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| IMPOSTER BY MARIQUA |
CHAPTER 60 |
Sherry gaped at him and tried to regain control of her senses.
"This is insane, Nick...I'm not hiding anywhere..."
"Yes...you are!" he hissed. "You don't know what the outcome will be if you don't...I do....go!"
Another flicker of knowledge passing through his piercing eyes informed her that he knew something that she didn't -- something about Slider that made it even more imperative that he didn't discover them there. His office...I'll hide there."
Seeing her leave, Nick turned and quickly wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand -- trying to erase any trace of her lipstick. He sniffed the air and decided that there was no lingering smell of perfume to give her away. The door opened just as he had settled back into the sofa.
"Take it easy, Bernie!" Slider's voice called out heartily in the hallway as the door slowly opened. Stepping in, he paused for a minute as he took in the scene of Nick lounging on the sofa.
Once again he felt his irritation rise as he noticed how easily Nick had become a part of his normal routine. .
"Get your errands done?" Nick's voice greeted him.
"Yeah...enough....if you only knew who I saw today...
Walking past Nick, Slider moved toward the back rooms.
"Slider...wait a minute...."
Now what?
"I've had a headache since you left...I need some aspirin."
"I have aspirin. Check the medicine cabinet in the bathroom."
"You don't have what I need...I want the strong stuff."
Looking perturbed, Slider checked his watch. "Well, if I'm going to get something else, I'd just as soon go now than later. "Hey..Sherry might have something. Can you wait until she gets home?"
"No," Nick said feigning a grimace. "I need it now.
Slider set down his briefcase and coolly examined Nick again. His hair was combed for a change and Slider recognized the addition of his most expensive polo shirt. What's with you, Nick? You're looking very put together today...
"Okay...okay, Nick...I'm going. You don't think it's because of your fall, do you?"
"I don't know what it is...I just know it hurts."
Slider nodded and turning to go back to the door, spoke out into the room. "We're having ribs for dinner tonight. You do like ribs, don't you?"
"Yeah...I do."
"Okay...I'll be back as soon as I can ."
Stepping out into the carpeted hallway, Slider closed the door. So…you couldn't get rid of me fast enough...
Inside the elevator going down, Slider stared blankly up at the illuminated numbers of the floors. A memory gnawed tenaciously at him as the elevator hummed along, and he tried to shake off the creeping infiltration of a feeling that was making him queasy. As the doors opened with a whoosh,
Slider was slammed full force with the memory that connected with the scene in his living room...Michelle...that time!
Darkness surrounded Sherry in the closet as she leaned uncomfortably up against some boxes. Hearing Slider's voice get louder and obviously closer at one point had her heart racing and made her want to run out and confess everything. I can't believe any of this...I'm a grown woman behaving like some guilty teenager...this would not be happening if it weren't for Nick...
Casting the entire blame on him was hopeless, though, as she was well aware that she had been guilty of letting him coerce her to hide...because...because...
Her eyes closed for a moment and she let the memory of her intimate moments with Nick finally sink in. The way his mouth moved over mine as if he knew it belonged there...what am I saying? I know nothing about this man and where he came from! For all I know he could be some serial rapist.
"Sherry," a voice spoke outside the closet door.
"Sherry...it's okay...come out...he's gone.
Relief flooded through her and her skin still tingled with some kind of anticipation as she opened the door to face Nick.
"Whe...where is he?"
"I sent him on a little errand...for a headache," his eyes showed amusement at his subterfuge.
"I let you talk me into this, Nick...this…this juvenile behavior! I must have a screw loose...letting you charm your way into my life like you've probably charmed other women...many other women."
Nick touched her hand and for once, she saw real worry in his eyes. "Is that what you think? That this is some kind of sick game with me? You don't know me...I knowthat...but you're wrong about what I'm doing.."
Sherry shrugged and walked off to the living room -- deliberately leaving him behind. Enough is enough...
The difficulty he was having catching up to her and his sharp intakes of breath were not lost on her, but she felt vindictive at that moment -- wanting him to suffer more and in some way prove that what he said was true.
Almost stumbling, his mouth bit down hard on his lip as he followed her. You're a challenge, all right...that's what I like about you.
Hearing him take one large gasp of breath, Sherry turned with a flourish -- her dark eyes snapping with fire. "I think you said it all, Mr. Nick Lord, or whoever you really are. I don't know one damn thing about you, except that for some reason Slider is determined to help you. And just because we kissed doesn't mean you and I would ever have a meeting of the minds."
Nick's lips curled and his nostrils flared at her remark, but her stance against him made him desire her even more. Reaching her side, his arm coiled around her waist and dragged her body into his. "Then, let me tell you who I am...if that's what you want, you've got it."
Slider reversed his steps and backed up into the elevator. The steel doors shut him back in the square confine, and his eyes fell again on the numbered buttons. His hands dug down in his pocket and extracted his key chain -- grasping it in his hand as if he were handling something precious. Fingering through the keys, his thumb pressed down on one particular key. As his fingers wound protectively around it, he suddenly jabbed the key with force into the button of the floor he now wanted to go to.
A book...a book with a title that now shrieked at her brain as some kind of clue. DID! That book was about DID!
Slider reading a book on DID...so what? He's a psychologist...that's what they do. Tea sank back on the bed -- her hair flying out in all directions and closed her eyes. The words written in the address book were "Slider...still at the U...get in touch...answers". Slider had been his friend -- that much was certain, but was there a remote possibility that the reason he was reading this now was not pure coincidence? If this were true, then Slider may have become some sort of protector for her husband -- even to go as far as hide him from his own wife.
Stretching her arms out, her eyes narrowed with determination. Monday's lunch date should be interesting, and I'm going to have to play detective again...
Astonished at his declaration, Sherry struggled to free herself from his arms. "I'm not sure I want to know, Nick....I just think it's better that you go back to wherever you came from."
His muscular arms tightened like a vice around hers and his lips brushed against her hair. "You still don't get it, do you?...I have nothing back there, and I'm never going back."
How do I tell you? You're going to think I'm insane or worse...but I want you..and I think you're the key to my survival...
The elevator's droning hum slowed and finally stopped, and the doors opened again. Still clutching the key, he made his way down the hallway to a door he had knocked on many times before. Taking a deep breath, he knocked four times -- the signal that let her know it was him. She's not home...what was I thinking? Looking down at the key again, he did something that made him immediately ashamed, but his need to know had won out over his integrity. Inserting the key in the lock, he pushed open the door. All was quiet inside, and Slider looked across the room at Sherry's big, flowered, overstuffed sofa with the chintz pillows thrown casually across it.
Everything was just as it always was -- her decorating skills in her place readily apparent, and Slider chastised himself for his doubt. As his eyes scanned the room, an object caught his eye and in seconds, his mind latched onto the significance of the object being there. A sleek, black tote bag sat on the top of a side table. She's home...she always takes that with her to work. Wait...she's just at the store...that's it. Feeling totally relieved, he almost turned to leave, but another object came into his vision -- an object stuffed down into the corner of one of the side chairs. It was the little schoolgirl-type shoulder bag she always took whenever she went out to the store, and he had once teased her saying he couldn't believe she could possibly fit her wallet and anything else into such a small bag. She would never leave that here...unless...
The handsome, golden face of Slider Paxton deepened and flushed to a
bright
scarlet, while his fingers squeezed forcibly into the hard metal of the
keys.
No…No…NO!!!
