Gates of Paradise (Casteel 4)

and go. Please," I pleaded, but my pleas fell on deaf

ears, ears unable to hear anything but the sounds and

words spoken in his imagination.

"Oh, Leigh . . Leigh, my darling Leigh." His

hand groped about until he found my left wrist and began to pull me toward him. I tried to resist, but I was so weak and so tired, I could barely put up a struggle. I was sure he was taking that as a form of encouragement. "We'll make love through the night, just as we did before, and if you want, you can call me

Daddy."

Call him Daddy? What horrible thing was he

suggesting?

Tony's hand was on my shoulder and he was

lowering his face toward mine, bringing his lips to

mine. I pulled my head back, but his other hand was

on my waist, gripping it tightly. Without the full

strength of my lower body, I was at a great disadvantage.

"TONY! STOP! STOP!"

His hand moved up my waist to my breasts and

he moaned with pleasure.

"Oh, my Leigh, my Leigh."

I broke free of his grip on my left wrist and

swung down at his left hand, catching him on the

forearm and driving his fingers from my bosom. The

blow shocked him.

"TONY! STOP! I'M ANNIE! AND YOU ARE

DOING A TERRIBLE THING, A THING YOU

WILL REGRET FOREVER!"

My words finally found their target. He froze in

a sitting position. To dramatize my resistance, I

leaned forward and pushed on his chest with both my

hands, driving him back. The effort took all my

strength and I collapsed against the pillow.

"What?" he said, as if he heard voices I couldn't