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  “Touch me,” he said, and she leaned forward, taking another strawberry from the bowl, biting into the icy sweetness and letting the juice fall across him again, sucking it from his muscled body, running her tongue across his nipples until he shuddered. Then she arched her back, trailing the bleeding fruit across her stomach and her thighs until she was slick and shining with the juice. She held the crushed berry to her mouth and sucked it in, then moved forward again and kissed him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth and filling him with the taste of strawberries.

  “Now,” he said.

  She smiled. Then she sat up, moving her body gently over his hips. She slid away from the bed to stand beside him. She used one finger to pull the pink lace down from her hips, letting it fall to the floor. Then she straddled him again, naked and sticky with the gleaming juice, her long hair sweeping across his chest, easing herself down over him until he was just barely inside her, barely touching her. She wanted him so much she could hardly breathe.

  She looked into his eyes and saw the desire and the love there, and she said, “Now,” and reached up to pull the end of the slipknot and free his hands at the same time she plunged her hips into his.

  He cried out as she covered him, and he rolled her over onto her back, running his hands across her arms, her breasts, cradling her face as he kissed her savagely, all the while thrusting into her as if he couldn’t stop, would never stop. She clung to him, gasping because he felt so good inside her. The feel of his body hot and strong and hard against her, inside her, pushed her out of the limbo of lust she’d been drifting through and over the edge of her orgasm, and she clawed at him and cried as it came, feeling him shudder with his own climax.

  He held her tightly against him, drawing his breath in huge shuddering gasps.

  “Don’t ever do that again,” he finally breathed. “You damn near killed me.”

  “I thought you liked it,” she whispered.

  “I did. But never again. It was too much.” He kissed her, his lips soft on hers, and then began to explore her body with his tongue, licking the stickiness from her, kissing her over and over, exhausted from lovemaking but still needing her.

  “I liked it,” Emily said sleepily.

  “I could tell.” Richard pulled the edge of the comforter over them and stroked his hand slowly up and down her back until she fell asleep, but he couldn’t, and when he woke her up half an hour later, still crazy with need, they made love with even more intensity than before.

  When he awoke the next morning, he was alone. For a moment he thought Emily had left, but then he heard her in the kitchen.

  She was dressed in his robe, making French toast from slabs of French bread and cinnamon-seasoned eggs and cream. It smelled like heaven.

  He came up behind her and kissed her on the neck, and she leaned back into him.

  “I never thought to ask you last night,” she said. “Do you like strawberries?”

  “Yes.” He held her tight against him. “I especially like the way you served them. Could we do that again without the part where I get tied up?”

  “Strawberries or syrup on your toast?” Emily asked.

  “Strawberries,” he said.

  She poured syrup over the thick slabs and handed the plate to him.

  “Emily?”

  “Eat,” she said cheerfully. “It’ll get cold.”

  Richard sat down at the table, naked and confused.

  She brought her own plate and sat across from him, pouring syrup over her toast, too.

  “Big meeting today,” she said.

  He looked down at the syrup on his plate and sighed, and then began to eat. “Let’s go in late. The meeting’s not until eleven.”

  She chewed her toast. “I’ve never made this with cream before. It’s really rich.”

  “It’s great,” Richard said and tried again. “Let’s go in late to the meeting.”

  Emily handed him her coffee cup.

  “Freshen this for me, would you?” she asked, smiling.

  “Sure.” He got up, poured in more coffee and handed the cup back to her. “Let’s go in late to the meeting,” he began for the third time, but she overrode him as if he hadn’t spoken.

  “Thanks for the coffee, love. I’ve got to go over a few things with Jane, so I’m going in early.”

  “But, Emily,” Richard began, still confused.

  She picked up her cup and carried it out of the kitchen with her.

  “Emily!” Richard sounded outraged.

  She leaned back into the doorway so he could see her. “Did you say something, dear? I didn’t hear.” Then she gave him a brilliant smile and went into the bedroom.

  He scowled at his toast for a moment, then got up and followed her into the bedroom. She wasn’t there, but he could hear water running in the bathroom.

  “All right, Emily,” he said to the bathroom door. “You’ve made your point. It’s very annoying being ignored, and it’s very frustrating being powerless. Now come out here.” He rattled the doorknob, but it was locked.

  “Emily!”

  “I can’t hear you, Richard,” she called back. “The water’s running.”

  The water continued to run for what seemed an eternity. When she shut it off, Richard tried the door again. “Emily, come out here! I want to talk to you.”

  The door opened and Emily came out, dressed for work. She kissed him on the cheek.

  “See you at work, darling,” she said, and slipped away from him. He followed her to the door, but stepped back when she opened it.

  “Dammit, Emily.”

  She wiggled her fingers at him and left, closing the door behind her.

  “Very funny.” He stalked back to his bedroom to get dressed.

  * * *

  RICHARD TRIED TO CALL her when he got to work, but Jane said she wasn’t in. He stormed downstairs and past Jane, but her office really was empty.

  “Where is she?” he snarled at Jane.

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” Jane asked calmly.

  He stopped, stunned.

  “She’s your partner, not your property. She does not have to be here in case you want her,” Jane said, folding her arms and glaring at him. “And if you have any brains at all, you’ll start listening to her, because she’s very good at what she does. She made four million dollars for this company in the last six months. So far you haven’t brought in a dime.”

  Richard glared at her, his blue eyes steely with anger.

  Jane glared back, unfazed. “If you won’t listen to her because she deserves to be listened to, perhaps you’ll listen to her to save your job. Because if Sizzle flops because you didn’t give her the money to do the job, it’s not going to be her neck on the line.”

  “She throws money around like it’s water,” Richard said, his glare fading. “She needs me.”

  “Absolutely.” Jane smiled. “She’s a complete loss at budgeting. But you’re a complete loss at marketing. And budgeting never sold perfume yet. Emily can sell perfume, but only if you listen to her. Instead of ignoring her, listen to her and find her the money she needs. She gave up a lot of things she wanted on this campaign because of you, and that’s good. She’s learned a lot from you. She’s been careful and focused on the two most important things, the things she felt were vital to sell Sizzle—rubies and the product placement. And you haven’t even tried to help her. You just said no. You didn’t even try.”

  Richard’s glare faded to a wince. “I didn’t listen, you mean.”

  “She’ll be at the meeting in an hour,” Jane said.

  He started to say something, then turned and walked to the elevator. When he was gone, Jane went to the ladies’ room.

  Emily was sitting on the vanity waiting for her.

  “He’s gone,” said Jane.

  “And?”

  “I don’t know.” Jane leaned against the wall. “I told him all the stuff we’d agreed on. He looked like he wasn’t used to taking that kind of talk f
rom secretaries.”

  “If he still thinks of you as a secretary, he’s not paying attention.”

  “Well, that is his problem.”

  “So what now?”

  “Are you going to drop your bomb at the meeting?”

  “Yes.” Emily scooted off the counter. “Both of them. You coming?”

  “Absolutely,” Jane said. “I’ll run the VCR.”

  * * *

  EMILY WAS BRILLIANT in the meeting. She introduced the perfume, had the other executives try it on so they could feel the tingle, and then began to talk about the target consumer and the marketing program. She could feel Richard looking at her, but when she looked up she didn’t see the glare she expected.

  She saw pride. He thought she was wonderful. And he should, she thought. I am wonderful.

  “We’re using a campaign that’s analogous to Paradise, but different,” she continued, putting the large mock-up advertising had done for her on the easel. “You’ll note that the bottle is the same as Paradise, but it’s black, instead of white, with a ruby-glass stopper, instead of a diamond-glass stopper.”

  They nodded.

  “We’re confident that the consumer will make not only the connection with Paradise, but will also subconsciously pick up the dualism here. She’ll wear Paradise when she wants to feel sexy, but sophisticated and in control, Sizzle when she wants to feel sexy and wanton. She will, for example, put Sizzle places she wouldn’t dream of putting Paradise.” A couple of the male executives looked thoughtful and interested to mask the erotic thoughts that leapfrogged through minds. One of the female executives picked up the sample bottle.

  “And since there’s a little bit of angel and a little bit of devil in every woman, every woman will need both these perfumes,” Emily said, and the female executive grinned at her. Bingo, Emily thought. Get a note to advertising.

  “Will we be using the rubies at the openings and the showing like we did with Paradise?” Henry Evadne, the vice president, asked.

  “Yes.” Emily looked straight at Richard. “We bought the rubies. I’m sending the purchase order up to Mr. Parker this afternoon.”

  Richard raised his eyebrows.

  “Did you say something, Mr. Parker?” Emily asked. “I’m afraid I didn’t hear you.”

  Oblivious to the byplay, Henry said, “Good idea. The diamonds were a big hit. Helped add class to the product. Very good idea, Emily.”

  “Thank you, Henry.” Emily paused. “But I haven’t told you the best part.”

  Richard sighed. He knows what’s coming, Emily thought.

  “Sizzle is a natural for a product placement,” she began. “I called L.A. to find a movie that would be big and glitzy and sexy, and I found one, but Mr. Parker felt that the fee they were asking was outrageous—” she hesitated as Richard frowned, probably trying to remember if they’d ever talked about any movie in particular “—and, of course, he was right.”

  He lifted his eyebrows at her again.

  “So I went back, and thanks to Mr. Parker’s good advice, I found the perfect vehicle.”

  She took a deep breath. This was the gamble.

  “It’s a low-budget film made by a man just out of UCLA. But he’s a genius. This film could be the next Sex, Lies, and Videotape. It could sweep Cannes. And our product will be in it. When the press starts obsessing over every detail in the film, Sizzle will be in every magazine in the country—free.”

  Henry was shaking his head. “A little art movie. It could do nothing.”

  “Then it does nothing.” Emily smiled confidently. “Life is a gamble. We gambled on Paradise. And I know this is going to work.”

  Henry frowned. “I don’t like gambles. Where did the money for this come from, Richard?”

  Emily tensed.

  “We trimmed some of the other areas,” Richard said.

  Thank you, Emily said with her eyes. Even though she’d sandbagged him, he’d come through for her. In fact, he was lying through his teeth for her.

  “If you’ll look at this rough budget,” Richard said, passing around sheets of figures, “you can see how we can afford the placement by cutting back on the print media. If the placement comes through for us, we won’t need that much, anyway. The rubies are actually a capital investment and should be purchased through investment funds, not advertising.”

  Emily looked at the sheet he handed her. It wasn’t a lie. He’d really tried. In the hour before the meeting. This time, he’d listened and tried and done it.

  She loved him so much she ached with it.

  Henry nodded. “Still, a movie with an unknown director and unknown actors...” He shook his head.

  “But this movie is going to rewrite the cinema history books on eroticism.” Emily picked up the ball from Richard. “Of course, I don’t expect you to take my word for that.” She nodded to Jane, who pushed the play button on the VCR at the front of the room and turned off the lights.

  “They’re shooting the scene with Sizzle this week,” Emily said, as the two actors on the screen began to move toward each other. “Therefore, I can’t show you the actual product placement, but this scene should give you an idea of the movie’s potential.”

  She moved around the table and sat down beside Richard as the two actors embraced. The scene still had an amazing erotic effect on Emily, even the second time around. Midway through, Richard put his hand on her knee and ran it slowly up her thigh, pushing her skirt up as he stroked her.

  Richard and I have got to keep this tape, she thought. It’s an instant aphrodisiac. Not that we need one. But you never know...

  When the clip was over, Jane turned the lights back on and the VCR off, and Richard moved his hand away.

  Richard and I have got to have a meeting after this, Emily thought. A very intense private meeting. Immediately.

  The executives around the table had slightly glazed looks.

  Henry cleared his throat and straightened in his seat. “I’m not happy about cutting back on print, but this budget Richard has proposed is obviously still a very tight one. And the movie will certainly be, uh, stirring. Although not pornographic,” he added quickly.

  The rest of the executives mumbled their assent.

  Henry straightened his tie and continued. “And if Emily feels strongly about the product placement, we will, of course, go with it.” He smiled tightly at Richard. “We don’t know how she does it, but we’ve learned that when it comes to marketing, the best thing we can do is listen to Emily and do exactly what she wants.”

  “Yes.” Richard smiled. “I’ve learned that, too.”

  “Good.” Henry leaned back, satisfied. “You make a good team. Sizzle, huh?” He looked at Emily and forced an offhand voice. “Have you an extra bottle? I’d like to take some to my wife. She’s, uh, interested in our new products.”

  “Certainly.” Emily picked up the prototype. “Take this one.”

  Jane hummed the theme from Rocky very faintly behind her.

  * * *

  THE THREE OF THEM SAT in the conference room after everyone had left.

  “Very neatly done.” Jane stretched. “We are incredible. The three musketeers. We had them eating out of our hands.”

  Richard looked at her. “You’re very generous. The two of you made the brilliant decisions.”

  “And you made them possible with the budget.” Jane beamed at him. “We’re not dummies. We know when somebody’s saved our bacon, don’t we, Em?”

  “Go away,” Emily said. “Two of the musketeers have something to finish.”

  Jane grinned good-naturedly. “Only if I can take the videotape and go see Ben. We never did watch this. Our mistake.”

  “Take the afternoon off,” Emily said. “I’m going to be busy.”

  When Jane left, ostentatiously locking the door behind her, Richard looked at Emily.

  “I’m wearing Sizzle,” Emily said. “It makes strong men putty in my hands. You’re a strong man.” She got up and sat on the tabl
e in front of him and put her hands on his shoulders. He immediately pulled her onto his lap. “See? I told you it was good stuff.”

  “From now on, I’m listening to everything you tell me.”

  “You already did. You fixed the budget.”

  “Not just the budget.” He ran his hands up her back. “This was really a one-two punch you gave me, first last night and then this morning with Jane, but I think I’ve finally gotten the message.” He pulled her blouse out of her skirt and slipped his hand under it, cupping her lace-covered breast. “From now on, I’m listening,” he repeated.

  “The hook is in the front,” Emily said, and he unfastened it.

  “Anything else you want to tell me?” Richard asked as he lifted her onto the table. “I’m listening.”

  “Yes,” Emily said, pulling him down on top of her. “I love you. Make me sizzle.”

  * * * * *

  TOO FAST TO FALL

  For my uncle, who loved fast cars.

  Contents

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER ONE

  THE COP GREW larger in Jenny’s side mirror as he approached, his sunglasses glinting ominous light as she considered whether or not to make a run for it.

  She might be able to escape. The highway was a nice, straight run here, and a gorgeous 350 V-8 engine purred beneath the hood of her 1978 Camaro, just waiting for her to punch the accelerator. The deputy would have to get all the way back to his SUV before he could even consider chasing her down. By then, she’d be a speck of bright yellow a mile down the asphalt. And hell, with the snow still five feet deep on either side of the road, she could just pull off onto any old trail and he might pass right by her.

  Jenny flexed her fingers against the thin circle of the steering wheel. She was tempted. She knew how to run. It had always been her first instinct, and she’d pulled it off many times. But as she watched the cop’s hard-hewn jaw begin to tic in anger, she sighed and slumped in her seat. Deputy Hendricks knew very well where she lived. He’d written her address down on three separate speeding tickets, not to mention two terse warnings.