of absolute calm in the course of an hour. This was exactly what she needed, the warm water swirling over her naked skin, a long-limbed man holding her against his body. It was the best kind of therapy for anything that ailed her.
“I guess I don’t make much of a voyeur,” he said. “I don’t have the patience to just watch.”
“You’re not exactly supposed to be invited to watch,” she said. “You’re supposed to do it secretly. That’s part of the thrill.”
“Aren’t voyeurs just Peeping Toms?”
“All Peeping Toms are voyeurs, but not all voyeurs are Peeping Toms. Some people get sexually aroused by watching. There’s nothing wrong with that if it’s done in a safe and legal environment. It’s a well-recognized paraphilia.”
Dec growled, then kissed her neck playfully. “I love it when you talk sex to me. But what’s a paraphilia?”
“It’s sexual arousal in response to objects or situations that don’t have a possibility of reciprocal sexual activity. But it also refers to sexual practices out of the mainstream.”
“Like what? Like getting dressed up in your girlfriend’s skirts?”
“Yeah, if you’re turned on by the clothes. Then there’s fetishism, which is arousal from a body part, usually non-sexual. Like the foot. That’s a popular one.”
“I have a hard time with that one,” Dec said. “I mean, my feet are stuck inside my shoes all day long. They’re about as sexy as my earlobes.”
“I think your earlobes are really sexy,” Rachel said, glancing back at him. She reached beneath the water and grabbed his foot, then held it up. “This is a beautiful foot.”
“But do you find it sexy?” he asked.
Rachel decided to try something she never had. She brushed the soap off his foot, then leaned forward and kissed his instep. Slowly running her tongue along the arch, she stopped when she reached the toes, drawing his big toe into her mouth and sucking it gently.
Dec’s breath caught and for a moment, he stiffened, then let out a low groan. “Oh, fuck,” he murmured.
“I think your feet are very sexy,” she whispered as she continued to suck on each toe. She’d always read that men’s feet were particularly sensitive to oral stimulation, but she’d never had the opportunity for any real-life research. From Dec’s reaction, she knew that the research had been correct.
“See how this works,” she said.
“Oh, yeah,” he said. “You don’t have to convince me.”
Rachel giggled, then let his foot drop gently back down into the water. This time, when she leaned back, she felt his growing erection slide up along her spine. For such a swift and intense response, Dec must have enjoyed the toe sucking more than she’d anticipated.
“Now what?” he asked in a seductive voice. “Teach me more.”
Rachel slowly rolled over until she faced him, her body still caught between his legs. “There’s a lot of other things to explore if you’re interested.”
“What about your first date rule?” he asked, capturing her mouth for a quick kiss.
“I’ve been thinking that might be an arbitrary rule,” she replied as she nuzzled his chest.
He bent down and grabbed her bottom lip between his teeth, giving it a gentle nip. “I completely agree. Especially if it’s going to stand in the way of my education.”
Rachel slowly rose and stood in front of him, running her palms over her soap-slicked skin, teasing at his desire. He watched her for a long time, his gaze moving up and down the length of her body. She stepped out of the tub and grabbed a towel from the rack, smiling as she walked out of the bathroom, the towel wrapped around her body.
Rachel wandered into Dec’s bedroom. He’d set her bag in the doorway, but this time she knew his choice had been purposeful. He wanted her to share his bed. She tossed the bag on the bed and opened it, then pulled out a pair of summer pajamas she’d packed. The short-sleeved shirt and the little shorts had kittens all over the fabric and she dried off and slipped into them.
“Man, those are sexy.”
Rachel glanced up to find Dec standing in the doorway to the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. “You like them?” she asked.
“Better than Victoria’s Secret any day.” He ran his hands over his belly. “So, do you want something to eat?”
Rachel shook her head. “I’m fine. But I’m not sure I’m up for a movie.”
“We have our date tomorrow night, we’ll see one then.”
“Our date,” she said. In all the chaos of the afternoon, she’d forgotten about that. She’d missed her hair appointment and hadn’t found anything to wear yet.
Dec pointed to the bed. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to grab my pillow. I’ll sleep on the sofa in the den.”
“No,” Rachel said, shaking her head. She crawled onto the mattress, rising on her knees as she raked her hands through her damp hair. “You’ll sleep with me.”
“All right,” Dec said. She watched as he shifted on his feet, knowing what was going through his mind, making certain he knew it was an invitation and not an excuse. They both knew they couldn’t spend an entire night in the same bed without touching and kissing. And that would lead to many more pleasures, pleasures neither one of them wanted to deny anymore.
She wanted to fall into bed with Dec right now, to strip off all his clothes and pull him on top of her. Losing herself in a haze of desire would be exactly what she needed, the touch of his body distracting her from all the other worries plaguing her mind. “Are you coming to bed?” she asked.
“In a few minutes,” he replied. “I just want to call the office and have them go over and get those videotapes from university security. And then I’m going to send someone over to your house and see if they can pick up any evidence from the garage.” He stepped up and slipped his arms around her waist, then gave her a slow, sensual kiss, his hands running over her body. When he’d had enough, he kissed her neck. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll be waiting.” She drew back the covers, then crawled beneath them. As she snuggled into his soft down pillows, Rachel smiled. Of all the places they’d lived together, she liked this one best.
She rolled over on her stomach and stared at the things scattered on his nightstand. A bottle of vitamin C.A photo of Dec and five young children, Dec standing with his arms outstretched like the branches of a tree and the children swinging from them. A pile of change and a matchbook from a Providence night club. She picked up the matchbook and peeked inside, relieved to find it blank.
Curious, Rachel took her search a bit further and pulled out the drawer of his nightstand. It was filled with an assortment of small items, pens and pencils, a small flashlight, a bottle of aspirin. She pulled out a small black book and flipped through it, then saw that it was “his” black book. It was filled with phone numbers, each accompanied by the name of a girl. “Mandi M.,” she murmured. “Tori K. Kari W.”
Rachel had made an unofficial study of girls who had names that ended in “i” and she’d come to the conclusion that they were usually blonde, gorgeous and possessed a larger than average pair of breasts. She stared down at her own chest and sighed. She liked to think of herself as sexy, but next to girls like that, she paled in comparison.
Rachel set the black book back inside then pulled out a string of condoms. At least he was prepared, she mused. But had he put those in the nightstand just recently or did he keep a steady supply on hand? Rachel had never asked him about past girlfriends or lovers. In the beginning, it hadn’t been any of her business and now, it didn’t really matter. She was the woman in his bed, the woman he wanted here.
She closed the nightstand drawer and curled back up beneath the covers. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of Dec moving around downstairs and she smiled. Once again, he’d made sure she was safe. As long as she was with him, nothing could hurt her.
THE HAND CAME OUT OF nowhere, clamping down on her mouth. Rachel tried to open her eyes. Maybe they were open and it was just so dark she couldn’t see. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t scream. The hand blocked whatever sound she tried to make.
Twisting against the grip, she fought frantically for air, but it was no use. She felt herself blacking out and rather than experiencing a sense of release, her panic only increased. This was how she was going to die, suffocated, second by second, losing her grip on life. She’d nearly resigned herself to her fate, ready to let go.
And then suddenly, the hand was gone. Rachel bolted upright and gasped for breath, her heart slamming in her
