A Dangerous Game (23 page)

slightly mocking!
 
hope you're not too busy to talk?"

"Well, you're the one who's obviously been busy," she retaliated.

"I

thought you were going to call me?"

"I'm calling you now," Nicolas said.

"I want your company tomorrow night."

"Not another party at the Marquez house?"
 
she asked.

"Would that be so unpleasant?
 
Didn't you enjoy the last one?"
 
He

sounded amused.

"I did.
 
The last ten minutes of it, anyway."

"You walked out on me," she reminded him.

"After a quick tuck over a desk.
 
And you haven't contacted me since. I

expected something better from a man with your reputation, Senor

Schlemann."

"What did you expect?
 
A dozen red roses and a thank you note?"
 
He

laughed.

"You've got the wrong man for that, Dr.
 
Muldaire.
 
And I didn't walk

out.
 
I was called away on official business, remember?"

"Oh yes, you had to go and interview a suspect,"

she said, coolly and with a hint of sarcasm.

"That's your job, isn't it."

"Part of it," he agreed amiably.

"I'll send a car for you at eight."

"I haven't accepted yet," she said.

"Is this going to be another semi-official orgy?"

"It's a fully official formal dance," he said.
 
Toliticos and military,

and Hernandez and his wife.
 
They'll all be there on their best

behaviour.
 
And looking forward to meeting you."

"I'm flattered," she said.

"I wasn't aware they even knew I existed."

"Of course they do," Nicolas said.

"The new, beautiful doctor with the flame-red hair, who actually

doesn't mind getting her hands dirty at El Inviemo?
 
Everyone's talking

about you."

"Including the Generalissimo's wife?"
 
she asked sweetly.

"Especially the Generalissimo's wife," he said.

"She wants to meet you more than anyone.
 
But I'm the one who'll be

enjoying tender moments with you later, and they know that.
 
Be ready

when the car arrives.
 
I hate being kept waiting."

He rang off abruptly, and Jacey put the phone down.
 
Well, she thought,

what a charmer you are, Senor Schlemann.
 
Then she smiled.
 
And how

useful you're proving to be.
 
This will give me the chance to check out

the Generalissimo, his formidable wife, and most of the other big names

in Guachtal as well.
 
Yes, dear Nicci, this liaison is just what the

doctor ordered in more.
 
ways than one.

Knowing how her evening was going to end made it easy for Jacey to

decide what to wear.
 
She opened her wardrobe and let her hands wander

briefly over the high-necked, low-backed silver beaded gown that hugged

her figure so tightly it would show the tiny peaks of her nipples, and

accentuate the cleft of her behind.
 
That would give the party guests

something to talk about.
 
What a pity it was totally inappropriate.

Instead she chose the designer gown, which also hugged her figure, but

was nowhere near as revealing.

Made of heavy, very dark, green silk, it could be dressed up or down as

the occasion demanded, and would always look right.
 
This time she

decided to dress it down.
 
She felt certain the female partners of

Guachtal's military and political elite would be taking this

opportunity to display their finery.
 
She would be a contrast.
 
Her red

hair would stand out like a beacon above a body sheathed in plain, dark

silk.
 
If they expected Nicolas Schlemann's woman to glitter, they were

in for a surprise.
 
And if Nicolas doesn't like it, she thought, too

bad.

She was aware that the dress would come off much later in the

evening.

She guessed that Nicolas would like frilly, feminine underwear.
 
The

tarty look black or red probably with suspenders, and stockings with

seams.
 
She remembered him saying something about liking his women to

be 'decorated'.
 
Like dolls, she reflected.
 
That's undoubtedly how he

sees us.
 
Playthings.
 
Objects of pleasure, to be used.

She saw nothing wrong in dressing up for sex.
 
She had an erotic but

uncomfortable bra, some impractical lacy underwear and some

black-seamed stockings, a legacy from her affair with Anton.
 
But with

her underwear, like her gown, she decided to go for spartan

formality.

She did not need a bra with the ball-gown, which was beautifully cut

and discreetly boned, and gave her a full, comfortable cleavage.
 
She

took out a pair of French knickers, tailored by hand from silk almost

the same colour as her gown.
 
She knew they fitted her perfectly, like

a second skin, smoothing over her buttocks and pulling just tightly

enough between her legs to emphasise her sex.
 
Instead of a suspender

belt she wore hold-ups, plain dark grey, with no seams.
 
She chose

black sandals, with medium heels and narrow, black straps.

To top all this, she was tempted to leave her hair loose.
 
She knew, it

would look stunning; she would be the only natural redhead in the room.

But again, she felt it was too obvious.
 
Instead she made a semiformal

pleat, carefully pinned to look as if any strenuous activity would make

it tumble to her shoulders.

She was ready when the car arrived for her.
 
An official flag on the

bonnet, and tinted glass windows that she suspected were bullet-proof,

it was driven by one of Nicolas's cold-eyed thugs, who opened the door

for her, but did not speak, and drove all the way in silence.

Because of the darkened glass she found it difficult to know where she

was going, but when they arrived at the huge gates of the

Generalissimo's official pal ace, she could see it clear enough, picked

out by floodlights, and decorated with elaborate shields.
 
The car

stopped and a uniformed guard peered in.
 
He looked at Jacey and, much

to her surprise, jumped back and saluted.
 
The car eased forward again

until it reached the palace forecourt and stopped at the foot of a

flight of white, balustraded steps that led to the palace doors.

Impressively huge, they now stood open, and once she was out of the car

Jacey could hear the sound of sedate music, voices and laughter.

The car cruised away, leaving her alone at the foot of the steps and

she stood there for a full minute, feeling increasingly angry.
 
Was she

supposed to wait, or go inside and look for Nicolas?
 
The night wind

stirred her hair.
 
Another car drew up and an elderly man with a

plain-looking younger woman got out, passed her on the steps with an

indifferent stare, and said nothing.
 
Jacey's patience evaporated.
 
She

headed up the steps, rehearsing some cutting remarks with which to

greet Nicolas when he finally appeared.

Inside, the couple who had just passed her were having their

invitations checked by a large, plain-clothed, and slow security guard.

The elderly man was clearly annoyed, but said nothing.
 
Jacey waited in

the marble-tiled entrance hall, under a huge chandelier, until the

guard finally allowed the couple to proceed.
 
When he did glance at

her, she glared back, willing him to come and ask her for an

invitation, or to challenge her in some way.
 
At that moment she would

have been delighted to take advantage of her association with Nicolas,

and tell him exactly who she was waiting for.

"Good evening, Dr.
 
Muldaire."
 
She turned to see Nicolas coming

towards her, tall and elegant in his black evening suit.
 
The brilliant

white of his shirt emphasised his tan.
 
When he smiled she was

irritated with herself; not only was she pleased to see him, but she

felt a surge of sexual excitement as well.
 
He offered her his arm.

"How very delightful you look.
 
Not that I expected anything else.

You're a classy lady, aren't you?"

She took his arm.

"For a man who doesn't like being kept waiting," she said coolly,

'you're not very punctual, are you?"

"I didn't say I minded keeping other people waiting," he said

amiably.

"Particularly women."
 
He bent his head towards her and for a moment

she felt his lips close to her ear.

"It makes them appreciate me just that little bit more.
 
Don't tell me

you weren't pleased to see me."

"Only because I was getting tired of standing around," she said.

He laughed.

"You'd only just arrived."
 
She opened her mouth to protest and felt

his hand tighten on her arm.

"Don't deny it.
 
I know exactly what time the car picked you up, and

what time it arrived here."

They moved further inside and past the couple she had seen on the

steps.
 
The elderly man's eyes flicked briefly from her to Nicolas, and

back again.
 
His expression changed from surprise to an ingratiating

smile.
 
His female companion also smiled, displaying her large teeth.

"Well," Jacey said, 'that's not how those two greeted me earlier on.

They looked right through me outside."

"Now they know you're with me," Nicolas said, 'they'll be polite to