Passion's Price

by Gwynne Forster

  “Thanks, man,” Mike said with effort. “I’m okay.” He reached for her hand. “Come on, baby, and let’s go home. I don’t want to do anything. I just want us to be together.”

  After dinner, they played pinochle with Maggie until she announced that she was sleepy. “I’m going to bed,” she said. “Nobody gon’ tell me y’all can’t find somethin’ to do other than play cards with me. Waffles at eight in the morning, Mike. Good night.”

  “Even she knows we ought to be doing something else,” Darlene said. “So I don’t see why you think celibacy is the way to go when you’re in Frederick.”

  “Since when have you been able to read my thoughts? Where is Maggie’s room?”

  “On the back side of the house over the garden, the southwest corner. We’re on the northeast side. Why?”

  “I wouldn’t like your family to think that I don’t value you, and I want Maggie to respect me. If you think I’ve enjoyed being saintly, I haven’t, but what you and I need will have to wait until you come to Memphis. Suppose you visit me next weekend.”

  She seemed hesitant, and he couldn’t understand why. “Would you have invited me to visit you even if we did make love before you leave here?”

  What a question! From time to time he glimpsed in her a lack of self-confidence where he was concerned, but at other times she could be strident with him. He attempted to put her at ease. “Sweetheart, it’s been in my mind that each weekend, I would either be here or you’d be in Memphis, and whether we made love has nothing to do with it.”

  She went over to him and sat on his knee. “I told you that I’m no match for you, Mike. I’m not sophisticated, and I don’t know how to be cool with men. I’ll visit you next weekend, because I’m happy when we’re together, and I…I’m at loose ends when you’re there and I’m here.”

  “Get this straight, sweetheart. I want you right now just as badly as I want to continue breathing, and controlling it is not easy. But you and I need to experience each other in ways other than sexually if we’re going anywhere.”

  She jumped up. “Come on, let’s check the door, douse the lights and go to bed before I change my mind and ravish you.”

  “Girl after my own heart.”

  He walked into his elegant condominium apartment at five o’clock Sunday afternoon, dropped his bag and went to the kitchen for a bottle of beer. But once there, he realized that he didn’t want any beer. He wanted Darlene. Out of sorts and unwilling to try not to succumb to the mood, Mike got into his car and drove to Boyd’s house. He didn’t have a buddy, because his job made it difficult to cultivate close personal relationships. Boyd neither asked nor expected anything of him, merely accepted such measures of friendship as he offered.

  Boyd, who was still under police protection until the trial, opened the door. His faced lit up with a warm smile. “How are you, Mike. If I’d known you were coming, I would have ordered some food for you. You brought dinner last time.”

  “Don’t let that bother you. I just dropped by to see how you are.”

  “Never been better. Say, do you play chess? If you don’t, I can teach you.”

  Mike’s eyebrows shot up. It was an opportunity that he’d been waiting for. “Right, friend. I’d love a game.”

  After Boyd’s first several moves, Mike looked hard at the man. “When I took the job of protecting you, I was told that your family might want to harm you. But I’ve never believed it. What’s going on, Boyd?”

  “You’re being careful, because you don’t want to upset me. Until I testify, my family stands to profit from those who don’t want me to testify. They don’t know that I’m on to them.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned. The way you made those chess moves a minute ago, I figured you weren’t as naive as I thought.”

  “How’s Darlene?”

  “We’re getting along.”

  “Getting along? Considering where you were when she left here, by now you ought to be more than just getting along. You young fellows move at snail’s pace. Don’t you pussyfoot around and let Darlene get away. She’s a wonderful person, and she cares a lot for you. Besides, she’s beautiful.”

  “I know all that, Boyd. She’s also got a short fuse.”

  “This is true, and yours is shorter.”

  “Yeah. That’s what she says.”

  Boyd took a cell phone out of his shirt pocket. “I want a club-steak dinner and apple pie à la mode for desert. What do you want?”

  Mike couldn’t help shaking his head in amazement. “You’re a load of surprises, Boyd. When did you get that fancy phone?”

  Boyd allowed himself an elaborate shrug. “A couple of days after they went on sale. I had it when we met. What should I order for you?”

  Mike told him and added, “If you’ve got any more surprises, let me know them now.”

  Boyd’s left eye closed in a meaningful wink. “There’s more, friend, and you’ll learn it in due time.”

  When she saw Mike waiting for her at the baggage carousel in Memphis International Airport, Darlene grabbed her chest in an effort to slow the pounding of her heart and quickened her stride. He didn’t see her, and she sneaked up behind him and eased her arms around his waist.

  “Whoever you’re waiting for is out of luck, handsome. You’re coming with me,” she said.

  He whirled around to face her, and a smile seemed to burst out of him. “You bet I am,” he said, leaned down and flicked his tongue over the seams of her lips. “You’re one fresh woman. I’ll deal with you later.” He lifted her bag from the carousel, took her hand and headed for his car.

  “I reserved a room for you at the Peabody, but you may stay with me if you like. I have a guest room. It’s up to you.”

  She had assumed that she’d stay with him, but at the moment she saw the disadvantage in that. Yet she didn’t want him to feel as if she had rejected him. “I’ll stay with you,” she said, “and if you make me mad, I’ll go stay with Boyd. Have you seen him recently?”

  He put her bag into the trunk of his sedan, opened the passenger door for her and failed to smother the grin that spread over his face. “Try not to lull me into complacency, sweetheart. Are you sure I met the right woman?”

  “What does that mean?” She didn’t try to control the iciness in her voice.

  “This is the first time you’ve waited patiently until I got here to open the door for you.” When her chin went up, he laughed, and she knew he expected her to try and have the last word. She didn’t disappoint him.

  “Maybe this is the first time you didn’t take all day to get around here.”

  He reached over and tweaked her nose. “Now I know I’ve got my Darlene.”

  She eased down and rested her head against the back of the leather seat. “Did you tell Boyd I’d be here this weekend?”

  “Actually, I didn’t. After his lecture about not letting you get away from me, I decided he’d know when he saw you.”

  “He’ll get a surprise. I brought him a harmonica.”

  “Why do you think he can play it?”

  “I saw one in his house, but it was a cheap one. I bought him a Hohner Super 64 Chromonica harmonica. It’s a really nice one, and I hope he likes it.”

  He pulled down the sun visor and turned the car onto Shelby Drive. “Darlene, I’m thirty-four years old, healthy and vigorous, and I will not let myself become jealous of a seventy-two-year-old man who lives alone and seems to enjoy it. What did you bring me?”

  Her laughter had the sound of bells chiming in a soft breeze. “Silly. I brought you me.”

  He was not going to touch that one. “And what a gift. How’s Maggie? Did she have anything to say about your spending a weekend with me?”

  She seemed a little uneasy, and that perplexed him. He’d thought Maggie was in his camp. “Did you tell her?”

  “Of course I did. She said that in matters such as these, chances are that the more a woman gives, the less she gets. Then she told me that it’s always best to be
honest and truthful.”

  “Hmm. I hope you’ve learned that I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

  “I sure have. And I told Maggie that you’re the one who’s Saint Celibacy, not me.”

  He pulled over to the shoulder of Shelby Drive and gave in to the amusement that bubbled up and threatened to envelop him. Life with Darlene would definitely not be boring. “I can imagine her response to that.”

  “No, you can’t. She said a man has a right to defend himself.”

  His cell phone rang before he could answer her. “Raines speaking.”

  “This is Detective Crawford. Your prisoner has decided to talk, but only to you. I know it’s Friday, and you’re off, but I need you here. You have to interrogate the guy.”

  Mike wanted to shout that the love of his life had just arrived and that he needed to be with her. “Look, man, I’m coming in from the airport with my weekend guest, who just arrived.” He put his hand over the phone and related the problem to Darlene.

  “Tell him not to keep you too long, because a warm and loving woman will be waiting for you.”

  He told himself to keep it between the lines, turned onto Elvis Presley Boulevard and headed home. “I’ll be there within the next two hours, but I won’t stay a minute beyond seven o’clock. And, buddy, you owe me a big one.” He hung up and said to Darlene, “What do you want to do while I’m at the precinct?”

  She rimmed her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Soak in a tub filled with warm bubbles.”

  “Darlene!”

  “Okay. Okay. I’ll be…uh…waiting for you.”

  Desire slammed into him. For every day of the past week, he’d been like a tomcat in an alley full of spayed females, ready to explode and with nothing to satisfy him. And now this!

  “Cut me some slack. I definitely did not plan this.”

  “I know you didn’t, hon. Get home as quickly as you can. If you’re delayed, call me. I brought my cell.”

  “We’re having dinner together tonight, no matter what kind of trick the suspect tries to pull.” He opened his front door and stopped himself as he was about to lift her and carry her across the threshold in his arms.

  “Come in,” he said softly. “This is where I live.”

  She glanced up at him, but avoided eye contact. “Thanks for bringing me to your home, Mike.”

  “I’m sorry that you’ll have to explore the place with out me, but I’ve got barely enough time to get to the precinct.”

  She reached up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, stirring him in a way that she could not have guessed. “You do what you have to do. I’ll be here when you get home.” She still hadn’t looked him squarely in the face, and as bold as she could be, that didn’t sit well with him.

  “What’s wrong, Darlene? What’s the matter? Why can’t you look at me?”

  “I’m okay. I guess I’m just having a moment of immaturity.”

  He ran his fingers over his hair and shook his head. What had gotten into this normally sassy female? He stepped close and embraced her. “Are you sorry you came here?”

  “No. I…I’ve never visited a guy…. I mean, stayed in his house. What’s the protocol?”

  He held her close and stroked her back. “Be your normal, wonderful self. If anything happens between us, you’ll be the one to initiate it.”

  Her eyes sparkled, and he could see her wickedness overcoming her shyness. “You may be sorry you said that.”

  He let the laughter flow out of him, relieving his anxiety, not to speak of the tension. “Don’t bet on it. If you’re hungry, imagine how starved I am. And if you’re not, I know what to dangle in front of you.”

  “What do you mean?” This time, she looked him in the face and narrowed her right eye.

  “Lettuce, baby. I’m going to keep this little rabbit full of lettuce.”

  “Lettuce? Are you rowing with both oars? Oops!” She laughed. “Forget I said that.”

  “I never forget. I’ve been called a lot of things, but lettuce?” He glanced at his watch. “I’d better get out of here.” He grasped her right hand, lifted her suitcase and led her up the stairs. “This is your room, Darlene. Stay sweet.”

  “You do the same.”

  What was she going to do with herself for the next three hours? A plan formed in her mind. She could at least have some fun. She heard the door shut and dialed his cell phone number.

  “Raines. Darlene, what is it?”

  “The minute you step out of that precinct, before you get in your car, call me on my cell. Okay? Don’t forget. See you later.” “Sure thing.”

  A search of his refrigerator revealed nothing of interest. She went into his den, found the telephone book and got busy. Forty-five minutes later she paid one deliveryman for an assortment of delicacies, including crab salad, smoked sturgeon, artichokes, olives, slices of ham, cheeses and Italian bread. She paid another delivery person for a bottle of Grey Goose vodka, a bottle of dry vermouth and two bottles of white burgundy wine. She made a small ham sandwich and put it on the dining-room table along with a three-ounce glass of V8 juice that she found in the refrigerator. She stored the liquors in the refrigerator, arranged the meats and salads on a tray and placed them in the refrigerator. The bread and cheeses were left on a counter in the kitchen.

  “I’m going to see what this brother is made of,” she said to herself, took a tablet of paper from his desk and got busy. With her plans under control, she filled the tub in the bathroom with warm water and crystals the scent of which matched her perfume. Then she stripped and got in the tub. She’d never felt so wicked and downright decadent, and she luxuriated in the sinful feeling that the bath and her plans gave her.

  Mike did his best with the job at hand, but as he probed the suspect for information, he could barely concentrate on the interrogation, for his thoughts were on what awaited him at home. And little did he know. At a quarter of seven, he left the precinct and gave silent thanks that he remembered to call Darlene.

  “Hi, I’m sorry I had to leave you, but I’ll see you in twenty minutes.”

  “Make it a short one,” she said.

  He managed to drive home without having an accident or getting a speeding ticket. “What’s this?” He stared at the large sign taped to the wall beside the foyer closet.

  “FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS PRECISELY, AND YOU WILL BE A HAPPY MAN. Number one. Eat the small sandwich and drink the tomato juice on the dining-room table.” Anxious for all the happiness he could get, he ate the sandwich and drank the juice. Beside the plate, he saw a folded piece of paper.

  “Number two. Take off all your clothes and enjoy a nice warm shower. Then slip on your lovely gray cashmere robe.”

  Enjoying the game, he looked around for the next note and found it taped to the back of the bathroom door. Feeling warm and relaxed after the shower, he slipped on the robe and opened his next instruction.

  “Number three. Go to your den, sit down and have a nice, soothing drink. No need to put on your shoes.” He told his libido to take a nap.

  He sat down at his desk, looked at the martini and grinned. She’d made certain that it would be cold, for she’d nestled it in a bowl of ice. He sipped it slowly, savoring it as one would any fine drink. “If she doesn’t finish this game soon,” he said aloud, “I’ll be out of my mind and ready to explode.”

  He finished the drink and lifted the envelope beside it. “Don’t open this until you’ve finished your drink and you’re feeling mellow,” the envelope said.

  He was mellow, all right. With shaky fingers, he slit it open and read. “I’m in my room. Don’t bother to knock.” Desire slammed into him, and, try though he did to stave it off, his erection came swift, full and hard. After making certain that his robe was securely fastened, he strode the few paces to her room and was about to knock, when he remembered not to spoil the fun. He stepped in and gasped. She lay on the bed in what looked to him like a red jersey jumpsuit that was open almost to her navel. He saw
the sides of her breasts, and liquid accumulated in his mouth. Speechless, he could only stare.

  “Come here,” she said, turning so that he saw most of one globe except the nipple.

  He stumbled to the edge of the bed. For once, he had a willing woman in bed and was forced to wait for her move. “Come closer,” she said, and when he leaned toward her, she reached out and fondled him.

  “Hmm. Some goodies for me.” She half whispered it. He bent forward to kiss her, and she turned so that her nipple glistened inches from his hungry mouth. She cupped it with both hands. “It’s been itching ever since you called me. Don’t you plan to drop that robe?”

  He let it fall to the floor, pulled her up to him and claimed what she wanted him to have, fastened his lips on that turgid nipple and suckled voraciously. Sweet. She tasted so sweet. He slid his right hand down to her belly and got no farther, for her soft hands began to stroke and squeeze him, gently scratching his testicles.

  “Let me taste,” she said, then slipped down and sucked him into her mouth.

  “Oh, my,” he moaned. “Stop it! Stop it or I’ll lose it.”

  “Sorry,” she said, falling over on her back and licking her lips. “You were taking so long. I thought I’d help you out.”

  “Yeah. I’ll bet,” he said, fighting to get his breath.

  From the expression on his face, she wondered if she should grab her shoes and run. He had the look of a starved man who saw food within reach. Her panic must have shown on her face, for he pulled her to him with great care, as if he thought her fragile.

  “Don’t be afraid, sweetheart. I love you as you are. All you’ve done is whet my appetite. Kiss me. I need to know you care.”

  She parted her lips, pulled his tongue into her mouth and sucked. His hands moved over her body, hot, possessive and wild. When she felt his hard, hot sex against her thigh, her body shifted to him, and she could almost feel her blood begin its race to her loins. His lips teased her neck, and his tongue swirled in her ear.

  She began to squirm. “You know what I want, and you won’t give it to me.”