One Night Only (196 page)

Poll
y
reste
d
he
r
hea
d
o
n
he
r
husband
’
s
bar
e
ches
t
and inhale
d
hi
s
manl
y
scent
,
feelin
g
invigorate
d
a
s
sh
e
fel
t
his
hear
t
bea
t
beneat
h
he
r
face
.
Sh
e
wa
s
s
o
prou
d
o
f
him
.
It too
k
a
lo
t
o
f
gut
s
t
o
admi
t
t
o
needin
g
hel
p
and
,
although i
t
ha
d
take
n
a
lon
g
time
,
sh
e
fel
t
a
grea
t
sens
e
o
f
relie
f
now tha
t
h
e
ha
d
identifie
d
th
e
problem
.

“
I
wil
l
b
e
ther
e
fo
r
yo
u
ever
y
ste
p
o
f
th
e
wa
y
,
”
sh
e
said. “
I
hav
e
misse
d
yo
u
so
,
s
o
much
. I
wa
s
s
o
afrai
d
w
e
might hav
e
drifte
d
apar
t
s
o
fa
r
w
e
woul
d
neve
r
fin
d
ou
r
way back.
”

“
I
woul
d
neve
r
le
t
tha
t
happen,
”
h
e
said. “Pleas
e
don
’
t,
”
sh
e
whispered
.

H
e
kisse
d
he
r
lon
g
an
d
har
d
an
d
le
d
he
r
ove
r
t
o
the bed
.
Sh
e
fel
t
he
r
whol
e
bod
y
ris
e
wit
h
desir
e
a
s
the
y
lay
down
.
H
e
kisse
d
he
r
neck
,
runnin
g
hi
s
han
d
u
p
underne
a
t
h
he
r
dres
s
an
d
squeezin
g
he
r
thigh
.

Sh
e
wrappe
d
he
r
leg
s
aroun
d
hi
m
a
s
h
e
le
t
th
e
damp towe
l
dro
p
ont
o
th
e
floo
r
.

“Nothin
g
o
r
n
o
on
e
wil
l
eve
r
com
e
betwee
n
us
,
Poll
y
,” h
e
said
.
“Neve
r
.
”

Gina
’
s
eye
s
flickered
.
Sh
e
fel
t
drunk
,
o
r
hung-ove
r
.
She
couldn
’
t
decid
e
which
.
He
r
mout
h
wa
s
dr
y
.
Sh
e
turne
d
her hea
d
an
d
squinte
d
a
t
he
r
bedsid
e
locke
r
.
Sh
e
wa
s
bac
k
in th
e
hote
l
wit
h
Ruth
.
Sh
e
definitel
y
wasn
’
t
i
n
he
r
ow
n
bed. Perhap
s
sh
e
wa
s
dreaming
.

Sh
e
opene
d
he
r
eye
s
full
y
no
w
,
bu
t
the
y
blinke
d
back
heavil
y
i
n
defea
t
a
s
i
f
a
hug
e
weigh
t
wa
s
restin
g
o
n
her
eyelids
.
Sh
e
trie
d
again
.
N
o
jo
y
.
Everywher
e
wa
s
silent. Dann
y
mus
t
b
e
stil
l
asleep
.
An
d
T
revor
?
Y
es
,
T
revo
r
was gone
.
Th
e
knowledg
e
o
f
tha
t
gav
e
he
r
grea
t
relief
.
She
stretche
d
he
r
eye
s
ope
n
again
,
bu
t
the
y
didn
’
t
hav
e
the strengt
h
t
o
sta
y
open
.
Sh
e
didn
’
t
hav
e
th
e
strengt
h
t
o
do anything
.

He
r
eye
s
opene
d
agai
n
slowl
y
an
d
sh
e
manage
d
to k
e
e
p
the
m
tha
t
wa
y
a
t
last
.
Sh
e
couldn
’
t
se
e
muc
h
.
.
.
there w
a
s
a
stron
g
whit
e
ligh
t
a
t
first
,
followe
d
b
y
a
glowing
bea
m
o
f
yello
w
tha
t
stun
g
he
r
s
o
badl
y
sh
e
close
d
he
r
eyes
tigh
t
an
d
staye
d
lik
e
tha
t
befor
e
tryin
g
onc
e
more
.
I
f
this
wasn
’
t
a
ba
d
dream
,
the
n
sh
e
wa
s
livin
g
a
real-time nightmare
.

Sh
e
trie
d
t
o
spea
k
bu
t
he
r
mout
h
fel
t
numb
.
I
t
wouldn
’
t
mov
e
an
d
sh
e
coul
d
onl
y
hea
r
th
e
word
s
sh
e
wante
d
to
sa
y
i
n
he
r
brain
.
Sh
e
neede
d
Dann
y
.
Sh
e
neede
d
t
o
se
e
him s
o
sh
e
coul
d
tel
l
i
f
thi
s
wa
s
al
l
real
.
O
r
wa
s
sh
e
dead? Coul
d
sh
e
possibl
y
b
e
dead
?