practice law at all…?'
Phillip's lean face seemed to narrow even more. She'd irked him, unintentionally, but she had. Now, she was sorry that she had said anything at all.
'Your concerning yourself with matters that are my personal business, Laurie,' he snapped, 'I'll make the living in this house, and decide how it's to be made.' He paused, staring at her sharply. 'I think you'd do better if you applied yourself to more wifely duties… such as learning how to make love to your husband, eh?'
Now, it was Laurie's turn to blush. His words had sliced into her like a keen knife blade and he knew it. Immediately, he was sorry; it had been an unnecessary, short-tempered remark… he was so damnably on edge. She started to leave, her head down to hide the tears and he caught her by the hand.
'Please…' she said, trying to tug herself free.
'No… I'm sorry, Laurie… I didn't mean that,' he stammered. 'I… I just don't know what I'm saying these days, I guess… Please, I… I don't want us to quarrel.'
Laurie studied her handsome, twenty-six year old husband's troubled face for a long moment through tear- dimmed eyes. Finally, she said, 'That's what I was trying to tell you… You've taken too much on your shoulders… as if your studies aren't enough right now, you've involved yourself in this political thing…'
Phillip started to speak, thought better of it and just listened. There was no way he could explain his reasoning, or the vindictiveness that kept his whole inner-being in a constant turmoil and would continue to do so until he'd satisfied his vengeance upon Dianne Coleman and her drunken puppet Senator husband. Nothing else mattered to him… absolutely nothing, nor would it ever until he'd finished with his vendetta… But these were his own hidden secrets; there was no way he could explain to the lovely young girl before him without actually destroying himself in her eyes… and he didn't want that, at least, at this point, either. Instead, he pretended to listen, nodding his head.
'…And I was hoping we'd have such a nice time at the convention,' she was saying… She sighed. 'What I really hoped, I guess, was that you and I… well, being together for three whole days and nights… it would be almost like a little honeymoon, and maybe we'd find each other…'
Phillip smiled. 'Of course, Baby, I understand… but you've got to remember that this is a political convention. I'm going to be plenty busy, you know… probably won't have as much time for you as we'd like…'
'But we will have our nights, Phillip,' she hastened to add, then questioningly: 'Won't we?'
He drew her to him and sat her down on his lap; she placed her lips on his and kissed him warmly. Finally, he said: 'We'll arrange it so that we have our nights together, Honey…' He kissed her again, brushing her lips with his tongue, the touch of her soft, voluptuous body… the feel and weight of her buttocks and thigh pressed tightly onto his hardening penis rekindling the desire his neighbors scantily clad body had awakened moments earlier.
She sighed once more, relaxing in his arms and trailing her fingertips caressingly along his temples. He felt like some kind of hypocrite.
He'd had no right marrying her in the first place when he didn't love her. It was the cruelest thing he had ever done in his life… but she'd been his key into Rio Lado's social circle… the country club-set… into the very political world that Dianne and Senator Mark Coleman were involved in, and nothing, or no one, mattered except the revenge he sought, the complete destruction of his betraying childhood sweetheart, beautiful Dianne Coleman. God, he doubted that he would ever stop loving her… or hating her: he lived only, it seemed, for the sweet taste of revenge on that day soon when it would come to pass.
Of course, Laurie was completely innocent, unaware of this thwarted love he carried sealed away in a vengeful heart. It was probably the last thing he would've revealed of himself. Only Dianne and he knew what she had done to him by eloping with her employer, Mark Coleman, then an attorney and one of the city's leading and wealthiest bachelors. She had come to Rio Lado from her home in New Hampshire to become his own wife, Phillip remembered. They hadn't wanted to wait any longer and he still had two-years of law school to complete, but then he'd been taken ill and while recuperating from a lung operation… it had all happened.
Some year and a half ago, yet it seemed almost a lifetime… At first, he'd wanted to die; he'd been that heartbroken, but gradually those morose feelings had given way to sheer bitterness and rage, until there was nothing left but ruthless hate and avengement within him, constantly churning and saturating his brain, even as they were at that very moment.
Yet, simultaneously, these ruttish sensations were agitating his loins and for one brief interval he actually forgot all else but the stimulating presence of this enticing creature in his arms. He continued to kiss her as he held her tight to him, pressing his tongue between her soft wet lips, tasting the sweetness of her mouth… still feeling very much like a Judas as his shaft lurched beneath her.
'Darling…' she whispered, drawing back her head to better see him. 'Are you angry with me?'
'Angry…? What for?' he pretended, knowing well what she was getting at.
'Last night… the way I acted… spoiling it all for you… for both of us…'
'Don't be silly,' he said, smiling, then bringing her mouth to his once again, his tongue immediately seeking entry and feeling a slight tremor ripple over her lithe young body against him. He heard her sharp intake of breath as he slipped his hand inside the halter to cup one full, resilient breast, tenderly rolling its swelling, tiny pink nipple into a distended hardness before she could squirm free of him.
'Darling… not in front of the window,' she said, her smile confused, almost embarrassed. 'Beth might see us…'
'To hell with Beth!' Phillip snapped, but it was enough to break the shallow mood for him, and he withdrew his hand from her breasts with an obvious air of disgust, pressing her to her feet while he tried to manipulate his jerking organ into a more comfortable and less obvious position inside his shorts.
She smiled openly, staring at the front of his trousers. 'Did I do that, Darling?'
'Forget it,' he replied sharply. 'Like I do most of the time. It'll go away… it always does.' He swung back to his books, watching her smile fade out of the corner of his eye, then, with lowered head she walked from the room and he heard her climbing the stairs.
Goddamnit, he'd said it and he wasn't sorry. He'd had enough of her damned prudish morals in the last six months to last him a lifetime. Not once since they'd been married could he remember her even coming close to letting herself go and trying to enjoy sex with him. Christ knows, it was difficult enough for him to even pretend, but her constant: 'Oh Phillip, don't do that…' or, 'Do you have to be such an animal about it? Oh, Darling, please… those perversions make me feel so dirty…'
Damnit, it'd been more enjoyable with her in the back seat of his car before they were married… at least, he'd had a goal to shoot for then… but it was a good thing she hadn't let him go all the way, he mused bitterly, as his prick gave an aching jerk, or else they probably wouldn't be married right now…
Well, that wasn't true either, he thought, again feeling like a Pharisee. He hadn't married her for love, had he… just gain. Besides, she really wasn't to blame for the hang-ups her missionary parents had steeped her in… twisted little quirks that could be overcome with patience and time… and a loving husband. She was nineteen, still a child… and she loved him. God, how he'd used her!
He couldn't study; his mind was confused. Dianne crept into his thoughts, but he forced her out quickly. Instead, he tried to concentrate on his own ambitions; they were the only solace he could ever seem to find… the only self-satisfying reasons behind the ruthless things he had done to further his own ends. God knows, they were all that had kept him going after Dianne…
It'd been shortly following his meeting Laurie that the student revolt and demonstrations had started at the University, and he'd thrown himself into it, feeling their causes and demands to be just, suddenly finding himself the unappointed leader. Laurie had been frightened because of her uncle, Judge Julian Reed, afraid that he would refuse to let her have anything to do with a radical, but as it turned out, his own bringing of all parties concerned to the table and settling the thing to the satisfaction of both students and authorities, had gained him considerable publicity, until the obese Judge and kingmaker began to look upon him as a possible political figure of the future.
He'd never considered the field of politics prior to that episode, but once the Judge had instilled the thought in his mind, the idea of killing two birds with one stone had quickly registered. He immediately saw himself on the same level with Dianne, and moving in the same circles socially. How better to get at her, to destroy her than from within the very world she lived, while at the same time, furthering his own career! And to secure it all… assure himself that the Judge could have no change of heart, he'd marry his precious niece, tie it all up in one little knot…
