The Deception (6 page)

"It sure was, and I bought two new pieces to add to our collection of nudes."

"Really?"

"Yes," He motioned to the photos of a blonde nude on one of the walls. "This time the model is a brunette, a really pretty one too, and the photos are nicely done. They have to be framed. They should be ready day after tomorrow."

"I see. So where do you think we should put them?"

"How 'bout right here." He pointed to the wall directly above Maggie's head. "Over the bed is perfect. We can find a spot somewhere downstairs for the painting that's there now."

"All right. I should be up and about in the next couple days, so I'll pick them up and hang them over our bed."

C
arrie heard the beep from her cell phone. She picked it up off the coffee table and smiled. It was a text message from Scott, asking if she was busy that day.

"Not too busy for you," she replied.

It was a Saturday morning. She'd just returned from doing her laundry and had no place special to go. Her phone beeped again. This time Scott wanted to know if he could stop by.

"Of course," she replied. She gave him her address and took her phone with her as she headed off to change her clothes. Scott soon replied to let her know he'd be there in about an hour. Exactly one hour later she heard a knock at her door.

"Come on in, Scott. It's good seeing you again."

"Likewise, although I now have those two photos of you hanging on the wall over my bed. You're the last thing I see before I go to sleep at night, and the first thing I see when I get up in the morning."

"I see." His comment, while well meaning, still made her feel a little ill at ease.

"So," he asked, "what plans have you made for today?"

"None so far, I'm afraid."

"In that case, what would you say to taking a little drive and perhaps going hiking at Lake Pleasant?"

"I'd love it." Her eyes lit up as she spoke. "I'll go get my camera."

He waited patiently as she grabbed a sweater and loaded up her backpack. A few minutes later he led her to a late-model, bright-red Chevy sedan in the visitor's parking lot.

"Nice wheels," she said as he opened the passenger door for her.

"Thanks."

He waited for her to settle in and fasten her seatbelt, then he slipped behind the wheel and they headed out.

"So, how have you been?"

"I've been good," she replied, "and I'm trying to keep busy. I'm in a feast or famine business. Last fall I was really swamped, but for the past couple of weeks it's been slow, so I'm doing some marketing. It looks like I'll have some new jobs coming my way in the next week or two."

"Good to hear. I always seem to be busy. I have to work long hours and put in a lot of overtime. As much as I'd like to be able to spend time with you, Carrie, you need to understand, upfront, that I'm just not going to be that available. But I'll still try to see you as often as I can."

"No worries. I sometimes have to work long hours myself and I'm not looking for anything serious right now. Remember, I just got out of a long-term relationship, and to be honest, I'm really enjoying having some time on my own."

They stopped for lunch, sharing a large order of fries with their burgers. Scott managed to brush his hand against hers a few times as she reached for a fry. He tried to make it look unintentional, but Carrie knew better. She gave him a wink in return. She enjoyed flirting with him. As soon as they arrived at Lake Pleasant they hit the hiking trails. Along the way she stopped to photograph the desert, the lake, and the mountains. They finally stopped to rest at a spot with a scenic view, where they would remain for the next few hours.

Scott continued to be fascinated by Carrie's stories of being a child model and local celebrity. He was surprised to hear that her childhood wasn't as happy, or as glamorous, as it appeared. While other girls her age played sports, took dance lessons, or just hung out with their friends, Carrie spent long hours in makeup chairs preparing for
TV
commercials or photo shoots and working under hot lights in dusty, draft-filled rooms. She made good grades at school, but she found herself rejected by her peers. The other children, particularly the other girls, were jealous, making her a social outcast. She described how painful it felt to be shunned and ridiculed by her classmates. She became a loner, with her only real friend being a boy named Alex. Allison would come along later, but by the time she finished high school, Alex and Allison remained her only real friends. Alex ended up going to college back east and they drifted apart once Doug came along. Even as an adult, however, Carrie remained a loner. Doug, Allison and Louise were still the only people she really knew.

Scott wrapped his arm around her and she leaned against him as she talked. Afterwards he silently held her while they watched a spectacular sunset. The clouds turned pink and red as the sky turned orange, purple, and finally, a deep indigo blue. Carrie captured the images of it on her camera. It was nearly dark by the time they made their way back to Scott's car. He drove around some of the back roads, eventually pulling over and parking in a secluded area. A full moon illuminated the night sky, creating stunning silhouettes of rocky hilltops dotted with saguaro cactus. He reached down and reclined his seat back, saying that he wanted to kick back and relax for a little while. They'd been enjoying the view for sometime when he finally broke the silence.

"Carrie, if you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?"

"Well, I'll have to think about it for awhile."

Scott patiently waited for her response.

"Whole. That would be the word. I'm becoming whole. Last fall, when my ex first dumped me, I felt like I was broken and I didn't think I could ever be fixed. Now that some time has passed, and I'm learning how to live my life on my own terms, I'm beginning to feel whole, like I'm becoming a whole new person. So, what about you, Scott? What one word would you use to describe yourself?"

"Adventurous." He reached over to grasp her hand. "Safe and predictable bores me. I much prefer to live on the edge, in the spur of the moment, in the here and now."

He turned to face her, and as he looked into her eyes, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a soft gentle kiss. When it was over, he began to slowly run his fingers through her hair.

"Carrie, I'm not going to make any promises about the two of us living happily ever after someday, but I want you to know something. I think you're an amazing woman. I also want you to know that I'm willing to take things as far as I can, for as long as I can. The only thing is, with my crazy workload, I just don't know how often I'll be able to see you. Please understand that most of the time it will be just like today. We'll have to do things at the last minute, and on the spur of the moment. But I can promise you this--it'll always be an adventure."

"I understand, Scott. Like I said before, I'm not ready for any kind of a commitment, from you or from anyone else. So let's just enjoy the here and now."

He kissed her again. This time his tongue went into her mouth as he slowly inched his hand down toward her breasts.

"Carrie, I'm not going to make love to you tonight, but I need to know something. Are you using any kind of birth control?"

"Yes, I use the rings."

He kissed her again. This time he reached down and began gently stroking her breasts. He could feel her body tensing up. He stopped and began caressing her face.

"It's been a long time since a man's touched you, hasn't it?"

She knew she was allowing herself to get too involved with him too quickly. Then she recalled Louise's comment about the first one after a break up never being a keeper.

"Yes." She looked into his eyes. "It's been a very long time since a man has touched me."

"That's what I thought. You know, you're much too beautiful of a woman to be all alone in the world. You need someone who'll appreciate you. I'd like to be that someone, if you'll have me."

As he began kissing her again, he started to unbutton her blouse. Once again, Carrie began to tense up.

"I don't know about this, Scott."

"It's okay. I know you're still getting over your last relationship, but it will be all right, I promise. I'm not going to do anything to hurt you."

He began to kiss her again. The next thing she knew her blouse was completely unbuttoned and his hands were reaching inside her bra.

"You've been without a man for far too long," he whispered as his fingers gently caressed her nipple. "Just relax and let me touch you." He kissed her again as he reached back and unhooked her bra. He pushed it away and began licking and sucking her breasts. It was all happening much too fast. "You're beautiful, Carrie, so incredibly beautiful."

He kept kissing her and stroking her. She liked the feeling of being desired and her resistance waned. Against her better judgment, she allowed him to take off her blouse and bra. Topless, Scott began to kiss and stroke her even more passionately. Soon he was unzipping her jeans and reaching inside her panties.

"I still don't know about this, Scott."

"It's all right, Carrie. Like I said, I'm not going to make love to you tonight, but I would enjoy giving you a massage. Just relax and enjoy it."

He reached over and pulled the lever to recline her seat. Seatback down, he began kissing her again as gently caressed her legs and slowly pulled her jeans and panties off. She closed her eyes as he viewed her naked body.

"Those photos don't do you justice. You're even more incredible in person."

She felt his hand gently stroking her across her hips, down her thighs and, finally, between her legs. As his fingers began working their magic she felt a warm, wonderful sensation. She moaned with pleasure as she spread her knees apart and opened herself up to him.

"There you go." He gently kissed her on the cheek as he whispered in her ear. "Just let me touch you and make you feel good. And you can make as much noise as you want, Carrie. There's no one else around and I want you to enjoy yourself."

He leaned over to kiss and lick her breasts as his fingers kept working. Carrie's pleasure grew and her moans became louder. The more she moaned, the stronger and more intense his touch became, creating even more pleasure for her. She arched her back and cried out, louder and louder. She let out a yell when she finally climaxed. Scott's lips covered hers as her body slowly began to relax.

"So, how was it, baby girl?"

For the moment, Carrie was unable to respond. She was lost in the afterglow. He reached over and gently brushed her on the cheek. He unbuttoned his shirt and began kissing her again. Suddenly, his cell phone started to ring.

"Aw nuts," he said in frustration as he checked his caller
ID
. "Sorry, Carrie. I'm going to have to take this call. It's an overseas client."

She gave his hand a quick squeeze as he stepped out of the car. He took a few steps away, trying to regain his composure before answering.

"Yeah, Maggie. What is it now?"

"Oh, nothing." There was a distinct whine in her voice that grated on his nerves. "It's just that it's getting kind of lonely around here. Sarah's spending the night tonight at Dana's, and I've just put Ben to bed."

"I see. Well, the guys are getting ready to play some poker. I was going to stay and play a few rounds."

"All right, Scott. So exactly when do you plan on coming home?"

The whine in her voice turned into a pout. He knew if he stayed out too long he'd come home to yet another ugly confrontation. He looked back at his car before letting out a frustrated sigh. Carrie certainly wasn't on the prowl, so the odds were she wasn't going anywhere soon. Next time, however, he'd be sure to leave his cell phone at home, in a spot where Maggie could easily find it. That would put a stop to her interruptions and she'd buy his explanation that he simply forgot it.

"Okay, okay. Dave is getting ready to light the grill. I'll have a bite of dinner and play a few rounds after that. Then I'll head home. I should be there in another couple hours or so." He disconnected his phone and walked back to the car.

"I'm sorry, honey," he said as he opened the door and slipped back into the driver's seat. "My client is having a real meltdown. I'm going to have to head back to the office and put the fire out."

"It's okay, Scott."

He watched as she tucked her blouse back into her jeans. The way she swayed her hips as she readjusted her clothing excited him. He'd just finished his appetizer and he looked forward to the main course. As she settled back into her seat, she pulled her hairbrush from her backpack and began brushing her hair. It was long, shiny and incredibly sexy. He yearned to feel the touch of her silky locks brushing against his skin. Sadly, it would have to wait until another time. He let out another sigh as he raised the driver's seat back up and fired up the engine. They stopped for a quick bite of dinner at another fast-food place on the way back. Arriving at her apartment complex, Scott walked her to her front door.

"I've had one of the best days I've had in a long time, Carrie. I promise I'll come see you again, real soon. I just don't know when that will be."