Read Online Bring Back Her Body by Stuart Brock - Free Book Online Page B

like a fish or something as I come back.”
    “Hey!”
    She turned and waved. “Do it the easy way, Cain.”
    He was swearing again, trying new combinations in various languages when the speedboat raced around the point and darted into his dock. Honor threw Cain a line and hopped onto the dock and then to his boat. The wind had whipped color into her face. She wore a peasant skirt and a light blouse and apparently nothing else but sandals. But Cain was fooled. As soon as she discovered Lisa was gone she peeled to a less-than-Bikini suit and stretched out on the warm deck.
    “This is nice and warm out of the wind. There’s too much breeze on the roof.”
    “Coffee?”
    “No thanks.” She smiled her pouting smile. “Have you decided, Cain?”
    He studied the whitecaps. She had the body of a mature woman, the detached and determined mind of the scientist and the morals of a baby animal. He sighed. She said no more and he glanced at her. She lay with her eyes shut against the light and he saw the naïveté and youth in her features now that she was off guard. An evil grin spread over his bony face.
    “Yes,” he said. He sounded fierce, hard. “Get up and come with me.” Her eyes opened wide but she didn’t move. He reached down and got a wrist and pulled. “I can’t wait all day.”
    Her eyes grew wider in surprise, “Cain …” He could feel the momentary reluctance of her feet seeking purchase on the deck as he pulled her toward the cabin. He grinned again; it was not a pleasant grin.
    He let loose of her and she went down the steps, slowly, and he followed, shutting the doors and drawing the curtains over the portholes, putting them into near darkness. When he turned she was standing by one of the wide seats.
    He walked up to her and grasped her shoulders, pulled her against him, kissing her with his mouth hard, hurting her lips. She was rigid a moment and then she yielded, her own arms going up about his neck. But he could feel her trembling and not quite relaxed.
    He made huffing sounds like a marine motor trying to catch, ran a hand down her back to the halter strap and pulled. He stepped back, tossing the wisp of cloth to one side. “Come on!”
    She crossed her arms over her breasts in sudden and futile modesty. He could see her lips trembling and see her fighting, but despite her efforts two large tears formed on her eyelashes and came tumbling down her cheeks.
    “Cain …” It was a wail.
    “Damn it,” he said hoarsely, “that’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?” He put out his hands as if to hook them in the sides of her brief shorts where the string held them together. She took a step backward and was pressed against the edge of the seat. The tears were coming openly now and she was sniffling.
    “I — I didn’t think it would be this way.”
    “What did you expect?” His voice was like a slap.
    “I — I thought it would be — be beautiful and — beautiful.”
    “Since when is blackmail beautiful?” he demanded.
    She stopped sniffling and stared at him, her lips parted. “Why,” she whispered, “I never thought of it that way. Honest I didn’t.”
    Cain sneered his disbelief. He took a step forward, grasping her arms, drawing them away from her breasts. “Come on, baby. Let’s get about it. You started this.”
    Her eyes, dry now, grew wider and wider as she stared into his face. Her own muscles grew taut and she took a deep breath, fighting obviously for control. Cain had a hard time keeping his face straight. Then her mouth opened. “I’m scared!” she wailed.
    Cain dropped her wrists, turned and smothered a laugh with a cough, swung around, glowering at her. “We made a bargain, baby. I’ll keep my half and I expect you to do the same.” He caught her by the waist and lifted her, tossing her onto the wide, padded seat. She lay there, staring into his hard-lined face.
    “I’ll keep my part, Cain. You — you don’t have to if you don’t want to, though.” Her voice