Prey of Desire Read Online Free Page A

she stroked her bottom lip with her
index finger.
    “I'm The Gunz ,” he said to her. “We should dance?”
    Mallory
laughed, batting her eyes. Kim nudged her, trying to get her attention.
    “Mal, I'm
in crisis mode and you're flirting with a stranger!” Kim said. Clearly, Mallory
didn't hear a word. She was focused on the athlete in front of them.
    “You look
familiar...” Mallory cocked her head and put her index finger to her lip as if
his name was on the tip of her tongue. “Are you famous?”
    The man
smiled broadly. He only got better looking.
    “I'm Antonio
Gonzales, Second Baseman.” He spoke as if he hoped to elicit a response of
recognition, but Mallory stared blankly at him. Seemingly, taken off guard, he
stumbled to explain himself. “The New York Yankee's. We just swept Atlanta in the World Series.”   
    Mallory
stared wide-eyed. She didn’t blink. He continued.
    “I was on
the cover of Sports Illustrated.”
    Mallory
looked as perplexed as ever; it meant nothing to her. Kim intervened, placing a
hand on Mallory's shoulder.
    “Maybe if
you had been on the cover of Forbes,” she suggested. Mallory gently pushed her
aside and smiled at the man.
    “So,
second baseman...” Mallory's eyes sparkled, her left hand lightly grazing his
massive right biceps barely constrained in its shirt sleeve. “You play football.”
    “Baseball,”
he corrected.
    Mallory
laughed again, excited. She then locked her arm in his, leading him to the
dance floor.         
    Shaking
her head in disbelief, Kim watched the two disappear, then once again glanced at the note in her hands.
    “If you
forget me, there's something I want you to know ” was all it said. This was proof, she thought. And she
moved through the crowd, searching for the waiter who handed it to her, or
possibly Ross himself.
    When she
ran into Addison, he looked frantic and upset.
    “Why,
Addison,” she exclaimed. “Where have you been?”
    Addison
took her hands in his. “Kimberly, have you seen Mallory?”
    “Yes,”
Kim said slowly, clutching the note, then asked again. “Where have you been all
evening?”

 
    On the
dance floor, Mallory and The Gunz held each other
close and tightly rocked together as the band began a slow song.
    “I never
meet lady like you,” he said to her. She smiled devilishly and nodded.
    “And you
never will.” She held his hard, sun-darkened face between her soft hands and
kissed him, drawing the breath from his body. Then finally she gasped and
pulled her head away. “Would you believe I'm still innocent?”
    “Como una Virgen .” His hands moved on her back, kneading the tender flesh in
an outpour of desire that was beyond either's ability to control. His hand slid
lower to cup the firm, round swell of her hip.
    “Do you want
me… ” Mallory was panting now. She had to concentrate
on each word to speak, “...as badly as I want you?”
    “¡Ay, caramba !” The Gunz bent her back in his
arms and looked her squarely eye to eye. He groaned.
    Suddenly,
a hand forced its way between the two straining bodies. It was Addison Gaynor,
prying them apart. Mallory's eyes enlarged.
    “Why, Pudd'n Toes - I was just looking for you,” she said
quickly, taking her hands from the ball player's grasp.
    Grabbing
Mallory by the arm, Addison yanked her off the dance floor.
    Kim
followed Mallory and Addison as they pushed their way through the crowd.
Addison was lecturing, on the verge of hyperventilating.
    “Mallory Astin , this is scandalous. Just
scandalous!” He waved his arms as his voice rose. “What in the name of
all that is good has come over you? And wasn’t Kim wearing that dress earlier?”
    Mallory
didn't seem to be listening. Turning her head, she glanced at The Gunz , who was still standing on the dance floor. She winked
at him. A moment later, they had disappeared around the corner and down the
hall.

 
    Walking
past the corner too, Kim hesitated, feeling his presence. Ross was here.