A Bought Bride Page 10

  “Thank you for the dance.” Jillian dropped her hand form his shoulder. “I want to go back to my table now.”

  “Ah, don’t be like that.” He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him again. “I’m sure you’re not as innocent as you look. Old Quinton knows how to warm them up for the rest of us.” He looked at her with red-streaked eyes. “I’m going to waltz you around until you say you’ll come in for a complete exam from me. I can imagine it already. Quinton will never know a thing ’cause I won’t say a word. Doctors have their code you know. I can’t wait to get your beautiful naked body on my examining room table, close the door, then I’ll…”

  “Excuse me.” Quinton’s hand clamped down on Norman’s shoulder. “It looks like my wife is tired. I think it’s time we started home.”

  Jillian was so glad to see him she wanted to throw her arms around his neck. Knowing this would be inappropriate, she grabbed his arm. “I am tired.”

  Before they could get out the door, two other couples came up to meet the new Mrs. Kincade. Jillian was still so upset by the encounter with the doctor she didn’t remember their names by the time they stepped out on the Gone with the Wind style front porch. She saw Calvin jump up from his seat at the end where he was talking with other drivers. He hurried to the parking lot.

  Once in the car, she fell against Quinton and let out a little sob.

  “What in the world, happened, Jillian?”

  “It was your friend. He kept making suggestive remarks to me. It was as if he felt he had the right to, because I’m your wife.”

  In the moonlight she saw Quinton’s jaw tighten. “What did he say?”

  “That he wanted me to come in for an examination.” She shivered. “Oh, Quinton, I was about ready to slap his face. I felt so degraded.”

  “That bastard!” He pulled her tighter against him. “I’m sorry, Jillian. If I’d known how drunk he was, I’d never have let him dance with you.”

  “You didn’t know.” She clung to him. “It was just so shocking when he started talking about getting me naked on the examining table…”

  “He what?”

  She repeated her words.

  “That damn fool. I’ll break his neck.” He wrapped both arms around her. “He’s not going to be examining you or anyone else, Jillian. Norman Blackburn is a veterinarian. He works for the doctor who takes care of my horses.”

  She stared up at him. “But he said…”

  “I don’t give a damn what he said. I knew he drank a lot, but he was drunker than I realized. When Marilyn told me he’d already made a pass at her tonight, I thought…” He put his head on top of hers. “I’m so sorry he embarrassed you. I’ll fire him tomorrow.”

  “You don’t need to do that. It doesn’t matter now, Quinton. I’m only thankful you don’t trust your health to a man like that.”

  “I don’t know. I sometimes tell Lillian she’s no better than a horse doctor.”

  “Lillian? Do you mean you have a woman doctor?”

  “I do.” He put his hand under her chin and pulled her face toward his. “Her name is Lillian Higganbotham, and don’t you start getting jealous, though she’s a beautiful woman. At sixty years old, almost six feet tall, she’s the mother of my cousins Linda and Susan. Though she’s my aunt, I have to admit she’s a fine doctor. Been taking care of me since I was a kid.”

  “She’s your aunt?” Jillian was surprised.

  “Yep. My mother’s baby sister. I’d like for you to see her, too. I know you’ll like her. She’s nothing like me.”

  “I don’t see why being like you would be so bad.”

  “That’s because I’ve only let you see my good side. You wait. I can turn into a whiney little boy at any moment. Especially when somebody comes toward me with a needle they want to stick into me, and Aunt Lillian seems to get a kick out of doing it.”

  Jillian snuggled against him. “Thank you, Quinton.”

  “For what? What did I do?”

  “You talked me right out of being so upset about the vet.”

  “Good. That was my intention.”

  Jillian felt his arms tighten lovingly around her. There was no further need for talk.

  Chapter 18

  “Five hundred is not enough. You got me fired, you bitch.” Norman ripped the check in half. “Write me one for at least ten grand.”

  “I’ll do no such thing!” Maddie stared at him. “I don’t have that kind of money.”

  “Don’t give me that. You know I’m the one who told you to get Kincade to bring you here. Ever since you arrived you’ve lived in the lap of luxury. Ten thousand dollars is nothing to him.”

  “Well, getting fired was your fault. I told you to flirt with the old bitch and get her interested in you. I didn’t mean for you to talk to her like she was a slut.” Maddie glared at him.

  “You told me she was a slut.”

  “I’m sure she is, but I also told you she turned down Stan Willoby. If she’d been the kind of slut I thought she was, she’d never be able to resist his dark sexy charm. Not many women can.” She giggled. “I know I can’t.”

  “I don’t give a damn about your island boyfriend. All I want is enough money to get me to another area so I can find a job and get back on my feet.”

  “If you’d keep your head out of the bottle, you wouldn’t be off your feet. You drink too damn much, Norman.”

  Norman reached across the dinette table and slapped her. “My drinking is my business, you little whore.”

  “You’re just like your pa and you’ll end up like him.”

  She ducked when he started to slap her again. “I’m nothing like that no-good bastard.”

  “You are like him, whether you want to admit it or not. He drank himself to death. Looks like you’re hell bent on doing the same thing.”

  “What about you? You’re a whore, just like your ma was.”

  She threw an ashtray at him and cigarette butts flew in all directions. It glanced off the side of his shoulder. “I’m nothing like her. She’s a street whore. I’ve never worked the streets and I never will. You have no right to say that.”

  “I say it because it’s true. I know damn well you were about to hit the streets when I called and told you about Kincade coming to Las Vegas. I’m the one who came up with the plan for you to hook up with him because I knew how loaded he was. I figured him for an easy mark. We could’ve got a lot of money if you’d played your cards right.”

  “Your big idea was for me to marry him so we could rack up when I got a huge divorce settlement. Since that dream died with his marriage to his uptight society slut, I hope you have another plan. I want to get back to Vegas. I plan to be one of the highest paid call girls on the strip, and I need to start before I get any older.”

  “You’re already too far gone to start out as a high paid call girl. You’ll be too old before you get the right kind of experience. Those girls are refined and know how to act in society. They dress well, too. I’ve seen the outfits you wear for Kincade. High priced girls don’t wear things like that.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with what I wear. Quinton likes my outfits.”

  “I guess that’s all you know. Your ma was a bad influence on you. You wear clothes like she does.”

  “Let’s leave my ma out of this. I know she’s strung out on drugs and will lay up with any man who’ll buy her a bottle or give her a few dollars. I expect anytime to hear some street bum has killed her.”

  “That’s exactly what’s going to happen to you if you don’t reel Kincade in.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Maddie, I know your ma was hiring you out to men by the time you were thirteen.”

  “That’s not so!”

  “Oh, yes it is. I used to watch through the hole I put in the wall between your room and mine.” He shook his head. “To think, I’d cry sometimes because I felt sorry for you having to lay with those old fat, nasty slobs.” He grinned. “Didn’t take
me long to figure out you liked it as much as they did.”

  Maddie started to cry. “How can you say that to me? You used to say you felt like I was your own sister.”

  “Hell, you and I both know you ain’t my sister. When my pa took up with your ma you were ten years old and I was fifteen.” He gave her an evil laugh. “If we’d been kin to each other the times we spent in bed would’ve been incest. Wouldn’t that be a story your benefactor would like to know about?”

  “Shut your filthy mouth.” She grabbed the salt shaker and threw it.

  He ducked. “We’ve talked about our wonderful family enough. Now we need to get down to business. Come on sister dear, give me some money.”

  “I’ve got two thousand dollars to my name.” She reached for her check book which she kept in a basket on the counter. “I’ll give you half of it if you’ll get out of here and never bother me again.”

  “Half, my ass. You’ll give me the whole damn thing. Otherwise I’m going to go see your sugar daddy. He’ll be glad to pay me off to keep his new wife from knowing about your cute little ass.”

  When she only stared at him, he laughed again. “Try me and see. I’ll tell him you were on your last dollar when you got your hooks in him in Las Vegas.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Oh wouldn’t I? I’ve been working for him for almost a year now. His fancy horses and I are getting to be friends. They tell me things.”

  “You’re crazy, Norman. I can’t help if your pa let you get an education and ma didn’t let me. What I don’t see, is why you want to waste it. As a vet you could make good money.”

  “I’m doing fine. Only need a little to tide me over. I’ll get on with another vet soon. I’m good with the big animals, especially horses.”

  “Then why don’t you take the money and go to Texas? I hear there are a lot of horses there.”

  He laughed. “That’s not a bad idea. I did have that good job in Nevada working with the ranches in the area. Remember old man Stutter’s place?” He reached across the table and tapped her arm. “He liked to brag to his friends that it didn’t matter if he was seventy years old, he was getting his jollies in the hay loft for fifty bucks with you at the same time I was checking the horses. Too bad his wife caught him and ran us both off with a shotgun.”

  She jerked her arm away. “Forget old man Stutter. I said I’d give you half of what I have and that’s all I’ll do.”

  “That ain’t enough, baby. If you don’t have the ten thousand, give me your two or I’m off to see Kincade. Where will you be then?”

  “Norman, we’ve got a good thing going here. Why do you want to mess it up now? In a few months I’ll have Quinton where I want him. I may blackmail him myself. To keep the new wife from knowing about me, I’m sure he’ll come through with whatever I want. Then we’ll have more money than we know what to do with.”

  “Yeah, right. You thought he was going to marry you as soon as he got you to North Carolina. Now you see who he’s married to.”

  “Go to hell, Norman.” She slammed her check book shut. “I’m not going to give you a dime.”

  “Then, I’ll—”

  “Go ahead and tell Quinton whatever you want to. I’ll tell him you came around here and tried to blackmail me. I’ll say you threatened to tell his wife about me. Who do you think he’ll believe then? His girlfriend or the man who tried to molest his wife last night?”

  He stood and grabbed her by the arm.

  “Ouch, that hurts.”

  “I’ll break it if you don’t write the check.” He was sucking in air and he had that look of desire in his eyes that he often got when he touched her.

  Maddie knew she had him. When he was this close to her, she could make him do anything. She’d never failed, and she knew she wouldn’t today.

  She spoke in a sultry voice. “Okay, Norman, you win. I’ll write the check, but you’ve got to promise me you won’t cash it. Hold it and I’ll bring you the cash at the motel after midnight tonight. Then you can give the check back to me.”

  “I’m out of booze. What’ll I do for a bottle till midnight?”

  “I’ll give you enough cash for a couple of bottles. You know I can’t resist you when you get this close to me.” She gave him a seductive smile.

  “Don’t you—”

  She slid her arm around his neck. “Kiss me, Norman. I think I’ll die if you don’t kiss me.”

  He tried to pull away, but she held him tight against her. He looked into her eyes and her lips were parted. “Damn it, Maddie, why do you do this to me?” His lips crushed hers.

  “What if I give you five hundred and the privilege to come see me whenever you want to?” she asked in a whisper.

  “Make it a thousand and it’s a deal.” His voice was gruff.

  “Deal,” she whispered against his lips.

  With one swoop of his arm, he raked everything off the dinette table and threw her down.

  * * * *

  After Norman left with the check, Maddie picked up the phone. When the party on the other end answered she said, “I got rid of him. Damn bastard. I hope Quinton doesn’t show up tonight. I don’t think I can handle any more tonight.”

  “Forget Kincade. What do you want me to do?”

  “I told Norman to go to that little motel over toward I-40. The one I use to meet him sometimes. I gave him money so he could stop at the liquor store. He’ll be dead drunk by dark. Before he left, he called to be sure he could get room 222. He said he’d leave the door unlocked for me.”

  “What time are you supposed to be there?”

  “I told him Quinton was coming and it would probably be as late as midnight.”

  “Did you give him the check?”

  “Yes, but he’s not going to cash it. He said it was his insurance to make sure I showed up with the money tonight. He swore he’d cash it tomorrow if I didn’t come.” She took a deep breath. “Be sure you get the check before you leave. We don’t want anything leading back to us.”

  “I guess you don’t want me to come by for a quickie?” His voice was hopeful.

  “I told you I don’t want any man tonight.” She could hear his sigh on the other end. She didn’t want anything to make him decide not to go through with their plan. “By the time it’s over with, I bet I’ll change my mind. Why don’t you come by afterward? I’ll wait for you.”

  “Now you’re talking.”

  “Be sure Quinton’s limo isn’t anywhere around. We’ve still got to set him up, you know.”

  “I’ll be careful. We don’t want to play our hand too soon.”

  “I know. Don’t forget to wear gloves. You don’t want to leave your fingerprints.”

  He laughed. “We’ve been over this a thousand times. I’ll leave the old deck of poker cards on the table, put out some food and push some furniture around.”

  “Remember to break a liquor bottle and spill some of it. I want it to look like there was another drunk there and they fought over a poker game.”

  “After I strangle him, I’ll beat him a little so there’ll be some bruises.”

  “I knew I could count on you.” She sighed. “I kind of hate to do it this way. Norman was good to me when we were thrown together as kids.”

  “I know, baby, but he’s going to blow things if we don’t get rid of him. You want the money, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “There’s no other way, then. Don’t think about it and it’ll all be over by the time I get there tonight.”

  “I love you,” Maddie said in a seductive voice.

  “I love you, too, babe. I’ll love you even more when we get the money from Kincade.”

  “Be careful and I’ll see you about midnight,” she whispered and hung up the phone.

  Chapter 19

  “Is there anything you need before we leave on Monday?” Quinton asked over dinner the second night after the country club incident.

  Jillian looked at him in surpr
ise. “Are you serious about taking me with you?”

  “Of course.” He cut into his lamb chop. “I want you to go.”

  She smiled. “I thought you were only saying that at the club the other night to keep me from going with Marilyn and her friends to Atlanta.”

  “I could tell you didn’t want to go with her. Besides it wouldn’t look right if a husband took off on a week’s business trip and left his bride alone after less than two months of marriage, would it?”

  If he hadn’t reached over and took her hand she would’ve thought he was telling her that no matter how many times they made love, the marriage was still all about show. Maybe he was anyway.

  “I don’t want to go without you,” he whispered. “I’d get too lonely in those hotel rooms by myself.”

  Jillian looked into his twinkling dark eyes and smiled. Lord, was she falling in love with this man, even thought they were still virtual strangers? If that wasn’t the case, why did she feel warm all over whenever he held her hand, or touched her cheek, or made a suggestive remark? It had to be the newness of the relationship and the effects of the surrounding opulence. Jillian had never felt like royalty before, but since their wedding night, he’d treated her like a queen.

  “Of course I’ll go with you,” she teased him back. “We certainly don’t want your fancy friends to get the idea that this is a marriage only to save your stores.”

  “As soon as we finish this meal, I’ll take you up those stairs and we’ll put on our own show so that—” The butler entered the dining room. “Yes, Bertram?”

  “Excuse me, Mr. Kincade, but Mr. Von Cannon is in the east parlor. He said it was urgent.”

  “I didn’t go into the parlor. I’m right here.” John came in behind the butler. “I’ve got to talk to you, Quinton. Hello, Jillian.”

  Jillian nodded.

  “Sir…” Bertram started.

  “It’s all right,” Quinton said. “Come sit down, John. Would you like some coffee?”

  Jillian stated to get up. She wanted to make an exit behind the butler, but Quinton put a hand on her arm.

  “I need to talk to you in private.” John’s voice sounded serious.