The town of Charlesville was small with very little population but like any other town that was in America it was built with separation in mind. The saloons were located at the far end of the town; Sonny's being on the very edge. Then there were the middle class families, like the Lansing's, who owned a tidy home that was surrounded by friendly neighbors. The ranchers, Lorenzo and Emily Alcazar, built their homesteads further out so they could raise their cattle and work their land away from the bustle of a town, even one as small as Charlesville. They always managed to maintain a suite in the town's only hotel for their weekly visits. The Spencer's were part of the upper crust, living on the other end of town, furthest away from the raunchy saloons and bad part of town. Their house nearly took up an entire block.
Lu smiled as she admired herself in her brass framed looking glass while she adjusted the bodice on her dress. She loved this house and her father spared no expense when it came to building it for her mother. It was like the eastern home that Laura grew up in with gardens that rivaled that of Lila Quartermaine's while she was still in town. The home managed to house a sitting room, a family room, a large kitchen, a library, an office, a ball room, a dining area, servant's quadrants, three floors and a handful of bedrooms.
Lu was proud of this home and she was all to eager to describe it in great detail to her friends who thought the west was nothing more than a piece of dirty land. She loved seeing the surprise look on their faces when they realized that she was indeed from class and that didn't change no matter where she moved in life. Her mother had managed to maintain her dignity and beauty through the struggles of this hot, dusty lifestyle she lived out here and Lu could manage the same, at least for a couple of more months.
She turned around in the mirror and made sure that her dress was situated just right. She had purchased it back east before she came home, knowing this would be the perfect attire to reintroduce herself back into the society of Charlesville. It was a bright blue color that set off her eyes. The bodice fit snugly which caused the swells of her breasts to rise slightly above the sweet-heart shaped satin material. It was off the shoulders with little puffed sleeves that rested mid arm and she had matching evening gloves. The bottom part of the dress flared out like a ball gown, swishing around her ankles. The only thing she disliked was that her dainty shoes that she had colored to match the dress weren't visible. But alas, even she had to admit to herself that she looked beautiful and she could only hope that she could take Michael Corinthos' breath away.
Lu gently touched her hair which was twisted in a knot that left a few loose curls dangling. Part of her still hated that she was still having this party tonight but her mother insisted that it go on. She had spent every minute of the last two days going over details from the food order to the table layouts. Her mother wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. Only then did Lu realize that having this party was allowing her mother to be distracted from the horrific events that had occurred. If watching her only daughter tell tales of the eastern world would put a sparkle in Laura Spencer's eyes than Lu would do it.
She turned and looked towards her closed double doors when she heard the music begin downstairs. That meant the guests were arriving and she had a few more minutes to primp and pamper herself before she was expected. After all she was the guest of honor and that meant that she was to be fashionably late.
She intended to head towards her vanity table so she could add the finishing touches to her outfit, her grandmother's jewelry, but she found herself walking towards her open window and staring out into the night, watching as buggy's pulled up in front of her house. The Lansing's would be driving their own buckboard while the Alcazar's would have hired one out for the evening.
Lu felt the smile on her face grow wider as she watched people stepping out in their colorful dresses and making their way up the stairs until they reached the doors. They were laughing and looking forward to the evening ahead. It was a rare occasion that Charlesville had a gathering such as this and the men in their suits didn't mind sharing a dance or two with some of the lovely women that would be there tonight.
She let her eyes roam the small crowd gathering when they landed on a giggling blond woman whose arm was slipped through that of a young man's. He had dusty blond hair and dark eyes and Lu knew that if he looked this way her heart would start to flutter. It was Michael Corinthos and he was escorting one of Sonny's women tonight.
Lu wasn't upset. She knew there was an arrangement between Sonny and her father that allowed Sonny to bring a few of his woman to a dinner so he could drum up some more business for his saloon. Her kind mother would never turn anyone out, including a saloon girl, and although Lu never heard of anyone doing anything like this back east the town of Charlesville was small and they played to their own set of rules.
She knew that Michael had every intention of spending the evening with her and watching the pretty woman cling to him gave Lu all the more incentive to doll herself up. She moved away from the window and towards her vanity where she picked up her diamond necklace and slid it on, eager to get downstairs and greet her childhood friend.
Lu had a feeling that tonight would be a night she'd never forget.
Lucky Spencer eyed the room with disdain. He hated this function. It was times like these that reminded him why he wanted to be a cowboy. He hated dressing up in a tux so he could make nice with the businessmen in town. He hated being pushed off on some pretty girls who were looking for way more than a dance. He hated the fact that he had to drink champagne from some fancy flute glass because his mother refused to allow beer to be served at one of her parties. He hated it all and the only reason he was here was because of his baby sister.
Lu had cornered him the day after he arrived back in town from the body search. She said that their mother still intended to go on with this party even though Lu was well aware that they shouldn't. She was dressed completely in black, with a matching bonnet that had a lace ribbon which was tied under her chin. She sniffled, looked up at him with tears clinging to her lashes and let those blue eyes work him good. There was no way in hell he could turn down coming to the party for her, not even after explaining that he could barely be in the same town with their father, let alone a ball room.
Dinner was perfect, thanks to her. He knew that Lu had something to do with the arrangements because he was seated at a table with the Alcazars and a few other men that ran cattle in the county. She could have easily placed him at the head table with her and their parents but she knew him well enough to know where that would lead and starting a fight tonight would only cause their mother more pain that she needed.
That's why he was sticking to a corner, holding up part of the doorway that led out to the gardens, nursing his third glass of champagne and some type of food that was being served on a silver platter. His eyes kept roaming the room, falling on the laughing women who were being twirled around the floor, then moving towards the men who were trying not to trip over their feet, until they came to rest on two doves that he knew very well from The Devil's Gate. They were sidling up to some of the more prominent townsmen, giggling at things that probably weren't even funny.
Leave it to his father to find a very creative way to make a dollar.
His vision was pulled away when he saw a flash of something green trying to make its way through the crowd. He pushed himself off the wall into an upright position and found himself looking at Kristina Lansing. He had no idea where she found the dress that she was wearing, surely Charlesville could not produce something that beautiful, but he noticed that it set off the color of her eyes amazingly.
And the more she got closer to him, the more he found himself needing another glass of champagne.
"You couldn't see my desperate pleading from across the room?" she asked with a smile.
Lucky didn't know when or why she was pleading but he wished that he would have seen it. He would've pushed his way through the dancers and rescued her from whatever seemed to be weighing her down. Her satin dress wasn't it.
"You look…" he shook his head as he tried to find the perfect word, beautiful didn't seem to be enough.
Kristina blushed and looked down, "Thank you. Lu gave it to me."
He had to thank his sister later, with a dance, a kiss, some ridiculous doodad she wanted. The dress that obviously came from back east hugged every curve his sister's best friend had. It showed the delicious creamy swells of her breasts and her smooth shoulders. Her waist looked so tiny he was sure he could span it with his hands and the way it puffed out around her made her seem even tinier in his view.
It wasn't until he heard her charming laughter reach his ears that he realized he must have been staring.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"I said I know that it's improper of me to ask this of you," she smiled, dazzling him with those dancing green eyes, "But I was wondering if you would dance with me. I can't stand another dance with my father and the only other man here I wish to dance with has been dancing with Lu all night."
"I see," Lucky said as he finished his champagne and placed the empty glass on a side table, "You're asking me because Michael is busy."
"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way," Kristina said.
"Mmm," Lucky smiled as he crossed his arms across his chest, "But I wasn't your first choice."
"Well no but that's because…"
"And now it's either me or the old men who can't keep their hands to themselves."
She frowned and a fire lit in her eyes. He loved it. She was getting riled up and he had no idea why he was enjoying the banter with her this much. This was the girl who chased him around on horseback with his sister, that's all.
"Fine Mr. Spencer," she said turning around, her skirts brushing up against his legs, "I shall ask the wandering old men."
Lucky reached out and grabbed her hand, taking it in his, before he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. He heard a quick intake of breath and his feet started to move on their own, blending them in with the other dancers.
He looked down at her with a half smile, "Next time Kristina, I'd like to be first."
"You look beautiful tonight."
Sam let her dark eyes meet those of Sonny Corinthos' for a brief second before she was forced to drag them away again.
"Don't tell Lesley Lu," he said as he leaned closer to whisper in her ear, "But I say that you're the most beautiful woman in the room."
Sam closed her eyes and fought back the tears. She hated this. She hated that she had to come here on his arm this evening. She had taken Lu's advice and had a dress made in the cream material the younger woman told her would go great with her complexion. When she picked it up however she had decided not to go to the party. Sonny had asked her, along with Rachel and Courtney, to come along and help bring in more business. The blond women were eager to go, Sam would have rather stayed at the saloon and continue to do what she had been hired to do; work on her back.
Instead Sonny had chosen to walk in with her on his arm, allowing Rachel and Courtney to mingle as they pleased but keeping her as his eye candy. He introduced himself as the man who owned the most talked about saloon in town and told people that there were more beautiful women like herself working there nightly. Sam wanted to hit him like she did those Yankee's who tried to burn her homestead but she refrained, telling herself that this was what she was being paid for.
But right now, dancing in Sonny's arms, listening to him tell her how beautiful she looked this evening wasn't in the job description. She didn't want to fall in love with the owner, she didn't want to hear pretty words that weren't true and she didn't want to be loved gently because she knew that one day it would all be gone and she'd be back to feeling the pain, the misery and the loneliness.
"You're quiet tonight," Sonny said as he brushed some of her dark hair off of her naked shoulder, "You've been quiet ever since I returned home. You've also been making yourself very busy, too busy if you ask me."
"I know that there was a problem with the books," Sam said quietly, "And I wanted to make sure that you had enough time to deal with the issue."
"And you still never explained why you weren't waiting for me when I returned."
He watched her bite her lip and look away from him again. She had been doing that since he returned to town a few days ago, avoiding eye contact, avoiding him. He had wondered if anything had happened in the four days that he had been gone so he asked around the saloon and found that nothing out of the ordinary had gone on. Courtney acted more dumb witted about the question than normal but Sonny blamed it from lack of sleep. She did spend almost twenty four hours with his son when he returned.
Then things returned to the way they had been when Sam first arrived at The Devil's Gate. She worked hard, trying to prove herself, bringing in more men than he could count. Rachel had cut back on her social hours, instead trying to help him with the numbers all the while running her stocking covered feet up his leg. He tried to tell her he wasn't interested but he found his restraint breaking. It had been three days since he had been with someone and for a man running a whorehouse that was a very long time.
He had tried to corner Sam but she avoided him at every turn. During the day she disappeared and at night she was up and down the stairs more than he cared to admit. The money was flowing in, the men were happier and even the women seemed to be getting along better. He didn't like it. He'd rather have a little less at the end of the month. He didn't want his southern belle spreading her legs for just anyone.
He wanted her all for himself.
"I think you've been working too hard," he said as he started to run his fingers along her face, "I think tonight, when we're through here, you should relax. Maybe we can share a bourbon together."
"It's not fair that I take up most of your time, Mr. Corinthos."
Sonny's fingers froze on her face, "When did we get back to that?"
"We didn't," Sam said quietly as she tried to move his hand back towards her waist, "I think people are starting to stare. We're dancing improperly."
"Let them stare," Sonny said.
"This is my first…" Sam licked her lips and tried to put a little more space between them, "This is my first real party since I left Georgia. I'd like to really be danced with, Sonny. None of these other men will do that for me. They'll only want to get a sample of what they'll pay for later."
"I want to dance with you properly, Sam," Sonny said as his fingers moved to caress her face again, "But I also want to know what is wrong with you. I want to know why your eyes are so sad. I want to know what happened when I…"
Sam's eyes widened as she watched Sonny pull his thumb back with powder on it. She tried to pull away again but he held a firm hold on her waist and reached up with his other free hand to wipe away more of the powder. The red mark was revealed. He had finally seen where Rachel had struck her earlier in the week.
"Who did this to you?" he asked through gritted teeth.
Sam could see the rage dancing in his eyes, could see the barely controlled anger that was boiling through him. There was no way she would get away without giving him an answer but she knew that confessing it was Rachel could bring more trouble on her.
"It's been dealt with," Sam said as she forced a smile, "Let's continue dancing. You can hold me anyway you'd like."
That charm didn't work. He removed his hold from her and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the edge of the dance floor before he led her through the doors towards the gardens. He stopped on the cemented patio, in a darkened corner where they were hidden from the crowd.
"Who?" he demanded again, "Was it a regular? Because I'll kill him. Was it someone that we know? Someone passing through? Was it one of the girls?"
"It doesn't matter," Sam said as she pressed her hand against her stomach and tried to move away from the animal that was pacing in front of her, "It's over with now, it's healing and no one could see it with the make up."
"Sam, it is my job to protect you, as the owner…"
"You weren't there and you couldn't protect me," Sam snapped, "You aren't always going to be there Sonny because I'm not going to be at your saloon forever. I'm a big girl. I've been through worse than this and I…I don't want to talk about this."
Sonny stopped and looked at her, barely holding on to those tears that were threatening to overcome her. He never thought of Sam leaving his saloon. Hell he never thought past the end of the day, not since his wife was murdered. He only thought of here and now and wanting to enjoy every moment.
"I know I can't protect you from everything," he said as he moved towards her and took her hand, "I know that one day some man is going to come into this town and sweep you off your feet and move you out to California and make all your dreams come true."
"Sonny, I'm a whore," she whispered, "No man will ever…"
"Some men just don't give a damn about that, Sam," Sonny said as he took her chin with his fingers, "Especially when they're dealing with a woman as beautiful as you."
"Sonny, please…"
"I'm asking you," he said as he pressed his forehead against hers, "To let me offer you my protection as long as I can. I'm asking you to let me help you. I want to be able to protect you, Sam. Please, let me do that."
She looked into his eyes which were mere centimeters from hers. They were pleading, desperate, begging to give her the kind of aid he couldn't give to his wife. Sam knew that ramifications would come from revealing what happened but she no longer cared. She couldn't bear to see Sonny in pain and the way he was looking at her now nearly tore her heart out.
"Rachel," she whispered as she closed her eyes, "It was Rachel."
His fingers slid into her loose hair and gripped the strands as he sighed, but didn't move from being so close to her. The anger seeped through his veins but seemingly disappeared when she slid her arms around his waist and pulled his lower body against hers.
"That's why you weren't in my room," he watched her blink her eyes open, "I'll take care of it. I'll take care of you."
Sam then felt his lips descend upon her, passionate and gentle, all at the same time. He moved his arms around her waist, bringing her body flush up against his own and soon she felt herself being pressed back against the ledge behind them. When he touched her like this, every thought, every notion of putting distance between herself and this man slipped right out of her head. She needed him, as he did her, to dull the incredible ache.
"Oh!"
Sonny pulled back when he heard the gasp behind him and came to stand protectively in front of Sam as if she were an innocent woman and not a whore. She found herself blushing when she realized that it was Lu who was shifting nervously by the open doors.
"I do apologize Mr. Corinthos I seem to have lost your son," she laughed quietly, "I wasn't aware that anyone else was out here."
"There's no need to apologize, Lu," Sonny smiled, "It's my own fault that I am unable to behave around beautiful woman." He took Sam's hand and pulled her out of the dark corner and towards him, so she was standing by his side, "This is…"
"Samantha McCall!" Lu clapped her hands, "I am so glad you came and you look beautiful in that dress. I am jealous, you look more stunning than me," she giggled and turned quickly when her eyes caught something in the ballroom, "Oh I have to go. I think Michael is looking for me as well now. Please Sam, do say hello before you leave. I was hoping that we'd get to spend more time together tonight. And Mr. Corinthos," she chided playfully, "Do behave."
She was then gone, as quick as she arrived, in a flurry of skirts. Sam wished once again that she had just stayed at the saloon and earned her keep. Sonny was now standing in front of her, squeezing her hand and looking at her with raised eyebrows.
"I wasn't aware that you knew Lu Spencer."
Sam hated that a tear was able to escape and slid down her cheek, "Yes. She convinced me to have this dress made. She invited me tonight," she looked up at Sonny as another tear slid down her face, "As a guest, not a whore."
Lu laughed as Michael twirled her and brought her back into his arms. She knew that they were causing tongues to wag in the ballroom and her mother was looking quite pleased from across the room where she was standing with other ladies of the society. Michael Corinthos was indeed the son of a saloon owner but he was a handsome gentleman with a bright future ahead of him.
And seemingly at this moment he was all hers.
She had made sure that when doing the seating arrangements for dinner her and Michael would not be eating at the same table. That would leave people with the assumption that they were already involved in a relationship but after the first dance she found it hard to leave his side. He was charming, smart and no one could match the man's flattery. It was also very comfortable being in the arms of one of her dearest friends.
"Have I told you that you look stunning tonight?" Michael asked.
"Yes, but feel free to repeat it," Lu laughed softly.
"You are the most beautiful woman in the room," Michael said, "Thankfully my father raised me to be a decent man or else I would have whisked you away to a dark corner and taken full advantage of you."
"I'm sure you have done that with the lovely blond you entered with," Lu smiled.
"Courtney?" Michael asked with raised eyebrows, "You know why I brought her, although, I'm surprised that your mother actually allows my father to bring his doves into her home."
"My mother takes in everyone," she said, "It's a wonderful trait. Besides some of your father's employees aren't bad people. I myself couldn't help inviting Samantha McCall when I met her. She seems like a really nice person. I wasn't able to talk to her much, in the store where I met her, or tonight, but her eyes, you can tell she's been through an awful lot."
Michael nodded in agreement, "My father is trying to look out for her and make sure that she isn't taken advantage of. She came here with no place else to go and no other experience. She's a lot like my dad, she doesn't talk about it, but you can tell it hurts," he smiled softly, "And I wasn't aware that you had a soft spot for soiled doves, Miss Lu."
Lu laughed, "Going back east, it caused me to judge people a lot more than I use to when I only knew how to live the western lifestyle," she frowned, "I'm not sure if I like that about myself but it's something that I've grown accustom to, it's something they do back there and back there is where I want to go Michael," she smiled again, her blue eyes shining, "But no matter what I've learned society wise I still can't help but find myself swooning over a saloon owner's son. Now what does that say about me as an eastern woman?" she asked with a laugh.
Michael grinned, "It says you have great taste."
Lu laughed as Michael twirled her again and she found herself facing a whole new set of guests that were dancing around her. Everyone looked as happy as she, dancing and having a gay time. Her eyes started to wander, making contacting and nodding in acknowledgment to those she knew. She had a fluttery feeling in her stomach most of the night, as if someone were watching her, and she shrugged it off, knowing that all eyes had to be on her, after all it was a party in her honor.
When Michael spun her again she felt as if something was searing her back and she moved her feet so that he could turn her in that direction. She saw someone, lounging in a dark corner, sipping liquor from one of her mother's favorite crystal glasses, his dark eyes locking with her own.
Lu saw red when she realized that someone had invited the dusty cowpoke to her party.
This was her favorite room in the entire house; the library.
Lu made her way over to one of the large windows and pulled the curtain aside, tying it with the rope and allowing the moon to shine through. It was a beautiful night, with the stars twinkling above and the music still playing in her family's ball room. She was having such a grand time. She danced, she laughed, she flirted and finally, after an entire evening with him, Michael Corinthos had asked her out for next Saturday evening.
She was floating and she only stepped away because she needed some air. She knew the gardens would probably be crowded by this time of the night; most other people were taking the time to enjoy the night air so she decided on the library. She needed sometime to clear her head and to get away from the boring eyes of Johnny O'Brien.
Lu had asked around and found that Johnny was a guest of Sonny Corinthos'. He had escorted the tall thin blond that came as well. Lu thought her name was Rachel but she wasn't quite sure. Johnny had made himself scarce, limiting himself to corners and the area where the liquor was being served. Only until later in the evening, after her fourth or fifth dance with Michael did she finally notice his presence and since then, she had barely been able to twirl and spin.
She had no idea why she was letting that man get to her. He was nothing to her. He was a stranger on the ride home, someone who was a little too free with his hands and liked baiting an eastern woman. He had no manners, no class and she planned on avoiding him as much as possible. She was just going to stay here, regain her composure and then finish off the night dancing with Michael.
"Running away before I was able to ask for a dance?"
Lu frowned as she grasped her skirts and turned towards the door. There, stepping into her private domain was that rude cowboy who kept dancing around in her thoughts. She must have been so caught up in her own musings that she did not hear him enter behind her. Now he was approaching her, arm outstretched, a smirk on his face and black suit attire that had to have been made for him.
She hated to admit it, and she wouldn't out loud, but he looked devastatingly handsome, even more so than Michael Corinthos. And she had absolutely no intention of sharing that with him. Smiling easily, she moved away from him, towards the other side of the room.
"Come to see how the other side lives, Mr. O'Brien?" she asked as she stopped behind her father's favorite leather chair and leaned her elbows on it, "Found some fancy duds too I see."
Johnny grinned, "I wanted to dispel the rumor that eastern women were snobs."
Lu's eyes flashed, "My mother is not a snob."
"I wasn't referring to your mother."
She scoffed and picked up the hem of her dress, moving away from the chair, "I have no idea how you were able to crash this party but you can be assured that I will have you escorted out as soon as I locate my father."
"Your father is well aware that I'm here," Johnny said as he made a step towards her, "I'm a friend of Mr. Corinthos', Sonny that is, although I am also on good terms with Michael."
"I have no idea why Michael would chose to spend time with someone who doesn't know how to treat a lady," she said as she moved back towards the desk, away from him, "For a boy who was raised by a father who owns a saloon, he knows more about being a gentleman than you do and he knows how to keep his hands to himself."
He laughed as he watched her back herself into a corner, "It's not the boy's fault he hasn't taken the initiative with you. Come on Miss Eastern, the reason you bring up our past encounters so much was because of the enjoyment you received from them."
Lu gasped as she felt her backside hit the desk and she stamped her foot, "I never!"
"All those years spent back in the east," Johnny smiled and he stalked towards her, "Batting those long dark eyelashes at all the men, watching them swoon when you smiled prettily or gave them one small giggle and what did you get in return? A pretty gift, a kiss on the hand and some flowers before a date but never a touch, never a caress, never something that made you tingle."
She reached out with her fingertips and placed them against his left shoulder, stopping him when he came within inches of her, "A lady does not…"
"A lady is not as hot blooded as you are, my dear," he grinned as he slammed his palms on the desk on either side of her body, "And I'm sure that you are aching for something…"
"Oh I'm aching for something," Lu laughed softly as she shifted her face to avoid his oncoming one, "But the town folk are not big on hangings."
"And she still denies it," he grinned.
"And he is still the most conceited, arrogant, mule-headed…mmm!"
Lu had no idea how she let it happen. One minute her face was flushed with fury over the man who continually invaded her private space, the next her arms were wrapping themselves around his neck and he was pressing his body into hers. It was indecent and unladylike, not to mention incredibly wicked. But when she felt his large hands running up her back and over her bare shoulders Lu decided that she liked the idea of being wicked.
Johnny would never have been able to prepare himself for the shock he received when his lips meshed with those of the firebrand in his arms. He wanted nothing more to do than shut the prude up with a kiss she would carry with her for her lifetime. Somewhere in the middle that backfired and he was having all kinds of visions of doing naughty things to the uppity woman, one of them included doing away with her skirt and clearing all things from the reading desk.
Lu felt his fingers at her hair, tugging on the curls while his mouth moved, molding with hers. She felt as if her lungs were about to burst from lack of air but she didn't care. This man was kissing her, making her insides feel a way that no eastern man had done before, and she couldn't pull away even if she tried.
Then she felt him pull back slightly and his tongue ran across the seam of her lips.
She pushed him away with both of her hands and he was caught off guard, stumbling back and looking at her with dark eyes that promised things she was unaware of. Moving away from the confines of the desk she made it safely across the room, gasping for air and trying to get her head to stop its delicious spinning. She was off balanced but one look at the dusty cowboy and she could tell so was he.
Smiling she pulled at her bodice and touched her hair with her fingers, "As you can see, Mr. O'Brien, I'm aware of the methods that men use to try and persuade woman into seeing things their way and I'm sorry to tell you that I will not be one of those simpleton women who usually fall into your trap. I do bid you a good evening sir as I have to find my escort."
Lu made a few hasty steps for the door, reaching the brass handle and turning it before looking back at him with a smile, "How incredibly rude of me, I fear that I never did introduce myself to you. I'm sure you've heard around town but still. I'm Lesley Lu Spencer," her blue eyes flashed at him before turning cold, "And a Spencer is not someone you want on your bad side."
Johnny actually jumped when the door slammed behind the young woman and he found his body slowly lowering itself to the nearest chair. He thought that playing with the uptight woman from back east, who thought she was better than everyone else, would be a fun game. He assumed it would give him something to do to pass the time. But he lit a fire in Lesley Lu Spencer.
Johnny grinned as he ran his fingers over his lips, "Like a moth to a flame…"