Free CardsNeverLie by Heather Hiestand

voice.
    In the dim light she could see the angry expression on his
face. “What kind of game are you playing?” he demanded.
    He didn’t sound like he was in the mood to play. She tried
to smile but wasn’t sure he could even see her expression in the light. She
gave up and defended herself. “There isn’t any game,” she protested. “I don’t
owe that creepy Huntley anything.”
    “He certainly seems to think you do.”
    “That’s his problem,” Melanie exploded. She wasn’t
responsible for the behavior of crazy people. She wasn’t responsible for
anyone’s actions but her own. At least that’s what the therapist she had seen
during her divorce had told her.
    Adonis shoved his hands into his tailored black slacks and
rocked back on the heels of his Florsheims. His mood seemed to lighten as she
tensed back up. Adonis. The Whipmaster. She realized that she didn’t know his
real name.
    “What’s your name?”
    He chuckled. “So a scene like that back there is what it
takes to get you to pay attention to me?”
    Melanie folded her arms and felt her shirt sticking to her
breasts in the swampy heat. She felt silly. Her emotions toward him were
screwed up, hopelessly conflicted. Why weren’t nice guys the hot ones? “Don’t
be a jerk. It’s a simple question.”
    He lost his smile. “It’s Rob,” he said quickly. “Rob Black.”
    “Black like Huntley’s heart,” Melanie murmured.
    “It must have been pretty bad back then.” Rob paused for
long enough to make Melanie think with trepidation that Rob was remembering
stories or facts about Huntley’s behavior. “You must be smart to have gotten
away. I’ve heard Huntley is pretty widely connected, but you hid for ten years.
What made you come back?”
    Melanie sighed. “You don’t understand. I’m not here for the
Sin-sational conference. There’s another one going on in the hotel—a bath and
beauty product conference.”
    “That’s not what you told me this afternoon. You said you
left your badge upstairs.”
    “I know.” Melanie looked at her shoes. “I do apologize for
lying. It’s not like me. I was flustered.”
    “You weren’t the only one. You make me a little crazy and
I’m not sure I like it.” Rob rocked back on his heels again and then toward
her. He seemed calm now, his face had relaxed and his pupils were huge in the
dim light. Or maybe he was aroused.
    The thought made her nervous. “If it’s any consolation,
today’s been crazy for me too. But thanks. I owe you one.” She turned to go,
sure that leaving was the best solution. For now. She needed to speak to Brisa before
she pushed this any further. Before she gave herself to the craziness she
desired?
    Rob put out his arm to her. “Don’t go, Honey.”
    “My name isn’t Honey, it’s Melanie. Melanie Vanderpool.”
    He sighed. “Does Brisa know about your past?”
    “Of course she does. We’ve lived within two miles of each
other for our entire lives except briefly when I first got married. But I’m
divorced now.” She said this, as if she cared that he knew she was available,
then realized what he meant by his question.
    “I’m not in porn.” She held up a hand. “I was never in porn,
okay? Just get that idea out of your head right now.”
    “I wouldn’t want your mistakes to put her at any risk. She’s
got a kid.”
    Melanie lifted her arms and dropped them in frustration.
“Like I don’t know that? I’m telling you Huntley has me confused with someone
else.”
    “There’s a way to prove it.”
    His comment disturbed her. “Oh yeah?”
    Rob nodded and said with satisfaction, “Oh yeah. I noticed
during the clips of Techno Dreams that Honey Luscious had a heart-shaped
mole on her right hip.”
    “People get moles removed all the time,” Melanie scoffed.
“Having one or not isn’t going to prove anything.”
    “There would be a scar left,” Rob said with confidence. “My
grandfather had skin cancer and removing the cancerous moles left