"It seems weird that normallife goes on, doesn't it?" He lifted a hand to all the people around them,laughing, dancing, oblivious.
"Will it...get better? Willthat feeling ever go away?"
"I'll let you know if itdoes." He paused. "I'm kidding. It's a cliche, but life does go on,Marli. I've been wallowing too long. You aren't the only one who's beenenjoying yourself tonight."
He didn't want to scare her away.Christ, she was jumpy as a grasshopper. But he had to admit he was interestedand attracted.
"This is the first time in along time I've felt...well, felt anything," he continued. "Felthungry. Felt amused. Felt...turned on." He met her eyes steadily.
"I really have to go." Shegrabbed her purse and stood up. Then she stopped. "'Bye, Trey. It was niceto meet you."
Damn. He'd said too much.Disappointment settled over him, slow and heavy, but this time he didn't try tostop her as she threaded her way through the crowded bar and out the door.
Chapter2
Sheldon lay on the bed in his dingymotel room, arms behind his head. When he'd left the bar that night, he'dturned around and looked at Marli--that bitch--and he'd seen her eyeswiden in response. She'd had no idea what he'd been about to do.
Oh, man, that had been sweet. Kristahad been so utterly terrified when he'd pulled out the knife. She'd tried torun, but he was too fast. He'd grabbed her... He replayed the video in hismind, almost enjoying it more the second time around.
He put a hand to the hard-on behindhis fly and rubbed. His cock twitched and thickened, his balls drew up and hisskin tingled. He was getting excited all over again. The power. There was nogreater power than completely dominating someone, inflicting pain. And she'ddeserved it. She was a woman, not as much of a slut as her friend Marli, butall women were whores.
He couldn't stop thinking aboutMarli, that tall, blonde bitch. Krista's friend. What a slut she was, flirtingwith all those men. But when he wanted to flirt with her, she'd cut himdead. Ha. Dead. A laugh gurgled inside him. That was funny, consideringwhat happened to her friend.
Marli'd flirted with him, thenrejected him. She'd laughed at him, laughed at him being a cowboy. Heatbuilt in his chest and in his head at the memory.
His mother's face flashed throughhis mind, her laughing mouth and mocking eyes.
That wasn't how it worked. When hewanted a woman, he got her. Then he could do what he wanted with her. Like allthe others.
They all deserved what they got.Krista had changed her mind about going with him the moment they'd gotten inhis car. She'd tried to get away, and he'd had to stop her. It hadn't gone theway he'd planned it. He glanced over at the closet in his motel room. Ah,well.
He sat up and punched the crappycheap pillows, then stuffed them back behind him. He gave some thought to hisplans. He didn't want to wait around too long because they were looking forhim. He knew it. He saw the news on TV. Usually, he left town right away, butthis time Marli's taunting smile had kept his anger simmering. Marli was goingto pay for laughing at him. Just like his mother.
It was dangerous, staying here. Henever stuck around after he was done with a woman. His blood sizzled throughhis veins.
If he was going to stay in RockyHarbor, he had to change his appearance. He hadn't had much cash. The fiftybucks he'd taken out of Krista's purse he'd used for a trip to Long Drugs forsome hair dye and a pair of scissors. But the money hadn't lasted long and nowhe'd been hit with a genius idea.
He could kill two birds with onestone--get a job and keep an eye out for Marli.
He grinned up at the ceiling.
Marli emerged from Cactus Jack'sonto the dark sidewalk and glanced around. There were a few people on thestreet, but her stomach quivered and her muscles tightened. Guilt, anger andlack of sleep had shredded her nerves over the past two weeks, eating away atthem until she was on edge all the time. She hurried to her car, parked in anearby parking garage. Damn, she hated parking garages.
Sounds bounced off the concretefloors and walls, and twice she stopped to listen, heart in her throat,convinced she'd heard another set of footsteps behind her. But it was just theecho of her own shoes on the cement.
She locked the doors as soon as shegot into the car, having quickly assessed the back seat to make sure it wasempty. She sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, taking deepbreaths and trying to slow her racing heart.
Usually a young kid worked in thisparking garage, but tonight she was glad it was a man around her age. It madeher feel minutely safer as she handed over her money and waited for the arm torise so she could exit.
Tonight her anxiety levels wereescalated by the sexual tension that had simmered between Trey and her for thelast two hours. She hadn't been running; there'd been nothing to make her heartbeat more quickly, no trigger for her rapid breathing in the bar. It was him.He'd gotten her all agitated, even more than she already was. That was the lastthing she needed right now.
He made her curious. He wasinteresting. Dangerous, yet protective. A cop, a big jock footballplayer, but with intelligence and hints of pain in those intense blue eyes. Hemade her feel warm and shivery, and damn it, watching those long, sexy fingersof his made her think about having those hands on her body.
He was a stranger passing throughtown, and she'd never see him again. Instead of calming her, the thought wasstrangely disappointing.
She drove home and parked in thedriveway in front of her duplex condo, lit up like an office tower in downtownLA. She'd left all the lights on, to hell with the electricity bill she wasgoing
