Wicked Obsessions

by Marilyn Campbell

  Despite everything, however, the making up that inevitably followed the arguments seemed to prove that their love was strong enough to weather any storm.

  Until the last year, when Rico's gambling and lies ate away at Teri's love and trust in him. No amount of make-up sex could bring that back now.

  Because of his assaults on her bank accounts, she had been working from morning to night, nonstop, to rebuild her reserves. Being an artist didn't provide a regular paycheck and now, more than ever, she didn't want to be in a position of needing him to support her.

  She had told Selena a visit to an attorney was in order, but first she wanted to get a good start on this new project, now that she found the right photographer. As long as Rico was on his mission to get money out of her, it couldn't hurt to put off the beginning of the end of their marriage a few more days.

  * * *

  Selena sat in her two-year-old, white Cadillac sedan at the end of Teri's block. When Rico didn't drive by after fifteen minutes, she knew his "appointment" had been a fabrication. The bulge in his pants attested to the quality of her seduction technique, so it had to have been her timing that was off. And the location. At least he still had enough respect for Teri not to cheat on her in their home.

  Teri's comment about Rico getting a quickie along his delivery route triggered an idea. Selena drove to a public pay phone and made a few calls. Using the excuse that she wanted to write a letter commending her postman for his fine service, she confirmed which branch Rico worked out of and what his regular hours were.

  Considering the vast range of time in which her own mail arrived, she surmised a postman's lunch-break could be lengthened if he speeded up the delivery time.

  The next morning, she set her new plan in motion. Because she had no way of knowing where he might stop, Selena was in the post office parking lot when Rico got in his mail truck. Selena had acquired a collection of wigs to use when modeling. That day, she donned a curly black one and big sunglasses to disguise herself in case Rico should notice someone following him.

  His route was in a mixed-income neighborhood about a mile from his post office branch. It consisted of single family homes, two-apartment complexes and a small strip mall that had a nail salon. Selena had no problem tracking him along his morning route. Around one o'clock, he pulled into a fast-food drive-thru lane. As soon as Selena figured out he would be eating his lunch in a parking space shaded by the building, she parked her car out of his view. Quickly she removed the wig, put on a big-brimmed floppy hat, and got out of the car.

  One glance at her reflection in the window of the restaurant assured her that her denim shorts and red stretchy tube halter were scandalously brief—exactly as she intended. Ignoring the attention she stirred, she went inside, purchased a large diet soda and exited on the side where Rico was parked.

  As she neared his truck, she did an exaggerated double-take. "Rico? Is that you?"

  * * *

  With her hair all tucked up under a hat and those oversized shades, Rico hadn't automatically recognized her, but her height, accentuated by high-heeled sandals, and the body that was more out of her clothes than in, had caught his eye the second she'd walked out the restaurant door. The I-just-had-sex-and-can't-quite-catch-my-breath voice identified her with a swift nudge to his groin. With great effort he forced himself to swallow the bite of hamburger in his mouth, then tried to sound casual.

  "Hey, Selena. A bit away from your stomping grounds, aren't you?" He knew she lived in the city and, even if she had been working with Teri that morning, this area of White Plains would be out of her way.

  "Kind of." She came alongside the open window where he sat. She shrugged her shoulders in such a way to cause the tube top to slip down a quarter inch.

  Rico held his breath in anticipation of spying even more flesh. As pale as she was, her nipples were probably light pink, but he still wanted to see for himself.

  "My manicurist relocated to the shopping center down the street." She wiggled her scarlet fingernails under his nose. "See? Doesn't she do an ab-fab job? I swear, I'd follow her to the ends of the earth." Without waiting for a comment, she walked around to the other side of the mail truck and slid open the door.

  Before Rico realized what she was up to, Selena shoved the mailbag off the seat and climbed in. He knew he should object, but his brain got sidetracked as she pressed the cold soda cup to her throat and drops of condensation trickled into her cleavage.

  "Oh, that's better. It's too hot to be outside today." She caught a large drop of water with two fingers and spread it slowly across her chest. Setting the cup on the dashboard, she leaned toward him and whispered, "Tell me, Rico, are you as hot as I am?"

  Hot? An incinerator was blasting between his legs. He yanked his gaze up to her eyes, but when she removed her sunglasses, the promise of pleasure he saw there made his struggle that much harder. Why was she doing this to him? Why now? "Look, Selena—"

  She stopped him by placing her hand on his upper thigh and squeezing. "I've, always heard women couldn't resist a man in uniform. You'd look good whatever you wore, but I think I prefer you in well-worn jeans, like yesterday. I could see exactly what was on your mind." Her fingers inched closer to the fire.

  Rico grasped her wrist and placed her hand back on her own leg. "No! I... we... can't do this to Teri. I thought you and she were friends."

  Selena gave him a bewildered look. Taking his hand, she brought it to her breast and pressed it there. "Friends sometimes share. Oh, Rico, I get so lonely. Men aren't as eager to get involved with me as you might think. They're afraid I'll be too much for them. But I wouldn't be for a man like you. I've wanted you since the first time I saw you. I don't want to pretend anymore."

  His fingers flexed into her soft flesh. He wanted so much more than this brief touch. He wanted to strip the scrap of material away and bury his face in those two mounds. Her lips parted slightly and her lashes lowered as she closed the distance between them.

  Another second and he would have tasted her... there, in a public parking lot, for anyone to witness his infidelity. He pushed her away. "Stay away from me, Selena. You're enough to tempt a saint, and God knows I'm far from that. But I won't be unfaithful to Teri... no matter what. Our marriage means too much to me."

  Liar! Selena mentally screamed. She would never have guessed he had so much willpower. Whoever he owed money to this time must really have his balls in a vise. There could be no other explanation for his rejection. She still wanted to help Teri, but it looked like this idea had come to a dead end. Then again, perhaps his libido just needed more time in order to overcome his good intentions.

  "Okay, Rico. Have it your way." She got out of the truck and slammed the door. Before walking away, she leaned into the open window and blew him a kiss. "If you change your mind, my number's in Teri's address book."

  * * *

  Drew couldn't seem to stop his mind from wandering back to the photo shoot at Teri Carmichael's studio. He kept wondering what he had done wrong. The model's surly attitude wasn't a concern. His personal experience kept him from expecting anything better from a woman who looked like her. It was Teri who had him stumped.

  She had clearly been enjoying herself and seemed to like him. Then she went cold, as though he had done something to offend her, but he had no idea what that might have been. The easy camaraderie they had instantly established felt good and, as nervous as he was about impressing her, it had helped him relax.

  The fact that she mentioned her husband at three odd times was obviously meant to warn him that she was off-limits. He thought she was pretty as a Texas bluebonnet but he hadn't been thinking of plucking her... at least not consciously.

  Now he was having trouble thinking of anything else.

  * * *

  On Wednesday, Drew brought the developed pictures to Teri's studio as promised. Again he was attired in a style customary for his homestate.

  "Very nice," she murmured as she spread the prints out on
the table. "In fact, they are so close to what I was hoping for, I'd think you were just a little psychic." She explained her vision for the new series. "Is there anything here you'd use?"

  Without hesitation, he pointed to one. "See how her one leg is slightly bent? Kinda reminds me of a table leg."

  Teri looked at the photo through her magnifying glass. "Yes. You're right. I could paint an elegant dining room... from somewhere famous, like Monticello... and replace one of the table legs with a cut from this photo. She smiled up at him. "I think you just helped me figure out what I was missing! What else do you see?"

  He ran his fingers through his silver-streaked hair and pointed out two more possibilities. "Now that I know what you're looking for, I think I could do better."

  Teri continued to study the photographs. "I would love to see you try. When do you have time for another shoot?"

  "My time is pretty free... unfortunately."

  Teri thought it sounded like he had something else to say and gave him her full attention.

  "Look, I'd feel a whole lot better here if I laid all my cards on the table. I'm sure Ann told you I'm new in town. I only arrived from Fort Worth a week before you offered me this assignment. I don't even have a place to work yet. But there's more to it than that. These pictures represent my first paying job as a photographer."

  "You're kidding! You showed all the expertise of a pro."

  "Let's say I was a professional amateur. I... won a few awards... in my younger days."

  "Well, I'm glad Ann sent you my way first. I predict you'll have more business than you can handle before you know it. What did you do in Fort Worth?" When he grimaced and glanced away, she apologized. "I didn't mean to pry."

  "It's not that. I just wasn't sure what you meant by 'do'."

  She recognized avoidance when she heard it, but she pushed anyway. "If you weren't a photographer, what did you do for a living, or are you one of those lucky Texans who discovered oil in his back yard?"

  He laughed out loud at that. "Don't I wish. At least then I'd be livin' in some fancy hotel suite instead of campin' in Ann's son's room."

  "Oh, dear. No luck finding an apartment, huh?"

  "Not on my budget in the city. But I saw a couple places in between here and there that I figure to check out on my way back today. By the way, can you recommend a processing lab? The one that did these warned me they rarely do work this fast."

  Teri wondered what kind of profession he had had that he'd rather not discuss. She decided to respect his right to privacy and jerked her thumb toward a closed door with a red lightbulb above it. "That's the best one I know. I do my own developing. You're welcome to use my facilities any time. As long as my work comes first." She grinned and got up to open the door to the darkroom. "See? Just like downtown."

  Drew stepped inside and scanned the equipment. "This is great. I can't wait to set up my own. I'm not crazy enough to refuse your offer, but I will insist on payment of some kind."

  As he stepped back out of the cramped room, Teri said, "For now you can pay for your own supplies and we can figure out if you should pay rent as your business builds. So, how about tomorrow for another session with Selena?"

  "It would be a pleasure, ma'am."

  Teri chuckled. "You know, I do like the way you say that, but it seems a little... too polite... especially considering the fact that we'll technically be sharing quarters for a while."

  Drew's fingers combed his hair again. When Teri noticed the sheepish look that accompanied the gesture, she determined it was more of a nervous habit than primping on his part. "Yes?" she prompted.

  "Now who's just a bit psychic?"

  "What?"

  "You can tell I have something else to say."

  She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Naw, you just have an obvious tell. If I could actually read minds, I'd get in a lot less trouble." A frown threatened to take over her smile, but she instantly pushed thoughts of Rico out of her head.

  "Yeah, well, it's about the other day. I had the feelin' I did or said somethin' to offend you—that you thought I was comin' on to you."

  Teri's eyes widened and her cheeks warmed. She couldn't figure out how to deny something she knew to be true.

  "I wasn't," he continued earnestly. "At least not intentionally. I'm not... I mean, I wouldn't..." Drew sighed and started over. "I was married to the same woman for a long time. It's been quite a while since I made a pass at a woman, and maybe I—"

  "No, you did nothing wrong. I'm a little over-sensitive at the moment. I'm sorry. Friends?" She held out her hand and he shook it firmly.

  "Friends."

  For some time after Drew left, Teri had trouble keeping her mind on her canvas. Not only was he an incredibly good-looking man with an accent that dripped liquid heat into her pores, he was a gentleman in the true sense of the word.

  That was something Rico could never comprehend... or see the value in. At least her lying, cheating husband was still trying to fool her with his good behavior. Fortunately, he had bought the lie she'd told him about seeing her gynecologist while he was at work. An imaginary infection had granted her ten days of abstinence. All she had to do was ignore his hangdog expression when she refused to stop working and join him when he went to bed each night.

  Her main hope now was that the rest of his plan to get money from her—whatever it was—didn't escalate too soon. She needed a little more time to prepare for a new life without him.

  * * *

  Teri was very relieved to see Selena behaving civilly toward Drew during their shoot on Thursday. As she had the first day, Teri watched them quietly from her perch in the corner, only occasionally making a suggestion. For the most part, Drew seemed to know exactly what would work for her needs.

  She was feeling incredibly optimistic when the studio door opened and an extremely menacing character strode in. The man was at least six feet tall, and his broad shoulders and bulky arm muscles made him appear even bigger. Coarse black hair hung straight to his shoulders and a bushy Fu Manchu moustache and reflective wraparound sunglasses hid most of his face. A silver skull hanging from his right earlobe caught the light as he surveyed the inhabitants of the room.

  "Mrs. Gambini?" His voice was as rough as his appearance.

  Teri took a step forward. "I'm Mrs. Gambini. I didn't hear you knock."

  "I didn't. I was lookin' for your husband. But you'll do."

  It was difficult to tell with his mirrored glasses, but it looked as though all the man's attention was focused on Selena. "Excuse me," Teri admonished sternly. "We're in the middle of a photo shoot here. If you would like to leave your card, I'll have Rico call you when he gets home."

  The man's lip curled up into a sneer. "My card? That's cute." He turned his head toward an unfinished canvas. "I heard you was an artist. Not bad."

  Teri wanted to order him out, but like a coiled snake, he emanated a capacity for deadly violence. She forced her voice to stay calm as she asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"

  "The name's Bones. An' what I want is, uh, you could say I'm in the insurance business. Yeah, that's it. I'm checkin' out your property for insurance purposes. Like, I see you got a lotta paint here. Now paint is a very flammable substance, ya know. This whole place could go up"—he snapped his fingers at her face—"like that. Ya oughta consider lockin' your door too. Never can tell who might wander in when you're... all by your lonesome."

  Teri gasped. There was no doubt that he was threatening her. The reason was not that hard to fathom. She needed to hear it said aloud, but no sound would form in her throat to ask for an explanation.

  The man strolled to the open door, then turned back to her one last time. "Your hubby owes a debt to a certain Irishman. Tell him his due date has been moved up. He'll know why. Now he's got five days, till five o'clock Tuesday. If I were you, lady, I'd be thinkin' how to help him with his problem... for your own sake."

  He was gone several seconds before she could find her voice. Drew and Se
lena had no such problem as they both rushed toward her with concern and questions.

  "Please!" Teri cried to stop their conjectures. "I have no idea what he was talking about, and until my husband gets home, there isn't much sense in speculating. Now let's get back to work."

  Selena kept one eye on Teri as the morning progressed. She could see that fear still had a grip on her throat and humiliation kept her on the verge of tears, but Teri was doing her best to conceal it. This woman was the best friend she had. She loved Teri as much as she'd loved her own mother. And Teri was hurting because of a man.

  Just as her mother had been hurting.

  Selena despised Rico for putting Teri into such a precarious position. She had to find a way to get Rico out of Teri's life. Thoughts of vengeance gave Selena the only impetus she needed to commence Plan B.

  Chapter 3

  "I don't want to hear any more of your apologies, Rico! That animal was in my studio! He as much as threatened that he'd burn the place down if you didn't pay up." So livid she couldn't choke out another word, she slapped his face with all her pent-up fury. A split second later the back of Rico's hand lashed her cheek.

  The moment he'd done it, he knew all hope was gone. He reached for her, but she jerked away. "Oh my God, Teri—I didn't mean to do that. This whole thing's got me nuts, I don't know what I'm doing anymore." He collapsed on the sofa and buried his face in his hands.

  Teri glared at him, her chest heaving with anger. "And I don't care anymore. It's over, Rico. Today was the final straw. We're through. I want you out of my life."

  A sob escaped his throat—one he didn't have to fake for her benefit. When he looked up at her, real tears ran down his cheeks. "They're going to kill me. I didn't know who I was involved with until it was too late. These guys don't believe in payment plans. And they don't just nail your knees to the floor when you don't come through. If you don't pay these guys, you disappear... in pieces. Ya gotta help me, babe, one more time, and then I'll get out of your life... if that's really what you want."