Still in her bemused, Georgia folded and lifted her crocheted bedspread onto a chair, pulled back the clothes to crawl inside.She was tired. She lay thinking over her incredible day. Who would ever believe it? She'd gotten up that morning, wiped away the last trace of herself as she vacated her apartment near Cleveland, gone to a cafe for breakfast, innocently collected The Envelope and driven to her destiny. Astonishing. Here she was in Luke Montana's apartment, lying in his bed.How clever of him to rent that cot, the rack for her clothes and the chest of drawers. Very efficient.If he hadn't had a place to sleep and had tried to fit his big body on that living-room sofa, how long would it be before she would say, "I'll take sofa?" Would she be such a wimp as to do that? probably.It's what her mother, Felicia, would do for her Dad. For all Felicia's airy life-style, she really stroked her husband. "This is the best place and it's your father's" She'd tell the children. There was n
As she rose form the bed, Georgia inquired, "Well, Minny, I suppose you've had breakfast?" The Browns always spoke to their pets as if they could understand, because they probably could. Minny lifted one paw and gave it a couple of licks in reply. She had eaten. "More french fries?" Minny turned her head away enduringly. Georgia tapped on the connecting door to the bath, and receiving no reply, opened it cautiously as if the creature from the Black Lagoon might be lolling in the tub. It wasn't there and neither was Luke. She showered, put on a soft, dark green terry jogging suit and twisted her freshly washed hair into a soft swirl on the black of her head. She put loops in her ears and brushed her eyelashes with enough color to be seen. Then, since she was a prisoner, she added just a bit of white powder to her cheeks, so that she wouldn't look too healthy. She went back into the bedroom and put her things away. Then she opened the door of the room-Luke's room-and inadvertently
I quit teaching and worked as a soup- kitchen food chopper. When I still couldn't go back to teaching, I got a job as a 'gofer' at a florist. " She didn't mention why she left there. She took a deep breath. "I won't ever risk another involvement, it's to much to bear."Luke said, "I had a similar experience. My wife was sleeping with a friend during the day. She cleaned me out with a divorce. The man was married and had kids. How could I point the finger at him? It would have wrecked his wife. I'd never marry again, either. " " Who' have you? " Georgia smiled a little." You're a workaholic! All you think about is business."" Occasionally, I do have other thoughts." He grinned at her.He worked hard in jhis sturdy. The phone rang, he used the computer, Mac brought prapers, and then there was Georgia who was Grasshopper to Luke's industrious Ant.She was bored and restless. By the third morning of her detention, she again fixed breakfast. Luke appreciated her efforts. Mac came as us
A wine. A light white would be nice with the chicken salad. Something with a tingle." He had enough tingle for a whole case of wine. "I think I have just the thing." He went into the kitchen, reached up past her to open a high cupboard. They were standing a bit close but she hadn't moved away. She was looking up at his hands. He had to recall why he was standing there and what h'd been doing. The lunch? Wine. He took down a bottle, then another and a third. He knew very little about wines. Beer, he knew about beer, he knew about beer but wines weren't his drink. He 'd always just asked the liquor dealer's opinion. Women liked wine. They felt safe with wine. Luke smiled. With his big hands, he handled the bottles easily enough. He read the labels and handed the bottles to her, as if she would know what she wanted. He smiled again very nicely. "Too sweet." She put one back in his hands to be put away. "Either of these would be fine. Which do you prefer?" The ball back in his cou
"He'd do that?" "Every time." "I'm play left-handed." Luke looked grudgingly cooperative. Mac blabbed. "He is left-handed." "You have to be fair." Mac was reasonable. "She's your quest." "She's my captive and she's supposed to do what I want." "Careful there, Montana. Things could get out of hand. "Can you belly dance?" Luke asked her. "While I'm not too enthusiastic about table tennise, I wouldn't mind having to watch a little belly dancing." " I don't belly dance." "Ah! Here's the opportunity for you to learn a new skill. Mac, see if you can find a do-it-yourself book on it and you'd have to get the accountrements. The ruby for her belly button, the scarves, that sort of thing." Mac said, 'Well-" Georgia said, "No." Luke objected to Mac, "I have put mind to the problem of her exercising and I don't get any credit! She turns down all my suggestions and then complains because she hasn't any way to exercise." "I am going crazy cooped up in here with a madman-" "Going? you
Georgia controlled her tears and told Luke his love making was beautiful. She even managed to tease him about his desperate search for protection. "Well, with Mac popping in and out, I never thought we'd be able to." He layther propped on one elbow next to her and one big hand slowly rubbed circle on her stomach. "I thought Mac said this apartment was like an office and this sort of thing ever happens in offices." Her lashes were spiked with her tears and her face was pale. It made her smile and teasing words all the more heart-touching. He leaned to kiss her, his lips soft and sweet. "This room isn't an office. I think I'll barricade the doors for a couple isn't of months." She liked having her stomach rubbed that way. Then his big, hard hand moved and liked it on her breast, and we'll. On her face, her thighs, down her arms her back bottom: his hands relished her. His kisses were varied, tasting her mouth her breast, sipping, nipping, using his tongue. His mouth was scaldi
After a silence that was not an easy one, because she could almost hear their thinking about heras a problem, Georgia asked, "Am I really in danger? We would go to the police."They don't have the time. Nor the manpower. We've got it under control." Mac has another cookie." Is there really any danger?" Georgia was persistent." Not with us around. Just don't go outside.""Not with us around. Just don't go outside."" I am getting claustrophobic.""We'll get some travel tapes for the VCR." Mac stood up and stretched. " Don't stay up too late, children." And he left.George looked at Luke. "What is really going on?" Very openly, Luke replied, "Herb has a network that you wouldn't believe. We are excellent antagonists. Matched. They saw that pink car of yours parked by building all that time and they got curious. I would bet anything that's what happened."" Will I ever see my car again?"" Of counsel! When this is over.""Is there-any real danger?" she asked it, yet again.Herb wants
She ran to the phone and stood there to say, "Well, hello! Is everything all right?" "Fine," said her dad's gravelly voice. "It was time for you to check in. The Gladys hadn't heard from you and I just wondered if you're all right. Who's the guy?" Her gaze lifted to Luke standing, listening, too and his face went blank, as he wondered how she would reply. "My boss. I'm helping him with some research." She gave Luke a precious smile and he had to clpa a hand over his mouth to stop the bluet of surprise. "What sort of research?" "It's temporary. How's the family? How's mother's play going." "She played a Lassie-type dog's 'Mother' with a mostly stuffed collie and a whining sound track. The play is actually Raggs to the Rescue and there's an asinine little boy who's so talented, when he's on the stage, that everybody can almost endure him otherwise. He'll probably go to films next. Over there in Indiana. The film business is getting big there, did you know that?" " No. How's she t