The 22nd Secret (82 page)

P
a
ula l
a
y
on t
h
e
le
a
th
e
r cou
c
h stu
d
y
i
n
g
t
h
e
I
nd
i
a
n
ru
g
s while
J
im
sat in the
c
h
a
ir he slept in
t
he
ni
g
ht be
f
o
r
e
.

“
L
e
t
’
s
g
o thro
u
g
h it
one
more
t
i
me. Can
y
ou th
i
n
k of
a
n
y
t
hing w
e
’
v
e
m
i
ssed
?
”

“
I
don
’
t know,
J
i
m
. You’
r
e
the one
with
t
he
plan.
I
ca
n
’
t
t
hink of
a
n
y
th
i
n
g,
but
I
wouldn
’
t h
a
ve
tho
u
g
ht of h
a
lf the
t
hin
g
s
y
ou h
a
v
e
.”

J
i
m
l
ook
e
d
a
t
P
a
ula she s
a
t
c
ross
-
l
e
gg
e
d on the
c
o
u
c
h
, le
a
ni
n
g
b
a
c
k.
J
im
w
a
s sudden
l
y r
e
m
i
nd
e
d of the
r
o
m
a
nt
i
c
fee
l
i
n
g
s th
e
y
sha
r
e
d that
mornin
g
.
P
a
ula st
i
ll
wo
r
e just
a
b
a
throbe
a
nd boots.

P
a
ula
fe
lt
his
e
y
e
s probi
n
g
h
e
r
a
nd she
w
a
s i
m
me
r
s
e
d
in d
e
sir
e
.
S
he
looked
a
t
J
im
w
i
th fi
r
e
in her
e
y
e
s
.
S
he
ju
m
p
e
d off
the
c
ou
c
h
a
nd in
t
o
J
i
m
’
s lap, h
a
n
g
i
n
g
h
e
r
l
e
g
s o
v
e
r one
a
rm of the m
a
ss
i
ve
c
h
a
ir
a
nd th
r
owing
h
e
r
a
rms
a
round
h
is ne
c
k.

“
I
hope
w
e
’
r
e
done
w
o
r
k
in
g
, b
e
ca
use
I
’m hu
n
g
r
y
a
nd st
a
rvi
n
g. Hu
n
g
r
y
f
o
r
that tr
o
ut dinner
y
o
u pr
o
m
i
s
e
d
a
nd
sta
r
ving
f
or
y
ou.

J
i
m s
m
i
l
e
d
a
nd kiss
e
d h
e
r n
e
c
k.

“
You know
how h
a
rd it’s
b
ee
n for
m
e
to
w
a
lk
a
r
o
und
with
j
ust a b
a
throbe
o
n
?
W
a
i
t
ing for
y
ou to get hot for
me
a
g
a
i
n
?
N
e
xt
t
i
m
e
y
our
f
r
i
e
nd
B
i
l
l r
a
dio’s
y
ou tell
him
y
ou’
r
e
bu
s
y
.”

S
he
p
a
ss
i
on
a
te
l
y
kis
s
e
d
J
i
m
,
than let Jim
t
a
ke
c
ontrol of h
e
r.
H
e
kis
s
e
d h
e
r
b
ac
k
a
nd p
re
ssed h
e
r
c
loser
to h
i
m
.
S
he
wond
e
r
e
d
if s
h
e
c
o
uld
e
v
e
r tell
J
im
that h
e
r bo
d
y
r
e
spon
d
ed
dir
ec
t
l
y
to h
i
s tho
u
g
hts.

“
You
’
r
e
so b
ea
ut
i
ful,”
J
im s
a
id,
ca
r
e
ss
i
n
g
the side
of h
e
r
f
ace
.
S
he
l
ea
n
e
d
i
nto
his
ca
r
e
ss. H
e
r
e
x
c
i
t
e
ment
g
rew
w
i
t
h
eac
h kis
s
.
S
he
kn
e
w th
i
s m
i
g
ht be the
on
l
y
c
h
a
n
c
e
she
would
g
e
t
t
o
e
x
p
e
ri
e
n
c
e
the love
a
nd
t
e
nd
e
rn
e
ss s
h
e
looked
f
or
a
ll
h
e
r lif
e
.

“
G
e
t
m
e
a
b
ee
r
f
r
om
t
he
b
a
r
,”
J
im
said.
“
I
’m
g
oi
n
g
to
g
e
t
t
h
a
t fi
r
e
g
oi
n
g
.”

P
a
m kn
e
w he
w
a
n
t
e
d to he
a
t
t
he
a
r
e
a
in
f
ront of
t
he
f
ir
e
pl
a
c
e
so she
would be
c
omfo
r
table
without
the
b
a
throb
e
.
P
a
ula pl
a
ce
d
h
e
r h
a
nds on
e
ac
h side
o
f
J
i
m’s
fac
e
a
nd d
r
e
w n
ea
r
a
s if to k
i
ss h
im
. H
e
r
e
y
e
s loc
k
e
d on h
i
s and
he
fe
lt
h
e
r in his
t
ho
u
g
ht
s
.
B
e
f
o
re
he
c
ould
g
e
t up, she
whisp
e
r
e
d in h
i
s
m
i
nd
a
g
a
in.

W
h
e
n
y
ou’
r
e
rea
d
y
l
e
t
m
e
k
now.
W
hate
v
e
r you
w
an
t
, th
i
nk
it
and I wi
l
l
do
it for you.
Y
our mind,
y
our thoughts wi
l
l
c
ontrol my
bod
y
. I
want
t
o please
y
ou.

P
a
ula
’
s
e
y
es
w
e
re
st
i
ll
e
t
c
h
e
d in
t
o his m
i
nd wh
e
n
he
h
ea
rd
h
e
r sp
e
a
k f
r
om
t
he
b
a
r.
“
Mind if
I
g
e
t one
f
o
r
m
y
s
e
lf
?
”
L
ike s
n
a
pping
out of
a
d
a
y
d
r
ea
m
,
J
im
f
ound hi
m
s
e
lf si
t
t
i
ng
in
t
he
c
h
a
ir
a
lone.

W
hat
t
he
h
e
ll
was that?
He
thou
g
ht for a moment then stood
a
nd b
e
g
a
n
fill
i
ng
the
fi
re
pl
a
c
e
with
wood.