Chapter 12
An epilogue of sorts did occur some two months later.
The occasion was the annual Thanksgiving party at Tri-Compass's private club Able heard that Inez West was back from Reno, and they'd always gotten along well, so he phoned her. Why, yes, she said, mildly surprised at his call, she'd be glad to go with him.
She was even more attractive to him than he'd remembered. She wore a simple black cocktail dress that clung to every line of her body and had a neckline that left no doubt about her superb mammary endowment; one look was enough to take any man's breath away.
She seemed shy, even a little frightened at the party, tending to cling to him, and he attributed that to her split with George. For his part, he felt fine. The break with Daisy had been clean and neat, and he already felt almost as if she'd never existed.
Everything was going perfectly at the office. There had been a coolness between him and Ben, for a time, until the latter made a single remark.
"I guess we're even, huh?"
After that the coolness had gradually faded away.
As for Chuck and Edna, he had quit Tri-Compass, and nobody seemed to know where they had gone.
On the night of the party Able danced with Inez, had a couple of drinks with her, and gave her the sense of protection which she seemed to need. She seemed frightened, shaken, and after less than two hours she asked Able to take her home. Somewhat puzzled and sorry that she wasn't enjoying herself, he got her coat and took her to his car.
When they reached her door, she said, "You'll come in, won't you? Come in and have a drink."
He was surprised. He'd hardly gotten two words out of her on the way home, but he accepted her invitation.
The situation was classic: a fire in the fireplace and a soft rug at the hearth. After taking off his coat, he warmed his hands before the fire while he waited for Inez to return with Scotch and soda. She came back with two glasses, handed him one, and sank down on the rug to stare at the flames.
He sat down with her, facing her. He liked everything he saw, her jet-black hair, her high brows and dark eyes, the swell of her breasts above her low neckline. He even liked the faint frown she was wearing.
"Yes," he said, as if continuing a conversation begun long ago, "you really are a beautiful woman."
She bit her lower lip and frowned harder. "You don't have to say that."
"But it's true. You have a hard time believing you're beautiful, don't you, Inez?"
She nodded.
"Try trusting me."
They sat in silence, sipping their drinks. She downed hers rapidly and set her glass aside. She looked at the fire, and he looked at her.
"Able, tell me something," she said, avoiding his eyes. "What does a man do when he doesn't have a woman?"
"The same thing a woman does when she doesn't have a man, I guess."
"How sad."
He knew then what was troubling her. He finished his drink while he decided if he should ask a particular question.
"How long has it been since you last made love, Inez?"
She didn't even blink. She just kept on looking at the fire.
"About three months," she said. "And that was unsuccessful. Successfully? It must be a year ... no, longer. Centuries."
He honestly hadn't intended to make love to her.
This was just to be a date, perhaps the first of many, and he'd had no idea of where it might lead. But now he knew what he had to do.
He set his glass aside. He reached out and caught her chin with his forefinger and turned her head to face him.
He leaned foward and touched his lips to hers.
They kissed, small kisses, light kisses, and he felt her tremble. She was nervous. He knew she wanted to be taken, but she was afraid.
He moved closer to her and put his hands on her bare arms and pressed his mouth harder against hers. Their heads turned and rolled from side to side, and he slid his arms around her. She leaned against him and tilted her head farther back.
He was careful not to frighten her any more than she was already. He tried not to startle her. For a time he did nothing more than kiss her and stroke her shoulder and her bare arm.
Then, when he thought it safe to do so, he began to caress her thighs as well, and then the tops of her breasts.
Her mouth opened wider and their tongues met. Her hand moved on his leg.
Her eyes were hazy when he looked into them, and her voice was husky. "Are you going to...."
"Yes."
They kissed again, and she reached for the zipper at the back of her dress. He pulled it down for her and helped her to lift the dress over her head. The firelight danced on her newly bared flesh. She took off her shoes, then pulled up her half-slip to unfasten her stockings. He did that tor her, caressing the warm, sensitive areas of her legs as he rolled her stockings down.
He reached for her bra but she stopped him.
"No," she said, "take your clothes off first."
He kissed her and did as she asked. He undressed to his briefs quickly but without apparent haste, tossing his clothes aside. Then she slid into his arms again and, as he kissed her, he unfastened and removed her bra, and she worked her way out of her half-slip and her garter belt.
That left them both all but naked. Bits of thin doth about the hips were all that covered them.
He held her close and sent a hand roving over her breasts. He stroked them, moved them, and enfolded the taut nipples in the surrounding soft flesh. He caressed her legs and drifted his finger tips over her stomach, and her breath came harsher and faster. Her nails caught at his ribs, her strong fingers gripped his hard thighs, and her tongue met his eagerly.
Gradually he worked her last piece of clothing down on her hips. His finger tips made her stomach quiver. Then, at last, her panties were at her thighs, and she let him set her sensitive nerves to singing.
She whimpered and reached to his briefs.
He got them off and helped her to rid herself of hers. Then, completely naked, they clung together, soaking up the heat of the fire and building their own flames higher. They held, stroked and played with whatever they wished, toying and caressing, enlivening each other's senses to the utmost, getting increasingly drunk on the sensual pleasure that flowed through their bodies.
"Not yet," she whispered.
He worked to arouse her farther, pushing his hands, making her pant and churn. Then he tried to lay her back again.
"Not yet."
He shifted his position so that he could kiss her nipples and stomach and he made her moan with longing.
Then, at last, she lay back on the rug.
He got above her and started to position himself.
"Oh, no!"
The next thing he knew she was scrambling away from him and climbing to her feet as fast as she could go. In a daze, he looked up at her, lovely as she stood there naked in the firelight, and she covered her face with her hands.
"I can't! I just can't!"
He reached toward her. "Darling-"
"I'm sorry, Able, I'm sorry, please forgive me!"
He sprang to his feet and tried to take her into his arms, but she evaded him and ran across the room.
"Able, go home! Just go! I know you'll hate me, but I can't help it!"
He went after her, caught her, and swung her around to face him. She tried to get away, but he pushed her back against a small desk and held her firmly with his hands and his body while she strained back from him.
"Inez, listen-"
"You don't love me. Nobody loves me! You don't even really want to make love to me!"
"Then why am I trying?"
"Because I'm your boss's daughter, maybe. Or because I lured you on!"
He couldn't keep from laughing at that. "Darling, you're crazy. And if I don't love you, I'm going to have a hard time to keep from falling in love."
At that, she went limp, weeping against his chest.
"I'm sorry, Able, I just can't go through with it!"
"You don't have to, darling. You don't have to do a thing that you don't want to do. Now come on back to the fire with me."
His arms around her, he led her back to the fire, and they sat down again. He held her close, stroking her shoulder, her arm, and finally her breasts as her weeping slowly subsided.
He felt happy. He'd lost his excitement, but he was happy to be here with this woman, and he didn't want to leave her. Ever.
Little by little the caresses he-gave her grew bolder. She lay against him as if she were asleep, but when his excitement returned, her fingers closed on him, and she gave back his caresses.
She offered no objection when he at last laid her back on the rug and spread her feet. She didn't say a single word until after he'd taken her.
"Love me, darling," she whispered. "Teach me again what loving is like. Give me everything."
He did.