Free Carla by Lawrence Block

dark gabardine pants almost without seeing them. The strong face with its prominent features seemed vaguely familiar to her, but she hadn’t the slightest idea where she had seen the man before. For several seconds he regarded her silently and she was unable to speak.
    â€œWhat do you want?” she stammered finally. “Who are you?”
    â€œDon’t you remember?”
    â€œNo,” she said. “No, I don’t. But I’d like to know what you think you’re doing in my living-room. What do you want?”
    â€œWait a minute. You remember me, don’t you?”
    â€œI may have met you but I’m sure I don’t remember when. And I don’t have any time to play guessing games. Now who are you?” She could feel her temper rising at the way he sat in the chair watching her, his face almost empty of expression.
    â€œTry again,” he said. “You should remember me.”
    â€œI don’t.”
    â€œYou should. Or do you let everybody keep the change from a twenty-dollar bill?”
    Her mouth fell open. At first she couldn’t believe it; then, studying the face and eyes she remembered him all at once, remembered his arms around her and the smell of grease and the pavement under her bare skin. At first her pulse raced at the animalism of the memory. Then she realized fully just who he was.
    â€œYou—”
    â€œRemember? I thought you would. But we never got to the introduction stage before, did we? My name’s Danny Rand, and I guess you’re Carla Macon.”
    â€œDanny Rand,” she repeated half to herself. “I—How did you find me?”
    He shrugged. “I just ran around ringing doorbells. How else would I do it?”
    â€œHow?” She felt her knees going weak and fought to control herself. This couldn’t be happening, she told herself. She was dreaming, and any moment she would wake up and Charles would run his hands over her body and then she would—
    â€œIt was easy,” he said. “I got your license number, honey. You never even thought of that. My brother-in-law’s a cop, and when I gave him your number he ran it through the license bureau and got me your name and address.”
    Suddenly she was too weak to stand. She groped her way to a chair and fell into it, powerless to remove her eyes from his piercing gaze. He was talking, saying more about how he had found out who she was, but she half-heard him as if he was talking through a wall.
    â€œWhat … What do you want?”
    â€œWhat do you think I want?”
    She breathed deeply. “How much?” she asked.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHow much money do you want?” Her voice rose and she fought to control it, hoping that Lizzie couldn’t overhear the conversation. Why had the girl let him in, she wondered. Why had he noticed the license number, and why was he here now, and what did he want from her.
    â€œMoney?”
    â€œMoney,” she repeated. “That’s what you want, isn’t it? You want to blackmail me. Well? How much do I have to pay?”
    He looked at her in amazement, and for a moment neither of them spoke. She saw the muscles in his jaw go tight, then relax slightly. When he spoke the words came out clearly and distinctly.
    â€œI don’t want money.”
    At first she felt an irrational swell of relief. Then, “What do you want?”
    â€œYou.”
    â€œ What!!”
    â€œYou,” he repeated levelly. “Carla, you’re like no woman I’ve ever had. You’re fire and ice and everything, and no matter how much I try to forget you I can’t get you out of my mind. I think if I go without you much longer I’ll go crazy. I want you and I’m going to have you.”
    â€œ Go crazy? You’re crazy already.”
    â€œCarla—”
    â€œYou must be crazy,” she went on, the words flowing freely from her lips. “You must be out of your damned