Free Witch World by Christopher Pike Page A

else.”
    “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”
    I touched his arm. “Russ.”
    “What?”
    “You’ve been great tonight. The perfect gentleman. Please don’t ruin it now by lying to me.”
    He stared at me. “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you who I would have given the money to. But it’s not an issue because you won back what you lost. So can we just leave it at that?”
    I smiled. “You don’t play fair. You know it’s impossible for a girl to get mad at a guy who just gave her a hundred grand.”
    He stood and came around the table and gently put his hands on my shoulders. I say gently because his approach was totally nonthreatening. He didn’t try to kiss me until I gave him the hint by tilting my head back. He turned his own head slightly to the side, so I didn’t have to strain my neck to match his height. Then his lips were on mine and they were not normal lips. They were perfect lips, and only Jimmy was supposed to have those.
    I felt myself falling as he kissed me harder, and I fought to keep from going off the ledge, but it was no use. By somestrange magic we were in the dining room one moment and in his bedroom the next. The lights were off but the window curtains were pulled back and the kaleidoscope of colors from the Strip played through the open glass and into my brain.
    It seemed as if his eyes turned purple, orange, and green, while his skin—I must have pulled off his shirt—remained a burning red. His strong hands were on my breasts, outside my dress, and then we both began to undo my buttons, so fast, so furiously, that I started to hyperventilate.
    I was light-years beyond turned on. We fell on the bed and I felt I would explode. All thoughts of safe sex were washed away. My body wanted his body so bad I honestly felt I would die if he didn’t make love to me.
    He took off my dress. I tore off his pants.
    He removed my underwear. I ripped off his.
    I pulled off his watch and threw it away. I wanted nothing in my way. But then something surreal happened. I was about to climb on top of him. He raised his head and backed up to give me room, and I looked into his face from inches away and felt his hot breath on my cheeks.
    Then I saw Jimmy’s face. I swear, it had taken the place of Russ’s.
    The image was more real than our bodies, more powerful than my lust. Maybe it was love that caused me to see it. Love or pain, if the two were even separate things. The love of my life, Jimmy, was the only one who had ever made me cry.
    Maybe that’s why I burst out crying.
    The sound caused my Jimmy hallucination to crumble. It was replaced by Russ’s confused expression. Not that I was confused. I realized that the months had not mattered. That I loved Jimmy as much as the first day I had made love to him, and the last day. I knew then that my mind kept track of time, but not my heart, and that I had to give him another chance or else I would regret it for the rest of my life.
    I stood from the bed and walked naked to the tall windows. Behind me, I heard Russ sigh. “There’s someone else,” he said.
    “Yes.” I stared down at the throngs of people still partying beneath the lights. “I’m sorry.”
    “Why are you sorry?”
    I looked at him. He was partway under the blankets, covered at the waist but still beautiful. “I feel like I led you on,” I said.
    “I’m sure you didn’t mean to.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “You’re a good person.” He paused. “You don’t have to apologize for crying over someone you love.”
    “Why are you taking this so well?”
    “Because I doubt anyone’s ever cried over me.” He lit a cigarette and stared at the ceiling. “Is he here? He must be or you wouldn’t be so upset.”
    “He’s here.”
    “Is he with someone else?”
    “I honestly don’t know.”
    Russ found his watch and checked the time. He took one last hit of his cigarette and put it out. “It’s late, I better sleep. Grab your clothes and the money and get a taxi