had to stay calm, very calm. “You’ve made a mistake, now I want you to leave.”
That was the voice. He’d have recognized it among thousands. Millions. “Every night, I listened for you every night.” He was hard, uncomfortably hard, and his mouth was dry as stone. He’d been wrong, she was blond, blond and beautiful. It must have been a trick of the light before, or her own magic. “Desiree,” he murmured. “I love you.” With his eyes on hers, he began to unbuckle his belt. Kathleen snatched up her paperweight and heaved it as she dashed to the door. It grazed the side of his head.
“You promised.” He had her now, thin wiry arms clamped around her. His breathing came in gasps as he pressed his face close to hers. “You promised you’d give me all those things you talk about. And I want them. I want more than talk now, Desiree.”
It was a nightmare, she thought. Desiree was make-believe, and so was this. A dream, that was all. But dreams didn’t hurt. She heard her blouse rip even as she struggled. His hands were all over her, no matter how she fought and kicked. When she sunk her teeth into his shoulder, he yelped, but dragged her to the floor, ripping at her skirt.
“You promised. You promised,” he said over and over. He could feel her skin now, soft and hot, just as he’d imagined. Nothing was going to stop him.
When she felt him push inside her, she started to scream.
“Stop it.” The passion was exploding in his head, but not the way he’d wanted. Her screaming was tearing into him, spoiling it. It couldn’t be spoiled. He’d waited too long, wanted too long. “I said stop it!” He thrust harder, wanting the magnificence of all her promises. But she wouldn’t stop screaming. She scratched, but the pain only inflamed his need, and fury. She’d lied. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. She was a liar and a whore, and still he wanted her.
Flinging a hand out, she shoved, knocking over the table. The phone fell on the floor beside her head.
And he took the cord and wrapped it around her throat, pulling hard until the screaming stopped.
S O YOUR PARTNER’S MARRIED to a psychiatrist.” Grace rolled down the window as she lit a cigarette. The dinner had relaxed her. Ed had relaxed her, she corrected. He was so easy to talk to and had such a sweet, funny way of looking at life.
“They met on a case we were working on a few months ago.” Ed reminded himself to come to a complete stop at the intersection. After all, Grace wasn’t Ben. She wasn’t like anyone else. “You’d probably be interested since it was a serial killer.”
“Really?” She never questioned her fascination with murder. “I get it, the shrink was called in to do a psychiatric profile.”
“You got it.”
“Is she any good?”
“The best.”
Grace nodded, thinking of Kathleen. “I’d like to talk to her. Maybe we could have a dinner party or something. Kathleen doesn’t socialize enough.”
“You’re worried about her.”
Grace let out a little sigh as they turned a corner. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to spoil your evening, but I guess I wasn’t the best company.”
“I wasn’t complaining.”
“That’s because you’re too polite.” When he pulled into the drive, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Why don’t you come in for coffee—no, you don’t drink coffee, it’s tea. I’ll brew you some tea and make it up to you.”
She was already out of the car before he could get out and open the door for her. “You don’t have to make anything up to me.”
“I’d like the company. Kath’s probably in bed by now and I’ll just stew.” She dug in her bag for her key. “And we can talk about when you’re going to give me that tour of the station. Damn, I know it’s in here somewhere. I’d have an easier time if Kath had remembered to leave the porch light on. Here.” She unlocked the door, then dropped the keys carelessly into her pocket. “Why don’t you sit
That was the voice. He’d have recognized it among thousands. Millions. “Every night, I listened for you every night.” He was hard, uncomfortably hard, and his mouth was dry as stone. He’d been wrong, she was blond, blond and beautiful. It must have been a trick of the light before, or her own magic. “Desiree,” he murmured. “I love you.” With his eyes on hers, he began to unbuckle his belt. Kathleen snatched up her paperweight and heaved it as she dashed to the door. It grazed the side of his head.
“You promised.” He had her now, thin wiry arms clamped around her. His breathing came in gasps as he pressed his face close to hers. “You promised you’d give me all those things you talk about. And I want them. I want more than talk now, Desiree.”
It was a nightmare, she thought. Desiree was make-believe, and so was this. A dream, that was all. But dreams didn’t hurt. She heard her blouse rip even as she struggled. His hands were all over her, no matter how she fought and kicked. When she sunk her teeth into his shoulder, he yelped, but dragged her to the floor, ripping at her skirt.
“You promised. You promised,” he said over and over. He could feel her skin now, soft and hot, just as he’d imagined. Nothing was going to stop him.
When she felt him push inside her, she started to scream.
“Stop it.” The passion was exploding in his head, but not the way he’d wanted. Her screaming was tearing into him, spoiling it. It couldn’t be spoiled. He’d waited too long, wanted too long. “I said stop it!” He thrust harder, wanting the magnificence of all her promises. But she wouldn’t stop screaming. She scratched, but the pain only inflamed his need, and fury. She’d lied. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. She was a liar and a whore, and still he wanted her.
Flinging a hand out, she shoved, knocking over the table. The phone fell on the floor beside her head.
And he took the cord and wrapped it around her throat, pulling hard until the screaming stopped.
S O YOUR PARTNER’S MARRIED to a psychiatrist.” Grace rolled down the window as she lit a cigarette. The dinner had relaxed her. Ed had relaxed her, she corrected. He was so easy to talk to and had such a sweet, funny way of looking at life.
“They met on a case we were working on a few months ago.” Ed reminded himself to come to a complete stop at the intersection. After all, Grace wasn’t Ben. She wasn’t like anyone else. “You’d probably be interested since it was a serial killer.”
“Really?” She never questioned her fascination with murder. “I get it, the shrink was called in to do a psychiatric profile.”
“You got it.”
“Is she any good?”
“The best.”
Grace nodded, thinking of Kathleen. “I’d like to talk to her. Maybe we could have a dinner party or something. Kathleen doesn’t socialize enough.”
“You’re worried about her.”
Grace let out a little sigh as they turned a corner. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to spoil your evening, but I guess I wasn’t the best company.”
“I wasn’t complaining.”
“That’s because you’re too polite.” When he pulled into the drive, she leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Why don’t you come in for coffee—no, you don’t drink coffee, it’s tea. I’ll brew you some tea and make it up to you.”
She was already out of the car before he could get out and open the door for her. “You don’t have to make anything up to me.”
“I’d like the company. Kath’s probably in bed by now and I’ll just stew.” She dug in her bag for her key. “And we can talk about when you’re going to give me that tour of the station. Damn, I know it’s in here somewhere. I’d have an easier time if Kath had remembered to leave the porch light on. Here.” She unlocked the door, then dropped the keys carelessly into her pocket. “Why don’t you sit
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