by Ashlyn Chase
“Hey, I see you got the light to work.”
“Of course,” she said, tipping her chin up. “I’m quite good with mechanical devices. It’s the electronics that I still need to learn and I’m sure I will in time.”
“There’s nothing to it. With my help you could—”
“Oh, I don’t think I’ll require your help much longer. My boyfriend will want to show me what I need to know.”
Hank knitted his brows. “Well, I can show you how to download your pictures and you can get started putting them in your files right away. I thought that’s what you wanted to do.”
She shrugged. “Well, of course. But I only have a few that I’ve taken so far.”
“Well, I’ve got you onto the internet and I’m setting up an email account for you. You’ll be able to find them easily because I created a shortcut on your desktop.”
Lizette rushed over. “You did what to my desktop?” She ran her fingers over the smooth surface of her wooden dinette table.
He laughed and tapped the screen. “No, this is called your desktop.” Whatever was on the screen disappeared and a nearly blank screen came up. He pointed to one of the small boxes in the upper left-hand corner. “And this is the shortcut. All you have to do is double click on the left-hand side of the mouse.” He pointed to the item below the keyboard, then tapped the button on the left twice. Up came the screen he had been looking at before.
“Oh, I see. That seems easy. Now is this where I can put my pictures?”
“Almost. I was about to create an account with one of the online photo galleries so you can share pictures or send them by email if you want to.”
“Oh, but who would I send them to and why?”
Hank shrugged. “Anybody who has a computer. And why? Well, that’s up to you. Maybe you’ll want to have a way to display your work for family and friends. Or maybe you’ll want larger prints made of your photos—so large they could hang on a wall. The printer I sold you can’t handle anything that big. You can send it to a custom printer without leaving the house.”
Those were exactly the things she needed to be able to do. “How much does that cost?”
“Nothing for the photo site. If you want a website, that will cost you something, but you can wait on that. Today, I can get you signed up for the free stuff.”
“Really?” Lizette could hardly believe what she was hearing. Free stuff? How perfect!
She dragged a chair over and said, excitedly, “Okay, set up one of those accounts and show me how to use it.” She hoped he would take her money and a “no, thanks” to his come-on. He might be tough to discourage, but she knew how to handle herself.
* * * * *
Colin glanced at his watch. He hadn’t been able to see Lizette for a couple of days and he missed her. Now he couldn’t wait to hear her knock on his apartment door. At first, it had surprised him that she had gotten under his skin so quickly, but everything about her surprised him.
He had called her each night before going to bed and they’d had nice, long conversations each time. Being more of a listener, Colin wasn’t usually much for long talks on the telephone but he had found himself divulging more and more of his life story to her. He even told her about his older brother who had committed suicide and how hard it had been for his family. He told her he had to have counseling at that point and that was part of what had influenced him to go into the field of psychiatry. Lizette turned out to be a sympathetic listener too. After holding in so many secrets without divulging any of his own, relief flooded him.
However, Colin’s nerves spiked when he reflected on how he had fallen for her, hard and fast. Part of him wanted to slow it down—the scared part. But the part of him that felt fortunate for having found someone so special held a solid lead. He wanted to see her again as soon as possible. He had been giving some time to a researcher friend, but he found the opportunity by inviting her to his apartment and asking her to come prepared to spend the night.
Glancing around his apartment, part of a tall, glassy high-rise, he hoped everything was ready to impress her. The dining table had been set and tapered candles flickered. All the rooms were neat and clean. A vase of long-stemmed red roses sat atop his entry table. Reflected in the mirror, one dozen became two.
The desk manager had been alerted to her arrival time and said he’d let her come right up. At last, a gentle rap on his door alerted him that she had arrived. His pulse quickened as he strode down the hall to let her in.
Upon opening the door, his breath caught in his throat. Lizette wore a pretty pink sleeveless dress with a short hemline. The color emphasized her rosy glow and set off her halo of blonde curls.
“Hello, beautiful.” He swooped down to kiss her and pulled her petite form against his chest, holding her tighter than he had intended. When he finally broke the kiss and stepped back, she grinned.
“I missed you too, handsome.”
Colin took Lizette’s overnight bag from her and led her to the living and dining area. She glanced around the open floor plan and exclaimed, “Your place is so big.” She strolled to the windows and sighed. “And the view through your windows is beautiful.”
He hoped she’d like his place. He certainly did. The twinkling lights of Seattle at night always welcomed him home in the nicest way. He came up beside her and stroked her back. “I’ve always loved this view. Seeing you in front of it makes it even better.”
She giggled. “You are so full of flattery tonight. What did I do to deserve it?”
“You showed up.” He placed a finger under her chin and tipped her head up for another long, searing kiss. A fire ignited between them. Her passionate kisses always affected him deeply. It was as if nothing existed but the two of them and he could barely control his raging desire. Before Colin realized it, he was groping her in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. Stepping away from her, abruptly, he said, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“Pawing you in public.”
“In public? Do you mean in front of the windows?”
“Yeah. Not very considerate of me, I’m afraid.”
She laughed. “Well, if it bothers you, you’d better not go to Paris, or you’ll see all kinds of inconsiderate behavior through the windows at night.”
He smiled, relieved that she wasn’t hung up on proprieties. She had been in America a long time, but not long enough to carry the Puritanical modesty of most women.
“Well, I’d better get dinner on the table before we skip it and wind up in bed having dessert. I’m afraid it would burn to a crisp.”
“What are you making for dessert?”
“Apple crisp.”
“Well, then it’s supposed to be crispy, no?”
“Crispy, yes. Burned, no.” He kissed the top of her head and jogged to the kitchen.
He pulled the scrumptious-smelling dessert from the oven and set it on the stovetop to cool. When he reentered the living room, Lizette was gone. That’s weird.
Colin thought that perhaps she had only visited the “powder room” as she called it, but a quick glance showed the door still open and the lights off.
“Where the hell could she be?” he muttered.
He hadn’t heard the front door close. Maybe she had decided to give herself the full tour. She had to be in his bedroom. He strode to the bedroom door and—
“Whoa!” A beautiful, fully nude Lizette lay on his bed.
She hadn’t planned to seduce him but couldn’t help herself. It occurred to her spontaneously during their kiss, which sent her heart pounding. Whenever he kissed her, all her troubles faded away. The only thing that mattered was how she felt when she was with him…cherished and adored.
Colin made quick work of his clothing and dropped every stitch onto the floor. She reached for him and he dove onto the bed next her, scooping her into his arms and rolling with her until she was on top of him. She couldn’t help giggling.
“I love you, Lizette. I know I’ve told y
ou already, but I feel like telling you again and again.”
She grinned. “I treasure your love. I treasure you.” And she did. She hadn’t felt this way about any of her previous lovers. They had been a means to an end. Colin was…well, the one who could make her stop running. She caught her breath as the realization struck her.
She leaned over and glided her breasts against his bare chest in a tortuously slow motion. Then she slid off to his side so she could capture his hard cock in her hand. He groaned and became twice as rigid, filling her hand with his heat. She pumped him a few times while she scooted down so her mouth was level with her prize. When she looked up, he wore a crooked smile and a wicked gleam in his eyes.
She gave a little laugh, then leaned forward to lick him and blow a puff of warm air across the satiny surface. He trembled, thrilling her with gratification. She wanted to drive him wild.
She encircled his cock with her tongue, then slipped her mouth over it and sucked. He delved his hands into her hair and gasped softly.
She released him briefly to say, “Mmm…I’ve wanted to do this for days.”
Before he could answer, she drew him deep into her mouth, rolling her tongue around his shaft. After withdrawing, she tongued his slit. A muffled moan let her know she was on the right track. She pumped the root of his cock as she bobbed and sucked.
Eventually, he groaned and pulled her head away. “I can’t take any more of that.”
“Wasn’t I doing it right?”
“You were doing it perfectly. That’s why I stopped you. It might have resulted in an unexpected surprise.”
She grinned and in a low sultry voice she said, “I love surprises.”
“Good.” He flipped her beneath him and bent over to devour her breasts. She arched and moaned in bliss. Heat and desire shot straight to her womb and her inner muscles clenched.
He was about to slide down and give her pussy the same oral treat when she stopped him.
“I need you. Now,” she whispered furiously.
He crawled back up and nuzzled her neck. “Are you sure? I’d like to return the favor.”
“Maybe next time. We have all night.”
He softly chuckled into her hair, then positioned himself between her legs. She bent her knees and anticipated the glorious penetration of his cock. Colin didn’t make her wait long. He drove into her wetness, filling her completely.
“Ahhh…” She sighed out loud.
He began his rhythm like a slow lilt and let it build to a staccato. As he hammered in and out of her, his pelvis rubbed against her clit. Each time she lifted her hips to meet him, she felt a jolt of sheer pleasure.
“Mon dieu!” She grasped his back tighter as she built toward her peak.
“Guess what?” He smiled at her.
“What?” She managed to answer.
“Surprise.” He pulled out and buried his face between her legs.
Lizette screamed when his tongue touched her sensitive clit. Her entire body jerked, out of her control, but he wrapped his arms around her hips and held her down as he lapped and sucked without mercy.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, or how many orgasms she had. She became vaguely aware the only sounds in the room were her incoherent moaning attempt at his name and the wet sounds coming from between her legs along with an occasional groan of pleasure from Colin.
She thought she was done until Colin reared up and thrust inside her again. Her body went into one last spasm. Their fevered coupling drove her over the edge and she tumbled, gratefully, from climax to satiation.
He bucked and grunted. Soon, he collapsed beside her, panting.
“It was good, no?” she asked.
“It was very good, yes.” He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips. After placing a gentle kiss on her palm, he let their arms drop. “Thank you,” he whispered.
“Merci beaucoup.”
* * * * *
The next morning they awoke to the sound of the telephone ringing.
“Damn, did I oversleep?” Colin bounded out of bed and grabbed up the phone. A sleepy Lizette raised her head.
“Hello,” he barked into the receiver.
“Are you sitting down?” Vera asked.
“No. Should I? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’ll just come out with it. There are naked photos of you on the internet.”
A shock wave hit him and he dropped onto the edge of the bed. “That’s not possible. Are you sure it was me?”
Vera sighed. “I’m afraid so. It gets worse. One of your patients called to cancel her appointment. She’s the one who discovered them and said she wouldn’t be able to look you in the face without seeing those pictures.”
“Oh no.”
“The pictures that show your face don’t show your—um—junk, but there’s one from the back with you bending over…well, you’ll have to see for yourself.”
“How could this possibly…” Suddenly, he knew. He whirled on Lizette.
She sat up, the sheet fell to her waist baring her beautiful breasts. Breasts he might never see again if what he suspected was true.
“Thanks for the advance warning, Vera. I’ll see you at work.” He hung up.
“What’s wrong, Colin? Did somebody die?”
He hardened his expression and folded his arms. “Just my career.”
She cocked her head and had the nerve to look puzzled.
“The photos you took. Why the hell would you post them on the internet?”
She snapped to attention. “The internet? I didn’t.”
“You must have. Vera just called and said there are nude photos of me there for anyone to see and you’re the only one who’s taken nude photos of me since I was two years old and in the bathtub with my brother.”
She shook her head. “She must be mistaken. I didn’t do anything with those pictures. I gave the camera to Hank. He said he’d put them in a file on my desktop. I never told him to post them on the internet.”
“Hank?”
“From the pawn store.”
A stab of jealousy added to his fury. He’d seen the way the pawn shop owner looked at her.
“You asked Hank to help you put my pictures on your computer?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t know how.”
Had she paid him for his services? Or had she used her body to get what she needed, as she always had in the past? He fisted his hands in his hair. Anger boiled in his veins. “Holy Christ, Lizette. This is a disaster.”
She scrambled out of bed. “Vera must have made a mistake. Those pictures must be of someone else. I never posted them anywhere.”
“Somebody did. Did you give Hank your user name and password?”
“I had to. He programmed them in for me.”
“Jesus Christ! Didn’t you suspect he might use his knowledge to damage my reputation? You saw how he looked at you.”
“He wasn’t mad at you. He was mad at me because I wouldn’t sleep with him.”
“How could you not know what he wanted from the get-go? You’ve been trading favors with men all your long life.”
He stormed into the bathroom and washed up quickly. Then he dressed in his regular business-casual work clothes and headed out the door.
Lizette ran after him. She had donned last night’s dress and brushed her hair. “Where are you going?”
“To work.”
“What about me? Where am I supposed to go?”
“To hell,” he said through clenched teeth.
* * * * *
Lizette lay on her couch, heartbroken. She knew exactly why she had avoided emotional entanglements all those years. It wasn’t only to protect her secret and her hide when she moved on. She was protecting her heart. Now she wanted to die more than ever, but, damn it all, that wasn’t an option.
She had used her meager savings to hire a professional to take down the pictures of Colin immediately but he still hadn’t forgiven her. He would
n’t come to the phone and Vera sounded utterly pissed off when Lizette had called his office. She didn’t know if he was even getting her messages.
She hadn’t eaten in days and wasn’t hungry. The only time she went out was to buy a few pints of ice cream because she’d heard it helped ease the pain of a breakup but she’d hardly touched them.
So she was back to her lonely life, watching TV and avoiding the world.
Only for some reason, the world refused to avoid her. It seemed that no matter what program she was watching, special bulletins interrupted each one. There was some kind of epidemic that had started in Seattle and they were saying it was deadly. At first doctors had thought it was a new strain of flu, but now didn’t know what it was. To her, though, the symptoms sounded suspiciously like the plague that had wiped out her village. Shivering, vomiting, white tongue, red eyes and weakness.
No one had come up with a vaccine yet, so the public was cautioned to stay away from large groups and to wear masks if that wasn’t possible. Lizette would go out and kiss every person in a crowded elevator if she thought she could catch the disease and die. She felt dead inside anyway.
As she lay there wallowing in self-pity, her telephone rang. She was tempted to ignore it, figuring it was just some stupid telemarketer, but for some reason, she pried herself off the couch and answered it.
“’Allo?”
“Lizette, it’s Colin.”
Her heart leapt. Had he overcome his anger and decided to forgive her?
“Colin!” She didn’t know what to say, so she simply waited.
“Let me just say this first—I’m not calling to get back together.”
Her heart sank. She wanted to cry but controlled her voice enough to say, “Then why?”
“This epidemic…I was thinking about your special immunity and wondered if you’d be willing to offer your services to some researchers I know. They’re desperate to find a cure or prophylactic vaccine.”
The word prophylactic reminded her of their wonderful sexual escapades. Didn’t he know that just hearing his voice tortured her? How could he use that word and expect her not to remember the wonderful nights she spent in his arms? She trembled and wanted to burst into tears.