Free Thirteen West by Jane Toombs Page A

What is it?"
    "I was only thinking about one of the patients, Papa. A teenage girl."
    "What about her?"
    Grace spotted an empty brandy glass on the side table. Her hands began to tremble. "Nothing, really. It's just that she's afraid. And this tech, this man, he was looking at her. She was partly undressed and he saw her like that. I—it was upsetting."
    Her father's pale gray eyes narrowed and he began rubbing the palms of his hands along his thighs. "You watched abominations? You defiled yourself?"
    "Oh, no. He didn't do anything. He just stared at her."
    "You know he lusted and yet you did nothing." Spittle collected in the corners of his mouth. "Sins of omission are as punishable as sins of commission."
    Grace hung her head. She heard the slick slither of leather against cloth and knew he was removing his belt. Warmth flooded through her.
    "Down on your knees, sinner," her father ordered.
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
    I should have shoved the truth at Luba, Barry told himself as he drove his white Porsche along the road to Jade Beach . Why the hell did I lie about having to dictate chart notes at the hospital? She's not my wife, the way she's acting there's no commitment anymore—that's what I should have said.
    Alma 's tiny ramshackle cottage was easy to find with the map she'd drawn for him, telling him he was on his own if he got lost as she had no phone.
    She greeted him, yawning, wearing a white terry cloth robe tied about her waist. "You're really early." she said. "I'm still having coffee. Want some? It's not instant. I get enough of that at work."
    He'd come away without eating and took not only the coffee but the toast she offered—warm, dripping with butter.
    "The berry jam is homemade," she said. "My mother's a compulsive canner and preserver."
    Luba didn't even see that there was bread in the place, much less homemade jam. Barry ate the toast greedily, teasing himself with the question of whether Alma was wearing anything under the short robe she had on. The vee showed a generous amount of breast.
    "How'd you ever find a place like this?" he asked, looking around with appreciation. Alma had neither made the interior cutesy nor gone pop-art.
    She tilted her head and smiled. "Connections. But I had to paint the whole damn place myself. Only the three rooms, but it was a real mess when I moved in. Carted out two and a half garbage cans of trash and I threw away the furniture. I suppose that's why I painted everything white, reaction from the filth. Unless you see a more sinister motive..."
    He grinned at her and shook his head. "I like what you've done."
    "I can't say I have a generous landlord—he refuses to spend one cent on this place and the rent is unreal. I'd find a housemate to help with costs if I didn't value privacy so much.
    "They can be easier to get in than get out."
    Alma raised her eyebrows.
    He didn't elaborate, taking another piece of toast instead. "I envy you this place, the beach so close, swim any time you feel the urge."
    Alma shivered. "Not this time of the year."
    "You can still go out, walk along the sand and the ocean is right there."
    "You sound like you can't wait," she said. "Hang on and I'll throw on some warm clothes."
    He watched her rise and place the dirty dishes in the sink. Maybe she'd just gotten up but her hair was neat and the robe cinched in at her waist made her look anything but slovenly. She went through a curtained doorway.
    Barry stared at the red and white print of the curtain, all thoughts of the ocean wiped from his mind. He put down his half-eaten toast, got up and walked to the curtain, hesitating only a moment before he pushed it aside.
    Alma was naked, her back to him. He caught his breath at the lush curve of her buttocks, the perfection of her brown skin.
    She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled. "I thought you were eager to commune with the mysterious ocean."
    He reached for her. "You're all the mystery I want right now."
    Her scent was