Page 26 of Loving Graystoke's Heir

He didn’t pick it up. “Maybe later.”

Tamsin didn’t have to look to know that Donal had fixed his gaze on her. She felt it like a physical touch. So, she remained quiet, but Donal didn’t move to take a seat. Instead, he leaned against the end of the table and started to reach for her. She saw the hand he reached out to her and closed her eyes to avoid the temptation.

“You keep your hands off of her!”

The table almost jumped, and Tamsin looked up, startled.

Magheli was on his feet, straddling the bench. “You stay back.”

Donal’s chest rose and fell with each breath and the sleeveless undershirt he wore pulled dangerously right across his chest. “This isn’t about you.”

“The hell it’s not!” Magheli turned to her, his eyes blazing. “He won’t hurt you again, not while I’m here.”

Tamsin knew that it wasn’t Magheli’s intent to cause a ruckus, but that’s exactly what his words did.

His open challenge was like a thorn in a lion’s paw. Donal’s angry shout reminded her that he wasn’t a cat by nature, but she’d never really heard of similar fables about gorillas.

She was, quite simply, out of her depth with Donal.

And then there was the sudden rush of questions that tumbled in her mind and tangled in her throat, but she needed time to think and coming up the road was a vehicle marked as the South African Police.

Tamsin certainly knew there wasn’t anything good to come if the police were involved in this situation. Whatever this was.

She certainly didn’t know.

“Stop! Please!” She sucked in a breath. “Both of you!”

Both men turned to look at her and she suddenly felt so very alone. And lost.

Tamsin backed up a few steps and nearly tripped over her own two feet.

Nomusa dropped her clipboard and darted to her side to take hold of her arm. “They’ll stop.” She turned her sharp gaze toward the two men and lowered her chin in a challenge. “Now. Both of you walk away. Take a breath. Come back when you can act like men and not children.”

Zenzile narrowed her glance in the direction of the men. “Children are better behaved.”

Magheli was the first to break away, holding his hands up in surrender even though he kept his gaze focused on Donal. “I’ll take a walk. After all, we spent a few hours in the jeep together.” He gave Tamsin a smile, but she couldn’t muster one up to return the look.

Donal’s breath huffed from his nose and Tamsin shook herself when she thought she saw his eyes darken, but the color bled away, leaving her struggling to breathe. “Fine, I’ll walk too.”

He started off in the direction he’d come from, and Tamsin started to follow him. It was purely instinct, but her mind warred with that need. She just didn’t know what to do.

Thankfully, the woman beside her had a good head on her shoulders. Nomusa held gently onto her arm. “Stay with me for a moment. Let your mind and heart come to an understanding.”

Blinking, Tamsin saw the wisdom in the woman’s eyes and smiled at her in gratitude. “I think I will. Thank you.”

Gesturing at the table, Nomusa gave her a smile and released her arm to give her a soft pat on her shoulder. “Take a seat. We’ve plenty of umqombothi.”

Thabisa tapped her cup on the table. “You know it’s good because it’s the women who make it.”

Tamsin joined the other woman, but it didn’t take her long to realize that they were one woman short. Amahle explained it easily. Zenzile went with her man to talk to the police. They’ll explain about the poacher and then we’ll have to see how long it takes her to talk some sense into him.”

Looking over at her, Tamsin felt a tiny bit of a smile tug at her lips. “I thought they weren’t… together.”

Nomusa finished pouring another round of beer into their cups. “You should know. That what’s between a man and a woman can be more complicated than ‘together.’”

Tamsin lifted her cup in a salute to the other woman. “Absolutely.”

* * *

---