More Than Life
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Tess swung her leg up to rest on the porch railing.
was at a 90º angle to her body. She’d
just finished her evening jog and now she was ready to stretch.
With a deep sigh,
Tess bent over and tucked her intertwined fingers around her foot; her forehead
rested on her knee. As she counted to
one hundred and twenty, she absently removed her ankle weight.
one-eighteen, one-nineteen, one-twenty.
Standing up, Tess switched legs as the door opened.
come out to join her. “Buenos noches,
chica.”
“Tía?
a year, but
point where Tess would say the girl was fluent in English.
fluent – he’d leaned the language eagerly.
stubbornness to learn it, René knew the English words for most things but
delighted in refusing to speak any, and Selena could often be found babbling in
a mixture of both languages.
“What kind of
help?”
“Times tables.”
As Tess finished
her stretching, she helped
through her multiplication tables up to eight.
The last round gave her trouble, but she eventually got through it.
was comfortable with the ‘eights’, both woman and girl had moved to sit on the
porch swing. For awhile they sat in
silence, watching the moon rise over the houses across the street.
each child every day, and tried to be accessible, but she feared she wasn’t
very good at it. Often she felt
bewildered or overwhelmed. If Cora
hadn’t come along, she didn’t know what she would have done.
“Tía?”
“Sí, Alma?”
“I don’t want to go
with Cora tomorrow.”
Ah.
Día los Muertos. “Why not?”
ever dried some marigolds for you to arrange.
Doesn’t that sound like fun?”
“Yes . . . but . .
. Máma and Pápa died last year on Día los Muertos.”
“And you’re not
sure you should be having fun?” The girl
shrugged, but Tess thought she was right.
“It’s alright for you to keep living your life, chica.”
“Then why can’t we
celebrate here? Why are you seg usg us
away? Why aren’t you coming with us?”
family. I find no joy in remembering
that day. “I have to work, chica.”
“But after that.”
“After that I’ll
have papers to grade.” Tess sighed.
you can call me at any time to talk, or to have me come get you, or
whatever.” Tess really wanted to spend
the day alone, contemplating everything that had happened in the past year, but
the kids were important. She had a duty
to them, and she found she also wanted to . . . to be able to nurture
them? She didn’t exactly know how to do
that, but the past year hadn’t been too painful where the kids were concerned.
“Okay, Tía.”
A few more moments
passed in silence before Tess realized how late it was getting.
“No.
in you go.” Tess watched as the girl
went back inside, noticing that she’d donned a coat before coming out.
much warmer climate, and they didn’t really like the cold.
they like snow, so it balances out, I guess.
Balance . . .
words. I did that.
got their eyes poked out.”
and stood up. Even after a year, that
voice rang clear in her memory. When
would it leave?
Stretching one last
time, Tess looked over her neighborhood.
It was a quiet place filled with doctors and bankers and lawyers and
their families.n stn style='mso-spacerun:yes'> All was peaceful and
pristine . . . except for the car parked across the street.
kept in garages. This car was nice
enough . . . just out of place.
have a child visiting or something.
Her neors ors across the street were empty nesters, although they seemed
to miss having children around.
why isn’t the car in their garage? They have
a short visit.
Then they would have parked in
the driveway. Besides, that car has been
parked there off and on for the past three days.
keep my eyes peeled so
Tess had had
enough. You’re being paranoid. There’s
no need for that. Jessica and Logan are
the only ones who know I’m here, and they both know
I’d like to keep that private. The
cartel doesn’t shadow for days on end – they find out just enough information
to come in and kill you. Besides,
there’s no one left in
That’s why you fled, right? And
who said anything about your family?
What about Sands? You know he’s
dangerous. What if he’s tracked you down
and is planning on killing you on the anniversary of
the day your family essentially killed him?
No one is out to get me. No one
is spying on me. I’m not that
interesting. And now I want to go
inside. It’s getting crowded out here.
throwing one last glance over her shoulder at the car despite all her words.
wasn’t a reason to be careless either.
home and locked the door behind her.
*************************************************
Sands lowered his camera as he restlessly chewed on some
gum. He’d much rather smoke, but smoke
stung his eyes in close quarters and he couldn’t roll down a window because
that would attract attention to himself – attention he couldn’t afford at the
moment.
Speaking of his
eyes, they were burning anyway. As much
as Sands appreciated being able to wear contacts, they were a pain in the ass
at the moment. With an irritated sigh he
removed them, placing them in their little container.
completely out of focus. It wasn’t as
bad as things had been during his recovery, but it was a dangerous position to
be caught in.
He quickly put on his glasses, relaxing as things became clear
again. Once the house settled for the
night, he’d go back to the hotel and develop his roll of film.
He didn’t have long
to wait – a fact for which he was grateful.
In a little over an hour the last light blinked out.
reviewing his plans for the next day.
It was only a ten
minute drive to his hotel. Unlocking the
door to his room, Sands walked in and threw his coat on the bed, heading
directly to the bathroom.
One of the reasons
he’d chosen to stay here had been the bathroom.
It had two sinks – one to use for normal things, one to for developing
his pictures. In the six days that he’d
been in town, Sands had already developed several rolls of film.
pictures of others had sneaked in. There
were several of the kids and the housekeeper – one Cora Mendez, daughter of
Gregory and Christina (Tina) Mendez.
Tina Mendez was
personal assistant, and possibly the only person he’d met in LA that hadn’t
pissed him off.
She wasn’t bad looking, but she didn’t hold Sands’ interest either.
everyone had been out, and he had to admit that the woman’s phone conversations
were not all that interesting.
could often be found muttering to herself when she was alone.
He had felt a bit
of guilt about wiring the house, but to allay that, he hadn’t planted any
cameras. Instead he settled on following
the routines of the house’s inhabitants.
Tomorrow morning he planned on sneaking into
one of Tessa’s morning classes before setting things into motion.
sure he had enough before confronting her.
Information like when the best time to get Tess alone was,
what kind of car she drove, where she worked, where the kids were during the
day – anything that would help.
It’d paid off.
housekeeper and the kids were going to be out of the house for the Day of the
Dead, but that Tess was going to be at the house.
It was perfect, really. Almost
ironic.
Tomorrow he’d put
his plan into action. And on November 3rd,
then he’d get down to CIA business.
*************************************************
“Professor?”
Tess jumped back to
herself, somewhat ashamed to be caught with her mind wandering.
Yes, you had a question?”
Semi-reluctantly, she moved her eyes from the man in the back row who
had warning bells going off in her head, and looked at the girl who’d
apparently had her hand raised for some time.
“Yes.” Standing,
the girl help up a copy of some medical journal.
started the unit on transplants, I remembered reading about this.
who was recently granted permission to –”
Tess held up a hand
to stop the girl. Med students, she thought in exasperation.
the things to bring up today.
doesn’t want you to forget what you were doing at this time last year.
having breakfast.
And waiting for the slaughter
to begin. “I’ve heard about that
. . . experiment, Leslie.”
should hope so. After all, you supplied
the guinea pig. “I believe I’ve
even read that same article. You don’t
need to go into further detail. What is
it that you wanted to ask?”
“I was wondering
how you felt about how quickly Dr. Pierce got permission to start human
trials. Looking at the body of data he
collected beforehand, it doesn’t seem as if he should have been allowed to
proceed with human trials for another few years.”
“It’s true that Dr.
Pierce had only, what was it? Seven
trials before getting government approval?”
The girl nodded. “Alright.
gathered was almost identical. Just like
in any other transplant procedure, as long as the donor eyes are compatible,
the host body won’t reject them. What
actually took the longest was developing the drugs that regenerated the nerves
and tendons. And ever with the tens of
thousands of dollars that went into that research, I believe the article states
that there were unforeseen interactions between the different
medications.” Tess sighed and took a
seat on the table in the front of the room, crossing her legs at the
ankle. “Now’s not the time I would have
chosen to get into this, but. . . .”
Sands watched from
the back of the room as Tess described the events of last winter with as few
details and as little emotion as she could.
Every word out of her mouth was both clinical and diplomatic.
holding on his fake beard and eyebrows started to irritate his skin.
secondhand store itched as well, but he could put up with that.
it was good to be back in the game . . . even if he may have gone overboard on
the glue.
Tess was clearly in
her element here. She ran through the
facts of his case without ever hinting that she’d been there to experience any
of it firsthand. After a few minutes,
Sands tuned out what she was saying, examining her instead. This was the
closest he’d gotten to her since she’d left – the first time that he was
staring at her without the aid of a camera lens.
He had to admit
that she wasn’t the worst looking female he’d ever seen, but she wasn’t her sister
either. At the moment her hair was
tucked into some kind of knot behind her head, not a single strand escaping or
misbehaving. Not that he’d expected
otherwise. Tess was a woman who liked
things to stay tidy – her appearance should always reflect that, at least in
public. The privacy of her own home
might be another matter altogether.
Her clothing was
simple and chosen to keep attention from being drawn to herself.
turtleneck, and had a black jacket on over that.
pair of glasses with oval frames and a silver wristwatch.
For the most part,
this morning class was silent, occasionally asking a question, but not showing
any of the energy that normally characterized college students.
mornings get to everyone, I suppose.
Sands met Tessa’s eyes as she glanced up at him again.
what he was doing there. He was confident
that she had no clue as to who he was – not with the blond beard and wig – and
his appearance would be too out of context for her to figure out why he made
her uneasy.
Finally, a buzzer
on the table went off. Students packed
up their materials as Tess reminded them of reading assignments.
lecture hall, sitting until he and Tess were the only ones in the room.
in a position that clearly communicated her uncertainty.
Sands stood an went out a nearby door, leaving her in
the room with her mouth open.
*************************************************
As Tess packed away her papers and files for the day, her
mind drifted back to the strange man who’d been in her
She was still trying to decide whether he’d really been there or if she
needed to see her doctor about adjusting her medication dosage.
was sitting in and feel the seat to see if it was warm or not.
something about him hadn’t been right.
Did you catch the way he was looking
the entire time they’re in here.
Yes, but most of them don’t
send shivers down your spine.
But he almost did.
call security, alright?
I don’t think he’s dangerous .
. . he just reminded you of someone you’re trying hard – but unsuccessfully –
to forget.
stopped herself. She didn’t want to
admit that she’d been keeping her ears open for news of the man.
What did you hear?
It is if you remembered.
I’m asking you to talk to me out loud.
Just a little admission.
today.
Like keeping your mind off
Sands? Understandable.
left him. I left him knowing that he’d
hate me if I stayed and he’d despise me if I left, but I chose what was easier
for me. It’d be easier for me to leave
and never hto
his eyes. I’ve seen that expression in
too many faces to subject myself to it again.
Thank you for bringing this up, and for pointing out what a horrible
person I am, and for sticking your nose in where it’s not wanted.
need you?
Picking up her
briefcase, Tess left the classroom she’d been debating herself in, and went to
her car, determined to get home and relax.
The sooner she moved on to other things, the sooner her voice and her
mind would let her forget what’d happened a year ago.
*************************************************
Sands looked around Tessa’s house as he waited for her to
arrive home. Other people might not be
able to glean insight into people from their surrounding, but Sands could.
of several decorating themes throughout the house.
designer knew to do, but he suspected it was simply an extension of Tessa’s
personality. Another thing he noticed
was the lack of clutter, and what clutter was around was specialized
clutter. There was a wicker basket for
shoes by the front door. The magazines
in the living room were arranged in a magazine rack according to title and
issue. The spice rack in the kitchen had
all the spices arranged alphabetically.
The books in the bookcases followed the Dewy Decimal system.
were like in her room.
Sands had spent an
hour in there. Clothes were hung up –
all of them. Even her jeans hung from
hangers. And not only were they hung up,
but they were arranged according to fabric, color, and season they were meant
to be worn in.
Shoes were lined up in pairs. Her
sock drawer was arranged by color. In
the linen closet in her bathroom, there were seven sets of towels – each set
containing a bath sheet and a smaller towel, both matching in color.
and divided into different genres. There
wasn’t a single item in that room that looked as if it’d been set down without
lots of consideration. Sands wondered if
Tess was obsessive/compulsive.
quoting things.
He checked his
watch. It was getting close to the time
when she should be home. He’d better get
downstairs.
*************************************************
Tess parked her car in the driveway.
she was grateful. She enjoyed cold
weather, but she hadn’t realized how much she’d also miss the mildenternter of
that’s about all I miss. I certainly
don’t miss the summers. Tess walked
to the end of the driveway and retrieved her mail.
children’s magazines, her copy of Newsweek, and a large, unaddressed manila
envelope. What’s this?
al'> A present from the
wouldn’t open that if I were you.
looking over the package.
Fine.
like what’s in that package.
Opening her front
door with her keys, Tess asked, Why
wouldn’t I like what’s in here?
Remember the last manila
envelope you opened? Tess knew
exactly what the voice was talking about.
had come over. His admission that he’d
had someone digging into her past.
should have done something about that.
It’s not safe to let people find out whatever they want about you.
She closed the door
and locked it behind her.
whatever had been in the envelope, but she’d opened it, and rummaged through
the papers anyway. Only one document had
been important enough to look at immediately; her birth certificate.
better off without ever finding it.
a misery of your life one last time. In
one second, you discovered that you were never going to be able to leave your
father behind, because he is a part of you and he recognized that.
door, hanging her keys from the key rack.
If any part of my
is my father, then it’s you.
things I’d never consider on my own.
You’re the one laying guilt and suspicion.
never truly escape my family, even though they’re dead.
debating her voice. Oh my goodness, she thought. Look.
for.
and hung it from the coat rack, she asked, Can
I at least have that?
don’t know. I suppose that depends on
you. After that, the voice was
silent.
Tess kicked off her
shoes, glad to be rid of the things, but suspicious that her voice wasn’t going
to give up that easily. If her thoughts
kept returning to the Day of the Dead, no matter how she tried to redirect
them, she doubted that she’d get much peace tonight.
rather warm today. It was warm that day
too, she thought as she walked into the kitchen for a bottle of water.
hot just like you’re hot for Sands.
Where had
talking about?
both know it’s true. No
man has managed to weasel his way into your thoughts for the past year.
The voice ignored
her. Admit it.
his side during his recovery. You wanted
his company, even though you knew he would have done nothing but ignore you,
verbally abuse you, and perhaps use you.
I really do think you’re a masochist.
Who willingly puts up with that sort of thing?
you’re right. Let’s say that I
I would be alone.
The voice was cloying,
mocking. Ah, but you are alone.
darkness, alone, in the bitter watches of the night, when all your life seems
to shrink, the walls of your bower closing in about you, a hutch to trammel
some wild thing in?
more matter-of-fact voice, it continued, You
really should have laid him when you had the chance.
You’re not helping.
boring
“Shut up.
Tess looked down to discover that not only had she gotten a bottle of
water from the fridge, but she’d make herself a snack as well.
really have to start paying attention to what I’m doing.
as real as you make me.
water and took a sip. Sighing and taking
a bite of the apple she’d cut up, she opened the envelope that’d been in her
mailbox. When she saw the note on top of
the stack of papers she pulled free, Tess froze.
watching.” Those were the only words
on the letter, but they were enough to give her a very bad feeling.
What else is there?
Tess fouto kto keep
her hands from trembling as she looked at the stack of photographs she found
under the letter. They were pictures of
her, of her kids, her house, her car.
panic fighting for dominance of her mind.
cultures believe that if someone takes your picture, they’ve stolen your
soul. What do you think, Teresa?
been taken in its place? Or has
something replaced it? Wouldn’t it be
interesting if
“No,” she whispered.
counter. I should call the police or something. . . .
You’re being watched,
Teresa. There’s someone in the
house. Turn around before death sneaks
up on you. Tess spun around and
screamed as her voice was proven right.
*************************************************
Sands had to contain his surprise as Tess finally turned in
his direction. The scream had been a
surprise – he didn’t think it was possible to overset Tess that much.
controlled – in a very scatterbrained sort of way.
her, grabbing her arm to stop her from running off.
terrified. “Calm down, conejo.”
Tess froze as the familiar nickname reached her ears.
think amongst the demands for flight and the gleeful delight of her other side,
she looked down, still poised to free herself should she need to.
her elbow, then traveled up the arm to the shoulder.
going so far as to look in his eyes. She
was nowhere near ready for that.
off it. You know it’s
Sands.
bewilderingly. What makes you think this is a good thing?
“What are you doing here?”
Sands smirked at
the uncertainty in Tessa’s voice. He
wanted to have the upper hand – it was clear that he had it.
although she was standing as far from him as possible.
“What?
retreated.
“I can’t seem to
think of one that would be appropriate.
No.”
“Isn’t it possible
I just dropped by to say ‘hello’an san style='mso-spacerun:yes'> To
take you our for dinner for saving my life?”
Tess laughed
disbelievingly. “The cross on his breast, and the devil in his heart.”
Sands kept walking,
forcing Tess to keep retreating before him.
“Is that any way to treat an old friend?” he asked.
“I wasn’t aware
that we were friends. I was under the
distinct impression that you hated me.”
Tessa’s gaze had sunk to the floor, watching his feet as he kept walking
towards her.
“Well, yes, I
suppose there is that,” he murmured.
Finally he’d managed to back her into a wall.
Tess tried to bolt, darting to the side while trying to pull out of his
grasp. Sands had been prepared for
that. He grabbed her other elbow before
she could even make a proper escape attempt.
Now that he had her fully under control, he made a soft ‘tsk-tsk’
sound. “Just try to relax, chiquita.”
throbbing demandingly at the back of her head, but she contained it.
her father, it was that fighting never helped.
The only reason to fight would be if one was reasonably sure they would
win, or if death was a preferable option.
Things hadn’t reached that point yet.
Told you.
happy to become a nun.
isn’t desire . . . yet. But you’re not
running, are you?
“Shh.
to pull away. “What’s got you so upset,
niña?”
You’ve invaded the only home I’ve ever been able to create for myself.
And the last time I found myself in this position, you held a gun to my
head, nearly strangled me, and did your best to give me a concussion.”
“Hmm . . . I seem
to remember there being a bit more to things than that.”
Tess knew what he
was talking about, but refused to comment on it.
“And which question
was that?”
“Why are you here?”
“Well, that’s where
things get interesting,” he drawled.
pity fuck. I also seem to remember
turning you down at the time.” He
finally managed to grab her chin. He
pulled her head up to face him, but she diverted her eyes.
come to collect, now that I’m fully capable of . . . appreciating . . . what
you offered.”
“Too late.
her spine. “Are you going to let me go,
or were you planning on raping me?”
“While that might
have its advantages, I really don’t think things will come to that, chiquita.”
“The hell it
won’t.” Sands didn’t reply, which made
Tess nervous. “I’m serious Sands.
opportunity to do the same . . . that my body might have served as a substitute
for hers.” Still he said nothing.
her because she wasn’t used to him being able to see, much less be able to see
With each passing second of silence, Tess felt her desperation
increase. “Okay, it might have been a
crazy idea, but I have a good excuse for that.”
She was babbling and she knew it.
“Damnit, Sands! Say something.”
She felt the heat
of his body as he used pure physical proximity to intimidate her.
good, but I’ve already gotten revenge on Ajedrez.
revenge.” He grinned as she swallowed at
his words. “Do you know what its like to
have someone watching your every move?
Seeing you at your most vulnerable moments?
someone?” Tess felt his breath brush
over her cheek, burning the nerve-endings; she smelled the cigarette smoke on
his clothing. She hated him as she felt
some of her desperation turn into something else.
self-conscious tha that come with bumbling around in the dark, knowing that
people are judging you?”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You were that
person, niña. Maybe you didn’t mean to
be, but you were. You made me dependent
on you. You witnessed my private
nightmares.” His vice-like grip on her
arm loosened. Tess pulled her arm free,
resenting the grip on her chin that kept her in place.
so nice.
difficult for me tmplymply kill you.”
I can forget about you.
of my head. Couldn’t stop wondering
what she would look like without clothing, what sounds she’d make as pleasure
swamped her nervous system, if she would despise him in the morning, or if it’d
take longer than that.
Tess knew enough to
realize that anything that happened tonight would not be about him, or about
her, but about revenge – just as he’d said.
Domination. She’d had control
over him, and no matter what good had come from that, it was a thought that
couldn’t be borne by the man in front of her.
You stayed too long.
add, isn’t all that unappealing.
It is. It’s just another form of
manipulation, of control. I won’t let
him have that over me. Whether he
realizes it or not, he already owns part of me, but I refuse to let him take
that part.
You could give it to him.
“Screw you.”
in her hand and wrenched herself free of his grip,
taking off running the moment she was loose.
For the first time, she wondered if tiling had been the way to go in the
hallway instead of carpet; she’d taken off her shoes, but she was still wearing
her stockings. Slipping over the floor,
she looked over her shoulder as she ran for the nearest room with a lock.
of action.
Corner!
the wall, and she might have succeeded if her foot hadn’t slipped out from
underneath her due to an unreliable throw rug.
She slammed into the wall, the side of her head making a sick ‘
Tess literally saw stars as tears came to her eyes.
Slowly she slid to
the floor, a hand searching out the spot on her head which was sure to
swell. “Ouch.”
her, saw his feet come into view.
Tess sat on the
floor and waited for Sands to say something, but all that reached her ears was
silence. Even so, she got the distinct
impression that he was laughing at her.
When he crouched down in front of her, she looked away, knowing she
needed to hold a certain image of him in her head.
memorize, she’d be lost.
Sands watched as
Tess slowly pulled herself into a sitting position, still avoiding his
eyes. The way she swayed made him wonder
if she’d actually done damage to herself.
Better check.
how much of a lump she had, but Tess jerked away, pressing herself against the
wall. “Ok, I know that I’ve hit you
once, but I was also on medications and had just received some disturbing
news. Unless you’re planning to tell me
that the cartel is now under your leadership, I think I can guarantee that I
won’t hurt you.” Her breath left in a
huff, but she submitted to his examination, flinching in pain as he probed the
lump on her head.
“There’s no need
for torture, Sands.”
here. I won’t fight.”
intelligence on her wasn’t complete? Sands wondered.
normal women don’t volunteer to submit while a man rapes them.
going to end.
much he wanted to pay Tess back for . . . for everything, he didn’t have the
stomach for that. Besides, the entire
point was to get her to trust him, and for him to then betray that trust.
plan may have to be put on hold for a bit.
I’m afraid that it just won’t do.”
Ah.
statement. The moment her eyes met his,
he felt his own bolt of surprise jolt through him.
been kidding, and black and white photos didn’t do them justice.
but more of a grey-blue. Tessa’s eyes
were a deep blue, the contrast startling against her dusky skin.
and a hint of turmoil.
Tess knew the
moment her eyes met his, that she’d made a gigantic mistake.
there’d been nothing but gaping wounds.
That those eyes were a dark shade of chocolate brown, the same color
she’d always wished her eyes were . .
. it was too much. She felt the
desperation and panic inside her melt and reform into something else –
something with her voice at the center.
know, he really is quite attractive.
Tess was staring at
him in much the same way a mongoose might stare at a cobra – if the mongoose
were demented enough to consider allying with a poisonous snake.
after all. “I have a deal for you,
niña.”
The most interesting
kind. Listen to the man.
I don’t think that’s a good idea.
You don’t think anything’s
the one who’ll have to deal with the consequences.
Yeah, but I’m the one who’ll
have to listen to you whine. Shut up and
listen.
“What kind of
deal?”
Ah.
it, he would have been upset. “It’s
simple really. You give me
leave after that, I will.” Crap, he
couldn’t wait to get her into bed.
Couldn’t wait to fuck her senseless.
things? Tess wondered.
won’t. It won’t change a thing.
if that’s what you really want.
Her eyes darted down to glance at his lips, then
returned to meet his gaze. She examined
his eyes for any hint that he was trying to trick her, but she couldn’t
his eyes just watched her with amusement as if he really couldn’t care less
what happened next.
him. Tess reached out
hesitantly, withdrawing her hand before actually touching his skin.
fingers against his temple – yes, his skin was still soft and warm.
as she watched, transfixed as her fingertip traced the ridge of bone surrounded
his eye socket. Any bruising left from
the surgery had long since faded, but she could imagine what it would have
looked like. Her eyes drifted to his
lips again.
“Just a kiss?”
that my voice? she wondered as she stroked the
sensitive skin just below his bottom lip.
Sands wondered
Yes, she sounded uncertain and more than a bit helpless, but he could
see her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths, could see her increased
heart-rate shaking her body. Could feel
the heat radiating from her lithe body.
Could hear the very reluctant desire in her voice.
“Stop playing,
niña. If you keep teasing any longer,
the deal will be off.” She knew that was
true, could hear a note of strained control in his voice.
control snapped, and she had no desire to see that happen.
the first one to make a move before.
was really pretty sad for a woman of thirty-one), but the guy had always been
the one to start things. Sands was going
to know she had next to no experience, and he was going to laugh at her.
“I’m waiting,
Tessa.” Gathering her resolve, she
pulled his head down an inch or so and raised her face to meet his.
softly, something in her snapped, sending her mental platform listing to one
side. Her internal balance thrown off,
she felt the rational side of her mind collide with the bit that was always
pushing her, always whispering, always making suggestions.
not necessarily taking control, but definitely reveling in the opportunity to
spread its influence and transmit its own desires.
Before she knew
what she was doing, Tess had tilted her head, parting her lips to tease
his. At some point, her decision to ask
him to go changed. Now all she wanted
was for him to stay, to chase off some of the loneliness and continual guilty
isolation. As she placed soft, suckling
kisses on his mouth, she wondered, Why isn’t he doing
anything? Mildly annoyed, she slid
one hand into his hair – it was tied back.
Always making things difficult.
by only a thin strip of air, she worked with deft fingers to remove the hair
tie. She knew she’d succeeded when she
felt his hair fall down around her hand.
Never before had she found long hair on a man sexy, but on him it
worked.
What? For a moment time
froze. Tess was aware of the conflicts
inside her own mind; of the part demanding the feel of Sands’ body on top of
hers, of the part screaming warnings that was rapidly diminishing, and of the
part watching the chaos in pleasure. She
started to shake. What am I doing?
. . . her voice whispered, tormented.
This feels good, not like the last time.
Pleasure and warmth. I’ve never
felt that, and you deny me the opportunity.
Well, I’m a part of you, and if I want this, then you want it too.
Sands isn’t the typ man man to stick around for more than a night,
it persuaded. Just this once and he’ll leave
and I promise to never bring him up again.
Just one night.
Tess felt herself
agree, give in. To her surprise, her
other side still didn’t take control.
Rather, it held her close, clinging to her, desperate to feel . . . to
feel human. She heard a whimper escape
her as for a single moment, the sensation of feeling
things twice over became nearly unbearable.
But the pleasing anguish faded, leaving her just Tess, just kneeling in
a hallway, just kissing a man like she’d never done so
before.
Sands was trying
very hard not to slam Tess back against the wall and end this rather delightful
torture. No.
he would do to make her beg and plead for him to finally dominate her, thereby
filling the need he’d created.
arousing ministrations. “That’s enough
bambina. I think I can take it from
here.”
*************************************************
Sands led a reluctant yet compliant Tess back to her
bedroom. He opened the door, pulling her
in after him, then closed the door behind them.
shoes and stood motionless in front of her – still watching as she awkwardly
fidgeted where she stood.
As he waited for
her to meet his eyes again, he remembered what the room looked like.
by Oriental rugs in muted reds, golds, and
browns. The walls were a sandy brown,
the ceiling white. Around the room were
accents of gold, ivory, and burgundy.
The bed was a simply full-sized mattress; not as big as he’d hoped, but
big enough for his purposes. It had a
half-canopy of muted gold gauze – all in all, this was
a room that asked to be felt.
Tess stood in the
middle of her room and waited for Sands to tell her what to do.
guy before and wasn’t sure what to expect, from this man in particular.
She shook her
head. “No.
He touched her arm
gently, trailing up the bare skin to her shoulder.
see what the problem is. Don’t worry
your pretty little head . . . I wasn’t planning on paying you.”
apparently infuriated by his words. He
stepped back to avoid being hit, then grabbed her wrist.
“Bite me.”
“An excellent
suggestion. Are you sure you don’t want
to play the whore for once? Let your
inner wanton out? It wouldn’t be lonely,
I assure you.”
“You egocentric,
self-centered, cocky –”
“Now that’s where
you’re right.” Sands shoved her up
against the door then pressed his body tightly against hers.
how ‘cocky’ he was at the moment. She
gasped and arched her back, pressing her body firmly against his.
“Díos,” she gasped
breathlessly. How could he be so aroused
already? There was no question of his
being willing and able. Tess couldn’t
help it, couldn’t stay still. The two
integrated parts of her mind wouldn’t let her.
With what sounded like a purr of contentment, she studiously rubbed her
body against him; she heard him moan at the friction the move created.
Sands twisted the
arm he was holding behind Tessa’s back, bringing her lower body into closer
contact with his. When she let out a
small moan, he kissed her in much the same way she’d kissed him earlier.
lip was the forceful grinding of his pelvis against hers.
Sands pulled away
from Tess, making her gasp as all the new sensations flooding her body
stopped. She briefly closed her eyes,
was going to do next. For a moment he
wondered just how experienced she was, but brushed the thought aside.
When Sands reached
for her head, Tess did her best not to jerk away.
slower, she’d chosen to initiate them.
Still, her eyes lowered in awareness as Sands released her hair from the
clip it’d been in.
He took his time running his fingers through it, arranging the locks
around her shoulders.
His hands drifted
lower, over her shoulders, down her arms to her waist.
leaned back in to kiss her again. Making
sure to take things slow as to not alarm her, Sands ensured Tess was
She gasped,
tongue into her mouth. He teased her
tongue, her hard palate; he stroked the sides of her cheeks and tilted his head
so he could penetrate deeper. Tess moved
with him, finally ceding to desire. Her
mind was right; he’d be gone tomorrow.
Might as well get him out of her system while she could.
touch him. With that half-formed
thought in her head, she slid her hand from his neck, down his chest, to his
waistband. His shirt wasn’t tucked
in. Carefully, she slid her hand under
the hem, caressing his bare back. The
skin was hot and smooth. When she felt
him return the favor, her knees started to give out.
*************************************************
It was an easy enough matter to undo the zipper running down
the back of Tessa’s dress once Sands had recovered from the shock of
discovering just how passionate this sister was.
had been watching him get hot and extremely bothered.
– pleasant enough, but easily disposed with.
had kept him coming back to her.
Tess, on the other
hand, was practically turning to hot wax in his arms.
way to more aggressive behavior – which was good because if things didn’t move
along with all due alacrity, he was going to come in his shorts.
certainly enthusiastic. Maybe I’ll stick
around long enough to teach her a thing or two.
With practice – the thought was cut off by the sensation of a
determined hand traveling down his chest towards the waist of his pants.
stopped just short of the buttons to his jeans and had slipped her hand beneath
his shirt instead. But only mildly.
drag and press of a hand going up and down his spine.
Taking that as a
sign to move ahead, he let go of her still imprisoned hand.
down her graceful neck, he let his newly unoccupied hand descend to find and
lift the hem of her skirt. Starting at
her knee, he pressed and caressed his way up her thigh.
nylon, nylon, skin . . . skin? Sure
enough, Tess was wearing stockings over her rather well-toned legs.
much success because of the skirt.
Toying with the
pull of her zipper, he said, “Look’s like someone has been working out.”
Tess shook her
head, bringing her freed hand up to wrap itself securely in his hair.
She drew his head back down so he could focus on her neck.
She smelled of
clove and vanilla and feminine sweat with a touch of something lemony.
dress off her for christsake.
grey cashmere dress to gape open. His
hand darted in. The skin here was as
silky as that of her legs. Except for
three raised diagonal lines.
protests. Scars? Sands efficiently
stripped the dress from her back, unconcernedly letting it drop to the
floor. Nice. Very nice.
investigation by the sight of Tessa’s body covered only by strips of ruby red
satin, but the scars eventually called his attention back to the matter at
hand.
Now that he could
see her back, he saw that she had more than just three scars.
scars. Hundred of lines, some barely
there, some starting to finally fade, a few still white, and three that were
raised and starkly white against her naturally dusky skin.
reached out with a finger and gently traced one.
shoulder to a few inches west of her left hip.
“If it helps you
get over it, I also get freckles if I stay out in the sun for too long.”
them have ever been that attractive.”
She tried to turn, to hide her shame.
Sands knew she was probably thinking that he was taking some kind of
pleasure in the sight, and he was willing to let her think that.
“How’d you get
them?”
“Runaway
attempts. Three times I tried to run
away. For each attempt I was mildly
beaten and given on serious lash mark.
Each of those commemorates my thirteenth, sixteenth, and twenty-third
years. Thirteen was dismal failure.
hours. Twenty-three, though, that time
it took them five weeks to find me. I
got more than beating for that one, as you can see.
Sands felt a twinge
of what might have been disgust at the thought of a father who treated his
child so callously, but quickly dismissed the feeling.
“A hasty wedding
and a permanent divorce.” He could hear
the bitter smile in her voice. “In other
words, I was married to a man my father didn’t trust.
father deemed intolerable to inflict upon a woman,
thereby giving him the excuse he needed to kill the man.
unpleasant memories. “I stayed long
enough to heal, but after that I was out of there.
Another piece of
the puzzle clicked into place. Sands
traced the scar one last time before allowing her to turn back around.
without having to be persuaded to do so.
He reveled in the trust she was unconsciously placing in him – he could
imagine what’d happened to her. For her
to willingly place herself in a situation where that could happen again showed
he was closer to his goal than he realized.
He wondered how far he could push her.
“What would you say if I said I was planning on making this as
uncomfortable for you as I could, without ever stepping over the line?”
Why did he ask
that? Why couldn’t he be happy with the
victory she was handing over?
just stand there, Teresa. You let him
get away with that, and he’ll walk all over you.
Why is that a problem if he’s only going to be here one night?
Look, just teach him that he’s
gone too far. Just because you’re going
to sleep with him doesn’t mean you’re going to let him fuck with you.
Sands had been
staring into Tessa’s eyes, watching various thoughts run through them.
there. Just as he was going to remind
her of his presence, he found his arm being twisted behind his back and his
feet swept out from under him. He hit
the floor hard, just managing not to land on his face.
his kidney, the other supporting her and giving her the leverage
she needed to quell some of his struggles.
“I suggest you don’t underestimate me, señor.”
Suddenly furious –
not to mention incredibly aroused – Sands twisted under her.
gave her no purchase on the hardwood floor.
Sands was on her in a minute, straddling her waist and pinning her hands
to the floor. Not good, a part of her mind screamed.
taken her advice to heart; his grip was like iron.
was even worth it, but the question never even received consideration.
with him, and that’s exactly what was going to happen.
Leaning down, still
holding her tightly, Sands brushed a kiss over her lips, coming back to gently
persuade her. The stark contrast of his
hands and lips made Tess focus on something other than bad memories.
taken of her. This was new.
kissed Sands back. The pressure and
strength of the kiss increased while his hands slowly let go of her wrists.
back and his hands were roaming over her skin, making her gasp and shudder
underneath him. Impatient, Tess stripped
off his shirt, discarding it and focusing her attention on his bare torso.
while was wearing nothing but boxers.
It’d made her uncomfortable because she’d seen that he was
attractive. Now she could see the
strength that’d been hidden from her.
It wasn’t long
before Sands discovered just how sensitive Tessa’s neck was.
minutes, he decided it was time to move this little party to the bed – he
wasn’t going to last much longer if she kept arching her body underneath him
like – Ohh . . . like that.
Tess to her feet, not bothering to break their current kiss.
Tess, for her part,
wasn’t really sure of what was happening.
She knew what she was doing and what Sands was doing, but she couldn’t
remember her reasons for doing so. All
that mattered was that it felt good and that it didn’t hurt, and that she
man. And then she realized that she was
laying on her bed and that she wasn’t wearing anything any more, and that Sands
wasn’t wearing anything any more, and then. . . .
Sands, for his
part, couldn’t wait any longer. He was
so aroused that it hurt. It was more
than the fact that Tess had a very nice body over all, or the fact that she was
very passionate, or that she made the most interesting little sounds in a
mixture of Spanish and English. What
really turned him on was that no matter how much she might distrust him,
whatever hesitations she might have, her body responded just like any other
woman’s. No matter how much she might
dislike him, in the end, biology still overrode her mind and turned her into a mindless
mass of hormones seeking completion. It
didn’t matter than he’d be in the same state in a few seconds.
gotten the perfect, untouchable Teresa to beg for him with her body.
his mind, Sands positioned himself over Tess as her legs parted for him, and
thrust into her waiting body.
Tess cried out as
for a split second, the sensation of being filled and stretched became painful
enough to override the pleasure fogging her mind.
arching towards Sands at the same time her hands tried to push him away.
of it. Demanding hands on her thighs and
a rough mouth on hers insisted that she get over it.
was less and the fog returned.
Sands didn’t know
how long it took for Tess to stop fighting against her release, but he was well
aware of when it overtook her. One
moment her head was tossing on her pillow as if she were trying to deny that
her body had given in, and the next she simply froze, a small whimper escaping
from her throat as her inner walls contracted almost painfully around his
length. Sands groaned as he too lost
control, his rhythm deteriorating in the face of his own release.
her body instinctively demanding everything he could give her.
The last thing
Sands remembered before falling asleep was that he should get up and go, then
come back in the morning to get on with his assignment.
nightmares for sure, and Tess had seen enough of those.
that’d ruin everything he hoped to accomplish.
But then a small lamp turned on across the room.
the hell? “A nightlight, niña?”
“I don’t like the
dark,” she sighed before falling asleep.
Sands shrugged,
Tomorrow morning would be soon enough to deal with things.