Free EDGE OF SUSPENSE: Thrilling Tales of Mystery & Murder by R. Barri Flowers Page A

moorages when a dark-haired, well-dressed Latino man
bumped into me.
    "Excuse me," I said.
    He gave no response, and hurried past
me.
    I continued on my merry way, sure that this
would be a night to remember.
    Her houseboat was hard to miss. It had an
end moorage and was the biggest and classiest of them all.
    The wraparound deck offered a full view of
the city skyline and the surrounding water caught reflections that
danced across the lake. I figured this place had to be worth a
mint. But the main attraction for me was the lady inside.
    Gabriella opened the door before I could
ring the bell. I gave her the once-over and liked what I saw. She
was wearing a carnation-colored robe that revealed a lot of
cleavage. I wondered if she wore anything underneath it.
    "Right on time," she said.
    "Did you think I wouldn't be?"
    "Not really." Her cheeks flushed. "Come
in."
    I walked into a wide, open living and dining
area. It had cane furnishings, rich, paneled walls, multiple
windows, and more than a touch of class. I could get used this
quickly.
    I returned my attention to Gabriella. She
was everything I ever dreamt about. With any luck, this could turn
into a regular gig.
    "Would you like a drink?" she asked.
    "Sure, why not."
    "I've got wine, whiskey, brandy,
beer..."
    "Wine," I said.
    She handed me a long-stemmed glass and
filled it with Cabernet Sauvignon.
    "Does your husband go away on business
often?"
    "Often enough."
    I grinned. "Works for me."
    "I'm glad it does."
    I put my glass down and pulled her close. I
kissed her passionately, tasting the wine on her tongue.
    After a while, she pulled away. "Why don't
we go in the bedroom where it's more comfortable?"
    "Lead the way."
    She took my hand and we ended up in a
spacious master suite on the main floor. It had a king size
four-poster bed and crisp red satin sheets ready to be
wrinkled.
    "I'm yours," Gabriella cooed.
    I didn't want to give her a moment to change
her mind, so I untied the belt on her robe. Indeed, she wore
nothing beneath it. Her voluptuous, naked body begged to be
caressed.
    She kissed me, ran her tongue across my
lips, then laid down on the bed, her long, shapely legs making me
forget any woman trouble I had in the past. She curled a finger and
beckoned me to join her.
    I got undressed in a hurry and joined her on
the bed.
    Our lovemaking was slow and deliberate. I
spent what seemed like forever lost in her touch, her firm breasts,
her velvet-soft skin, her legs wrapped around me, hands cupping my
buttocks.
    A loud noise in the hallway interrupted our
passion.
    "What the hell was that?"
    Gabriella's eyes widened. "I think my
husband's back."
    My heart skipped a beat. "You said he was
out of town."
    "He must have taken an early flight," she
said, jumping out of bed and grabbing her robe. "You have to get
out of here!"
    I agreed, but knew I couldn't get dressed
and out of there without her husband seeing me.
    I had just put on my pants and loafers when
a sixty-something man burst into the room. He was heavyset,
paunchy, and wore a designer suit. His eyes narrowed to slits as he
glared at Gabriella.
    "You bitch!"
    She cowered behind me as though she expected
me to go from lover to protector.
    "Hey, why don't we talk about this?" I told
him.
    He sucker-punched me on the chin, stunning
me. My legs gave out, but I got up quickly. He was bigger than me,
but I was younger and quicker. He swung again. I ducked and hit him
twice in the stomach.
    He doubled over, gasping for air.
    I thought it was over, but he suddenly
charged at me like a battering ram and got me in a headlock. We
both fell to the floor.
    During the struggle, he ended up on top of
me. He put his massive hands around my neck and started to choke
me.
    Desperate and unable to break free, I balled
my hands and slammed them against his temples as hard as I
could.
    It worked.
    He groaned and released his grip on my neck.
I scrambled out from under him and got to my feet. But so did
he...
    I couldn't believe he