“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking out loud,” he said.
“About what?” Joe demanded.
“Nothing, nothing. Melinda, if Jeff has called his lawyer, he’ll be out in no time.”
“All they have against him is circumstantial,” Liam explained quietly to Melinda. “You’re right—it’s unlikely that the candy came from the store poisoned.”
Melinda’s cell phone started ringing. She dug in her oversized bag for it, couldn’t find it, and cried out with frustration.
“Let me help you,” Serena told her, but before she could, Melinda dumped the bag on the hallway floor. Her wallet, change, phone book, checkbook, lipsticks, compact, tissues, gum, mints, and calendar fell to the floor along with the phone. Melinda grabbed the phone, and the men politely stooped and helped Serena to put all her sister’s belongings back in the bag.
“Hello?” Melinda said. “Yes, yes, yes, of course! I’ll be right there.”
She flipped the phone closed and looked at Liam. “He’s out. They interviewed him, but he hasn’t actually been charged yet, just told not to leave town. His lawyer took care of things. They’ve warned him he might well be charged with attempted murder, and that he’ll definitely be needed again for questioning. But he can come home, and I’m going over.”
“Melinda, you’re upset. Let me drive you,” Serena said.
Melinda smiled, shaking her head. “I’m okay, now that he’s been released. But you can walk me to the car.”
“We should drive you—” Liam agreed.
“Liam, honest to God, I’m fine to drive,” Melinda said. She looked at Serena. “Walk me to my car,” she said, then paused, staring at them all with stricken eyes. “Jinx! Is Jinx … oh, my God, I didn’t even …”
“Jinx is going to be all right,” Serena assured her quickly.
Melinda lowered her head and nodded. Then she stared at Serena, her eyes widening. “Oh, Serena! Someone is out to get you. You’ve got to hide, go somewhere—”
“Melinda, I’m all right, I’m not alone, I … I have Liam.”
“Jeff would never hurt you,” Melinda whispered. She looked as if she was about to burst into tears again.
“We really should drive you home,” Liam insisted.
Melinda straightened her shoulders and wiped her face. “No, honestly. I’m all right, Liam. You just watch out for my sister. Serena … walk with me for a minute.”
“Go ahead,” Liam said softly, and he smiled at the skeptical glance she gave him. “Yes, I’m going to follow you, but I’ll stay at a decent distance. How’s that?”
Serena put an arm around her sister’s shoulders, and they started across the parking lot. “Serena,” she whispered softly, “I need to talk to you. Really talk to you.”
“Melinda, don’t you worry, I know that Jeff wouldn’t hurt me, and we’ll find a way to prove it, I swear—”
“No! No!” Melinda glanced over her shoulder. Liam was a good distance away, true to his word.
“Serena, I don’t know what’s going on. I was nervous before … but not scared for you. I was worried about what had happened because … Jeff slept with her.”
“What?” Serena said, completely lost.
“He slept with Jane Dunne. Oh, it was terrible when I found out!”
“You should have told me.”
“I was humiliated! And it ended before she died, and then I was afraid to tell you, and now—now I’m so afraid that the police will find out, and use it against him.”
“Melinda, apparently many men slept with Jane Dunne.”
“Oh, Serena, I was so upset, and I couldn’t even tell you, and now … I love my husband. I really have forgiven him, and he’s been in such agony over this, he’s paying in an awful way for what he did to me. But he would never, never hurt you. Please, please, you can’t tell anyone.”
“But, Melinda, it’s better to admit the truth.”
“No! Especially not now. Swear to me, swear! Don’t say anything, especially to Liam. I had to tell you because I couldn’t stand it. He said that you had called the other day, that you were worried, and oh, God! Serena, I was even afraid myself for a while, but you know, if you love someone, you believe in him. He fell prey to temptation, but not to the point of murder.”
They’d reached the car. Melinda whispered, “I had to tell you, but please, keep this secret.”
Serena hugged her sister tightly. “I won’t say anything to anyone. I love you, Melinda.”
“I love you, too. So much.”
“I’d feel better if I drove you.”
“Jeff will be home when I get there. I just want to be with him. I’m all right now. And I want you home. Locked in. Safe. With Liam watching over you.”
Serena nodded. “Call me, and if you don’t get me, leave a message on my machine saying that you got home okay.”
Melinda nodded and slipped behind the steering wheel. Serena stepped back, waving as she drove away.
Liam came up behind her. “You sure she’s going to be all right? Maybe we should follow her.”
“No, I know my sister. She’s all right.”
“Did she confess to you that Jeff was sleeping with Jane Dunne?” he asked, nearly catching her off guard.
She didn’t look at him. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she murmured.
He shrugged. “The thing is, the police will find out.”
“She was just upset because someone stole his credit card number and used it to order the chocolates.”
He didn’t say anything more before they rejoined the others at the hospital exit.
“Don’t look so glum,” Joe told Serena. “Even if Jeff ordered the candy, it came to the studio. Anyone could have tampered with it there. And Jeff didn’t even come in.”
Andy shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “Jeff did come in this morning. Jim Novac said he saw him leaving the studio very early, right when the writers were arriving.”
“You’re sure?” Serena demanded.
“No, I’m not sure. Jim is the one who saw him. He asked me if there was anything wrong with the Egyptian set. I guess that’s where Jeff was. If there was anything wrong with the set, I didn’t know about it; they never told me. Oh, well. There’s nothing more to do here. I’m calling it a night.” Andy waved and started for his car.
“I’m going for a drink,” Joe told them. “Maybe I’ll go see Kyle Amesbury. Tell him what’s happened before he reads it in the papers. He’s always got plenty of alcohol on hand. I might as well go get numbed while he threatens to swing the axe on me.”
Serena put a hand on his arm. “Joe, it will work out. Hey—there are lots of other sponsors—”
“Yeah. And they’ll all want to take on a show with poison on the set. Sure.”
“Joe, go home. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
He sighed, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say more, then shook his head and walked away. Liam looked at Serena.
“Let me take you home,” he said.
When they reached the house, he opened the door and went through the routine of checking the house.
Serena sat on the sofa in her living room. A minute later, Liam came back and sat on the richly upholstered chair opposite her. “Everything seems to be all right.”
She stared ahead, biting her lower lip. “You’re staying here, right?” she asked softly. “You’re not going to decide to leave me now, are you?”
“Why would I leave you now?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Would you?”
He smiled at last. “Come over here.”
She stood up and walked hesitantly over to him. He reached up, and before she knew it, she was sitting in his lap, leaning against him, and he was smoothing her hair back.
“Never,” he said softly. “I swear to you, whatever the future might bring, I’d never leave you in danger.”
“I don’t know how it happened,” she murmured. “My life is suddenly such a mess. The cops are after my brother-in-law, Allon
a is pissed at me, Jay is losing it, and Jinx. Poor Jinx! I always think that I’m standing up for her, protecting her … and she’s in the hospital because she ate my candy.”
“Jinx is going to be fine.”
“She could have died because of me. I could have died! And you know, it’s my fault they called Jeff in. I said he had sent it.”
“Serena, they would have found out, and they would have brought him in, no matter what you said. Trust me.”
She nodded, feeling somewhat better. Then a burst of fear swept through her. “And now I guess I have to face the facts. Someone is trying to kill me,” she whispered. “Jane Dunne … Jane Dunne probably died because of me.”
“You’re not to blame for someone else’s criminal acts,” Liam said. Then, to her surprise, he suddenly rose, setting her on her feet and lifting her chin. “Go take a hot bath. I’m going to fix you a drink. A strong one. Then you can get some sleep.”
She nodded, determined then that she wasn’t going to be weak. She wasn’t going to cry on his shoulder.
She started for her bedroom and then paused. “Liam?” she said.
“Yeah?”
“I was just thinking. I’m sorry for messing up your life—”
“Serena, you didn’t mess up my life.”
“Sharon—”
“Don’t worry about Sharon.”
“But that photo must have upset her. She came down to the studio because of it.”
“I asked her to go.”
“But Liam, that’s my fault.”
“Serena, stop it. I make my own choices about things, and things—”
“Just weren’t working out?” she supplied dryly.
“Serena, let’s forget about it, all right?”
She nodded.
“Go. I’ll make you a drink. You really do have to get some sleep.”
Serena went into her bathroom, ran a hot bath with lots of oil and bubbles, and sank into it. She made the water very hot, and it felt good. Yet she couldn’t relax. She kept thinking of Melinda, Jeff, the poisoned candy, all in a chaotic whirl.
She closed her eyes, trying to let the water work its magic.
“Serena?” Liam was calling her from the bedroom door. She hadn’t closed it, or the door to the bathroom.
“Yes?” She hesitated. She had enough bubbles to form a blanket of white foam all over her, but what did that matter? “Come in.”
He walked into the bedroom, then paused at the bathroom door. He had a tall glass in his hand.
“Want this in here?” he asked.
“Sure. What is it?”
“Bourbon and coke. Very strong.”
“Good. Thanks.”
He walked to the tub, sitting back on her oak laundry hamper to hand it to her.
“Thanks very much.”
“My pleasure. I sipped it first, by the way, to test it.”
She couldn’t tell if he was joking, some dark cop humor. “Do you think that … that someone got in here?”
He shook his head, smiling. “No. The doors and windows were all secure; the alarm hasn’t been tampered with in any way. I called the company and checked. Anyone else have a key to the place?”
She nodded. “Jennifer.”
“Not your sister?”
“No. Actually, you know, she did have one. But she lost her key chain ages ago.”
“She lost it?” he said sharply.
“Out in the desert somewhere. They were on vacation a few months ago. No one could have found it, and known it was mine.”
He didn’t reply. She knew he was thinking she needed to have her locks changed anyway.
“Liam, I really don’t believe that my brother-in-law would hurt me.”
“Drink that.”
She took a long swallow. It burned from her throat to her stomach, and it felt good.
The phone started ringing.
“I’ll get it,” he told her.
“There’s a machine—”
“That’s all right. I’ll get it.”
He left the bedroom. A moment later, she heard the deep drone of his voice. He reappeared, a drink in hand himself.
“Who was it?”
“Jeff.”
“Jeff? You should have called me.”
“He just called to say that he and Melinda were both home and together and Melinda was fine, and that he would never hurt you, and he wanted you to know that.”
“I should have told him that I know that.”
“It’s all right. I said it for you.”
“But you’re the one warning me … the one who thinks that he’s guilty!”
“Guilty of something. That affair you won’t admit your sister told you about. It would be better if he admitted to the police that he did have a relationship with Jane Dunne.”
“He’s not angry with me at all?”
“No. Definitely not. Jeff was fine, very calm. He doesn’t really blame the police. He denies that he bought the candy. And you know, it is possible to steal a credit card number. Jeff will talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
She bit her lower lip and nodded.
He was still staring at her.
“What?” she asked softly.
“Nothing. I’m just thinking of how much I want to sleep with you.”
She smiled and gripped the edge of the tub to stand. He grabbed a towel for her, and she stepped into it. He wrapped it around her, pulling her tightly against him. Then he caught her chin, lifted it, and kissed her lips.
She felt as if she were melting …
He had that effect on her. He kissed her with a passion that was consuming, lips and tongue instantly creating a molten heat that fired straight through her limbs. She was glad he was holding her. Her knees were weak, as if they would give way any minute and refuse to hold her up. She felt the restriction of the towel, anxious to slip her arms around him, hold to the power of his shoulders, feel the length of his hair beneath her fingers. He smelled wonderful, delicious, and tasted like the rich, amber-toned bourbon they’d been drinking. She could have stood there forever, feeling the force and hunger of his lips, the simple pressure of his body against hers, but she wanted more. Her hands slid between them, fingers deftly, eagerly working at the buttons of his shirt. A minute later he was struggling out of it, his tongue still entwined with hers. Then she was crushed to him again, her towel fallen, his shirt gone, and the naked expanse of his chest hard against her breasts. At last they broke the kiss, gazing at each other. Serena gasped in a long breath, then moved against him again, the top of her head against his chin as she splayed her fingers over his chest, feeling the rough texture of the crisp dark hair, then brushing the tips of her fingers down his ribs to rest on the band of his Dockers and slip beneath it. She pressed her mouth to his chest, running her tongue against it, then rose on her toes to meet his lips again. He swept her up, and they moved to her bed. But when she fell against it, she sat up, aware of the pounding of her heart as he shed his pants and briefs and came toward her. She rose to her knees on the mattress before he could come down. She laid her cheek against his chest again, holding him there, reveling in the sheer pleasure of touching him again. She loved everything about him; the feel and texture and movement of him, the color of his flesh, his hair, the ripple when she touched him, the tension, the heat. Her lips fell against him in erratic little movements, evocative, wet, fulfilling. His fingers tangled into her hair, and a groan escaped him. She loved the sound of it, deep and throaty, reverberating through the length of him. She drew her hands down his back, around his buttocks. Then she stroked his thighs with the backs of her fingers, his abdomen with the lure of her tongue, and brought both closer and closer to the center until she slipped her fingers around the hardness of his arousal, worked them, found the intimacy so arousing that she could not bear it. He savored her aggression for so long, then shuddered, hoarsely groaning, whispering, lifting her head, finding her lips with his own again, and pressing her back with passionate forc
e that brought her beneath him, gasping, trembling with the sudden power of his thrust into her, a movement that sent streaks of lightning throughout her, shattering in its initial moment, building with each subsequent rugged thrust, drawing her into a desperate frenzy to reach a culmination. She clung to him, heart racing, thundering … and then it seemed that the heavens opened, and stars rained down upon her, and she couldn’t breathe at all, but she could hear herself, and she couldn’t stand to let him go, to withdraw from her, until a wave of shocks swept through her, and she felt as if she were a lava bed, filled with liquid fire that was awesome, and yet cooling, so slowly, so slowly …
How had she ever lived without him?
But that wasn’t the question.
How had he walked away so easily?
She wouldn’t ask him that, and she wouldn’t whisper that she had been in love with him, that she loved the way that he made love, that nothing in her life had ever been so good before. She wouldn’t pressure him in any way, and she’d keep her mouth shut about Sharon, even if it killed her to think that he had been this way with another woman, that he was here with her now because she was in danger, because … the sex was so good.
She eased her arms from around him, allowing him to fall to one side. He pulled her against him, holding her, his thumb stroking the line of her jaw. After a moment he asked her, “What are you thinking?”
She tried to be light. “I’m thinking that if I’m going to die, this is the way to go.”
He didn’t laugh, or even smile, but rolled back over. His features were hard and strong and tense when he said, “I’m not going to let that happen.”
She smiled, touching the rugged contour of his cheek. “Thank you.”
He watched her so closely that she began to feel uneasy, afraid that she would burst into tears again, say things that she shouldn’t say, that would only bring further hurt to her later.
“I guess I really do need some sleep.”
“Want me in the guest room?”
She shook her head. “No, I want you right here.”
“Let me look around the house one more time.”
“You really think there’s any danger?”
“No, but I know someone has been out there at times.”
He rose, crawled quickly into his Dockers, and disappeared. Serena got up as well, ripping the comforter down and sliding beneath the coolness of the sheets. She was amazed at how easy it was to close her eyes. Soon he was back, and he slid in beside her. Naked, warm. An arm curled around her. She set her hand upon his, where it lay at her waist.