Wicked Obsessions (4 page)

Teri's stomach clenched, but she refrained from shoving him away as she wanted to. A million years ago his dirty talk titillated her. Now she could only think of how crude it was. Why couldn't he have grown up, too? "Please don't, Rico. Not now. I've got this color exactly right and I want to use it before it gets too dry."

He kept nuzzling her neck while one hand slid down and squeezed between her thighs. "No problem. I'm too horny to make it last very long, anyway."

What in heaven's name had gotten him this turned on? "I'd rather not stop at all. Besides, I think I may have an infection." She felt him tense, but he didn't withdraw his hands. "It might only be an irritation. You know how much we've been at it these last couple weeks. But I think I should see the doctor before I take a chance of infecting you."

He wasn't giving up that easy. Rubbing himself against her again, he murmured in her ear, "I like your mouth just as much. C'mon, mama. Your baby needs you."

Yesterday, she would have granted his request. Yesterday, she hadn't known what he really needed from her. Not only would he never get another penny from her, she wasn't going to let him use her any other way either... ever again. She took a deep breath and straightened her spine. "I am
not
in the mood."

That
finally got him to back away. "Sorry I bothered you." She saw his gaze move to the day bed on the other side of the room. "You used to like it when I was spontaneous. That was the reason we put that thing up here to begin with. Now I guess it's only another one of your props. And you wonder why I think you love your paintings more than your flesh-and-blood husband.

"You know, we talked a lot about compromises in the last few weeks. I promised not to complain when there was no dinner ready, that I'd try to understand about, what'd you call it? Oh, yeah, your creative juices flowing into the evenings, while I sit alone with the television for company."

She didn't want to have this conversation, but she also didn't want to let him know she was onto his deception. "I'm sorry, honey. You're right. Maybe it'll help if I told you that I've decided, once I get this new series nailed down, I'm going to take some time off."

"
Hmmph
. I'll believe it when I see it." He moved to her side and glared at the painting she was working on. "And your name?"

She knew what he wanted to hear—that she would be putting her married name on her new paintings. This point was not negotiable, as far as she was concerned. "For the hundredth time, Rico, I am not ashamed of your name. I started out using my maiden name on my art for my dad, the last male in his family line, and that's the name that developed a following. It's just good business. How I make money...
our
money," she added the last words as a test and saw a distinct flicker of greed in his eyes. "Why can't you let it go?"

She watched him struggle with the urge to argue. It was clear just how important it was to keep her happy when he not only gave in but apologized.

He kissed her cheek. "Sorry, babe. I guess I've still got a ways to go to be the perfect husband. Tell you what, I'll order Chinese and you can eat whenever you take a break." He turned and walked away without waiting for her response.

Teri turned back to her palette but her mind refused to be distracted. How could their marriage have gone so bad? If only she hadn't fallen so hard and fast in the beginning, or not been so anxious to give him all the attention he had lacked as a child. Twelve years ago, when they'd met, she thought their future had glowed with promise.

At twenty-five, Teri had begun to believe she would be single forever. A short, hazel-eyed brunette with average features to match her average intelligence, she had dated her share of extraordinarily average, nice men. Her boring secretarial job fit the rest of her mundane life. She was primed and ready to fall for someone like Rico Gambini, with his dark Italian looks, sexy smile, and naughty suggestions.

Rico was the postman who delivered the mail to her office. They had frantic sex on their first date and he asked her to marry him on their third. They were so in lust, it never occurred to either of them that they might have differences that could not be worked out between the sheets.

In the years since, Teri could not think of one difference that had been worked out peacefully, let alone lovingly. Except when Rico wanted something very, very badly. Only then did he descend from macho mountain to placate her with a compromise.

A few years after they were married, he insisted she quit her job, stay home and have babies, as a good wife should. As a concession, he agreed to her attending art school, thinking it would be a good hobby for her until she got pregnant. He had even helped create a studio for her over the garage of their new home. It had never crossed his mind that she could use her little hobby to earn a living.

His resentment of her career began the first time she received a check for a painting. He interpreted it as a sign that she didn't believe he could support her. That resentment escalated in proportion to her success, but she was willing to deal with his smoldering anger rather than give up her blossoming career.

Despite everything, however, the making up that inevitably followed the arguments seemed to prove that their love was strong enough to weather any storm.

Until the last year, when Rico's gambling and lies ate away at Teri's love and trust in him. No amount of make-up sex could bring that back now.

Because of his assaults on her bank accounts, she had been working from morning to night, nonstop, to rebuild her reserves. Being an artist didn't provide a regular paycheck and now, more than ever, she didn't want to be in a position of needing him to support her.

She had told Selena a visit to an attorney was in order, but first she wanted to get a good start on this new project, now that she found the right photographer. As long as Rico was on his mission to get money out of her, it couldn't hurt to put off the beginning of the end of their marriage a few more days.

* * *

Selena sat in her two-year-old, white Cadillac sedan at the end of Teri's block. When Rico didn't drive by after fifteen minutes, she knew his "appointment" had been a fabrication. The bulge in his pants attested to the quality of her seduction technique, so it had to have been her timing that was off. And the location. At least he still had enough respect for Teri not to cheat on her in their home.

Teri's comment about Rico getting a quickie along his delivery route triggered an idea. Selena drove to a public pay phone and made a few calls. Using the excuse that she wanted to write a letter commending her postman for his fine service, she confirmed which branch Rico worked out of and what his regular hours were.

Considering the vast range of time in which her own mail arrived, she surmised a postman's lunch-break could be lengthened if he speeded up the delivery time.

The next morning, she set her new plan in motion. Because she had no way of knowing where he might stop, Selena was in the post office parking lot when Rico got in his mail truck. Selena had acquired a collection of wigs to use when modeling. That day, she donned a curly black one and big sunglasses to disguise herself in case Rico should notice someone following him.

His route was in a mixed-income neighborhood about a mile from his post office branch. It consisted of single family homes, two-apartment complexes and a small strip mall that had a nail salon. Selena had no problem tracking him along his morning route. Around one o'clock, he pulled into a fast-food drive-thru lane. As soon as Selena figured out he would be eating his lunch in a parking space shaded by the building, she parked her car out of his view. Quickly she removed the wig, put on a big-brimmed floppy hat, and got out of the car.

One glance at her reflection in the window of the restaurant assured her that her denim shorts and red stretchy tube halter were scandalously brief—exactly as she intended. Ignoring the attention she stirred, she went inside, purchased a large diet soda and exited on the side where Rico was parked.

As she neared his truck, she did an exaggerated double-take. "Rico? Is that you?"

* * *

With her hair all tucked up under a hat and those oversized shades, Rico hadn't automatically recognized her, but her height, accentuated by high-heeled sandals, and the body that was more out of her clothes than in, had caught his eye the second she'd walked out the restaurant door. The
I-just-had-sex-and
-can
't-quite-catch-my-breath
voice identified her with a swift nudge to his groin. With great effort he forced himself to swallow the bite of hamburger in his mouth, then tried to sound casual.

"Hey, Selena. A bit away from your stomping grounds, aren't you?" He knew she lived in the city and, even if she had been working with Teri that morning, this area of White Plains would be out of her way.

"Kind of." She came alongside the open window where he sat. She shrugged her shoulders in such a way to cause the tube top to slip down a quarter inch.

Rico held his breath in anticipation of spying even more flesh. As pale as she was, her nipples were probably light pink, but he still wanted to see for himself.

"My manicurist relocated to the shopping center down the street." She wiggled her scarlet fingernails under his nose. "See? Doesn't she do an ab-fab job? I swear, I'd follow her to the ends of the earth." Without waiting for a comment, she walked around to the other side of the mail truck and slid open the door.

Before Rico realized what she was up to, Selena shoved the mailbag off the seat and climbed in. He knew he should object, but his brain got sidetracked as she pressed the cold soda cup to her throat and drops of condensation trickled into her cleavage.

"Oh, that's better. It's too hot to be outside today." She caught a large drop of water with two fingers and spread it slowly across her chest. Setting the cup on the dashboard, she leaned toward him and whispered, "Tell me, Rico, are you as hot as I am?"

Hot?
An incinerator was blasting between his legs. He yanked his gaze up to her eyes, but when she removed her sunglasses, the promise of pleasure he saw there made his struggle that much harder. Why was she doing this to him? Why now? "Look, Selena—"

She stopped him by placing her hand on his upper thigh and squeezing. "I've, always heard women couldn't resist a man in uniform. You'd look good whatever you wore, but I think I prefer you in well-worn jeans, like yesterday. I could see exactly what was on your mind." Her fingers inched closer to the fire.

Rico grasped her wrist and placed her hand back on her own leg. "No!
I...
we...
can't do this to Teri. I thought you and she were friends."

Selena gave him a bewildered look. Taking his hand, she brought it to her breast and pressed it there. "Friends sometimes share. Oh, Rico, I get so lonely. Men aren't as eager to get involved with me as you might think. They're afraid I'll be too much for them. But I wouldn't be for a man like you. I've wanted you since the first time I saw you. I don't want to pretend anymore."

His fingers flexed into her soft flesh. He wanted so much more than this brief touch. He wanted to strip the scrap of material away and bury his face in those two mounds. Her lips parted slightly and her lashes lowered as she closed the distance between them.

Another second and he would have tasted her... there, in a public parking lot, for anyone to witness his infidelity. He pushed her away. "Stay away from me, Selena. You're enough to tempt a saint, and God knows I'm far from that. But I won't be unfaithful to Teri... no matter what. Our marriage means too much to me."

Liar!
Selena mentally screamed. She would never have guessed he had so much willpower. Whoever he owed money to this time must really have his balls in a vise. There could be no other explanation for his rejection. She still wanted to help Teri, but it looked like this idea had come to a dead end. Then again, perhaps his libido just needed more time in order to overcome his good intentions.

"Okay, Rico. Have it your way." She got out of the truck and slammed the door. Before walking away, she leaned into the open window and blew him a kiss. "If you change your mind, my number's in Teri's address book."

* * *

Drew couldn't seem to stop his mind from wandering back to the photo shoot at Teri Carmichael's studio. He kept wondering what he had done wrong. The model's surly attitude wasn't a concern. His personal experience kept him from expecting anything better from a woman who looked like her. It was Teri who had him stumped.

She had clearly been enjoying herself and seemed to like him. Then she went cold, as though he had done something to offend her, but he had no idea what that might have been. The easy camaraderie they had instantly established felt good and, as nervous as he was about impressing her, it had helped him relax.

The fact that she mentioned her husband at three odd times was obviously meant to warn him that she was off-limits. He thought she was pretty as a Texas bluebonnet but he hadn't been thinking of plucking her... at least not consciously.

Now he was having trouble thinking of anything else.

* * *

On Wednesday, Drew brought the developed pictures to Teri's studio as promised. Again he was attired in a style customary for his homestate.

"Very nice," she murmured as she spread the prints out on the table. "In fact, they are so close to what I was hoping for, I'd think you were just a little psychic." She explained her vision for the new series. "Is there anything here you'd use?"