Unforgettable (29 page)

“
I’m cold.”

“
Come here.” I sat sideways
between his legs and he wrapped his arms around me.

“
Marry me. Please. I love
you so very much.”

“
You’re breaking the rules
again.”

He kissed me, small at first, then
deep, long, and hungry.

“
Time to go to bed,” he
muttered.

I smiled.

Saturday

Justin, one of the new security guards,
met me in the kitchen the next morning.

“
Fresh pot of coffee,” he
said with a smirk. “I thought you might be tired.”

I gave him a drop dead look and
laughed.

“
You’re very
bad.”

I was wearing a silk short robe and
nothing else. It felt invisible. It was clear the bedroom walls
were not sound proof.

He handed me the new scripts for the
day. I was surprised that there were so many.

I carried coffee to Fritz.

“
I have work to
do.”

“
So do I. We’re having
trouble with a tenant. A large company. I have to go have a
discussion with them but I can be back tonight.”

I looked at him, uncomfortable and
embarrassed.

“
What?”

“
David’s coming over to
discuss some scripts.”

“
I’ll bring
sushi.”

I looked away.

“
Or not. I guess you’re
having a meeting like we had a meeting last night.” He was hurt and
I didn’t know what to say.

“
I have to talk to David
alone.”

He pulled me down to him and kissed
me.

“
I don’t want anyone to have
a meeting with you like we did.”

“
We’ll get together soon. I
just have to do this.”

He got dressed and left without saying
a word. I felt like I’d just drunk sour milk. It made me feel so
sick to hurt him.

I sat and stared at the phone for a
long time. And then I called Jack.

“
I hope I’m not getting you
out of something important.”

“
No, what’s up?”

“
I was wondering if you’d
like to come over tomorrow night. If you can.”

There was silence.

“
I’m cooking.”

“
Does that mean I’m bedroom
potential? Like Fritz last night and David tonight?” His voice was
rough with anger.

“
Perhaps it’s not a good
idea.”

“
No, no. I’m sorry. I’d love
to see you.”

“
I’d love to see you, too.
Tomorrow.” I was trembling when I hung up.

David showed up at quarter to
six.

He gave me a big hug and then showed me
some travel pamphlets.

“
What are these?”

“
I’m taking you on vacation.
You desperately need a vacation and so do I.”

“
Paris, Vancouver, Montreal.
They all look wonderful. But I don’t have suitcases and clothes and
shoes.”

He pulled me next to him on the
couch.

“
Then you’ll have to go
naked. The best thing you wear.”

We ordered Chinese and
watched
The Full Monty
.

I straddled him and kissed
him.

“
What’s happening,
Sam?”

“
You know that I love you,
and I love Fritz and Jack. I’ve decided it’s time to take it to the
next level.”

“
You’re lying.”

I giggled.

“
I’m not going to pass up a
night with you, don’t get me wrong, I just want to know you’re
okay.”

I put his hand between my legs and
pushed. “I can tell you that I truly want to be with you tonight.
If you’re not good with that…But there is one rule.”

“
No whips? No feathers? No
handcuffs?”

“
No discussion about
marriage or me moving in. Just staying in the moment.”

He nodded.

“
As long as I can have
whips. And whipping cream.”

He chased me in the bedroom and we both
circled the bed.

“
Take your clothes off!” he
shouted at me with his mischievous smile.

“
Okay!” I stripped and he
moaned. We were like two wrestlers in the ring.

“
Take your clothes off!” I
shouted.

“
You are so hard,” I
whispered.

“
Lay down!” he
yelled.

I laughed.

“
What has gotten into
you?”

“
I’m about to pounce.” And
he did, pushing deep into me, licking and biting my
nipples.

We romped like wild animals, finally
resting together.

I laughed hysterically.

“
Have fun?”

“
Yes.”

“
Vacation. Go away with me
and we’ll have fun all the time.”

“
You’re breaking the
rule.”

“
My, my, guess you’ll have
to spank me.”

He made love to me again, this time
gently, leisurely, and I loved it.

“
Let’s make a baby tonight,”
he nuzzled my neck with his soft beard tickling me. “I don’t have
to use anything…”

“
Are you
serious?”

He lay on his side and looked down on
me.

“
Sam, I’ve never said that
to another woman. Or man, for that matter. I love you so much my
heart aches when I see you.”

“
What am I going to do?” I
sat up quickly accidently knocking him off to the floor. I
continued to talk to him, hanging off the side of the
bed.

“
Hey, man overboard here,”
he laughed.

“
I love you, too,” I went
on, “I really do. But I love Fritz and I guess I still love
Jack.”

He climbed back on the bed, pushing me
over.

“
That’s a good thing since
he’s coming over tomorrow night.”

“
You three talk way too
much.”

He laughed.

“
Give it time, my love. Time
will tell if you and Jack can make it. Then you just have me and
Fritz. And I am, of course, the logical choice.”

He kissed me again and again, playing
until I came.

“
You are so good at this,” I
told him panting.

“
I love women and I love
sex. I’d make a great gigolo, if only I had Jack’s
looks.”

“
I’d pay a whole lot for
you.” I began to cry.

“
Baby, why the tears? You
don’t have to pay.”

“
Just thinking about tonight
and how much I really love you.”

“
You’re lying.”

“
Best I’ve got.”

He curled around me, pulling me close,
kissing my shoulders.

“
I’m always here. Anything
that makes you cry…I want to know.”

I fell silent and we drifted into a
land of utter contentment.

Howard McMorris had been
summoned. His club, Night Fire, was packed, but one of his managers
had called him and said to go to the loading dock.

Something made his guts
twist.

Something in the tone of
Ramone's voice. An edge.

His office, an upper loft
in the huge building was his sanctuary. Soundproofed from the chaos
below.

He walked through the
crowd, nodding to two of his security guards to come with
him.

Jameson and two other suits
were in the back. He'd met Jameson before when they'd gotten
robbed. The back door of a dark sedan opened and Chief Matthews
stepped out.

"Mr. McMorris. Chief
Matthews. You have quite a crowd tonight."

"Always. Is there a
problem?"

The Chief sauntered toward
him, kicking gravel.

"I sure as hell hope not.
Like a fire hazard. Wouldn't a fire hazard be tragic,
Jameson?"

Jameson
snickered.

"Tragic. I thought I saw
too many people in the front area. Probably against code. And his
panels...out of date. Pity to shut him down."

Howard glared.

"What's this about,
Chief?"

"It's called the win-win,
young man. I win and you don't get shut down. I win and your family
back in Kansas stay safe. You know, Martha and Robert?"

"You son of a
bitch."

"Now, don't get upset.
Everyone bends over eventually. You gotta understand. I got
expenses. You're just making a little contribution to your public
servants."

Howard looked at his two
security staff. He knew if they resisted or threatened at all the
Chief would kill them. Jameson had his hand on his gun.

"How much?"

"So little you won't even
feel it. Starting now..."

The Chief
laughed.

Sunday

I made my grandmother’s stew and put it
in the oven. Then I called David.

“
David?”

“
Yes my sweet.”

“
We forgot to talk about the
two scripts.”

“
I’d better come over
tonight.”

“
No.”

“
The sheets aren’t even cold
and you’re having the reprobate over?”

“
The sheets are in the
laundry. Can you just send the currier and I’ll send them back to
you?”

“
But I have to hear your
thoughts…personally. Perhaps tomorrow.”

“
I’m busy.”

“
Is there a fourth to the
lineup? My girl you’re going to get friction burns.”

“
Yes. The entire security
team. We’re having a wonderful orgy. Oils and vibrators and
anal…things.”

David was silent for a long
time.

I thought he would laugh.

“
Something’s going on, Sam.
If I have to come and kidnap you I will.”

“
Okay. It’s just a legal
thing I have to do with the FBI and Silverman. Just some
technicalities.”

“
I’ll send a courier,
sweetheart. I’m going to talk to you tomorrow, though. What time do
you go with Silverman?”

“
Ten.”

“
Why don’t I go with you?
Have one of my legal staff go with us?”

“
No. It’s really nothing.
Looking at some pictures. No big deal. Talk to you
tomorrow.”

I cooked and baked and cleaned and
finally took a shower. I wore the same halter dress I had worn the
night of the big party.

Jack stepped off the elevator at seven
looking so hot it took my breath away. He wore a white shirt, open
to the belly, black jeans, and cowboy boots.

“
Woman, you look good enough
to eat with cranberry sauce.”

“
I remember when you first
said that to me.”

“
I do, too.”

“
Drink?”

“
Juice if you have
some.”

“
Juice?”

He nodded and gave an uncomfortable
cough.

“
After you left I had a
three day bender. All I remember is Fritz making me drink this
horrible stuff and I threw up about a hundred times. And then the
next day he dragged me to one of his AA meetings. ‘Been sober ever
since.”

“
Wow. I’m sorry
I…”

“
My fault.”

“
I’m proud of you,
though.”

“
In therapy, too,” he said
and stared at me for a long time.

We sat on the couch.

“
I know, me, therapy. Go
figure. I’m sorry for all the pain. All the pain,
Sammy.”

“
Me too. Pain I caused
you.”

He swirled his orange juice.

“
Miss your
scotch?”

“
Yes. A lot. I would love
one right now.”

I nodded, not knowing what to
say.

“
Hungry?”

“
Always. Something smells
wonderful.”

“
Stew and corn
bread.”

“
You’re kidding? I haven’t
had stew and corn bread since I left West Virginia.”

“
My grandmother taught me
how to make it. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like
it.”

I took his hand and led him to the
table. Just holding hands with Jack always made me warm.

I served him a large bowl of stew with
the thick cornbread.

“
My grandma was a wonderful
woman.”

He leaned back in his chair.

“
I am so full. I love your
grandmother. We’ve gotten rid of all of our cooks until the threat
from Welsh is gone so we have a steady diet of Chinese, pizza, and
burgers.”

“
I’m sorry I brought so much
evil into your life.”