served
with the food, which of course Raven noticed.
"I'm not trying to get you drunk, Mari," he
told her. "I want you clear-headed for our discussion."
Her appetite evaporated and she set down her
fork. "Why? There's nothing to discuss. You slept with Lena and I
left you. You lured me here to have meaningless sex. When I leave,
it really will be the end of us."
"If that's true," he said, "why did you come
for me?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Marielle threw up her
hands. "I'm lonely, you're the sexiest man alive, and you've
stranded me on this island with you. You were spanking me and
screwing me at the same time, which you know turned me on. Raven, I
still want you. I know I always will. But you chose Lena over me.
So this has to end, now, before we do any more damage to each
other."
He reached over and covered her hand with
his. "I didn't sleep with Lena."
"No, I'm sure you didn't." She started to
laugh and then stopped herself. "I walked in on you having sex with
her, remember? It wasn't an act. It wasn't rehearsal. You were
fucking her."
"No, I wasn't. She was raping me." As she
gaped at him, he nodded. "I know how ridiculous it sounds but when
you spike a man's drink with date-rape and erectile dysfunction
drugs, it actually makes it pretty easy. Didn't you notice how out
of it I was? That I didn't say a word? And how she had to do all
the work?"
Marielle remembered how silent Raven had
been, how Lena had straddled his face and then lifted his hands and
rubbed them over her breasts. "But why would she do something like
that? She's the sexiest woman alive. She could have anyone -- "
" -- except me. Earlier that day she offered
to let me back into her bed but I refused. Lena was jealous of you
and she doesn't like taking no for an answer. Come on." He stood up
and offered her his hand. "I have something to show you."
Raven led her to a room set up as an office
and picked up a folder from the desk. "I went to my doctor and had
my blood tested the morning after you saw me in bed with Lena.
These are the results."
Marielle read the laboratory test results and
the doctor's notes. Raven had been drugged, just as he'd claimed.
For the first time since she'd caught him with Lena, she felt an
instant of doubt. What if he was telling the truth?
"I want to believe you," she said. "But you
could have had your doctor falsify these results. Also, if what you
say is the truth, why didn't you have Lena arrested?"
"Sit down." When she did he picked up the
phone and dialed a number, putting the phone on speaker as he
did.
The line rang only once before a woman
answered. "Raven, where are you? I've been trying to reach you for
days."
As soon as Marielle heard the voice she knew
it was Lena. As she began to get to her feet, Raven touched a
finger to his lips and made a gesture indicating she should sit
back down before he said, "I just got your messages. What do you
want?"
"The studio is talking about a sequel to
Fascination," she said, "but they won't sign me without you. I need
you to call them and tell them you'll do it."
"After what you did to me?" Raven made a
harsh sound. "I don't want to work with you again."
"Look," Lena said, "I'm sorry I forced myself
on you. I'm seeing the shrink and doing the volunteer thing, just
as I promised. I don't know what else you want."
Raven stared at her as he said, "Marielle
left me because of you."
"My therapist told me I should call her to
tell her what really happened. I'm still willing to do that," the
actress said. "No one knows where she is or how to contact her.
Look, I need this sequel, Raven. After all the rumors, it's the
only thing that will save my career now -- "
"I'll call you next week. Good-bye, Lena."
Raven ended the call. "Now do you believe me?"
"She admitted it." Shocked and horrified now,
she looked up at him. "Why isn't she in jail?"
"I wanted to put her there, believe me." His
mouth flattened. "I didn't press charges because you were a witness
and I didn't want you
with the food, which of course Raven noticed.
"I'm not trying to get you drunk, Mari," he
told her. "I want you clear-headed for our discussion."
Her appetite evaporated and she set down her
fork. "Why? There's nothing to discuss. You slept with Lena and I
left you. You lured me here to have meaningless sex. When I leave,
it really will be the end of us."
"If that's true," he said, "why did you come
for me?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Marielle threw up her
hands. "I'm lonely, you're the sexiest man alive, and you've
stranded me on this island with you. You were spanking me and
screwing me at the same time, which you know turned me on. Raven, I
still want you. I know I always will. But you chose Lena over me.
So this has to end, now, before we do any more damage to each
other."
He reached over and covered her hand with
his. "I didn't sleep with Lena."
"No, I'm sure you didn't." She started to
laugh and then stopped herself. "I walked in on you having sex with
her, remember? It wasn't an act. It wasn't rehearsal. You were
fucking her."
"No, I wasn't. She was raping me." As she
gaped at him, he nodded. "I know how ridiculous it sounds but when
you spike a man's drink with date-rape and erectile dysfunction
drugs, it actually makes it pretty easy. Didn't you notice how out
of it I was? That I didn't say a word? And how she had to do all
the work?"
Marielle remembered how silent Raven had
been, how Lena had straddled his face and then lifted his hands and
rubbed them over her breasts. "But why would she do something like
that? She's the sexiest woman alive. She could have anyone -- "
" -- except me. Earlier that day she offered
to let me back into her bed but I refused. Lena was jealous of you
and she doesn't like taking no for an answer. Come on." He stood up
and offered her his hand. "I have something to show you."
Raven led her to a room set up as an office
and picked up a folder from the desk. "I went to my doctor and had
my blood tested the morning after you saw me in bed with Lena.
These are the results."
Marielle read the laboratory test results and
the doctor's notes. Raven had been drugged, just as he'd claimed.
For the first time since she'd caught him with Lena, she felt an
instant of doubt. What if he was telling the truth?
"I want to believe you," she said. "But you
could have had your doctor falsify these results. Also, if what you
say is the truth, why didn't you have Lena arrested?"
"Sit down." When she did he picked up the
phone and dialed a number, putting the phone on speaker as he
did.
The line rang only once before a woman
answered. "Raven, where are you? I've been trying to reach you for
days."
As soon as Marielle heard the voice she knew
it was Lena. As she began to get to her feet, Raven touched a
finger to his lips and made a gesture indicating she should sit
back down before he said, "I just got your messages. What do you
want?"
"The studio is talking about a sequel to
Fascination," she said, "but they won't sign me without you. I need
you to call them and tell them you'll do it."
"After what you did to me?" Raven made a
harsh sound. "I don't want to work with you again."
"Look," Lena said, "I'm sorry I forced myself
on you. I'm seeing the shrink and doing the volunteer thing, just
as I promised. I don't know what else you want."
Raven stared at her as he said, "Marielle
left me because of you."
"My therapist told me I should call her to
tell her what really happened. I'm still willing to do that," the
actress said. "No one knows where she is or how to contact her.
Look, I need this sequel, Raven. After all the rumors, it's the
only thing that will save my career now -- "
"I'll call you next week. Good-bye, Lena."
Raven ended the call. "Now do you believe me?"
"She admitted it." Shocked and horrified now,
she looked up at him. "Why isn't she in jail?"
"I wanted to put her there, believe me." His
mouth flattened. "I didn't press charges because you were a witness
and I didn't want you
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