Chameleon, p.8
Chameleon, page 8
It wasn’t working!
Sebastian’s last thought was, Oh, shit! Then everything went white.
Thirteen
You didn’t see what I saw,” Michaela said lazily, swishing her bare feet in the clear, warm water. Sebastian enjoyed the sight of her slim, bare legs as she allowed yellow and blue tropical fish to swarm around her toes.
They were sitting, both bare-assed naked, on a sun-bleached, wooden dock that stretched out into the crystal-clear, aquamarine water in an undisclosed, tropical location.
Nearby, palm trees whispered in the ocean-scented breeze, and the sun picked up diamond-bright chips in the sugar-white sand of the nearby curve of beach.
T-FLAC gifted them a week on the company’s private island, appropriately called Paradise. On the other side of an emerald-green mountain range was the organization’s training facility, but the north shore was completely, blissfully private. And completely off-limits except to Sebastian and Michaela for the week.
A small, well-equipped bungalow with a big bed and enough food to give them much-needed energy was all they wanted or needed.
“And what was that?” Sebastian stroked his fingers lazily up her warm, lightly tanned hip, the late afternoon sun having baked their cold bones all afternoon.
For the first time ever, he’d experienced severe motion sickness during the teleportation and transference of Tongpan’s powers. In fact, even after all this time, Sebastian still felt the faint hum of the wizard’s powers deep inside his body. He hoped to hell it would eventually go away and hadn’t mentioned the residual effect to anyone except Michaela.
Sebastian suspected he might end up in T-FLAC’s psi division after all. He’d cross that bridge when and if he had to.
He and Michaela spent a week in T-FLAC’s Montana medical facility getting checked out before being flown on the company Bombardier Challenger to the island. The deep scratches on her skin caused by the wizard’s spell were completely gone. As were Sebastian’s own injuries. He had felt an overwhelming relief. Sebastian had more scars on his body than he cared to count, but he couldn’t bear anything to mar Michaela’s silky skin.
Crystals of powder-fine sand sprinkled across the slope of her shoulder sparkled in the afternoon sunlight, begging the brush of his lips. Her skin was hot, gritty, and tasted of salt.
“You fried Tongpan into a crispy wonton.” Michaela shuddered and, as Sebastian stroked a hand down her back, turned her head and shot him a delighted and feral grin. “His skin bubbled, and his eyes melted,” she said with relish.
Sebastian laughed. “Bloodthirsty wench.” With a tug, he pulled her onto her back on the warm wood dock, their feet still dangling in the water.
“You do know,” Michaela managed, pretending to ignore his busy hands, “usually the honeymoon comes after the wedding.”
“I know this is all back assward, but…marry me, Michaela. When I first saw you, you stole my breath. I haven’t caught it since.”
She stroked his cheeks. “Ditto.”
He kissed her navel, his hand gliding up the smooth skin on her inner thigh. “You stopped and started my heart.”
She wrapped her slender arms about his neck. “I couldn’t stop looking at you.”
“What about now?”
She gave him a lazy smile, eyes wicked. “I can’t stop touching you.”
“Works for me. I wanted you beyond reason two years ago. Now I have a million reasons to love you.” He lifted his head to look at her. “We have a lot to talk about…” Looking into her velvety eyes, he saw they were filled with love and promises. “We’ve never discussed kids, but I’d like four—”
Her eyebrows went up, and her eyes sparkled. “Two,” she said firmly, her fingers combing through his damp hair.
Ah, man. Did he know her, or what? Two was, “Perfect.” God, he loved this woman. “I want to grow old with you. What do you say?” Not giving her a chance to answer, he kissed her long and slowly, only letting her up for air when she shoved at his shoulder.
“Was there a question buried in there somewhere?”
Sebastian gathered her beneath him, the healing sun on his back and the woman he loved in his arms. With a shout of laughter, he rolled her off the dock. They landed with a splash in the sensually warm water. With a shriek, Michaela took off, arms and legs slicing through the crystalline water as she swam to shore.
With lazy strokes, Sebastian tagged behind her, knowing she’d allow him to chase her until she caught him.
# # #
Chameleon Personal Guide
(Includes Spoilers!)
Main Characters: Sebastian Tremayne and Dr. Michaela Giese
Tango: : Tongpan
Setting: Arctic Circle
Dossier Sebastian Tremayne
Code Name: Chameleon
Previous Mission: Edge Of Danger
Height: 6’ 4”
Hair: Shaggy, Too long, Blue-black.
Eyes: Piercing, Pale blue.
Looks: Tall, dark, brooding good looks, light blue eyes, dimples, hands like ham hocks, very expressive eyebrows.
Body: Broad hairy chest, narrow hips, rock solid abs, sexy dimpled smile, enormous hands, smile that can knock a woman senseless at 50 paces.
Dress: Hand knit, gray sweater and charcoal jeans.
Voice: Rich, Low, Sexy.
Marital Status: Dating Michaela Giese.
Employment: T-FLAC Operative (Not part of the psi unit), A trained counterterrorist operative with a directive.
Skills: Teleportation, Excellent night vision, A supernatural freak of nature. He is considered a power chameleon, can absorb powers from wizards by direct physical contact. But no real powers of his own. Knows his way around women.
Training: 15 years of T-FLAC training & experience.
Personality & Attitude: A disciplined man. Fierce concentration, Ferociously competitive.
Background: No life outside of T-FLAC, Godfather to Cole’s daughter, Has a reputation at T-FLAC Headquarters for being a hotshot, not just in the field but in the sack as well. Wants 4 kids. *Now has wizard powers of his own but no one knows…. Drives a low-slung black Lamborghini Murcielage.
Gabriel taught him sword fighting/fencing very well.
Michaela Giese
DR. MICHAELA GIESE
Mission: CHAMELEON
Hair: Glossy, chestnut-colored, shoulder- length,.
Eyes: Velvety brown,.
Body: Fit, strong, slender, creamy skin,
Dress: Bulky brown sweater and too long black pants rolled at the bottom.
Voice: Husky, Contralto.
Employment: A lab rat for T-FLAC, A nuclear physicist previously on T-FLAC’s payroll.
Skills: An experienced pilot., Excellent hearing.
Training: Extensive T-FLAC training (including combat training).
Personality & Attitude: Smart, Funny, Vibrant, Clever, Brilliant, A realist, Pragmatist, An experimentalist.
Quirks & Habits: A snuggler.
Likes & Dislikes: Wants 2 kids.
Background: Declared dead 2 years ago when bits and pieces of her Cessna were discovered on the shores of the tiny island of Diomede in the middle of the Bering Strait. Her pseudo funeral was held on June 28 when all thought she died in the plane crash. Responsible for building a nuclear bomb. Previously engaged to T-FLAC operative, Cole Summers,. Abruptly called off the engagement a month after their engagement party, when she realized they were comfortable, no more than friends with benefits, Cole didn’t rock her world. Kidnapped for 23 months. Beaten, starved, threatened, and tortured by Tongpan after he kidnapped her. Had row of scars on her biceps and raised scars around her rib cage from Gangjon’s nails. All scars gone now that he is dead.
Supporting Characters
AFANASEI POPOV: Russian, Bald head, Meaty fists, 300 pounds, Massive chest
ANATOLY COHEN (DECEASED): A wizard Shot in the head, T-FLAC Operative, A technopath; power is the ability to control technology, Can use mind control to jam signals and rewire whatever touching the item. Has to speak the language of the original components to get them to respond (made in China, must speak Chinese to the components).
BINGWEN LING (DECEASED): Sarcastic, Barely 5’ tall, A sick S.O.B., A Neurotic sadist, Short man syndrome, Michaela killed him (shot him in the head), Intolerant of the smallest perceived infraction, Specialized in martial art torture techniques that cause immobilizing pain without leaving a mark.
COLE SUMMERS: Happily married, T-FLAC Operative, Teleportation ability, Sebastian Tremayne’s best friend, Previously engaged to Michaela Giese, A father to a delightful little girl and a baby on the way.
DR. RICHARD ACKART: Tall, Older man, Painfully skinny, Horse-like features, Bottle thick glasses, Non-confrontational, Nose like a strawberry, Afraid of his own shadow, Thinning gray hair pasted to his shiny scalp, Kidnapped by Gangjon & Tongpan.
GERALD MALARD (DECEASED): Thin lips, British physicist, Pretentious Dickhead, Large, bad British teeth, Sebastian broke his neck and killed him, Usually unobtrusive except when being a mean & spiteful snake.
KANG GANGJON (DR.): Amoral, Soulless, Ruthless, Dark eyes, Vile-tempered, Hollywood handsome, Impossibly perfect face, Sadistic megalomaniac, Ash-blonde hair combed back. His security men were combat trained in Russia or China practically from birth.
SERGEI GROMYKO: Frail, Late 80’s, Thin gray hair, Non-confrontational, Prominent strawberry-like red nose, Kidnapped by Gangjon & Tongpan.
TONGPAN (DECEASED): Head honcho, Rock solid chest, Deep-set black eyes, Dandelion fluff hair, Teleportation ability, Propensity for violence, Terrifying & Sonorous voice, Sebastian fried him to a crisp, Long, white, cotton candy fine hair, A wizard with untold powers.
T-FLAC: Bombardier challenger plane, Insulated boots with no-sound tread, Personal feelings are unimportant and also forbidden, LockOut suit automatically contracts to the body, making size a non-issue. Instructors rigorously drill self hypnosis skills/training into their ops to keep away night terrors caused by their line of work.
Storyboard Images
About Cherry Adair
Interviews
Cherry Adair - Libraries, Love, and Happily Ever After
I grew up in a suburb of Cape Town (South Africa) with a wonderful library. The building was over a hundred years old, two stories, with a sweeping mahogany staircase leading up to the second floor. No one under 13 was allowed up those stairs. No exceptions.
In the Children’s Library I read my way through every book, short story, piece of loose paper, envelope, or shopping list used as bookmarks, I was ready to go upstairs. MORE than ready!
On my thirteenth birthday the best present from my mother was a brand new library card. I burst into tears, I was so happy. That year, my birthday fell on a Sunday. Talk about bad timing! Worse, the library was closed on Monday’s. I had ants in my pants, and a list as long as my arm of the books I would check out the second I walked through those double, mahogany doors on the second floor. But I had to wait 48 long, anticipatory, hours.
On Tuesday morning, my parents (yes, my father actually took the morning off work for this momentous occasion, and they allowed me to go to school late because, for goodness sake! I could not possibly have waited until 3:30!) and I waited in the car outside for the doors to open at nine. I had, of course, been wide awake and bushytailed since 5 A.M.
When the heavy, carved door opened, the three of us were standing there in the pouring rain. I didn’t care. I would have dashed through the first crack as the door was unlocked and pulled open. OMG! It opened so sloooowly!
My heart started pounding so hard, I gripped my Mom’s hand in case I fainted before I got upstairs. I have never in my life been that excited, and filled with quite that much anticipation as that day. (Not even on my Honeymoon – but that’s another story.)
With my parents on either side of me, I stood at the base of those sweeping, mahogany stairs, frozen in my tracks, savoring the moment. I’d waited so long for this I could hardly breathe. The treads were worn from over a hundred years of feet going up and down them. The swooping gracefully curved banister was satiny smooth (I knew, because I’d been stroking the bottom curve of it for years as I looked up longingly) from thousands of hands (and probably bottoms) sliding down it.
My father crooked his elbow in a sweetly gallant gesture which I’ve never forgotten. I slipped my hand around his arm, and together, the three of us ascended.
My memory has a choir of angels singing on the top landing, and white doves swooping overhead, but I’m pretty sure the Rondebosch Public Library would have frowned on singing and bird poop, so it probably didn’t happen that way.
When we reached the top of the stairs, taken in complete and reverent silence, my father reached over and pushed opened the double doors.
The smell hit me first. Paper. Leather. Dust. Books. Adventure. Romance. I had to just stand there and take it in. THEN I gave my Librarian The List.
Number One: Gone With The Wind. Ahhhhh Bliss. Loved and hated Scarlett, and started writing the moment I closed that book. I rewrote the end many, many times(It was only years, and maturity, later that I knew the ending was absolutely perfect.)
I’ve been a romance writer ever since. It’s the best job in the world and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Questions for Cherry:
What is the craziest or ugliest object in your house, and why do you keep it?
A tough question to ask an ex-interior designer. I , of course, think everything in my house is gorgeous. But, unfortunately, this question is far too easy to answer. Hand’s down my darling husband’s favorite original oil painting which hangs with pride in our living room (See how much I love this man?!) Driving past a garage sale he saw this masterpiece, and knew I’d love it, and it would be absolutely perfect in our home. (Say what?!) This is a man who doesn’t want to have a garage sale, let alone one who stops and purchases anything at one. Nor has he ever bought anything decorative for the house. The subject matter of this work of art is always a conversation piece. The blue sections: A woman’s naked breast? The back end of some sort of farm animal? The lemon/lime green section: A man’s elbow? Possibly the lemon/lime green nose of a hippopotamus with sinus problems? The fuchsia section: A telephone? A cyborg? A piece of silly putty? Over all this is a clear wash (unfortunately too clear!) of fog-gray with lumps of. . .Personally I think lumps of cauliflower. But that’s just my opinion. As I said, I love my first husband.
If there was a movie made about your life, what would it be called? (And just for fun, who would play you?)
Up All Night. Because, well, I usually am up all night - writing. With my husband upstairs asleep, and both dogs snoozing under my desk, the midnight hours are my most productive. I love watching the sun rise as I’m off to bed. The Carrie Wells character played by Poppy Montgomery in Unforgettable should play me. We have the same color hair (I think we might use the same formula for this natural red of ours lol) and while I thinks she’s very attractive, I’d kill for that memory. I don’t remember if I had breakfast most days, let alone remember what it was.
What is the best non-monetary gift you ever received?
My first Library Card.
If you had to pick one romantic scene or couple to recommend to a first-time reader of YOUR books, which would it be? (Any picks for romance novels in general?)
Jake and Marnie from KISS and TELL, I loved their dynamics, and really loved how free and without angst Marnie was. She was Jake’s polar opposite, and watching him fall in love with her was so much fun to watch and write.
Day to Day Life…
Q: First, would you tell us about yourself - your day to day life, family, where you live, your interests, etc.
Cherry: Oh, boy! Day to day life – I’m sure I used to have one. . .
We live south of Seattle, on a small lake, with an incredible view of Mt. Rainier. I love to garden (actually – let me correct that – I love to HAVE a garden, and I love to pick the flowers. I love someone else to do the weeding
I have one husband (when he ticks me off I remind him that, so far, he’s my FIRST husband
My husband and I met on a Thursday and went to lunch, talked on the phone for 9 hours on Friday night, went to dinner on Saturday, and were engaged by Sunday. We got married six weeks later (I had to wait for my ring
There. More than anyone could possibly want to know
Q: Do you have the chance to read in your spare time? What type of books/authors do you read? Are there any who were an inspiration to you?
Cherry: I don’t read as much as I used to. But reading is one of my most favorite things to do. If I love a book, I read it twice. Once as a reader, and then again as a writer to see just how that author touched me.
I adore Anne Stuart, Linda Howard, Nora, Elizabeth Lowell. . .
Q: Is there any advice you can offer the aspiring writer?
Cherry: Me? Offer advice? Lol –
SIT YOUR BUTT IN THAT CHAIR AND WRITE EVERYDAY! There’s more – but I need to see the whites of your eyes to deliver the lecture. . .er. . . inspiration personally.
Q: Where do you get the ideas for your stories? What inspires the novels that you write? Do you ever use personal experiences when writing your stories?
