Kisser

27

STONE WALKED CARRIE DOWN to the kitchen, put her duffel on the dumbwaiter, and sent it upstairs. Then he poured them both a Knob Creek, and they sat down on the large kitchen sofa.

Carrie rested her hand lightly on Stone’s crotch. “You know what I like about you?”

“I think I’m getting an idea,” Stone said.

“Exactly. And it’s always ready to go.” She began kneading.

“How could it not be, under the circumstances?”

“Until I met you it had been a long time since I had gotten anywhere near as much sex as I wanted.”

“I’m glad to be of service,” Stone said.

She unzipped his fly and put her hand inside. “Men don’t really understand how much sex women need,” she said.

“I’m beginning to get the picture,” Stone said.

She pulled him down on the sofa, took down his trousers, shucked off her slacks, and straddled him, taking him inside her. “How’s that?”

“Mmmmm,” Stone replied.

“Oh, I’m going to come,” she said.

“Don’t wait for me.”

She didn’t.

“You’re so easy,” Stone said. “Again.”

“Here I come.” And she did. “How about you?”

“I’ll save myself for later,” he said.

She lay down beside him on the sofa and put her head on his shoulder. “I know I can be a pain in the ass,” she said, “but I really appreciate the way you’ve been protecting me.”

“You’re paying for it,” Stone reminded her.

“Yes, but I never would have arranged it for myself. You’ve thought of everything.”

“I’ve tried to.”

She sat up, pulled her sweater over her head, and undid her bra, freeing her breasts. “I’m dining naked tonight,” she said, then started on his clothes.

“I hope you don’t mind if I wear an apron while I’m cooking,” Stone said. “Gotta watch out for those spatters.”

“You do that, sweetie. I’ll still get to look at your ass, which is very nice, by the way.”

“Same to you, kiddo.”

“Did you ever take dance?” she asked him.

“Ballroom, when I was twelve-my mother insisted.”

“You’ve got a dancer’s ass,” she said. “Muscular and tight.”

“Maybe I should start wearing leotards,” he suggested.

She laughed.

THEY DINED, NAKED, on veal chops and risotto.

“This is wonderful,” she said, tasting the risotto. “What do you put in it?”

“You watched me make it.”

“I was watching your ass,” she said.

“Combine some butter and olive oil in a pan; add twelve ounces of Arborio rice, some salt, and the zest of a lemon; and sauté until the rice turns golden. Start adding small cupfuls of hot chicken stock, stirring until each addition is absorbed before adding the next, and continue until a whole carton has been absorbed. Then stir in the zest of another lemon, a couple of fistfuls of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and half a carton of crème fraîche, and serve. Takes a little less than half an hour.”

“That’s so simple.”

“Why do you think I make it?”

She attacked her veal chop, and Stone poured a good Australian Shiraz into their glasses.

When they had finished she sat back and rubbed her naked belly. “God, that was good; I’m almost too full to make love again.”

“Would you like some dessert?” he asked. “There’s ice cream.”

“I think I’ll have you for dessert,” she said, taking him by the cock and leading him upstairs.

JOAN UZZED them at nine, waking them.

Stone picked up the phone. “Mmmmf.”

“And good morning to you, too,” Joan said. “There’s a man watching the house.”

“Go look out your office window. Do you see the Leahys?”

She put the phone down for a minute, then came back. “They just drove up, and the man ankled it out of here.”

“Pete stuck a hat pin in him last night,” Stone said. “I guess he didn’t want another one.”

“And where would Peter Leahy get a hat pin?”

“From his grandmother.”

“An heirloom-wonderful.”

“Pete’s an old-fashioned kind of guy.”

“I just thought you’d like to know,” Joan said, then hung up.

Carrie was sitting up in bed now. “I’ve got a rehearsal in half an hour,” she said, climbing out of bed. “I wish I had time to fuck you again.” She ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

Stone drifted off for a few minutes until she woke him with a kiss.

“Tell Willie and Peter the next time they see that guy, I’d like them to have a chat with him,” Stone said. “Find out who he is and see if they can connect him with Max.”

“Okay,” Carrie replied. “We’ll talk later.”

“I want the night off,” Stone called after her. “I’m exhausted.”

“We’ll see,” she called back over her departing shoulder.

Stone went back to sleep.