will.’
In the semi-darkness, disturbed only by the neon glare through the curtained windows, their breathing gradually slowed and synchronized. Kyle’s thumb and forefinger worked at Donna’s nipple, the only sign she had that he wasn’t asleep. After she’d waited for what she thought was an acceptable length of time, she said, ‘Baby?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Where’s the painting?’
She felt Kyle tense, though his hand continued playing with her breast with the same delicacy as before. After a second he murmured, ‘You know it’s better if I don’t tell you, Donna.’
‘I know. It’s just...’ Her voice trailed off. In a few moments she felt his face up close, his lightly stubbled cheek brushing hers.
‘Just what, honey?’
‘All these secrets, You and I kept secrets from Blair, he kept secrets from me. Or tried to. And now here we are, keeping secrets from one another. It’s omething I didn’t want to start happening between us, that’s all.’
‘Donna.’ When she didn’t respond he took her shoulder and turned her gently so that she was looking up into his face. Through the tangle of his hair Kyle’s eyes were earnest, and kind.
‘Donna, honey, listen to me. I promise you that after the police have talked to you, maybe not the first time but the second or third, I will tell you where the painting’s hidden. Hell, I’ll show it to you. Then we’ll take it along to this contact you mentioned and we’ll sell it. And be set up for life.’ He searched her face urgently. ‘That’s still what you want, isn’t it? For the two of us to have a life together?’
Donna propped herself up on one elbow, laid her palm against the side of his face. ‘Of course, Kyle. More than anything else.’
‘Okay. Because I want it too, Donna. More than you could imagine.’ He lowered his face and placed a soft kiss on her lips. ‘It sounds real cornball, I know, but I’ve never felt this way about any woman before, babe. Not even close to it. You’re like a drug to me, but in a good way. I feel better every time I see you, even for a few minutes. It’s not just the sex, though that’s awesome. It’s the way you look when you turn your head and glance over your shoulder, the way you stand, that expression that touches your eyes when you smile... ah, Jesus.’ He collapsed back onto the mattress, his face turned toward her. ‘I’m in deep with you, Donna. And I don’t want to get out.’
She placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him deeply. ‘Kyle, that means a lot. But no more secrets after this, okay? No lies, no subterfuge.’ A thought struck her suddenly. Was the painting here? Had Kyle brought it to the motel room and hidden it under the bed, or in the closet? Her eyes started to roam around the room but she stopped herself.
‘Promise.’
He laid a hand on her thigh, and a shiver of desire ran up toward her center. But she pushed his hand away gently.
‘It’d be easy to carry on like this all night. God knows I’d like to. But I’ve got to get back. Call the police. Make this work.’ Donna ran her hands through her hair, smoothed her palms across her face. ‘Oh God. I’ve just remembered. The dinner party I was at tonight. I told them I was heading home because I was tired. If the cops check with the hosts, there’ll be a discrepancy between the time I left and the time I call in the news of Blair’s death. A gap of more than ninety minutes.’
Kyle shrugged. ‘You stopped for coffee on the way. Got a flat tire. In any case, the cops aren’t going to believe you overpowered your husband in a fight and got him to shoot himself. He’s a big guy. Was a big guy. You’ll be in the clear, babe. As long as you can keep your cool, and keep your story straight.’
Donna gazed at his face. She was the one who’d come up with the plan. But now Kyle, this kid, was calmer and more collected than her. She found it reassuring.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Thanks.’
She sat
In the semi-darkness, disturbed only by the neon glare through the curtained windows, their breathing gradually slowed and synchronized. Kyle’s thumb and forefinger worked at Donna’s nipple, the only sign she had that he wasn’t asleep. After she’d waited for what she thought was an acceptable length of time, she said, ‘Baby?’
‘Yeah?’
‘Where’s the painting?’
She felt Kyle tense, though his hand continued playing with her breast with the same delicacy as before. After a second he murmured, ‘You know it’s better if I don’t tell you, Donna.’
‘I know. It’s just...’ Her voice trailed off. In a few moments she felt his face up close, his lightly stubbled cheek brushing hers.
‘Just what, honey?’
‘All these secrets, You and I kept secrets from Blair, he kept secrets from me. Or tried to. And now here we are, keeping secrets from one another. It’s omething I didn’t want to start happening between us, that’s all.’
‘Donna.’ When she didn’t respond he took her shoulder and turned her gently so that she was looking up into his face. Through the tangle of his hair Kyle’s eyes were earnest, and kind.
‘Donna, honey, listen to me. I promise you that after the police have talked to you, maybe not the first time but the second or third, I will tell you where the painting’s hidden. Hell, I’ll show it to you. Then we’ll take it along to this contact you mentioned and we’ll sell it. And be set up for life.’ He searched her face urgently. ‘That’s still what you want, isn’t it? For the two of us to have a life together?’
Donna propped herself up on one elbow, laid her palm against the side of his face. ‘Of course, Kyle. More than anything else.’
‘Okay. Because I want it too, Donna. More than you could imagine.’ He lowered his face and placed a soft kiss on her lips. ‘It sounds real cornball, I know, but I’ve never felt this way about any woman before, babe. Not even close to it. You’re like a drug to me, but in a good way. I feel better every time I see you, even for a few minutes. It’s not just the sex, though that’s awesome. It’s the way you look when you turn your head and glance over your shoulder, the way you stand, that expression that touches your eyes when you smile... ah, Jesus.’ He collapsed back onto the mattress, his face turned toward her. ‘I’m in deep with you, Donna. And I don’t want to get out.’
She placed her hands on either side of his face and kissed him deeply. ‘Kyle, that means a lot. But no more secrets after this, okay? No lies, no subterfuge.’ A thought struck her suddenly. Was the painting here? Had Kyle brought it to the motel room and hidden it under the bed, or in the closet? Her eyes started to roam around the room but she stopped herself.
‘Promise.’
He laid a hand on her thigh, and a shiver of desire ran up toward her center. But she pushed his hand away gently.
‘It’d be easy to carry on like this all night. God knows I’d like to. But I’ve got to get back. Call the police. Make this work.’ Donna ran her hands through her hair, smoothed her palms across her face. ‘Oh God. I’ve just remembered. The dinner party I was at tonight. I told them I was heading home because I was tired. If the cops check with the hosts, there’ll be a discrepancy between the time I left and the time I call in the news of Blair’s death. A gap of more than ninety minutes.’
Kyle shrugged. ‘You stopped for coffee on the way. Got a flat tire. In any case, the cops aren’t going to believe you overpowered your husband in a fight and got him to shoot himself. He’s a big guy. Was a big guy. You’ll be in the clear, babe. As long as you can keep your cool, and keep your story straight.’
Donna gazed at his face. She was the one who’d come up with the plan. But now Kyle, this kid, was calmer and more collected than her. She found it reassuring.
‘Okay,’ she said. ‘Thanks.’
She sat
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