Lead Me Not. James B. Johnson. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: James B. Johnson
Издательство: Ingram
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Жанр произведения: Исторические приключения
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9781479409587
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don’t care what everybody thinks.”

      “Obviously. But you are, um, well-developed.”

      Aloha tilted her head. “Voluptuous?” She was baiting Denise now.

      “Not exactly. You’ve a regal sort of way about you. But you exude sex. All the boys say—” She looked up guiltily.

      “I’ve known some of the boys. And I don’t care what they say. I like men better. Like your father. He exudes virility.”

      Denise sucked in air. “Don’t talk like that about my father.”

      Aloha had successfully changed the subject, but Denise had not caught the thickening sarcasm.

      “I’m glad your father did not change into a hotshot religious nut like you did. You used to be my friend, now you quote the Bible all the damn time. Are you some kind of body-snatcher from outer space? What have you done with my friend Denise?”

      Denise sat back astonished. “Why, I, uh, found the Lord. And He comforts me in my times of trial and tribulations—like now. He would not be a traitor like you. His rod and His staff, they comfort me.”

      Aloha was breathing hard now. “We haven’t been very good friends since you quote found the Lord unquote. Seems to me this religion stuff has changed you, maybe for the worse.”

      Her mouth pursed, Denise said, “No, sireee.” Denise took after her mother. Pretty but not stunning like Aloha. But Denise had the same strong jaw as her father.

      Denise ripped a bite of pizza. “I knew you were bright. First you seduced my father through a series of machinations, then you successfully distract me by making my religion the issue.” She wagged her pointy finger at Aloha. “My father’s been divorced for years. He’s vulnerable, very much so—”

      I hope he stays so, thought Aloha. I’d counted on it. All my maneuvering....

      “—and he hasn’t dated much at all since the divorce.”

      “What was the real reason for their divorce?”

      “I will not again be distracted.”

      “Machinations? Reprehensible?”

      Denise ignored her. “He’s at a point where he needs companionship, a stable relationship—”

      “He needs a woman.”

      “He needs, umm—”

      Me.

      “He needs a wife, a woman, who is not so clever, dark and coldly Machiavellian.”

      “I appreciate the compliments, Denise, but—”

      “He needs a nice....”

      “A nice girl?” Aloha’s tone was soft.

      Denise clenched her jaw. “It is not my intention to insult you. But tonight you’ve revealed yourself as a —”

      “Harlot?”

      “That’s what the Gospel says.” Denise pushed the pizza box away.

      Aloha rose. “I’m tired of you wearing your religion on your sleeve. And I’m getting more and more pissed at your accusations.”

      “God will forgive you for saying that.” Denise paused. “Daddy was the one who connected me with the Lord—”

      “Oh? How?” Aloha couldn’t keep the ice from her voice.

      “Every night he put me to bed with ‘Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep.’ It was my first step to salvation, thanks to Daddy.”

      “If I want to see Rudd, I will.”

      Denise stood and stepped toward Aloha. “Not if I can help it.”

      “You can’t.”

      “I’ll tell him all about you,” Denise spat out.

      “Oh? What will you tell him?” Aloha said in a dangerous whisper.

      “I’ll tell him about you and all the other boys.”

      “Hearsay.”

      “Hearsay, theresay, I will say.”

      Even if not completely true, Aloha thought about what they said behind her back, there’s plenty of truth, enough to make Rudd hate her. “It’s not very Christian of you.”

      That stopped Denise. After a moment of thought, Denise said, “I have to protect my father.”

      “From what?”

      “From you.”

      Aloha forced herself to laugh. “Get real, Denise. Do you think I have designs on your father?”

      That threw her. She stepped backward, thinking. Then: “You don’t?”

      I do. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

      “The fact that you seduced him tonight. The fact that your parents don’t ever care about anything you ever do. The fact that you always get the boy you go after—”

      “That’s not true.”

      “I can bring in some of my girlfriends to swear to it. I thought you were my friend. The fact that you worked hard to arrange the events of tonight. And now that I mention it, it occurs to me that there have been a couple of other occasions you’ve come over and I wasn’t here but something came up.”

      “Please. You are imagining things.” Until tonight, Aloha’s strategies had not worked.

      “Am I?”

      It was late and Aloha suddenly found herself no longer elated but weary. “I don’t want to fight, Denise. You’re my friend. Look. How about if I promise to stay away from Rudd?” Like hell I will.

      “You’d do that?”

      “For you. For our friendship.” So you don’t poison your dashing, handsome pilot of a father against me. Somehow somebody had poisoned Rudd’s relationship with his ex-wife. Why had they gotten divorced?

      “Well, maybe.”

      “And don’t be telling any tales out of school about me.” Damn, shouldn’t have said that.

      Denise cast an appraising eye. Denise had leverage over her now. “Maybe, maybe not.”

      Aloha knew that Rudd was impressionable now, and whether he believed any rumors about her or not, they would be damning just in the telling. Especially coming from Denise, the apple of his eye. And, while Aloha knew hers was probably just a schoolgirl’s infatuation, something special and different had happened tonight and she didn’t want to lose Rudd so soon. She’d been in heat before. But this was different. She’d even dated Denise’s brother Buddy, but they’d never had sex.

      “Maybe I won’t tell him if you reveal your age,” said Denise.

      CHAPTER TWO

      HIM

      Rudyard Kipling Six banked his aircraft. The Gulf of Mexico glittered beneath the Beech. He pulled back the yoke and performed his turn.

      He settled back and sighed. His eyes swung back and forth metronome like. Too much traffic today. Up here with the muted engine noise and wind blowing past, he could think.

      Rudd was obsessed. He didn’t want to think of his infatuation. He’d been alone for so long. His son was long gone, thank God, and Denise had a dorm room at Reynolds Hall on campus. She visited home to do her laundry and spend weekends away from school. And whenever she wanted to get away.

      Aloha Blaze. What a name. It caught your attention. Just as she caught your attention. She was getting under his skin. Rudd knew she’d been a schoolmate of Denise’s, over at Leon High. Denise had graduated and gone on to FSU in town. Aloha Blaze was now a junior. A damn teenager in high