Free Dorothy Garlock by A Place Called Rainwater Page A

of sexual gratification with Carsie. But that wasn't to be.
    He looked up when he sensed Dinah was still standing in the doorway. Her round dark face was creased with worry. If he had two loyal friends in the world, they were Dinah and Casper. They had been a part of his life for almost as long as he could remember, and he cared for them possibly more than he cared for any other living souls.
    “What's the matter, Dinah? ”Hunter went to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She was a short round woman, the top of whose gray head came even with his chin.
    “I ain't understandin 'why dat girl just pack up an 'go so quick-like. The other'n did that, too.”
    “What time did Carsie leave? ”
    “Was dark. Maybe nine o'clock. I come to tell her me'n Casper was goin 'to bed. She comed downstairs with her suitcase. She said, real mad-like, that she was leavin'. And I said, what'll I tell Mistah Hunter? ”
    “What did she say to that? ”
    “She said, she said …”Dinah bowed her head. “Said tell yo to go ”— she looked up and mouthed the word — “yo-self.”
    “I get the message, Dinah. You don't have to say it. You told me last night she left in a car. Did you see it? ”
    “No, sir. I heared it. Why'd she go like dat, Mistah Hunter? ”
    “When she came here, I told her that she could stay and that we would enjoy each other, but that it was temporary.” He sighed. “Women want their hooks in you so that you can't get away. I'll not tie myself to any woman. Carsie probably thought she'd not waste any more time on me.”
    “That other'n left sudden-like, too. Is yo mean to dem women up dere, Mistah Hunter? If yo is, I'll spank yo 'hind. I didn't raise yo to be mean to womenfolk.”
    Hunter chuckled. “I'm not mean to them, Dinah. I swear I'm not. They give me what I want, I give them what they want. Have you ever seen a bruise on any of them? ”
    “Nooo …”Dinah drew the word out. “Seen 'em cry a time or two.”
    “That's when they realize the party is over. None of them leave here broke, Dinah.”
    “I ain't knowin 'why my boy don't get him a good woman and have him some kids.”
    “Maybe someday. Meanwhile, I'm hungry. What have you got for me? ”Hunter placed his arm across her shoulders and they went to the dining room.
    Business and sex were the two major factors in Hunter's life and he craved variety in both. He had never truly loved a woman, but he had been fond of many. He had discovered while in college that he had the proper equipment and a certain talent for using it to satisfy his appetite. Since that time he had seldom been without a woman for any length of time.
    In a small town like Rainwater, however, it was wise to be discreet. The women who came to spend time with him were often passed off as sisters, nieces, family friends. When in Tulsa or Kansas City, he was free to treat himself to the services of experienced women in the best pleasure houses, where his desires and sexual fantasies would be satisfied for a while.
    He loved sex, especially the moment when he entered a woman's body. It was the height of all sensations: hot, tight wet flesh surrounding him. Wonderful. Wonderful. He also learned from the females he bedded. Hunter prided himself on the fact that he had never forced a woman, and when he left them, they were completely satisfied.
    As he sat down at the beautifully set table and to the meal Dinah had prepared, the only thought he gave to the absent Carsie was to compare her to Jill Jones.
    Jill was like a prairie flower: untouched except by the wind. She would keep a man's attention far longer than an experienced woman like Carsie. He smiled while thinking about her hitting one of his men in the nose and kicking the shin of another. She had the refreshing look of innocence, but he was sure that once she was introduced to the pleasures of sex, she would be as wild as an untamed cat in bed. It had been a while since he had taken the time to seduce, then teach a