FATEFUL NIGHTS
She stood in front of the mirror preparing herself for her date. She took great care in applying her makeup. She wanted to look breathtaking. She wasn't sure if she wanted to sleep with him right away as she had done with her late husband. She wanted to tease him, to make him wait. He seemed to be the type of man who might be put off by a woman who was too forward. She didn't want to risk running him off before her foot was in the door. She finished fussing with her makeup and hair, and stood back to examine the results. She smiled and whispered his name aloud. She loved the way it sounded escaping her lips. She had yet to decide how he would meet his untimely demise, but since she discovered he worked with and around handguns, she was sure she could make his death creative.
* * *
The families of the murdered men in Utah, Michigan, and California were on the trail of the elusive woman they felt was responsible for the deaths of their loved ones. Each dead man was exhumed and autopsied. In all three cases, they hadn't died exactly as how it appeared. Three separate calls were made to three different FBI offices.
* * *
The evening of Donovan's date, he fussed more with his appearance than any woman ever would. He didn't understand why he was so nervous. He had gone on many dates, had had relationships with more than his fair share of women, but still, he felt as ditzy as a young teenager on his first date. He found it difficult to explain. He hadn't wanted to dress too casually or fussy, so he had compromised a bit by wearing basic black slacks and a matching button-down shirt. It wasn't very chilly outside, so he decided to forego the jacket tonight. Besides, he was only walking a brief distance. Donovan shook off the nervousness and pushed himself to leave. He didn't want to be late for his first date [one of many, he hoped] with Loralei.
Loralei glanced at the door every time it opened. She had gotten to the restaurant early, somehow wanting her first impression on the dark stranger to be a memorable one. Every five minutes, she found her eyes wondering to her wristwatch. She was certain he would stand her up, and she didn't want that. Since meeting him, she hadn't been able to get him off her mind. She brought her water glass shakily up to her lips and tentatively sipped at it. Her clumsiness prevailed again and she managed to drip some down her blouse. Groaning, she quickly grabbed her napkin and blotted at the water. She was looking down as Donovan entered the restaurant.
Of course, he saw her right away. Her gorgeous auburn hair was hard to miss. It stood out like an amber flame. Amused, he watched as she blotted her silk blouse with a napkin. Even from the door, he could hear her grumbling under her breath. It was a quality he found endearing. When Loralei looked up, she saw Donovan approaching with a beautiful smile on his handsome face. He had obviously seen her little 'dribble glass' trick.
He probably thinks I'm an idiot, she thought. "Hi," she said with an embarrassed little wave.
He touched the back of the chair across from her and asked, "Mind if I join you?"
Duh. Mind? She had the greatest desire to grab him by the shoulder and jerk his body down in the chair. She didn't know what was more delicious, him or the food. "Me? Mind? Uh uh."
He slid the chair out and sat down. Almost at eye level now, she couldn't look away from his beautiful eyes. She stared so long, she wasn't even aware of it until a waiter approached their table. I'm so obvious over here. However, she couldn't help it. He was incredibly mysterious. She couldn't help but wonder why he carried a gun. She was tempted to ask, but knew that somehow, he probably wouldn't tell her.
"The pile of books," Donovan said suddenly, nearly startling her, "you're working on a Ph.D.?"
She didn't take her eyes off his face as she nodded and smiled ruefully. "Oh yeah. It seems as if I've been working on it for half my life now. If you have never done it, I don't suggest you try." Dear Jesus, I'm rambling. Won't the waiter bring an egg roll or something to stuff in my mouth?
He smiled. [Damn, I wish he wouldn't do that, she thought]. He could sense her nervousness, and wondered if she was aware he felt the same. "I can only imagine. What are you studying?"
"Criminal Justice. It's a passion of mine. I would eventually like to join the FBI."
Something clicked with him. Same interest in food…and law enforcement. Intriguing. Intriguing indeed. "Really? I haven't had many dates with potential FBI recruits."
The way he spoke the words brought a wonderful pink hue to her cheeks. "I'm a little on the ambitious side. Other than that, my life is pretty boring. I work part-time at the university library. That's why I had so many books. I get to cheat on the eight book limit," she said with a smile. Damn, here I am rambling again.
"Ah, on the job perks. You can't beat them," he said.
She sighed and took another drink of water. This time, she didn't perform her great, amazing dribble glass trick. "I'm boring you to tears, I know. So, rescuer of potty mouthed women, what do you do?"
"You're not boring me at all, quite the opposite," he said, and meant it. "I work for the Justice Department."
"Justice Department? Damn. I'm thoroughly impressed. Perhaps you can help with my dissertation."
"Sorry," he said, shaking his head, "I'm no writer."
"A girl has to try, doesn't she?"
He gazed into her lovely green eyes. He couldn't get enough of them. "And I'm glad she did."
Throughout dinner, the two spoke very easily with each other. For Donovan, it seemed as if he had known her all his life. She shared some of the same interests, had similar dreams, and had the ability to make him laugh even when he didn't want to. For Loralei, her nervousness melted to genuine warmth and a need to get even closer than she was. She had never met a unique creature such as he. Although their first few minutes had been awkward and uncomfortable, as most first dates were, by the end of the meal, she couldn't believe how easily she wanted to share her life history with him.
They stayed at the restaurant much longer than either intended. When the workers began shutting off lights and drawing shades, they figured they had outstayed their welcome. Loralei argued with Donovan over who would pay the bill, and they compromised with Donovan paying, and Loralei leaving the tip. As they made their way out of the restaurant, she took his arm easily, as if she had known him for weeks instead of hours.
"Where are you parked," he asked.
"Actually, my friend is expecting me at her place tonight. Would you mind walking me over," she asked with an innocent smile. She had deliberately planned this. She had a feeling she would want to extend the date, and she had been right.
He returned her smile. "I'd love to."
In silence, which should have been awkward but was not, they walked to the building that housed Donovan's and her friend's apartment. Once on the elevator, Loralei reached over him to push the floor she needed. He caught a hint of her perfume, and noticed that her hair smelled like strawberries. He was tempted to touch it, to see if it felt as soft as it looked. When she straightened her body, Donovan gently took hold of her arm and drew her body into his arms. Without the slightest hesitation, his full lips latched onto hers. She smelled like strawberries and tasted like them. It was intoxicating.
Donovan had meant for the kiss to be brief and soft, but when her lips parted against his, his tongue entered her mouth and teased hers. He plunged his hands into her auburn tresses and discovered that it felt as soft as he thought. Her arms went around him, and her hands moved over the solid muscle of his back. They ventured lower onto his firm buttocks. She couldn't believe how bold she was on the first date.
Before she knew what was happening, Donovan's body had hers pressed against the elevator wall. By that time, he had broken the kiss and allowed his lips to slip down to her throat. The elevator dinged as each floor was passed. Soon enough, the car would stop and what they were doing would be broadcast to the entire floor.
She didn't want to stop him, but she had no choice. Her floor was only a few more dings away. "I…I think…think…we're going too fast," she said breathlessly.
Although he didn't want to stop any more than she wanted him to, he knew she was right. Slowly, reluctantly, he backed away. "I'm sorry," he said gazing down at her.
A crooked smile touched her lips. "I hope you don't mean that," she said.
He shook his head and kissed her again, briefly this time. "I didn't."
The elevator stopped and the doors came open. Donovan held onto the 'door open' button as he waited for her to exit. She thanked God there weren't any people waiting. Her hair was mussed and her lipstick smeared. Hastily, she drew out a handkerchief from her purse and wiped the lipstick off his mouth.
"You look cute in my lip gloss, but I think it's not butch enough for you," she said with a smile.
She was about to make her exit, but Donovan caught her arm. "I want to see you again."
His words sounded more like a demand than a request, and for tonight, she would let it slide. She enjoyed the hell out of his take-charge attitude. "You will," she promised. "Good night, Frank."
He watched her until she was out of sight. It was time for him to go home and take a cold shower.
* * *
While Donovan was enjoying his evening with Loralei, Jake was waiting for Zara to show up for their date. He had wanted to meet her in a more intimate setting, but she preferred the bar. His watch told him she was late, and he was sure she wasn't going to show up. He didn't want to admit to himself how disappointed he was. When he had met her last night, he thought they had hit it off pretty well. She seemed more than interested and flirted with him needlessly. But tonight, she doesn't show. He had just about given up on her when he noticed a redhead shuffling through the crowd. He felt his heart beating hard in his chest as he tried to make out the features of the person. It's her, he thought nervously.
Zara was decked out in a wicked mini-dress. Is that vinyl, he wondered stupidly. It was shiny and black, clinging to every curve, every line of her body. She had put up her hair to reveal more of her beautifully madeup face. She was absolutely breathtaking and more than sexy. He nearly felt his eyeballs bugging out of his skull.
She approached him and squeezed his left buttock. "Hey there, Stud. Sorry I'm late, but it took forever to get a cab."
Stunned that she had grabbed him like that [but not in the least offended], he was at a loss for words. However, he found his voice. "I could have picked you up," he said.
She kissed his cheek. "That's okay. I like making men wait for me."
They ordered drinks and chatted easily enough. Neither of them seemed to be able to take their eyes off the other. Last night, Jake had been intrigued enough, but tonight, he was sinking into a different pool altogether. She seemed to want to know everything about him, but she offered very little about herself beyond her mundane job at a library.
After a couple of drinks, she was in his lap, kissing him, teasing him. At that time, he discovered that her dress was, indeed, vinyl. She began to talk dirty in his ear. In spite of himself, he grinned wickedly. She seemed to know which of his buttons to push. For Christ's sake, it was the first date, and he was already thinking about taking her home. When she stopped whispering to him, her mouth began to nibble his earlobe. He was content with letting her have her way, but his senses hadn't totally left him.
"You should stop doing that," he said softly, "unless you want me to break the first date rule."
"What's that," she asked grinning against his flesh.
"I don't take women home with me on the first date."
"No?"
He shook his head. "No, but I'm very tempted right now."
* * *
Much, much later while Jake and Donovan were musing over the wonderful evenings they had had, the woman last know as Samantha Crump lay in bed. She wasn't sleeping, of course. Like most predators, she rarely slept well at night. She thought of her date tonight, of him. Oh, how she fought hard against her desire. Normally, she could go for months on end without even wanting to have sex. However, tonight, she had been tempted. Of course, she didn't expect him to be such a good kisser. This man was not disgusting. He was as delicious as he looked. She found herself wanting him, and she was certain that when she had him, she would explode inside and out. However, her plan was set in stone now. He would die regardless of how good he was. No man deserved to live, not in her mind, or in her world.
