Prey of Desire Read Online Free

commotion, he never took his eyes off her.
    “I'll be
looking for you later.” He kissed the back of her hand, then turned, slipping between two small groups of people loitering by the buffet and
holding little plates of hors d'oeuvres. A moment later he was gone, swallowed
by the crowd.
    Kim set
down her empty wine glass and raised a hand to her flushed face.

 
    Ten
minutes later, she found Mallory in the powder room, engrossed with her image
in the mirror, reapplying a heavy coat of lipstick. Kim approached her, holding
up the note.
    “I've got
news,” she said, excitement creeping into her voice. “Look what the waiter
handed me.”
    Mallory
didn't even acknowledge her. Kim continued anyway.
    “Ross is
here. He wrote this note.” She paused looking around the lavatory. “I wouldn't
be surprised if he's hiding in here somewhere, spying on us right now!”
Paranoid, Kim turned to the water closet behind them. Mallory glanced at the
note, but still showed little interest.
    “There's
a blonde here with breasts out to there.” Mallory held her arms out in front of
her body to describe an exaggerated size of her own breasts in the leopard
print material. “She thinks she's got every guy here drooling but I don't think
anybody really believes that boobs just accidentally pop out at inappropriate
moments. Like they need to come up for air or something…”
    “Mal,
listen to me. Ross is here. He sent me a note. Do you know what this means?”
    “I think
she's trying to start a music career or something,” Mallory said, once again
puckering at her image in the mirror. “But she'd better watch herself. I may
just take her out right here in front of everybody, boobs and all!”
    “Mal, I'm
having a crisis. Are you even listening to me?” Kim shoved the note in her
face. Mallory put down the lipstick.
    “No, I'm
not listening. If I don't ever hear Ross' name again, it will still be too soon!”
She twisted shut the tube of lipstick, then grabbed the note. She glanced over
it. “He didn't even sign this. How do you know this is from Ross?”
    The
lavatory door opened, interrupting the girls. Making a grand entrance, the
well-endowed blonde walked inside the powder room. Mallory glared at her. The
blonde glared back and then stepped into the water closet, shutting the door.
    “She
thinks she's so hot,” Mallory grumbled. “Slutty Miss
Stillwater 1995.”
    Kim
looked back at the note. “I can't believe Ross has finally come back…”

 
    Outside
the powder room, Kim and Mallory wandered toward the ballroom. Men and women
were dancing around them as a live band played “Mambo No. 5.”
    Kim
glanced at the black tie crowd then sighed.
    She had
to yell at Mallory to be heard over the rhythmic beat of the song. “Where's
Addison?”
    “I
haven't seen him all evening.” Mallory focused on the crowd.
    Kim
glanced at the band. “Maybe he went home with the shrink.”
    “They're
both here, somewhere,” Mallory yelled.
    “I just
want to find Ross.”        
    “You're
making too much of this!”
    “He's
come back to me. Come on, help me find him.” Kim tugged on Mallory's arm,
trying to lead her away from the dance floor. Mallory resisted and drew back
her arm.
    “He was
your high school boyfriend,” she said. “High school is over. Let him go.”
    “We're
soul mates,” she insisted. “This note is proof that he's realized that too.”
Kim suddenly stopped walking, her exit blocked by a man.
    Tall and
athletic, he approached the girls.
    “Prospero Año Nuevo,” he said with a heavy Cuban accent, his
voice deep. “You would like dance?” He was dark and Hispanic with smoldering
good looks and a boyish charm. His white tuxedo shirt and black pants strained
to contain a muscle-beach-boy body that had brought his major league career
strength, speed and steroid speculation. He seemed entranced with Mallory,
staring intently into her eyes.
    “Have we
met?” Mallory flashed him a wicked grin as