Carnal Vengeance

by Marilyn Campbell

  For the first time in his adult life, he accepted a woman's invitation to "come in for a nightcap", and actually sat down to have one. He found he really wanted to continue talking to Holly. But when the brandy in their snifters was drained, his mind, and body, were ready for what came more naturally to him.

  She could not recall ever having such a perfect evening. As much as she would have preferred to dislike David and remain unaffected by his charm, it was impossible. Throughout the evening he behaved like the suave gentleman he appeared to be. In spite of a restaurant and concert hall full of beautiful women, he only had eyes for her.

  He had suppressed his innate sexuality beneath a civilized veneer, and her reaction to that was somewhat shocking. She realized she had come to enjoy his innuendos and the constant teasing that kept her in a state of expectancy. All evening his touches and caresses were attentive without being aggressive. She should have been pleased with that. Instead she was wondering how long he was going to make her wait for another of his heart-stopping kisses. God help her, she was dying for him to make love to her again.

  As if admitting it to herself was the key, her waiting was ended. He took her glass and set it on the table then helped her rise from the couch. Only one word was needed, and he spoke it. "Where?"

  She led him to her bedroom.

  Unlike the first time, they savored each moment of their undressing. Their kisses were a physical reflection of the tenderness that had been building between them all evening. And when they moved to the bed it was with a mutual desire to please and be pleased. "Holly, as much as I'd like to continue this without further discussion, there's something we neglected the last time. I'm normally very careful but I wasn't exactly prepared for what happened between us."

  She tilted her head at him. "Are you admitting that David Wells, Most Eligible Bachelor in D.C., lost his cool?"

  He nipped her earlobe. "And whose fault was that? Don't answer. The point is, we're both mature, responsible adults, and should have handled things better. It's a little late but I want you to know I have always used protection when I, um, have been with other women, so—"

  "So, I won't catch anything? Neither will you, if that's what you're worried about. I'm perfectly healthy."

  "Actually, it never occurred to me that you weren't. I just wanted you to know I usually don't—"

  "Get carried away? Well I do seem to recall your having the presence of mind to ask if I'm on the pill."

  "Yeah, but I'm not sure I would have stopped if you hadn't said yes. So, I guess that means you and Philip..."

  She smirked at him. "First, that's none of your business. But the truth is, I take the pill because of bad periods, not to prevent pregnancy."

  She hadn't really given him the information he was fishing for. "That's great. I mean, I just wanted to get the conversation out of the way. Officially." His erection had instantly softened with the mental picture of her in Philip's arms. He blocked out the image, pulled her against him and began stroking her once more.

  The most foolish notion had wormed its way into his thoughts since yesterday. He wanted to put his mark on her in a way that was unfamiliar to him. Their loving was alternately gentle and fierce, and he demanded everything she could give and more.

  David had no idea why it bothered him so much to think of Holly with another man. After all, he was hardly celibate. The difference seemed to be that he couldn't immediately remember which woman had been the last one before Holly. She was the only one he had been thinking of lately.

  For that night he chose to forget the fact that he had an ulterior motive for establishing a bond with her. He only wanted to gather as much of this sweetness as he could before it turned sour, as he knew it would once he uncovered her secrets.

  Perhaps she really was part witch.

  After he had satisfied her a second time, he curled himself around her spoon fashion and went still.

  "David?"

  "Mmmm?"

  "I'd like to go to sleep now."

  "So, turn off the light."

  "No, I mean, alone."

  He raised himself up on an elbow to look at her. "I beg your pardon?"

  "Aren't you going to leave?"

  "No."

  "But I never let, I mean, um—"

  "I'm staying, Holly. Turn off the light and go to sleep."

  "I always leave it on."

  "Fine." He fell asleep with two thoughts—she was not used to sleeping with Philip and she had a vulnerable spot in her psyche. She was afraid of the dark. He'd have to remember that.

  Holly sensed that an important change had occurred in their relationship. As before, he drove her wild with desire, then satisfied her to an extent she hadn't known existed, but he seemed to be more emotionally involved this time. She wanted to believe it meant she had put a dent in his arrogance, that he was beginning to care for her a little.

  He had to want to keep her by his side for a while. He had to want her more than the parade of women before her. Perhaps she should be unavailable the next time he asked her out. But how could she put him off, knowing how wonderful he made her feel?

  She had been certain she wouldn't even close her eyes, not with him literally wrapped around her. She fell sound asleep, though, only to be awakened again hours later by the most delicious dream turned reality.

  They were still on their sides with him behind her, but the hand that had been covering her breast was now stroking between her legs. Even in her sleep he had aroused her to the brink of explosion. When she moved against his hand, he slipped inside her without the slightest effort. They rocked together slowly, and came together quietly, and fell back to sleep, still together.

  In the morning, she was hardly surprised to discover that he had come prepared with a change of clothes in his car. He insisted they had to spend the day at the National Zoo as it was the only way to balance out an evening of fancy clothes and the symphony. They visited the giant pandas, walked the elephant trail, played in the children's area and ate too much junk food. And they held hands the entire time.

  For dinner he took her to a sports bar, where he and Harry often watched the big games of each season together on a big-screen TV. Instead of flatly informing him of her lack of interest in such a pastime, she was flattered that he wanted to share a favorite spot with her.

  They arrived during halftime of a pre-season football game and ordered steak sandwiches and draft beers while a film clip of bloopers was running. As they were eating, the two commentators discussed the teams that would be playing each other in the season's opening games next Sunday. One player's name caught Holly's attention—a name she hadn't known three weeks ago, but which now held meaning.

  "A lot of people were surprised to hear that Billy O'Day signed on for another season," the announcer was saying. "I figured, at forty, he'd be ready to retire."

  "Yep, time for the old man to join us up here in the booth," the ex-quarterback quipped in reply.

  "It looks like Coach Hubbard plans to make the most of it too. Billy's in the starting lineup next week in Philadelphia."

  "Holly?"

  She jerked her gaze back to David. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

  With a laugh, he said, "I thought you said you didn't follow football. I would swear the look on your face was one of rapt attention."

  "Oh, I, uh—" Holly swallowed her nervousness with a sip of beer. "I just thought how terrible it must be to be considered over the hill at forty."

  He nodded his agreement. "Yeah, but O'Day's had a good long run and been paid plenty over the years. He won't suffer. Hell, I wouldn't mind being able to retire a millionaire next year."

  "Hah! You wouldn't last a month before you'd be back to work."

  He raised an eyebrow at her. "Think you know me so well already, huh?" Her answer was a slow, confident smile. "Then what am I thinking right now?"

  She stared into his eyes, but the sensual message she received made her lower her lashes shyly.

&n
bsp; "I guess that one was too easy." His tone was light, but inside a heaviness invaded his thoughts. Insinuating she knew his mind better than he did himself was one of the lines a woman cast when they went fishing for a mate. It was one of many clues David had trained himself to beware of. Holly had gone this long without getting married but that didn't mean she wasn't interested in it at all.

  He had wanted to form a bond with her, to gain her confidence and he thought he was beginning to make progress, but he couldn't deny that she was getting much closer than he'd intended. If he wasn't more careful, he could be the one who ends up in a trap instead of her.

  Holly had no idea what had happened, but David's mood changed during the third quarter of the game, and she had the distinct impression it had nothing to do with the action on the big screen.

  When they returned to her apartment, he kissed her quickly and left without following her inside. Though she was confused by his abrupt departure and the absence of any request to see her again, Holly had been hoping he wouldn't insist on staying.

  Hearing William O'Day's name had been a sharp reminder of why she was with David Wells and it had nothing to do with great sex.

  Chapter 14

  Someone else had been watching the same broadcast as David and Holly and was delighted to hear that Billy O'Day would be in the starting lineup next Sunday in Philadelphia.

  Philadelphia was an ideal location—near enough to come and go by car, no travel reservations that could turn into evidence.

  Discovering what hotel O'Day was staying in would only take a few phone calls. Assuming the old rule still stood about retiring early and alone the night before a game, the same plan that went so smoothly with Ziegler should work again, only this time there would be no Secret Service agents to prevent the message from being made public.

  The first execution had been dedicated to rape victims in general, with one particular person in mind. Perhaps this one should be devoted to Stella.

  Of course, it would have to be done privately. One couldn't publicly dedicate a murder to one's own mother without being implicated. But the thought would be there.

  Images flashed of the woman who had insisted her child call her by her first name rather than anything vaguely maternal, a woman who preferred the company of a bottle to that of her baby. The baby was a teenager before discovering the reason its mother couldn't tolerate the sight of it, but understanding hadn't erased the hurt.

  Stella had been only a teenager herself when she gave birth. Her parents had tried to get the baby's father to do the right thing, but he had friends who swore they had all enjoyed Stella's generous favors around the same time. The picture they painted shamed her and her family—not enough for them to go against their religion and help her get an abortion, just enough for them to banish her from their home.

  Stella hadn't been raped in the physical sense, but what her boyfriend had done was even worse—he had raped her soul and stripped her of the future she had deserved.

  It was the baby's further misfortune that it bore a distinct resemblance to the father.

  When the child had grown to adulthood, it had searched for that man, only to learn that he had died a few years before. As a young man the father had evaded his duty but as a dead man he had escaped his punishment.

  Yes, Billy O'Day would make an excellent stand-in.

  Chapter 15

  Monday morning Holly was still bewildered by David's withdrawal, but she had plenty of work on her desk to occupy her mind. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite complex enough to keep her from being distracted by thoughts of him. If it wasn't his image creeping into her thoughts, it was some small thing he had done, not to mention the secret tingles that stole through her body at the thought of his kiss, or his touch, or even the way he grinned at her.

  If that wasn't disruptive enough, both Bobbi Renquist and Rachel Greenley called her again. Bobbi asked if she'd like to meet for lunch. Rachel asked if she'd like to go out to dinner. They had each said any day, any time, to get better acquainted. Holly put them both off with the explanation that she was backlogged from her Florida trip, and promised to call them as soon as she had more time. Right after Hell froze over, she added to herself.

  When she finally felt as though she was getting her mind back on her work, Philip appeared in her doorway with a deep frown on his face.

  "Didn't your appointment with Senator Iverson go well?" she asked.

  "Where were you all weekend?"

  Holly blinked up at him. She took a slow breath and tried to ignore her guilty conscience. "Hello to you too. I was in and out, shopping, walking."

  "I called your cell half a dozen times. It kept going straight to voice mail."

  Guilt was rapidly being replaced by discomfort. "I forgot to plug it in. I guess it died. And the weather was so nice yesterday, I went to the zoo."

  He stood rigidly on the other side of her desk, his hands fisted in his pockets. "The zoo? Why didn't you call? I would have gone with you."

  She didn't like the way he was questioning her, but she reminded herself that she had never given him reason to question her whereabouts before. She was always exactly where he expected her to be. Forcing herself to soften her voice, she shrugged and said, "It was an impulse. Did you need me for something?"

  The creases in his forehead deepened as he shook his head negatively then nodded. "Yes. I had a question... but I worked it out." Turning to leave, he paused with his back to her and asked, "Are we still on for tonight?"

  "Of course. We've gone out to dinner every Monday night for years. Why would you even ask?"

  Because I know you were out Saturday night after you told me you would be staying home. "Never mind," he said, walking away. He didn't really want to know.

  * * *

  David caught himself smiling... again. This time, however, the cause was quite rational. His editor had questioned him until he revealed the true reason he wanted time off. Fortunately, he agreed with David that the lead about Frampton might be the basis for a really hot story and was allowing him to check it out on the paper's time and money. David had a few items to finish up, then he would begin.

  He quashed the urge to call Holly and share his news with her. At least he could keep from breaking his telephone rule. It was one of the few he hadn't broken with her. In Florida, he had lost control and practically raped her that first time—and without precautions. Then this weekend he broke several more of his rules for dealing with women.

  Never spend the night. He had rationalized that with the logic that technically they had already spent two nights together in Florida. The truth was he had never before wanted to stay with a woman after he was satisfied.

  If she had been the least bit encouraging last night he would not have been able to walk away without having her again. But she hadn't, and he had, breaking another rule. He could almost hear Harry telling him, Never pass up a free meal or free sex. You might have to do without tomorrow. Unfortunately, Harry's advice didn't hold up against David's need to prove to himself that he could walk away from Holly.

  It had to be the novelty of her resisting him that made her so fascinating. She never made the initial move; never touched or kissed him first.

  Though she burned hot as hell once he started her fire.

  She had balked about him spending Saturday night and looked relieved when he didn't go for more than a friendly peck before leaving her last evening. Her surface indifference would be a blow to his ego, if he wasn't so damn certain she loved every minute they spent together. His real problem was that he had no experience with women who didn't chase after him. Holly was an enigma and he knew he wouldn't shake her out of his system until he had her figured out. He also knew they were nowhere near the point where she was ready to spill all her secrets to him.

  All he had to do was break through that stubborn resistance of hers. Once he made her admit she was crazy about him, couldn't stop thinking about him, wanted him with her every minute of the day—then h
e would be able to put his own feelings back onto a more familiar track and get back to working on her connection with Donner.

  Not calling Holly about this news was hardly sensible. After all, she would be interested in hearing that he was going to be looking into the lead they'd discussed, would probably even be pleased for him. But somehow that small gesture of familiarity had come to symbolize his control over their entire relationship. If he phoned her once, there would be no reason not to call her about other, less important things, and sooner or later, he'd be calling just to say hello. Eventually she would be expecting his calls, and before he knew it, she'd be bitching at him when he forgot. The best thing was never to initiate telephone communication at all.

  He gave a fleeting thought to sending her a text but instantly decided that was only a different way of heading down the same road.

  On Wednesday, he decided he'd given her enough time to wonder if she would see him again. With Evelyn's cooperation, he was once more seated behind Holly's desk when she arrived.

  "Go away, David," she said as soon as she saw him. After the weekend they had shared, she had at least expected a phone call from him. By this morning she had worked herself up to being angry over his lack of attention, but she couldn't reveal that without giving away that she cared one way or the other. "I don't have time for any nonsense this morning."

  "I woke up with this insatiable craving to have a hot-blooded blonde snuggle on my lap. Care to oblige?" He pushed the chair back from the desk and patted his thighs.

  Keeping her distance from him, she crossed her arms in front of her and ignored her body's instantaneous response to seeing him. "I have a meeting in a half hour that I need to prepare for. I'm afraid my schedule doesn't allow for snuggling today. In the future, try calling for an appointment first."

  "If I called first, you'd only have Evelyn say you're too busy then I wouldn't get to watch you pretend you're not happy to see me." He stood up and walked slowly toward her. Her heart picked up its pace, but she stood her ground. Shaking his head at her, he unclasped her arms and placed them on his waist. His fingers threaded into her hair, immobilizing her head. "One of these days, lady, you're going to do precisely what I want without my having to seduce you into it."