Читать книгу The WATERCRESS File - Victor J. Banis - Страница 5

CHAPTER ONE

Jackie Holmes sighed dreamily and ran one hand fondly over the expanse of naked, ivory-colored skin next to him on the bed. The ivory skin stirred, and his companion’s incredibly long eyelashes fluttered open. Lin’s bewitchingly pretty face broke into a happy smile as he saw Jackie.

“Again?” Lin asked in the soft, musical voice that sent little darts of excited anticipation chasing one another up and down Jackie’s spine.

Jackie beamed and nodded his head in quick agreement. “Again,” he said, moving happily into the open arms. Lin embraced him gently at first, still lethargic with the clinging sleep from which he had been awakened. Jackie’s hands, however, were busy on the silk-like smoothness of the naked flesh, making their way down the curve of the spine, fondling the delicious softness of the mounds, exploring the warm moistness of delight between them. Lin was shedding the sleep rapidly, his body stirring as it woke, his arms clinging more tightly to Jackie.

“The flower of the backyard,” Jackie whispered as his searching fingers reached the core of Lin’s erogenous zone. Lin laughed softly at the remark. “You are familiar with Chin P’ing Mei,” he asked.

“The Golden Lotus?” Jackie said, his fingers pleading silently for an invitation to what he suspected was an enchanted playground. “I’ve read it.” The Golden Lotus of which they spoke was one of the most notorious, and most stimulating, works of oriental erotica. The term that Jackie had used was one that came from the work, one used in connection with backward loving.

“Then you’ll understand,” Lin went on. “If I say that the blossom waits to be plucked.”

Jackie understood, all right, and he didn’t need a second invitation. He allowed Lin to turn, dropping to the floor and kneeling to rest his upper body upon the bed, his skin exposed and raised. Jackie admired it hungrily—the golden half moons, and nestled between them, the blossom of which they had spoken, a mere dot that looked inadequate for the size of Jackie’s ready excitement.

“You’re too small,” Jackie said regretfully, leaning across Lin’s bent body in frustration. “It’ll hurt you too much.”

Lin chuckled softly and wriggled an invitation. “The tiniest of buds may unfold to reveal an ample rose,” he argued. “But knock at the door, and it will open to you.”

Jackie gladly gave up the argument, nor did he resist when Lin, impatient, reached for him and guided him to the target. He was right—the door did open to him, and there was room enough, even completely. If Lin suffered any pain, he disguised the fact well. He moaned softly with pleasure as he was thrilled to the brim, and reached behind to squeeze Jackie’s buttocks, pulling Jackie even closer.

“There isn’t any more,” Jackie told him with a laugh. “Unless you want my arm too.”

For an answer, Lin only quivered and began to twist maddeningly, pushing the springy softness of his buttocks back against Jackie. Jackie began to move too, slowly at first and then faster and faster as the enchanted chamber began to work its magic. It was pretty potent magic and, to Jackie’s regret, the end came all too quickly. Surprisingly, at the first convulsive spasm within himself that signaled Jackie’s finish, Lin too erupted in a burning, torrential finish, that left them both limp and exhausted.

Afterward, Jackie held Lin happily in his arms, talking little and kissing a great deal. The morning sun, filtering through the closed draperies, told him it must be nearly noon, but he was in no hurry to get up. In fact, it was just beginning to look as though they were ready for still another round when the phone rang.

He frowned in annoyance, the hand that had been feeling around at Lin’s legs pausing. It would be easy to ignore the jangling bell, and take advantage of the growing tenseness in his hand.

The telephone seemed to be louder and more insistent with each ring. Jackie sighed and let go of Lin to reach for the receiver.

“Jackie?” It was a woman’s voice, high pitched and rather tremulous. Jackie recognized it at once.

“Aunt Lily,” he said, pleased to hear her voice despite the fun she had interrupted. “I haven’t heard from you in ages. Where are you?”

“Oh, I’m at home,” she explained. “In Washington. But I was wondering—is there any likelihood that you’ll be coming by this way?”

It seemed to Jackie rather a nonsensical question. He was in Los Angeles, where he ordinarily lived, and Aunt Lily was all the way across the country, in Washington, D.C.

“I hadn’t planned on seeing you today,” he answered. “Why, is there anything the matter?”

“I don’t know,” she said in a sober tone of voice. “I could be mistaken, but I somehow think we’ve stumbled upon something. It seems to be a message of some sort....”

“A message?” Jackie’s attention quickened. “What sort of message?”

“I don’t know, exactly,” she admitted. “It’s in some sort of code. But there is a little drawing at the bottom, almost as if it might be a signature.”

“Can you describe the drawing?”

“Oh, quite easily. It’s plainly a butterfly.”

Jackie caught his breath sharply—a coded message, signed with a butterfly. Aunt Lily was right—unless he was very mistaken, she had indeed stumbled upon something—maybe something extremely big.

“It’s a long story,” she was saying.

“Save it until I get there,” Jackie said quickly, interrupted her. “I should be there sometime this evening, if I can get a reservation.”

“Oh, how wonderful. I’ll have tea ready,” Aunt Lily gushed.

Lin was sitting up by the time Jackie finished the conversation, looking rather disappointed. “You will have to go out?” he asked.

“Way out,” Jackie agreed. “All the way to Washington, D.C.”

“Too bad,” Lin said, looking at his still aroused condition. “And just when things were getting interesting.”

Jackie smiled and leaned over to plant a kiss briefly on the center of Lin’s interest. “Save me the leftovers, and I’ll warm them up when I get back.”

Lin giggled, and got up out of the bed, dressing with natural grace. Jackie watched the appetizing frame being tucked into a pair of white pants, sighing as the golden flesh disappeared. Forcing his eyes away, he began to dress himself.

He waited until he had seen Lin out of the apartment, with a last, lingering kiss, and a promise to call as soon as he was back in town. He was grateful for the fact that Lin had not questioned him regarding the call or the nature of his trip to Washington—Jackie would have been unable to give him the honest answer.

Alone in the apartment, Jackie went to the phone and dialed two digits, waiting impatiently until a deep, masculine voice answered with a quick “Yes?”

“Rich, I’ve got to go on a little trip,” Jackie explained hurriedly. “I’m leaving now for the airport—call ahead and get me a reservation on the next Washington flight. And call Ted Summers for me, tell him I’m on my way to Washington and he’s to try to meet me at the airport. I’ll leave word.”

“Something big?” Rich asked on the other end.

“Looks like it might be,” Jackie answered. “Big enough, at least, that I want to look into it myself. But I have a feeling I’ll need some government help, and Summers is the only agent in Washington that I’m personally acquainted with. If nothing else, he’ll know who I should talk to about it.”

“Any message for him,” Rick asked.

“Tell him it concerns Butterfly,” Jackie said quickly. Without waiting for Rich to register surprise, Jackie hung up and hurried to the bedroom, quickly packing for the trip.