Tender Touch (35 page)

“Now you hate me and want revenge.”

Kathy wiped tears away from her face. “Yes,
I want revenge, but I don’t hate you. But just once I want to be in
control. You’re mine, bought and paid for.”

“Why you cold-blooded...” Bill murmured. A
lustful gleam came to his eyes. “I’ve never seen you like
this.”

“First, you’re going to get rid of Jade
Pellerin. You know the drill. Your assistant acted without your
knowledge. Agency bigwigs have used that line to wiggle out of
trouble for years.” Kathy gave a short, hard laugh. “She’ll
probably end up as a file clerk.”

Bill ran his fingers over his dark hair. “No
one is going to believe she didn’t get clearance from me.” It was
clear he was already considering escape routes.

“Yes, they will. Just say she was too
emotionally attached to you and got carried away. Make them believe
it.” She fixed him with a look of cold steel. “You’ve pulled off
far more difficult performances before. Our wedding day, for
example.”

“Kathy, you know that’s not true.” Bill
softened his scowl into contrition. “I’ve made mistakes. And yes,
I’ve been unfaithful. But it was my weakness for a momentary fling,
nothing more. You’re the only woman I really care about.” He
reached for her hand and pulled her to him.

“Do you?” Kathy watched his hands move down
the front of her shirt to caress her breasts. She opened her mouth
to accept his kiss.

“It’s always been you.” He moved them over
to the sofa. “Come on, baby, let me show you.”

Kathy grabbed his hands. “You’ll see to it
that Jade Pellerin is destroyed starting tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure,” Bill rasped. He was eager to
push her down onto the dark wine leather.

Instead, Kathy shoved him down on his back.
“Good. And don’t forget, I’m in control,” she said as she climbed
on top.

* * *

“Marlene, stay out of his love life.” Oliver
stared at her with a determined expression. “Damon should choose
the woman he wants.”

“He’s a fool like most men when it comes to
women.” She glared at him.

Oliver got up and got another glass of apple
juice. “Damn stuff. I need a good cup of strong coffee.” He sipped
the juice with a frown. “Listen to me, Damon is happy for the first
time in years. To tell you the truth, I was glad when he escaped
the claws of that scheming little harpy.”

“I don’t remember your being so choosy when
her father suggested you two go in on those business deals
together.” Marlene wore an expression of disdain. “So much for
supporting the cause of true love. Your practical side won, just
like before.”

Oliver stiffened at her last statement. “I
couldn’t very well refuse Eugene’s offer without insulting the man.
Besides, Damon thought he was in love with Rachelle. He wanted to
marry her.”

“After I made sure they stayed close from
the time they were in junior high school,” Marlene said. She
laughed. “You both think it was a coincidence they went to the same
social functions and that I served on all those committees with her
mother? Just proves men are dense.”

“Good lord, woman. Manipulating your sons’
lives isn’t something to be proud of.” Oliver shook his head. A
look of weariness and disillusionment crossed his drawn face.

“Don’t give me that morally superior
attitude. You married me for less than pure reasons.”

“Please, Marlene, don’t start that again.
It’s been almost twenty years.” Oliver turned form her.

“Lisette Honore. Your one true love.”
Marlene spat out the words like acid. “Lots of long, black hair and
big brown eyes. Unfortunately her father was a drunken dirt
farmer.”

“Lisette died years ago. You talk as though
we’re still lovers.”

“You don’t think I know how you’ve nursed
those memories? I can see it in your eyes.” Marlene’s voice choked.
“You’ve never been able to look at me when we make love.”

“That’s not true,” Oliver shot back.

“It is! I know it.”

“I’ve tried to give you a good life. I
treated you with respect and tried to be considerate in every
way.”

Marlene closed her eyes. “She had your love,
your passion. I settled for being treated with consideration.”

“I’m sorry,” Oliver mumbled. He sank back in
his chair. “Is that what you want to hear for the thousandth time,
Marlene?”

“I don’t want or need your pity.” Marlene
banged down her cup of tea so hard the brown liquid splashed across
the carpet.

“I see,” Oliver said in a quiet voice. “Do
all your affairs over the years even the score, including the
latest with Tavis Collins?”

“Only a little,” she snarled. “At least I
know they want me.”

Oliver rose with effort and crossed to sit
beside her. “Marlene, I never pretended to feel passion when we
made love. I care about you.” His voice was deep with emotion.
“Please believe me.”

“Nice speech, Oliver. Your acting skills
have improved with the years.” Marlene was unmoved. She got up and
got a damp cloth. Without looking at him, she blotted the stain
from the carpet.

“I wasn’t acting, Marlene.” Oliver stared at
her with resignation. “But I guess you’ll never believe me.”

“Keep trying, darling. I might swallow it
one day...right after I start believing in the tooth fairy again.”
Marlene laughed.

She looked up to find Damon standing in the
doorway. “Oh, hello, Damon.”

“Tavis Collins is one of Bill Lang’s
pals.”

Marlene’s eyes went wide with alarm.
“Who?”

“I heard it all, Mother.”

“How dare you sneak into my home and
eavesdrop!” Marlene stood before him in outrage. “You don’t have
any right to pass judgment when you’ve skulked around and think you
know—” She turned away from his hard stare. “Don’t ever walk into
my house uninvited again.”

“I knocked on the back door before I used my
key, Mother— something Trent and I have done since Dad got sick.”
Damon looked at his father’s stricken expression. “But you’re
right. I’ll wait to be let in from now on.”

“Make sure you do.” Marlene hurried from the
other room. After a moment they could hear the door to her bedroom
slam shut.

“Son, sit down.”

“I’m sorry for you, Dad. I’ve known Mother
was insensitive—a snob, even, but now...” Damon felt sick to his
stomach.

Was every woman in his life manipulative and
deceptive? A long time after their marriage, he’d been forced to
admit that Rachelle was very much like his mother. He had always
been thrilled to see the light of approval in Marlene’s eyes. To
him she was one of the most elegant, beautiful women in the world.
But there was the unpleasant fact that she had to have her way. Was
that why he had been so drawn to Rachelle? And Jade? Was she in the
same mold?

“Damon, don’t judge your mother based on
things you don’t understand.” Oliver looked as though he was aging
before Damon’s eyes.

“I think I understand very well based on
what I heard tonight.” Damon threw his keys down on the end table.
He jammed his fists into his pockets. “How long have you
known?”

“Awhile. Your mother is younger than her
age. Physically I haven’t been able to...I mean, my medications—”
Oliver broke off with a look of dejection.

“Dad,” Damon said with a catch in his
throat. He put a hand on his father’s shoulder and squeezed hard.
For several minutes he could not speak. “That’s no excuse. If
anything, she should have been more devoted.”

“I’m at fault, too.” Oliver held up a hand
to stop Damon from interrupting him. “Sit down, son. I can’t let
you go away thinking your mother is the only villain in this sordid
situation.”

“You’re one helluva man to have put up with
her all this time.” Damon threw a hostile glace in the direction
his mother had gone.

“Now stop it!” Oliver barked in a loud angry
tone to get his attention. “I will not have you showing disrespect
for your mother.”

“Dad, I—” Damon jerked around to stare at
him in surprise.

Oliver took a deep breath. “I hurt Marlene
terribly. I’ve been callous and selfish for the last thirty-six
years.”

“You’ve treated her like a queen.” After a
few moments of thought, Damon sat back on the sofa. “Wait a minute.
Did you have an affair, too?”

Oliver looked away from him for the last
time. “I married your mother out of family loyalty, Damon. It
wasn’t just my parents but my grandparents—Very strong-willed
people. I should have shown more backbone but...”

“What are you saying?” Damon was confused by
this thread.

“Lisette Honore was from a poor family that
lived outside of town. Back in those days, there were only a few
high schools for blacks. So kids from all over traveled to the
nearest one. Lisette rode one of three buses that brought kids to
the old McKinley High School. She was so beautiful. When she didn’t
have her long hair in a braid, it would fluff out like dark shiny
wool around her head, soft with big thick curls.” Oliver seemed
lost in the memory for several moments. Then he blinked back to the
present. “My grandmother saw us together one day. There was no
question t we could get married. After pleading from my mother
didn’t work, my father laid it on the line. I was seventeen and the
only job I would get without family connections was as a janitor
back in those days. At least I thought so.”

Damon could not believe what he was hearing.
“You cared more about your social position?”

Oliver hung his head. “That’s not the worst
of it. Nasty rumors about Lisette started circulating. Rumors that
her drunk of a father had molested her and her sisters. I turned my
back on her like all the rest. Years later I found out my family
helped expose his behavior not to help Lisette, but to destroy any
chance I might rebel and marry her anyway.”

“What happened to her?”

“She went to live with relatives in New
Orleans. Her father was stabbed to death drunken brawl a month
later. Lisette came back about six years later to teach.” Oliver
wore a sad smile. “She forgave me for being so cowardly. I don’t
think your mother even guessed we had a brief affair. But Lisette
wanted a home and children. She broke it off and married a nice
man. She died about ten years ago, cancer.”

“Why did you bother to stay together?” Damon
stared at him.

“For you boys, for appearances, our
families...for a lot of reasons. But mostly because I really tried
to make up for it to Marlene.” Oliver stared ahead. “And for some
crazy reason, your mother has always loved me.”

“How can she love you yet have an
affair?”

“It’s all so complicated, so messed up.”
Oliver shook his head. “I don’t have any answers for you, son. We
just keep doing the best we can.” He gazed at him. “Don’t give up
someone you love. Look what it’s done to our lives.”

“It’s a dead issue at this point,” Damon
said. “Mother will get her wish.” The dull ache returned. “Jade and
I are through.”

Oliver studied his son for several seconds.
“Damon, take it from me. When you love a woman with all your heart,
there isn’t a damn thing in this world worth keeping you apart.” He
rose with stiff movements. “Now I’m going to go to my room. I’m so
tired.”

Damon watched him walk away with slow,
shuffling steps. Oliver J. Knight had never looked small or
defeated, until now. Damon wanted to make it right for his father.
But events that had taken place before he was born made that
impossible. Damon sat deep in thought for a long time with nothing
but the tick-tock of the antique grandfather clock down the hall to
keep him company. After a while, he rose to leave. There was much
for him to think about.

* * *

“Lady, you’ve had more than enough,” the
burly bartender said in a gravelly voice. “Last thing I need is the
cops comin’ down on me.” He turned away without filling her glass
with more whiskey and soda.

“Look, I’ve got money. Now give me another
drink.” Lanessa tossed back her hair. She straightened the
expensive jade green jacket she wore over matching slacks.

A tall, muscular man in a blue shirt at the
other end of the bar was listening to their exchange with interest.
“Come on, Greg. Give the lady another one. The cops don’t care what
goes on in this dump.” He barked a husky laugh.

Greg walked to him and bent down to whisper
in the man’s ear. “Looka how she’s dressed, man. I don’t need no
grief behind some bourgeois broad getting wasted in my place, Ray.”
He eyed her again. “Probably got some high-powered daddy who’ll use
his influence to shut me down.”

“She ain’t the regular skanky female you got
comin’ in here, that’s for sure.” Ray licked his lips.

“Look, I done warned Malik and them to keep
it on the down low. Now this I don’t need.” Greg jerked a thumb in
Lanessa’s direction.

Ray studied the leather purse and shoes. He
gave an appreciative wink at the curves beneath the fine fabric.
“Listen, I’ll take care of this, honey. You just keep ’em
comin’.”

Greg followed his gaze. He handed Ray a
bottle. “Just keep it quiet. You can use one of the rooms upstairs
to help her sleep it off if you want.” He gave Ray a crude
wink.

Ray strolled over and sat on the bar stool
next to Lanessa. “Here you go, ma’am. Greg just kinda concerned for
your safety. But I assured him you was okay.” He gave her a wide
grin.

Lanessa reached for the bottle. “My
hero.”

Ray did not let go of it. “What’s your name,
pretty woman?”

“My throat’s kinda dry. I’ll talk better
after a drink.” Lanessa pried his fingers loose and poured some of
the whiskey into her glass.

“Hey, what about the soda?” Ray laughed as
he signaled to Greg.

“Oh, yeah.” Lanessa giggled. “Soda.” She
found this funny and continued to laugh.