Authors: Natasha Rostova
The Naked Truth (16 page)
‘No.’
‘My last show is tonight, if you want to come,’ Tess said. ‘After that, I’ll be starting a revival performance next weekend of a show called
Sexology
.’
Sexology
.’
Adam’s eyes widened. ‘And what do you do in that?’
Tess chuckled. ‘I’m not into false advertising, Adam. There are a lot of sexual things that go on in that series. Mostly BDSM related. Whippings, canings, spankings, wrappings, that kind of thing. But I also want to start incorporating some vanilla acts so that it expresses the range of human sexual activity.’ She spread her hands in the air as if she were creating a rainbow.
Adam scratched his nose and wondered if Tess was slightly whacked in the head. ‘And you’re in this show?’ he asked.
‘Of course. I’m in everything. One year I even invited members of the audience to join me on stage, although I didn’t allow them to have actual sex with me.’
‘So what did they do?’
‘They can do the spankings or whatever they like. The catch is that they have to let me do whatever I want to them, too.’
‘Wow.’ Adam shook his head in disbelief as he pictured Tess being spanked. The mere thought made his dick twitch. ‘That sounds amazing.’
‘You mean you’ve never been involved in anything like that?’
‘No, but I’ve heard about it.’
‘I’m surprised that Mr Manicotti never wanted to give you ten lashes with a wet noodle,’ Tess said in amusement.
Adam experienced a sudden, vivid image of Logan fully decked out in leather and chains, wielding a bull-whip. A shiver of both fear and delight ran down his spine. His dick twitched a little more fiercely.
‘I’d love to see your show,’ he said.
‘Great.’ Tess picked up a business card and wrote down an address and telephone number on the back. ‘This is the theatre where I perform. By the way, I’m also looking for a few people to help me out with
Sexology
. Would you be interested?’
Sexology
. Would you be interested?’
‘You mean be in the show?’
‘Yeah. As a matter of fact, I was thinking of doing a piercing segment. We could pierce a part of your body on stage.’
‘Uh, no, I don’t think I’d be into that.’
Tess shrugged. ‘Whatever. Think about it, though.’
‘OK.’ Adam realised he was still holding the blueberry candle. He glanced towards the back of the store. ‘Um, are you the only one who works here?’
‘No, I have another full-time employee.’
‘She’s not working today?’
‘She might be in soon.’
‘I see.’ Disappointed, Adam reached into his pocket for his wallet. Either Logan and Callie were still cosily holed up in bed, or Logan had already gone.
Tess pushed the candle towards him. ‘On the house,’ she said generously. ‘Just make sure you show up for my swan-song
Paint
performance tonight, OK? Eight o’clock sharp. And be sure to come backstage afterwards.’
Paint
performance tonight, OK? Eight o’clock sharp. And be sure to come backstage afterwards.’
Adam nodded. ‘I will.’ He hesitated, then edged towards the door. ‘Well, thanks again, Tess. Nice meeting you.’
‘You too, Adam. Give my regards to Tony Manicotti.’
Adam blushed again and ducked out of the door, clutching the candle in his hand. Well, not only had he missed Logan completely, but he’d just made friends with a complete kook. An attractive kook, but a kook nonetheless.
Tess watched the peculiar fellow leave the store and chuckled to herself. Tony Manicotti! If Adam didn’t work for Logan, then Tess would exchange her leather vests for buttoned-up lace dresses. Rome and ties to the Vatican, my arse, she thought.
But Adam was a cute one, there was no doubt about that. Sandy blonde hair and clear, blue eyes that seemed so amusingly innocent. She hoped he’d come and see her tonight. More importantly, she hoped he’d agree to get involved in
Sexology
. She could use a sweet oddball like him.
Sexology
. She could use a sweet oddball like him.
‘Sorry I’m late.’
Tess glanced up as Callie came down the stairs, looking exhausted and pale with dark circles standing out starkly underneath her eyes. She carried a big mug of coffee and didn’t look as if she’d even bothered to brush her hair.
‘I’d say you look like hell, but hell can’t be that bad,’ Tess remarked.
Callie groaned and sank down into a chair near the counter. ‘I feel worse than that. Well, part of me does, at least. Other parts feel pretty good.’
Tess put her hand on Callie’s forehead, which felt cool and smooth. ‘What’s the matter? Don’t you feel well?’
‘I didn’t get any sleep last night.’ Callie leant her head on the back of the chair and closed her eyes.
‘You don’t feel like you have a fever.’
‘No, it’s not that.’ Callie waved her hand limply in the air. ‘It’s Logan. He was waiting for me last night when I got back.’
‘Here?’ Alarm fluttered through Tess. She didn’t like this whole situation with Logan to begin with, and she especially didn’t like the thought that he now knew where Callie was.
Callie opened her eyes suddenly. ‘Oh, Tess, I’m so sorry. I really enjoyed your performance last night.’
‘Thanks, but enough about me. Logan was here?’
Callie nodded. ‘He was waiting outside. He must have hired someone to find me.’
‘Was Eldrich with you?’
‘Yes, but he ran at the first sight of Logan,’ Callie said. She sighed. ‘I guess I can’t blame him. Even I didn’t want to have to confront Logan.’
‘What happened?’ Tess’s body tightened as she thought of what might have occurred. She liked the look of Logan, but he was also a powerful man who seemed as if he could easily do damage to someone. She wondered if that was the reason that Adam was here. ‘Did he hurt you?’
‘No. We got into a huge argument and then we had sex.’
Tess’s eyebrows lifted. ‘You did, huh? Was it good?’
‘Oh God, it really was.’ Callie covered her eyes with her hand and took a long swallow of coffee. ‘That’s the bad part.’
Tess blinked. ‘Good sex is bad?’
‘No, I mean that all it did was confuse me,’ Callie explained. ‘I’ve been up all night thinking about it. I know it only happened because he was angry, but really, Tess, I didn’t even know he was capable of that kind of thing.’
Tess’s mouth quirked at the corners. ‘What kind of thing is that, Callie?’
‘You know, like . . . well, like an animalistic thing.’ Her voice was husky.
Despite her animosity towards Logan, a shiver prickled Tess’s skin. ‘Mmm. Sounds nice.’
‘It was more than nice. It was beyond belief. I’ve never seen Logan like that before. Ever.’
Tess wondered exactly what had happened. She suspected it was more than just amazing sex, especially considering that Callie looked as if she had been utterly ravished.
‘Wow. So does this mean you’re back together?’
‘No, no, it doesn’t mean that at all.’ Callie groaned and shook her head. ‘He doesn’t even understand why I left him! How can I go back to him when we’re still at such opposite ends of the pole?’
Tess tried to think of a way to phrase her next words tactfully. She saw absolutely nothing wrong with a bout of animalistic sex for herself, but she knew that Callie didn’t think quite the same way.
‘Well,’ she said carefully. ‘Maybe you shouldn’t have let him shag you if you still need some time apart from him.’
Callie groaned again. ‘I know that, Tess. It was a huge mistake. Such a huge mistake. I don’t know what came over me. I just got all caught up in the moment. And I’ve never been caught up in the moment with Logan. Logan doesn’t even
have
moments! But, my God, he had one last night.’
have
moments! But, my God, he had one last night.’
‘Sounds like you did, too,’ Tess observed. ‘Hey, listen. Does a bloke named Adam work for Logan?’
‘Adam? Yes, I think so. Why?’
‘Just curious.’ Tess stroked Callie’s hair soothingly. ‘Look, maybe this fuck was a good thing. Maybe you just needed to get him out of your system.’
‘No, that’s not it,’ Callie said. ‘It was like injecting a serum directly into my bloodstream. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all night. And then I started wondering if I made a mistake in leaving him, which of course I didn’t.’
Tess didn’t bother agreeing or disagreeing. It was pretty clear to her that Callie was a wreck over this. A rush of sudden anger towards Logan Waterford swept over her. What kind of a bastard was he, messing with her friend like this?
‘What happened afterwards?’ she asked.
‘He just left. Of course, he was trying to convince me to come home, which is what started everything in the first place.’ Callie removed her hand from her eyes and looked at Tess. ‘Okay, Tess. Take me to your mimbo.’
‘Mambo,’ Tess said automatically before she processed the meaning of Callie’s words. ‘You’re serious?’
Callie nodded emphatically. ‘Yes. Yes, I am. I’m doing a lousy job of getting Logan out of my life by myself. I could use a little help.’
‘Callie, that’s great! Abiona really will help you, I promise. I’m going to call her right now.’ Tess scurried behind the counter and picked up her address book. ‘I swear, this situation with Logan is getting dangerous. I’ll make an appointment for tomorrow.’
‘Won’t you be too tired after your performance tonight?’
‘Nah, I’ll be fine.’ Tess thumbed through the book and picked up the telephone. ‘Pemba, it’s Tess Zimmerman.’
‘Tess, child, how are you?’ The deep, throaty voice on the other end was salted with a Haitian accent.
‘I’m fine, but a close friend of mine is in a bit of trouble with her estranged husband,’ Tess explained. ‘Her name is Callie Waterford. Can we come and see you and Abiona sometime tomorrow?’
‘Yes, of course. Come at noon, yes?’
‘Can we come in the evening? We both have to work tomorrow.’
‘How about eight o’clock?’
‘Perfect. Thanks, Pemba.’ Tess hung up the phone and smiled at Callie. ‘They’ll see us at eight tomorrow. You’re really not going to regret this, Callie.’
Callie downed the last of her coffee and stood up. ‘I’d better not. And I don’t want Logan in any car crashes or accidents of any kind, for that matter.’
‘Don’t worry. Maybe we can just give him a bad rash or something.’
Callie glowered at her. ‘No rashes. I don’t want the man to suffer.’
Tess was disappointed. ‘Not even a little wart or something?’
‘No. I just want him out of my life. He can go on living his own as freely as he pleases.’ Callie gave Tess a pointed look. ‘I’m serious about this. No warts or mosquito bites or even spots, OK?’
‘OK, OK. You just tell Abiona what you want and she’ll deliver.’ Tess pushed Callie towards the back of the store. ‘Look, go and take a nap at least so that you’re not falling asleep all over my hand-woven pillows.’
‘But Saturdays are so busy. You’ll be swamped.’
‘I’ll wake you if it gets really bad. You’re supposed to sleep off the effects of animalistic coitus, you know.’
Callie appeared too tired to argue and went back upstairs. Tess busied herself for the next few hours with restocking some clothing and helping customers.
Callie came back down after lunch, looking slightly more alert, but still weary. ‘Hey, Tess?’
Tess finished folding a Nehru jacket and placed it on a shelf. ‘Yes?’
‘How did you know about Adam?’
Tess gave Callie a surprised look. ‘Adam?’
‘Yes, you asked me if Logan worked with a man named Adam. How did you know that?’
Knowledge was power, Tess thought. Callie might not be happy about hearing this, but it was better than being in the dark.
‘He stopped by this morning,’ Tess admitted. ‘Seemed a little weird, but very cute. He didn’t tell me outright that he worked for Logan, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out.’
‘Dammit,’ Callie muttered. ‘Maybe he’s the one Logan sent to find me.’
Tess considered the idea. ‘I can find out, if you want.’
‘Really? How?’
‘He promised to come and see
Paint
tonight,’ Tess explained. ‘I was thinking about inviting him over to my place afterwards, so maybe I can get him to do a little talking.’
Paint
tonight,’ Tess explained. ‘I was thinking about inviting him over to my place afterwards, so maybe I can get him to do a little talking.’
‘I don’t know what good it would do, anyway.’
‘It would give you some ammunition against Logan,’ Tess pointed out. ‘Look, he thinks he can control what you do and has the balls to send people after you. But if you know more about his manoeuvres, then you’ll be empowered.’
‘True, I suppose,’ Callie admitted. ‘Well, don’t torture the poor fellow or anything.’
‘I wouldn’t hurt him. Have you met him? He’s like a dandelion.’
‘You mean you just want to pluck him and blow him?’ Callie gave her a half-hearted grin.
Tess laughed. ‘Yeah, something like that.’
She let Callie take over at the store for the rest of the afternoon while she went home to get ready for her final performance. She was surprised at how much she hoped that Adam would be there. Tess had had her share of lovers, but she’d never been the type of woman who waited on edge for the men to call the following day. As far as she was concerned, sex could be a blast when emotions weren’t involved. She wondered if Adam felt the same way.
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