Part 13 (1/2)

I didn't doubt that Lopez's attraction to me was sincere. He was a dedicated cop and it was clear that dating me wasn't good for his career at the moment, so I didn't think that being in my apartment today was a casual choice for him. But I knew it was nonetheless convenient for him that he was seeing a woman whom his mother wouldn't want him to marry. And just in case she decided she could cope with a daughter-in-law who wasn't Catholic, he'd been holding back the shocking news that I was an actress. He was saving that tidbit for an ”emergency,” he'd told me.

Well, it looked like the cat was out of the bag now. According to today's tabloids, I was a chorus girl with ties to the Mafia. (And since there was a sense in which this was perfectly true, I felt depressed again.) So now Lopez was getting an earful in my bedroom about his taste in women.

”All right, enough, enough,” I heard him say wearily to his mother. ”Give it a rest, would you? Look, I have to go . . . Because I have things to do . . . Of course course I'm trying to get you off the phone. Is it going to work?” I'm trying to get you off the phone. Is it going to work?”

”Last year, I played Kate in The Taming of the Shrew The Taming of the Shrew in summer stock,” I grumbled to myself. ”But do the tabloids mention that? in summer stock,” I grumbled to myself. ”But do the tabloids mention that? Nooooo. Nooooo.”

The scent of fresh-brewed coffee was filling the apartment when Lopez finally came out of the bedroom, looking sheepish.

”Sorry about that,” he said.

”I'm just glad it wasn't my my mother who called,” I said sincerely. mother who called,” I said sincerely.

”I never suspected her of reading tabloids.” Lopez frowned. ”I wonder if my dad knows?”

”I guess everyone's got a dark secret.”

He sniffed the air and asked hopefully, ”Is the coffee ready?”

I realized I didn't know how he took it. We were still so new to each other. I held up the milk and sugar, and I raised my eyebrows in silent query.

He shook his head. ”Just black.”

”Look on the bright side,” I said, handing him a full mug. ”It seems certain that as long as we're dating, she'll never never suggest you think about getting married.” suggest you think about getting married.”

”Good point.”

That led me to something I wanted to get off my chest. ”Look, I'm sorry I told everyone at Stella's that you're my boyfriend. And, um, that they think we're engaged. It's just that I needed-”

”Oh, I don't care about that.” He waved away my apology. ”I mean, I know why you said it.”

”You do?”

”Sure. A place full of heavily armed wiseguys pinching you, hitting on you, and getting too pushy after they've had a few drinks?” He shrugged. ”A cop boyfriend probably comes in handy pretty often at Stella's.”

I nodded. ”In a nutsh.e.l.l.”

”And since I don't want want those guys pinching you, hitting on you, and so on,” he added, ”I'm glad you told them about me.” those guys pinching you, hitting on you, and so on,” he added, ”I'm glad you told them about me.”

”Oh.” I smiled. ”Okay.”

He smiled, too, then sat down at my kitchen table, half of which was in my living room. That's a Manhattan apartment for you.

After a moment, though, his expression turned serious. ”We have to talk about last night.”

I slid into the chair next to him. ”I told you exactly what I saw. I'm not lying to you.”

”Then I need to find out what you're leaving out.”

”Here we go,” I muttered.

He reached over to me, slid his hand into my hair, and gently pulled my head closer to his. ”Look, I shouldn't even be here. And I definitely definitely shouldn't have just spent three hours in your bed.” shouldn't have just spent three hours in your bed.”

”We didn't do anything,” I reminded him.

He kissed me. All of a sudden, without preamble. His mouth was hot, and his tongue was silky, and it was a really long, intense, leading-straight-to-steamy-s.e.x kind of kiss. He needed a shave, but his jaw was just rough enough to feel s.e.xy, not uncomfortable.

When he was finally done, I was dizzy and couldn't speak or move or catch my breath. I just sat there waiting for him to do it again. I think I whimpered a little.

”I didn't do anything,” he whispered, breathing hard, ”because I was just too d.a.m.n tired.”

”How can you kiss a woman like that . . .” I panted for air, ”. . . right after talking to your mother? mother?”

He blinked. ”Okay, when you put it that way, I suddenly feel too tired again.”

”Forget I mentioned it.” I leaned forward to kiss him again.

”No, listen to me,” he whispered, putting his hands on my face to make me hold still.

”Ow.” I winced. ”Nelli's scratches.”

”Oh!” He brushed his fingertips over my cheek, feather light, to soothe my skin. ”Sorry.”

”You could kiss it and make it better,” I suggested.

He shook his head. ”We have to talk.”

”I don't feel like talking,” I said pointedly.

”Neither do I.” He s.h.i.+ed away from my mouth again, his eyes heavy-lidded and his breath still coming fast. ”But we have to.”

”You're the one who-” the one who-”

”I know.” His puff of laughter brushed across my face. ”I was just making a point. It backfired on me, though.”

”Hmph.” I sat back in my chair. ”Okay, fine. Have it your way. Let's talk.”

”We need to go over . . .” He paused, looking distracted, then said, ”Wait. First, just tell me. Why is your face blue?”

”Oh, I forgot about that!” I looked down at my blue arm. ”Wow, I must be hot, if you can kiss me like that when my face is blue.”

”Well, as you may remember, you were green all over the first time I ever saw you. I guess I find you s.e.xy in different colors.”

We had met the night Lopez questioned the cast of Sorcerer! Sorcerer! backstage after Golly Gee disappeared; I was in lots of body make-up and hardly any costume as a green forest nymph. backstage after Golly Gee disappeared; I was in lots of body make-up and hardly any costume as a green forest nymph.

He asked, ”So how did you get so blue today?”