Sacred Sins

shopworn lines.”

    “How about fresh ones?”
    “Such as?”
    “Have a late supper with me after the theater and we'll see who can remember more old Beatle lyrics.”
    She flashed him a grin, quick, impulsive, and totally unlike the careful smiles she'd given him before. “You'll lose, and you're on.”
    “Do you know a guy with two thousand dollars worth of caps on his teeth and a Brooks Brothers suit?”
    Her brows drew together. “Is this a quiz?”
    “Too late, he's coming over.”
    “Who… oh, hello, Frank.”
    “Tess, didn't expect to see you here.” He patted the hand of the pencil-slim, exotic woman at his side. “Lorraine, this is Dr. Teresa Court, an associate of mine.”
    Obviously bored, and earning Tess's sympathy, the woman held out a hand. “So happy to meet you.” Her gaze slid easily over Tess and latched on to Ben. “Hello.”
    His smile was slow, and though his eyes never left her face, he took in every detail. “Hello, I'm Ben.”
    “Tess, you should've told me you were coming. We'd have made a party of it,” Frank said.
    Lorraine tilted her head as she looked at Ben. Maybe the night could be salvaged after all, she thought. “There's always after the play,” Lorraine said.
    “There certainly is,” Ben murmured, and earned a swift kick from Tess under the table. His smile never wavered. “But Tess and I have to make an early night of it. Business.”
    “Sorry, Frank, we'll have to do it another time.” Knowing escape was always in doubt, Tess was already up. “See you around the office. Bye, Lorraine.”
    “Here's your hat, what's your hurry?” Ben mumbled as he followed her out.

    “If you knew what I knew, you'd thank me.”
    “Your, ah, colleague has better taste in women than he does in ties.”
    “Really?” Tess made a business of brushing her coat smooth as they walked. “I thought she was rather obvious.”
    “Yeah.” Ben cast a look over his shoulder. “Uh-huh. Obvious.”
    “Some men like cleavage and mink eyelashes, I suppose.”
    “Some men are animals.”
    “She was his second choice,” Tess heard herself saying. “I turned him down first.”
    “Is that so?” Intrigued, Ben slowed her down by swinging an arm over her shoulders. “He asked you to the Coward thing and you turned him down?”
    “That's right.”
    “I'm flattered.”
    She shot him a look. His ego didn't need any help from her. “I only said yes to you because you're not perfect.”
    “Hmm. When did he ask you?”
    “Yesterday afternoon.”
    “It didn't seem to put his nose out of joint that you turned him down and were here with me.”
    Uncomfortable, Tess shifted under his arm. “I told him I had a date.”
    “Oh. You lied.”
    He said it with such pleasure, she laughed. “I'm not perfect either.”
    “That makes things easier.”

    T HE early night Ben had spoken of ended at two A.M., when they walked down the corridor to Tess's apartment.

    “I'm going to hate myself in the morning,” Tess said over a yawn.
    “I haven't even asked you to go to bed yet.”
    The yawn ended on a muffled laugh. “I was thinking about drinking a half bottle of wine and five hours' sleep.” She stopped at her door and turned to lean against it. “I didn't expect to have such a good time.”
    Neither had he. “Why don't we try it again? Maybe we won't.”
    She thought about it for three full seconds. “All right, when?”
    “There's a Bogart festival tomorrow night across town.”
    “The Maltese Falcon?”
    “And The Big Sleep .”
    She smiled, comfortably sleepy. “Okay.” When he stepped closer, she waited for him to kiss her. If the idea warmed her, she thought it only natural. The desire to be held and touched was a human one. Her eyes half closed and her heart beat just a little faster.
    “You've got to replace this Mickey Mouse lock.”
    Her lashes fluttered up again. “What?”
    “Your door lock, Tess, is a joke.” He traced a finger down her nose, pleased to see confusion. “If you're going to live in a building without security, you'd better make sure you've got a dead bolt on your door.”
    “Dead bolt.” With a half laugh she straightened and reached for her keys. “I can't argue with a cop.”
    “Glad to hear it.” He put his hands over hers and kissed her before she'd prepared herself again. Later, when she could think straight, she'd wonder if he'd planned it that way.
    It was silly to believe that a kiss as gentle, as easy as this one could send shock