emotional and sexual energy would be as bright and fiery as her lovely red hair. He could almost taste her already—taste the flavor of her pleasure, the essence of her desire.
Oh yes, he would have fun with his new acquisition, Kane promised himself. Soon he would find her and bring her here.
And then he would feed.
Four
“I’m home,” Alli called, as she walked in the door of the nicely appointed townhome she shared with Douglas in the Old Town district of Alexandria, Virginia.
Their shared residence wasn’t too far from DC, where Douglas worked as a tax attorney and private consultant for some of the biggest names in Washington. Senators and Congressmen, conservatives and liberals—Douglas was fond of saying that everyone had something to hide. And it was his job to help hide it—at least from the prying eyes of the IRS.
What he did wasn’t exactly illegal—more slightly unethical, as he had explained to Alli on their first date. A “moral gray area” he called it. The fuzzy boundary where the taxpayer’s expectations of their representatives met the cold reality of Washington politics. It was a high stakes game and he loved playing it.
Alli had been intrigued when he first told her all this. Not because she liked the idea of anybody cheating on their taxes—but because it seemed like maybe Douglas was a kind of outlaw. A bad boy who might say or do anything unexpectedly—both in the boardroom and in the bedroom.
Five years with her fiancé had put that fantasy to rest, however. Douglas was as buttoned-up as they came. He was about five foot nine, had short, neatly clipped brown hair, mild gray eyes, and a businesslike manner, even in bed…
“I’ll be frank with you, Alli,” he’d said, when he first asked her to marry him. “You’re not my exact ideal. You’re a little plumper than I’d like and you’re a bit free with your opinions. But you have a lovely face, a good career, and a fine professional reputation. Plus, you don’t want children and neither do I. We’re both happy devoting ourselves to our careers and not spending every spare minute together. But before we plan our union, I’d like to know what you think about our possible marriage?”
Alli had tried not to be offended by this dry little speech. She and Douglas had been dating for over a year by that time—they had matched up on a website especially for professional people with busy lives who wanted a minimal commitment. Aside from the part about her being “too plump,” she told herself that Douglas was more or less right about her.
She liked Douglas pretty well. She didn’t love him passionately, but he was generally nice to be around. And what he lacked in the bedroom, he made up for in stability and practicality in their everyday life. And if part of her—a part buried so deep she had almost forgotten about it—cried out for something more—something passionate and exciting—well, what of it? Alli could ignore that part of herself—she had been doing so since college, after all.
“I think it’s definitely doable,” she had replied, in the same businesslike tone he had used. “I do want to specify some requirements, though.”
“Name them.” Douglas had made a ‘go on’ gesture.
“Monogamy is important to me,” Alli told him. “I’m fine with a limited relationship, but if you have sex, it had better be with me and me only. Cheating is a deal breaker.”
“Understood and agreed.” Douglas had nodded at once. In truth, Alli didn’t think it would be very hard for him to comply with her demand for monogamy. Douglas just wasn’t that interested in sex. Still, it had to be said.
“Good.” She nodded. “Then I would be happy to be your wife, Douglas.”
There was no shouting or crying or excitement in their agreement and Douglas didn’t take her to an expensive restaurant or get down on one knee. It was “a sound business decision, not a publicity stunt” as he put it. Once they were legally married, they could file their taxes “Married filing Jointly” and get a much better deal than with the two of them filing separately.
Douglas didn’t even give her a ring—not at that moment, anyway. Though a few months afterwards he had presented her with a perfectly respectable, ultra-traditional diamond ring which he dutifully slipped onto her finger.
“Now we’re official,” he told her. And so they were.
“I’m home!” Alli called again, looking around the living area. “Douglas?”