"What's the matter?"
She shook her head and shyly lowered her eyes. "Nothing."
He didn't seem ready to accept her answer. Before he could
pursue it, however, the telephone rang. He reached for the
wall extension.
"Lambert. Oh, hi, Junior." He looked toward Alex.
"Yeah, it was a real mess." He listened. "She, uh, she had
a meeting with him right before it happened. . . . I'm afraid
she saw everything."
He paraphrased Alex's official statement. "That's all I
know. . . . Well, Christ, tell them to calm down. They can
read about it in tomorrow's paper, like everybody else. . . .
Okay, look, I'm sorry," he said, "it's been a bitch of a day
and I'm tired.
"Give Sarah Jo one of her pills and tell Angus he's got
nothing to worry about." He caught Alex's frown, but kept
his expression bland. "Alex? She's fine. . . . Well, if she
doesn't answer her phone, she's probably in the shower. If
you want to play Good Samaritan, there's somebody who
needs you more than Alex tonight. . . . Stacey, you idiot.
Why don't you go over there and sit with her for a while. . . .
Okay, see you tomorrow."
After he broke the connection, he left the phone off the
hook and went back to his food. Alex asked, "Why didn't
you tell him I was here?"
"Did you want me to?"
"Not particularly. I just wondered why you didn't."
"He didn't need to know."
"Will he go see Stacey?"
"I hope so, but you never can tell about Junior. Actually,"
he said, swallowing a bite, "you seem to be all he's thinking
about."
"Me, personally, or what I heard from Judge Wallace?"
"A combination of both, I guess."
"Angus is upset?"
"Naturally. Joe Wallace was an old friend."
"Friend and coconspirator." Reede didn't rise to the bait;
he didn't even divert his attention from his supper. "I must
talk to Angus, Reede. I want you to drive me over there as
soon as we finish eating." He calmly reached for his coffee
cup, sipped, returned it to the saucer. "Reede, did you hear
me?"
"Yes."
"Then, you'll drive me over?"
"No."
"I've got to talk to him."
"Not tonight."
"Yes, tonight. Wallace implicated him in a cover-up. I've
got to question him about it."
"He's not going anywhere. Tomorrow's soon enough."
"Your loyalty is commendable, but it can't protect Angus
forever."
He set his silverware on his empty plate and carried it to
the sink. "Tonight, I'm more concerned about you than Angus."
"Me?"
He glanced at her plate and, satisfied that she was finished,
cleared it away. "Seen yourself in a mirror lately? You look
like hell. Several times I've braced myself to catch you, afraid
you were about to keel over."
"I'm fine. If you'll just take me back to the motel, I'll--"
"Uh-uh," he said, shaking his head. "You're staying here
tonight, where you can get some sleep without being pestered
by reporters."
"Do you really think I would be?"
"A judge's death is hot news. A judge's suicide is even
hotter. You were the last person to talk to him. You're conducting
an investigation that has the racing commission worried.
Yeah, I think the press will be tramping down the bushes
around the Westerner to get to you."
"I'd be okay if I locked myself in my room."
"I'm not taking any chances. As I've told you before, I
don't want one of Harper's pets to get herself killed in my
county. You've generated enough negative publicity for us
these last few weeks; we sure as hell can't stand any more.
Does your head hurt?''
She had rested her head in her hand and was subconsciously
massaging her temples. "Yes, a little."
"Take some medicine."
"I don't have it with me."
"I'll see if I can round up something for your pain."
He circled the back of her chair and scooted it away from
the table. As she stood up, she said, "You keep a stash of
drugs, too? That's against the law, you know."
"Is that all you ever think about--the law? Whether something
is right or wrong? Is the line between them so clearly
defined for you?"
"Isn't it for you?"
"If it had been, I'd have gone hungry lots of times. I stole
food to feed myself and my old man. Was that wrong?"
"I don't know, Reede," she said wearily.
Her head hurt from-trying to keep up with their argument.
She trailed him down the hallway, not really realizing where
he was headed until he switched on the light in his bedroom.
Her face must have registered alarm because he grinned
sardonically and said, "Don't worry. I'm not trying to seduce
you. I'll sleep on the sofa in the living room."
"I really shouldn't stay here, Reede."
"We could both be grown up about this ... if you were
a grown-up to start with."
Not in the least amused, she lashed out at him. "There are
a million reasons why I shouldn't spend the night here. Number
one on the list is that I should be questioning Angus right
now."
"Give him one more night of grace. What could it hurt?"
"Pat Chastain will probably expect to hear from me."
"I told him you were near collapse and that you would
contact him in the morning."
"You planned ahead, I see."
"I wasn't taking any chances. When allowed to roam free,
you're dangerous."
She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes for a moment.
Too proud to capitulate, but too exhausted not to, she
compromised. "Just answer one question."
"Shoot."
"May I use your shower?"
Fifteen minutes later, she turned off the taps and reached
for a towel hanging on the bar. He had loaned her a pair of
pajamas to put on. They looked brand new.
When she had commented on it, he said, "Junior brought
them to me in the hospital when I had my appendix taken
out several years ago. I only wore them so I could get out
of that ass-baring gown. Can't stand the things."
Smiling at the distasteful face he'd made when he'd said
that, she slid her arms into the blue silk top and buttoned up
the front. Just then he tapped on the bathroom door. "I found
some pain pills."
Well covered to midthigh, she opened the door. He handed
her the prescription bottle. "This is strong stuff," she remarked,
reading the label. "You must have been in severe
pain. The appendectomy?"
He shook his head. "Root canal. Feeling better?"
"The shower helped. My head's not hurting so bad anymore."
"You washed your hair."
' 'Against doctor's orders. I wasn't supposed to for a week,
but I couldn't stand it any longer."
"Better let me take a look at your stitches."
She tipped her head forward and he gently parted her hair.
His fingers were light and deft. The most pressure she felt
was his breath against her scalp.
"Everything looks all right."
"I washed around it."
Reede stepped away, but continued to look at her. She
looked back. They stayed that way for a very long, silent
time. Eventually, in a low, rough voice, Reede said, "Better
take your pill."
She turned toward the sink and filled his toothbrush glass
with tap water. She shook a tablet from the plastic bottle,
tossed it back, and took a long drink. As she was bringing
her head forward, she caught his eyes in the mirror. She
replaced the snap-on lid of the pill bottle and turned, drying
her mouth on the back of her hand.
Inexplicably, and totally unexpectedly, tears formed in her
eyes. "I know you don't regard me too highly, Reede, but
you must know how terrible I feel about what Judge Wallace
did.'' Her lower lip began to tremble; her voice became husky
with emotion. "It was awful, horrible."
She stepped toward him, put her arms around his waist,
and laid her cheek against his chest. "Be kind for once and
just hold me. Please."
He groaned her name and curled his arm around her waist.
His other hand cradled the back of her head to hold her face
against his chest. He massaged her scalp soothingly and
pressed soft kisses on her brow. At the first touch of his lips,
she tilted her head up. She kept her eyes closed, but she could
feel the heat of his gaze on her face.
His lips brushed hers, and when hers separated, he murmured
another low groan and kissed her deeply. His hands
sifted through her wet hair, then caressed her neck.
"Touch me again, Reede," she pleaded.
He unbuttoned the pajama top, then slid his hands inside
it, encircling her body and drawing it up high against him.
His shirt lightly rubbed against her nipples. She felt the cold
bite of his belt buckle on her bare belly and the bulge of his
fly nudging her mound as it nestled in the soft hair between
her thighs.
Each sensation was more electrifying than the last. She
wanted to savor each one individually, but the combination
of them was too immense and overwhelming for her to concentrate.
Every blood vessel in her body expanded with passion.
She was inundated with him.
Suddenly, he moved away from her. She looked up at him,
bewildered, wide-eyed, and already feeling the loss.
"Reede?"
"I have to know."
"What?"
"Have you been to bed with Junior?"
"I don't have to answer that."
"Yes, you do," he said resolutely. "If you want this to
go one step further, you do. Have you been to bed with
Junior?"
Desire won out over pride. She shook her head and gave
him a soft, whispery answer. "No."
After several ponderous seconds, he said, "Okay, then,
this time we're going to do it right."
Taking her hand, he led her into the living room, which
surprised her because the bed had been turned down while
she was in the shower. In the living room, the only light was
from the fire burning in the fireplace. He had already made
up the couch for himself, but he whipped the bedding off
now and spread it out on the floor in front of the hearth. She
knelt on the pallet while he calmly began to undress.
His boots, socks, shirt, and belt were cast aside with dispatch.
Alex, acting on impulse, moved aside his hands when
they went to undo his fly. Slowly, her fingers pushed the
stubborn metal buttons through the holes. When all were
undone, she opened the wedge wider, leaned forward and
kissed him.
Groaning, Reede gently cupped her head between his
hands. Her mouth opened warmly and wetly over his belly,
just below his navel. "That's my favorite thing," he rasped.
Sliding her hands into the back of his jeans, she eased them
over his buttocks, while her lips continued to whisk airy,
breathy kisses over his lower body. Finally, her tongue
glanced the tip of his penis.
"Stop, Alex. Stop," he moaned. "That's killing me,
baby."
Quickly, he stepped out of the jeans and kicked them aside.
Naked, he was tall and rangy and rugged, the appendectomy
scar only one of many.
His body hair caught the glow of the fire. It showed up as
a golden fuzz over his tanned skin, except around his sex,
where it was dark and dense. Lean muscles rippled with each
movement.
' 'Get out of that goddamn pajama top before I tear it off.''
Sitting back on her heels, Alex eased the pajama jacket
off her shoulders and let it go. The sensuous fabric pooled
around her. Reede dropped to his knees in front of her. His
eyes drank in every inch of her.
Alex thought he seemed hesitant to touch her, but finally,
he lifted his hand to her hair and rubbed the damp auburn
strands between his fingertips. He watched his hand's slow
progress down her neck and chest to her breast. His thumb
made light, deft passes across the nipple until it hardened.
Catching her breath, she sighed, "I thought you weren't
trying to seduce me."
"I lied."
They lay down together. He pulled the covers up over them,
took her in his arms, drew her close, and kissed her with
more tenderness than passion.
"You're very small," he whispered against her lips. "Did
I hurt you the other night?"
"No." He angled his head back and looked at her suspiciously.
She ducked her head timidly. "Only a little."
His hand curved around her throat; he stroked it with his
thumb. "How was I supposed to know you were a virgin?"
"You weren't."
"How come you were, Alex?"
She tilted her head to one side and gazed up at him. "Are
the reasons why so important, Reede?"
"Only because you let me."
"Letting you never entered my mind. It just happened."
"Any regrets?"
She laid her hand along his cheek and drew his head down.
They kissed long and avariciously. His hand had found its
way to her breast again by the time he ended the kiss. Pushing
back the covers, he watched his fingers caress her nipple.
"Reede," she said, her voice tentative, "I'm embarrassed."