A Dangerous Game (20 page)

Everything that had happened to her that evening had aroused her to

some degree, including Nicolas Schlemann's unconventional seduction

techniques, and now, as she felt him deep inside her, she was unable to

disguise a groan of pleasure.
 
His hands slipped under her bottom,

lifting her slightly, pulling her close.
 
After his initial haste, he

seemed willing to slow down, but she discovered to her surprise that

she had found his rough dominance exciting and erotic.
 
To provoke him,

she made a pretence of struggling.
 
He caught her wrists and forced her

arms back over her head, pressing them against the desk top.

"Trying to escape?"
 
She felt his grip tighten.
 
His hips thrust

faster, and she writhed against him.

"You don't fool me, doctor.
 
You like it quick and hard, don't you? And

you like servicing a man you've only just met."
 
His breathing was

ragged now.
 
She could feel him losing control.

"You want me.
 
Just as much as I want you."

His climax came suddenly and she felt the shuddering spasms of pleasure

roll through his body.

Although she did not manage to reach orgasm, she still felt a certain

erotic glow.

"Well," he said, zipping himself up, 'this isn't exactly the way I

planned it.
 
But it was very nice, all the same."
 
He held her hands

and pulled her up to a sitting position.

"I have to go now.
 
You can stay, of course.
 
I'll have a car standing

by for you, when you want to go home."

"Will you be coming back here?"
 
she asked.

"No."
 
He walked to the door, and added smoothly:

"I've accomplished my objective for this evening."

She stood up and adjusted her dress.
 
Smug bastard, she thought,

without rancour.
 
I saw, I conquered, I came!

"Don't bother about the car," she said sweetly.

"I'll ask Raoul to drive me home."

Nicolas turned.

"If you're trying to make me jealous that isn't the way to do it. Raoul

isn't man enough to satisfy you, and you don't want him anyway. You

have what you want now, and what you need."
 
He smiled his crooked

smile.
 
He paused, briefly.

"I'll phone you when I want you again.
 
Good night, Dr.
 
Muldaire."

He closed the door before Jacey had a chance to retaliate.
 
She sat

down on the edge of the desk.
 
Is that true, she asked herself.
 
Is he

really what I want?
 
Right now, he is, and I'm not ashamed to admit

it.

Why shouldn't I have an affair, without commitment, with this

conceited, but undeniably attractive, man?
 
I've been sent to Guachtal

to check out the political climate, and Nicolas Schlemann seems to be

the country's ruler in everything else but name.
 
She smiled to

herself.
 
He's everything I need, is he?
 
Perhaps it's just as well he

has no idea how accurate that is.

She had no qualms about ending her relationship with Peter Draven.

Inadvertently Peter had helped her to do the job she was sent here to

do.
 
She was disappointed in him, though.
 
And in Raoul Marquez.
 
Peter

had behaved like a pimp, and Raoul had condoned it.
 
She gave her dress

one final tug and glanced down at the remains of her silky thong lying

on the floor.
 
Well, she thought, that'll give the cleaners something

to gossip about in the morning.

But when she went out into the corridor she realised that her discarded

underwear would be small fry compared to some of the other items the

staff would probably find littered about the next day.
 
The party

atmosphere was changing.
 
There were new guests of a type Jacey was

certain that Carlos and his wife would have nothing to do with.
 
As she

walked towards the stairs a statuesque blonde in a stunning,

full-length silver dress swayed past her.
 
The hip-hugging skirt was

split from waist to ankle at the back, and as the woman moved, her

naked bottom was tantalisingly revealed.

"Dr.
 
Muldaire?"
 
The woman turned suddenly, and Jacey recognised

Carmen, Senor Valiente's 'secretary'.
 
"Whatever are you doing here?"

"The same as you, I imagine," Jacey said.

Carmen laughed.

"I hope not.
 
I'm working."
 
Turning round she parted the long, silver

skirt, revealing even more of her bottom, and wiggled provocatively.

"As you can see."

Jacey smiled.
 
She was beginning to like the earthy Carmen.

"I hope Senor Valiente approves?"

"Oh, he's not here," Carmen said.

"He wouldn't dare come to a party like this.
 
His wife might find out.

Pity really, he's a lot easier to please than the bastards who'll be

fucking me later on this evening.

He pays me promptly, too."

"And the people here don't?"
 
Jacey asked.

"Carlos pays us," Carmen said.

"Eventually.
 
But it's like getting blood out of a stone.
 
The girls

are nice to people he owes favours to, or wants favours from, or

whatever, and if we're lucky we get our money in about six months'

time."
 
There was a touch of contempt in her voice.

"Good old respectable Carlos.
 
We can hardly sue him, can we?"
 
She

gave Jacey a curious stare.

"But why are you here?
 
Don't you know what goes on when Carlos and his

stuck-up little wifey go home?"

"I heard things might get a little wild," Jacey admitted.

"Wild?"
 
Carmen laughed.

"This place turns into a whorehouse.
 
Didn't anyone tell you that?
 
And

the wives of some of the guests are worse than we are.
 
I'm not judging

you, but it's not the kind of thing I think you'd enjoy."

"I wouldn't," Jacey agreed.

"But Peter asked me to come, and' "Peter Draven?
 
Dr.
 
Draven?"
 
Carmen

sounded shocked.

"You're not serious?
 
I mean, some of the young doctors at La

Primavera, they've enjoyed themselves with us, you know, especially in

that operating theatre.
 
But not Dr.
 
Draven.
 
He was always so decent.

He actually asked you to this party?
 
I'm amazed!"

"He did promise to take me home before things got out of hand," Jacey

explained.

"Why hasn't he?"
 
Carmen demanded.

"Where is he, anyway?"

"He's gone," Jacey said.
 
She knew that Carmen would find out about her

relationship with Nicolas before very long, and decided that she might

as well forestall any gossip.

"Actually, I'm with Nicolas Schlemann now."

Carmen stared at her with a look that Jacey realised was almost one of

pity.

"Well," she said, 'our Nicci didn't waste much time, did he?"

"I have to admit I didn't exactly discourage him," Jacey said.

Carmen sighed.

"Why do so many decent women fall for that bastard?
 
Men like Nicolas

should simply pay for sex.
 
He can't hurt whores like me;

we don't matter.
 
But you're an educated woman.
 
Don't you know that

Nicolas likes playing kinky games, and when he gets tired of you, he'll

dump you?
 
It usually takes him about four weeks.
 
Six has been the

longest so far."
 
She looked at Jacey with genuine concern.

"I

think he gets a kick out of it, especially if he knows the woman still

fancies him.
 
I wouldn't want to see that happen to you."

"It won't," Jacey said.

"Believe me.
 
I know all about men like Nicolas Schlemann." Impulsively

she caught hold of Carmen's hand.

"And don't put yourself down.
 
Whores don't matter, indeed!
 
There's

not a lot of difference between you and me.
 
We're both trying to make

people feel better."

Carmen smiled.

"Well, at least no one here will dare touch you."
 
She paused.

"Except maybe Raoul, and I'm sure you can handle him."

"Raoul and Nicolas are two of a kind, aren't they?"
 
Jacey said

dismissively.

Carmen looked at her in surprise.

"No, they aren't.
 
Haven't you met Raoul?
 
He's a sweetie, a romantic.

His only problem is that he's seen too many American movies.
 
He thinks

life is all about fighting the bad guys and getting the girl, you

know?"

No, thought Jacey, I didn't know.
 
That isn't how I picture Raoul

Marquez.
 
Certainly some of his romantic dialogue wouldn't have been

out of place in a film.
 
But I can't see him challenging Nicolas Schle

mann, or daring to steal his woman, come to that.
 
Getting someone else

to bring a woman to him seems to be more his style.

The two women walked down the wide staircase together.
 
The Latin

American band had disappeared and noisy rock music was beating out from