“Smart question. Could it be that the lady is a businesswoman on top of her other talents?”
She weighed her words with care. “I try. However, I find it’s men like you from whom I can learn a great deal.”
“Thank you. If you invest with me, I guarantee you’ll make money. And if Warner loses the election, you may need it.”
“Bite your tongue,” she teased, then grew serious. “But you still haven’t answered my question.”
“I might possibly need your legal talents. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours, figuratively speaking, of course.”
“Of course.” Carolyn said. “I’d love to see a proforma.” She knew the extra funds and Mort’s support would help Warner’s presidential dreams immensely. Besides, it was a chance at financial freedom, a chance to liberate herself from Edmund Lane. And a chance to secure her place in Warner’s life.
Mort raised his champagne glass. “I promise you won’t be disappointed by the business plan. Here’s to new partners.”
“To new partners.” Carolyn tilted her glass to his.
***
After dinner was finished and the speeches delivered, the real party began. Bartenders worked up a sweat shaking martinis and mixing drinks, while band music vibrated the floor.
Mort led Carolyn across the room to meet Stephan Thomas, then excused himself. Stephan was the lead counsel for Poultry Foods. Carolyn knew that he, too, was a contact worth cultivating. They talked about many issues, including their mutual frustration in dealing with state and federal regulators.
“Call me if you’re having difficulties. I may know of a way to attack the bureaucracy,” Carolyn said. “We might be able to help each other.”
Thomas grinned. “I think we could do business.”
By ten o’clock, Carolyn had solidified her prospects with Poultry Foods, Comco, Bounce Plastics, and other big industry donators. Usually this was Warner’s game, and she stayed in the background entertaining the spouses. Now, she was finally setting up the field for her own play. Warner couldn’t have done better, and she felt certain that he would be proud of her.
She sensed that she’d been welcomed into an exclusive club, a club where the payoff could be enormous. Mort Fields was a plum conquest. Besides investing in his new software company. Carolyn planned to approach him for a major contribution to their campaign.
Warner’s father would applaud her initiative. Yes, indeed. Edmund had taught her well. A cold chill passed over her. She’d expected to run into her father-in-law at the gala.
Carolyn’s gaze traveled over the room. She spotted Edmund in a discussion with Ron Spitz, Adam Miles, and the other senator from Missouri, Bill Rudly.
A local businessman, Ron Spitz was earning a reputation for publicly blaming Warner, Edmund, and Adam Miles, Edmund’s partner and best friend, for breaking the union that Ron once headed. Senator Rudly supported Ron and the union.
Not again, Carolyn thought, watching as the four men faced off. Voice raised, Adam waved his hands in the air. Ron’s face flamed crimson. Her body tense, Carolyn walked to the outer edge of the room, searching for Mark and steering clear of what could easily become a scene.
She found Mark at the bar. “Would you care to dance?”
“The honor would be mine.”
Mark took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. She caught sight of Edmund as he and Adam Miles departed. Relaxing, she gave herself to the moment as Mark spun her among the other dancing couples. Carolyn drank in his clean scent of soap and aftershave.
“Want another drink?” Mark asked.
Carolyn hesitated. She’d already had her limit. “Sure. Vodka seven.” Why not, she thought. She hadn’t relaxed in months.
“I’ll get the drinks and meet you back at the table.”
Carolyn took a few sips once he joined her, then carried the drink along as she visited other partygoers at another table. She returned with an empty glass. Mark offered to get her another. She accepted. Carolyn eventually realized her nose was numb. She felt giddy and light headed.
The lilting notes of “Blue Moon” filled the room.
“Let’s dance.” Carolyn took Mark’s hand and led him to the dance floor. She pressed her cheek to his as he pulled her neatly against his frame. His body felt solid and comforting. Carolyn sighed contentedly. The contact felt good.
When the song ended, she brushed her lips to his ear. “Thank you for the dance.”
They returned to the table, where they were left alone. Carolyn reached for her drink and knocked it all over the front of Mark’s pants.
“Damn it.” Carolyn said, picking up a napkin. “I’m so sorry.” Her face flamed at her clumsiness. She bent to wipe him off, gently rubbing the wet area. His hand covered hers. She stared for a moment at his fingers, then looked up. Their eyes met and held.
She felt the current of attraction arc between them.
“Maybe we should go.” she said.
She’d had too much to drink. Mark was married – out of bounds. She’d never cheated on Warner and she wasn’t starting now.
“Yeah, I guess. Where’re my keys?” he asked, his words slurred and his hands clumsy as he searched his pockets.
They got their coats, then stood just inside the lobby, waiting for the valet to bring the car around. Mark helped Carolyn into the passenger side. She dozed off as he drove to her home. At the house, he parked, and turned off the ignition.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Mark said.
“I’m sorry. How long have I been asleep?” Carolyn blinked to clear her vision. Definitely a headache tomorrow.
“Only a few minutes.”
Mark walked her to the door. Groggy, she fumbled in her purse for her keys, dropping them on the porch. Simultaneously they bent to retrieve the keys, cracking their heads together.
“Ouch,” he said while laughing.
“Are you okay?” Carolyn grabbed at the doorframe to steady herself.
He rubbed her forehead. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it was my fault.” A flush rose in her cheeks.
He traced the side of her face with his fingertips.
Carolyn closed her eyes at the gentle gesture. When she opened them, she noticed a small cut at his eyebrow. “You’re bleeding.” She reached out toward the cut.
Mark grasped her hand. “I’m fine.”
Carolyn turned away from him. “Let me get you some ice.”
She opened the door and led Mark to the kitchen. The house was dark and quiet.
Self-conscious, she moved awkwardly, taking too long to retrieve the ice cubes and place them in a towel. Carolyn couldn’t seem to escape the heat suffusing her entire body. Apprehensive, she turned back to Mark and applied the ice to his injury. Her hand trembled.
“How long have we known each other?”
“Stop it.” Carolyn laughed. “You’ll make me feel old.”
“You’ve become more beautiful over the years.” His gaze searched hers. “I didn’t think it was possible, but you’ve defied the laws of nature.”
She shook her head.
He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.
Involuntarily, Carolyn relaxed into him, drawn to his heat.
“Have you ever thought about me, about us?” he whispered against her lips.
Carolyn pushed herself out of his arms. “Mark, this is dangerous territory.”
Over the years, her feelings for him had grown. But what had they grown into? Love? She swallowed hard and relinquished the towel-wrapped ice to him.
“I’ll make some coffee.” Carolyn turned away, but Mark grasped her hand again, and stopped her.
“You feel it too.” Lightly he pulled her too him. “I need you, and you need me.”
She did feel it. Had felt it for long time. And it was a need, a need that had to be denied. Carolyn placed her hands on his chest. “We can’t.” Was it her or him? She didn’t know. Was she sending the wrong message? She hadn’t intended to m
islead him.
His gaze intent, he studied her face.
She felt as if he were searching her soul.
Slowly, he lowered his mouth to hers.
Carolyn pulled back. “I can’t.” She could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek. She couldn’t hurt Warner like this – fool – Warner doesn’t care.
Mark kissed her again, stifling her protests.
She found herself wrapping her arms around his neck. No, this was wrong. She didn’t want to hurt Mark’s wife. She didn’t want to hurt anybody. But she felt weak with such a staggering need. She couldn’t stop. Her body betrayed her.
She heard the ice cubes hit the floor.
Mark’s embrace tightened, his kisses urgent.
Her fingers were tangled in his hair. Why couldn’t Warner touch her, kiss her like this? Because Warner hates you, she thought. Loneliness and alcohol overpowered her resolve.
She hung on to Mark, starved for intimacy, starved for the reassurance that she deserved love.
The edge of the kitchen counter dug into her back. She hardly felt it. Mark leaned harder into her, pulling at her dress, his breathing rapid, his eyes glazed in excitement.
Her body screamed for fulfillment.
His hands ripped at her clothing. He lifted her off the ground. Then he was inside her. She clung to him
He moved slowly within her, all the while kissing her face and neck. “You feel so good,” he moaned. “So beautiful.”
She matched his rhythm.
The first tremors of his climax unraveled her pent-up desire. She arched into him as her body spun into a whirlpool of release. She moaned, equal parts amazement and disbelief over her own lack of control.
Mark set her down. “I love the way you smell.” He held her close, his face buried in her hair.
After a few moments, she pushed away from him.
He watched her as he straightened his clothes. “Are you all right?”
She didn’t meet his gaze. Where was her self-control? Guilt flooded her. Her behavior was inexcusable. Carolyn smoothed her dress and tried to regain her composure.
The hall clock chimed: 2:00 A.M. They both turned to the sound.
“I suppose I should get going.” he said.
Carolyn nodded.
“Come here,” Mark pulled her to him. “It’ll be allright.”
“What have we done?” she asked. “This shouldn’t have happened.” Her stomach tightened and she swallowed hard.
“I’m not sorry it happened.” he said. “But we need to think about this. And at the very least find better accommodations next time.”
She didn’t appreciate his humor or his assumption. “There’s nothing to think about. We both have too much to lose. Too many people would be hurt. It can’t happen again…” even though I love you, she almost added, with a depth of emotion that threatened to overcome her. And she did love him, but not the way she loved Warner. That realization, coupled with the thought of what they’d just done, made her nauseous. Alcohol tilted the room, and she struggled to maintain her composure.
“You’d better so.” She still couldn’t meet his gaze.
Mark lifted her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. “I’m not sorry this happened,” he repeated before heading down the hall.
She turned away, convinced it was the booze talking. He had a family to think of. The door clicked shut behind her. She couldn’t let this happen again. Her life belonged to Warner. It always would. She wasn’t willing to hurt others for a temporary fix.
A tremor of fear ran down her spine as she thought of the personal and professional ramifications of an affair. The specter of Edmund Lane loomed in her mind. If her father-in-law ever found out that she’d been unfaithful to his son, he’d destroy her.
TEN
Unable to sleep, Carolyn left the house early the next morning. At the gate of their fenced community, she slowed to a stop and rolled down the window.
“Verne, what are you doing back to work so soon?” she asked the guard.
“Can’t miss too much work, what with the medical expenses and all. The missus is taking care of Billy.”
“How’s he doing?” Carolyn asked. Billy was Verne’s seven-year-old son who had been bathing leukemia for two years.
Tears welled in the man’s eyes.
Carolyn felt a knot forming in her throat. “Is there anything I can do?”
Verne reached out and touched her hand. “Please continue your prayers.”
Carolyn drove toward her office. Why, she wondered, did God allow a small child to suffer? The all-too-familiar feeling of powerlessness shook her, a constant reminder of the untimely death of her own adoring mother, and the years of abuse she’d endured afterward. She slammed the palm of her hand against the steeling wheel.
Without warning, her car bucked with a loud thud. What had she hit? Quickly, she pulled off the road and ran to the furry heap lying in the road.
“No,” she moaned. She picked up the animal. “Poor, poor baby.”
The small dog stirred in her arms, its breathing shallow.
She ran back to her car, cursing herself for being so preoccupied that she hadn’t been paying attention to the road.
She snuggled the whimpering dog into her lap and drove downtown, pulling into the driveway of a veterinarian. Cradling the injured animal, she ran to the front door and tried the knob. It was locked. “Damn.”
Carolyn banged her fist on the door, then peered in through the glass. No one answered.
“Hang in there.” She smoothed her hand over the dog’s head, then glanced at her watch. The vet should arrive any minute.
Carolyn sat down on the porch. Soft brown eyes looked directly into hers. She cuddled the dog against her. She wasn’t leaving until she knew the poor thing would live.
Five minutes later the veterinarian arrived and escorted them into the office. He took the dog from Carolyn and hurried to an examination room.
“What happened?”
Carolyn couldn’t stop the tears that filled her dark eyes. “I hit her with my car. She’s not my dog, but she’s wearing an identification tag.”
The vet took a stethoscope and checked the dog’s heart and lungs. “I’ll need to do some X-rays. It’s going to take me some time, but her heart sounds good. I’ll have my assistant contact the owner.”
“Please, tell them how terribly sorry I am.”
“We will. Why don’t you leave your phone number, and I’ll call you later?”
Carolyn hesitated, not really wanting to abandon the dog. “I’ll pay whatever it costs. Just save the poor little thing.”
“She’s in good hands.”
Carolyn left her phone number at the desk and drove to the courthouse.
When Carolyn arrived at her office, Katherine was waiting for her. “I’ve got the information you asked for yesterday. Lots of it.”
“Good,” Carolyn said her usual enthusiasm absent.
“What’s wrong?” Katherine followed her into her office. “Are you all light?”
Carolyn hung up her coat. “No. I’m not.” Her eyes filled with tears. She turned away in embarrassment even though she knew she could MST Katherine with her feelings. “I’ve had a horrible morning. I’m terribly worried about a friend’s sick child and then, due to my preoccupation. I ran over a-” Carolyn’s voice broke“-a little dog.”
She couldn’t tell Katherine about Mark – she couldn’t tell anyone. She’d just have to swallow the guilt and try to erase it from her mind.
Katherine hugged her. “I’m so sorry.”
Carolyn regained her composure. “There’s nothing I can do to help the child, and that sense of powerlessness is so frustrating. I can’t even imagine the pain his parents must be going through. And now I feel awful about the little dog. They’re supposed to call me later.”
“I’ll make sure you get the message,” Katherine said, her arm still around Carolyn. “What can I do to make you feel better?”
/> “Get to work, I suppose.” Carolyn said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “You came up with a lot of case files?”
“Sure did,” Katherine answered. “A very interesting topic, I might add.”
“We’ll sift though them together.”
“Sounds good.”
“You’ll have to start without me, though. I’m due over at the police station this morning to speak to the detectives about the case. I’m not sure how long that will take.”
Carolyn glanced at the stack of work growing on her desk. She was supposed to have lunch with her father-in-law that day, and she’d already gotten a late start. Did she dare cancel? It was time, she decided, to get out from under Edmund’s control.
“Do me a favor?”
“Sure,” Katherine said.
“Call my father-in-law and tell him I can’t make lunch today.”
Katherine’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
Carolyn took a deep breath. “Absolutely.” She left her office before anxiety overcame her resolve and caused her to back away from what amounted to an act of great courage on her part.
ELEVEN
Warner arrived home later that night wearing the kind of smile that didn’t come from surveying flooded farmland or shaking hands on the campaign trail.
“How’s the flood?” Carolyn asked, needling him.
He flashed an annoyed look. “Leave me alone. Why’d you send me on that wild goose chase, anyway?”
“It was politically necessary, and you know it.”
A look of doubt crossed his face.
“Besides, it was your father’s idea.”
Warner shrugged, as though that bit of information settled the issue.
“I thought you were going to be home this morning,” she said. She expected the lie she received a heartbeat later.
“We got held up. You know how it is.”
She swallowed hard against the pain balling up in her throat. His heart belonged to another woman. Carolyn managed to conceal her hurt and frustration behind a smile.
“I’m heading up to bed.” Warner said.
“I’d like to join you.” The words were out before she could stop them.
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