Notorious by Iris Johansen Read Free Book Online Page B

now, please.”
    He stiffened. “Really? You’ve hardly paid your debt with a one-night stand.” He paused. “Though I suppose you might consider giving me your virgin—”
    “Oh, for God’s sake, you’re not going to start all that again?” she asked, exasperated. “Virginity in this day and time is only an inconvenience not a pearl without price.” She met his gaze directly. “Look, what happened last night was a mistake. If I didn’t believe that, I’d be even angrier than I am now. You behaved like an oversexed Neanderthal, and part of me wants to pick up that marble paperweight and brain you with it.”
    “And the other part of you?”
    His smile was blatantly sensual, as sensual as when he had smiled at her last night when he had moved—She quickly looked away from him and down at the marble paperweight. “You’re reputed to be an intelligent man. You must have realized by now that the situation wasn’t what you thought it was.”
    “Unless Ben enjoyed you in, shall we say, more ‘exotic’ ways, I’d say that was abundantly clear.” His gaze searched her face. “You didn’t know I had the tapes, did you?”
    The color rose to her face. “No, and I’d like them back. I burned the originals after Ben’s death.”
    “Mine are copies?”
    She nodded. “Look, do we have to talk about this? It’s very hard for me.”
    A faint smile tugged at his lips. “It’s been very hard for me too. I think I deserve an explanation.”
    She caught the double entendre, and a flood of heat surged through her. She avoided his gaze as she dropped down onto the visitor’s chair beside the desk. “All right, let’s get it over with. What do you want to know?”
    “Shall we start with the tapes?”
    She looked down at her hands folded on her lap. “Ben was impotent.”
    Sabin’s eyes widened. “The hell he was. And you married him?”
    “I didn’t know. We didn’t … He swept me off my feet. We were married a week after we met.” She shook her head ruefully. “It wasn’t at all like me. I’m usually very practical and cautious. I suppose he caught me at just the right time. I’d been working like a demon to get somewhere careerwise since I was sixteen, and suddenly Ben appeared. He was good-looking, brimming with
joie de vivre
and little boy charm. He opened new doors for me.” She smiled sadly. “I fell in love with him.”
    A distinct edge sharpened Sabin’s voice. “I have no desire to hear how irresistible you found him.”
    “Anyway, Ben was impotent. I wanted to make our marriage work, so I arranged for both of us to go to a therapy clinic.” She looked straight ahead. “They said his problem was mental not physical and suggested I do whatever was necessary to—Ben said making and watching the tapes would help.”
    “I can imagine.” Sabin’s tone was dry. “They’d arouse a eunuch. What about the ermine coat and the jewelry?”
    “Ben said he rented them. I only wore them for the films. I don’t know what he did with them afterward.” She lifted her gaze to meet his. “The films didn’t work. I didn’t find out until a few weeks before he died why he didn’t find me desirable.”
    “He was an idiot?”
    “Ben was gay. His lover came to see me and asked me to release Ben from our marriage.”
    Sabin hid his shock.
    “Did you tell the police about him?”
    She shook her head. “I felt sorry for him. He was a sweet, gentle man, and I think he really loved Ben. He could never have hurt anyone. Why should I involve him?”
    “Some people might say it would have helped to take off some of the flack you were getting.” He studied her troubled expression for a moment. “You don’t understand that viewpoint. Interesting.”
    “I could handle the flack.” She shrugged. “Yougrow up fast and tough when you’re on your own.”
    “Tough?” He shook his head. “No way.”
    “I suppose you have a right to think I don’t have much backbone based on the way I caved in