Long Time Coming Read Online Free PDF Page B

bachelor digs.
    Venus nearly knocked him over when she jumped up on her rear legs and began to lick his collarbone because that's as far as she could reach.
    "Hey, girl," he said, pushing her down affectionately Bending over, he picked up the evening newspaper and scratched the dog behind the ears. He sailed the rolled-up newspaper across the yard. Obediently Venus loped after it, tongue dangling from the corner of her mouth.
    He doubted he could appease the other blonde by scratching her behind the ears and throwing a newspaper for her to fetch. Not for the first time, he wished that all the females in his life were as uncomplicated and easy to get along with as Venus.
    "Hi," he said, flashing his most winning smile.
    "You're only an hour late," she reported peevishly. "That damned dog nearly ate me alive when I went indoors."
    "She's jealous of other women."
    He took his mail out of the box and sorted through it. Only one letter caught his eye.
    The plain white envelope had been addressed in what had become a familiar script. He slid it into his breast pocket and dropped the rest of the mail on the lacquered hall table as he went through the door.
    "Is that all you can say?" Venus bounded in carrying the newspaper. The other blonde pointed at her accusingly. "It nearly shredded my stockings when it took swipes at my legs."
    "She was protecting my house against an intruder."
    "Intruder? You gave me a door key the combination of your alarm system, and told me to let myself in."
    "I did? When?"
    "When you made the date for tonight."
    "We have a date?"
    She was fifteen years his junior, had a so-so face, legs that started in her armpits, and a tanned cleavage that would normally have caused him to salivate with lust. Having her in bed would make him the envy of every guy he knew.
    But it had been a lousy day. Pacifying an aggravated blond bimbo was going to require more energy than he was willing to expend.
    "You didn't remember that we had a date?" she whined petulantly.
    "No."
    "We met last week at a party. Lots of astronauts were there."
    He didn't remember which party. After so many they began to blur together, like the bimbos. In fact, he didn't remember much of what had happened to him before Marnie had looked up at him with serious, misty eyes and confirmed that, yes, the strapping lad with Law Kincaid's bone structure and Law Kincaid's coloring was Law Kincaid's son.
    "Look, uh…?"
    "Suzette."
    "Suzette, I'm sorry," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I, uh, something came up today at the center and I couldn't get away. We had to do this antigravity thing, see, and I'm bone tired. Let's do this some other night, okay?"
    She didn't buy his ingratiating smile or untruthful excuse. "Say, is this a brush-off?"
    He studied her sulky red mouth and accusing eyes for a moment, then said, "Say yeah, it is. Where's my key?"
    She commissioned him to do something that was an anatomical impossibility and ground the latch key into his hand, almost breaking the skin of his palm with the jagged teeth.
    Venus growled and nipped at Suzette's tapping high heels all the way to the front door.
    After it was slammed behind her, the dog looked back at him with a complacent expression.
    "You jealous bitch. Want a Flavor Snack?"
    Venus followed him through the house that a homosexual couple had lived in and decorated before they split up and sold the creative result of their liaison to Law.
    He liked the clean modern lines and spacious, uncluttered rooms. Absently he fed the colorful tropical fish in the aquarium that was mounted in the wall dividing the dining room and kitchen.
    Taking the envelope from his pocket, he read his latest letter. The threats of exposure were more vitriolic than before. He reread the paragraphs several times and became so steeped in the puzzle of who could have sent them that Venus had to lick his hand to remind him of the promised treat.
    He got her a dog biscuit, himself a beer, and slid open the glass door