself was very safe, very risk-free. She had no intention of changing her pattern of living to accommodate a man who had eyes that held green fire in their depths.
Chapter Two
The first thing Rani noticed the next morning was that the storm had passed through, leaving a chilled, slightly damp but basically sunny day in its wake. The second thing she noticed was that she didn't appear to be alone in the house. The distinct clash and clang of pots and pans and a slamming refrigerator door came from the kitchen.
She could probably assume it wasn't a burglar, Rani decided as she shoved back the covers and padded over to the closet. Most burglars would have better manners. She wrapped the turquoise-and-shocking-pink bathrobe around herself, stepped into her fluffy bright pink slippers and started grimly down the hall.
At the entrance to
"Maybe if I tell you the first part of the tale, you'll understand."
"I told you, I'm not interested," she tried to say. But she was. Vitally interested. Flint seemed to sense it.
"The story goes back to the seventeen hundreds," Flint said as he closed the door behind her. "I'll spare you the details, since you say you're not interested, but the important part is that the woman who owns the ring has an affinity for cats and a woman's power over one particular man. She doesn't know who he is, but once he's drawn to her his future, as well as her own, is sealed."
"That sounds very uncomfortable."
"In each generation that the ring finds its way onto the hand of a woman who can control it, there's a man who is fated to be drawn into her power."
"Whoever said life was fair?" Rani smiled with a flippancy she didn't really feel. "Lucky for you, this ring is a fake."
"I don't know about that. I seem to be here, don't I?"
Rani stepped back, her hand on the doorknob. "Does the legend say what happens to men who chase false rings?"
Flint shook his head, watching as she opened the door and prepared to flee back to the main house.
"No. But the second part of the tale explains the technique the ensnared man uses to make certain the lady is as bound to him as he is to her."
"Really?" she asked scornfully. "What's he supposed to do? Boil up a caldron full of dead bat's tongues?"
"Nothing that complicated," Flint said gently. "All he has to do is take the lady to bed. After that the lady belongs to him, body and soul."
Rani's breath seemed to catch in her throat. Her body was suddenly vibrating with the primitive need to run, even though Flint hadn't taken a step toward her. It was all she could do to summon a cool, derisive expression. "Lucky for both of us then that the ring is a fake. Good night, Flint."
"I'll see you back to the house."
"No," she said with soft arrogance, "you won't." She stepped out into the rain and slammed the door behind her.
It wasn't until she reached the kitchen door of the main house and stood shaking out the umbrella under the leaking porch roof that she realized she'd been followed. Startled, she glanced up and peered through the rain-swept darkness. Flint was standing there, not more than a few feet behind her, his hands deep in the pockets of his jacket as he watched her.
"Good night, Rani."
She couldn't think of anything to say so she hurried inside and locked her door. Leaning back against the wood, her hands on the knob, she drew several steadying breaths and then lifted her lashes to stare at the empty bowls of stew on the table. Zipp was calmly preparing to help himself to what remained in Rani's dish.
"Get off that table, Zipp!"
Unrepentant, Zipp jumped down and wandered back out into the living room. Thoroughly annoyed, Rani scooped up the dishes and carried them over to the sink. The cat and Flint had a similar philosophy of life apparently. They both took what they could get.
She was going to have to keep an eye on both of them, Rani told herself as she did the dishes. She was going to have to stay in control. The life she had created for herself was very safe, very risk-free. She had no intention of changing her pattern of living to accommodate a man who had eyes that held green fire in their depths.
Chapter Two
The first thing Rani noticed the next morning was that the storm had passed through, leaving a chilled, slightly damp but basically sunny day in its wake. The second thing she noticed was that she didn't appear to be alone in the house. The distinct clash and clang of pots and pans and a slamming refrigerator door came from the kitchen.
She could probably assume it wasn't a burglar, Rani decided as she shoved back the covers and padded over to the closet. Most burglars would have better manners. She wrapped the turquoise-and-shocking-pink bathrobe around herself, stepped into her fluffy bright pink slippers and started grimly down the hall.
At the entrance to
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