Her flesh was cool and soft as the summer desert breeze and her thrusting nipples rasped across the palms of my rising hands.
I froze, staring at her in the darkness.
There was only her face before me, then the taste of her salty tears on her lips and mine.
The anger inside me washed away in the cascading torrent of desire.
And with only my devil to guide us, together we plunged into the fiery pleasures of our own particular hell.
I awoke and glanced at the window.
The first flicker of dawn was spilling into the room.
I turned to look at Rina.
She was lying on my pillow, her arm flung across her eyes.
I touched her shoulder lightly.
She took away her arm.
Her eyes were open; they were clear and calm.
She got out of bed in a smooth, fluid motion.
Her body shone with a young, golden translucence.
She picked up her black negligee from the foot of the bed and slipped into it.
I sat there watching her as she walked over to the dresser.
"There's a pen in the top right drawer," I said.
She took out the pen and signed the release.
"Aren't you going to read it?" I asked.
She shook her head.
"What for?
You can't get any more than I agreed to give you."
She was right.
She had forgone all rights to any further claims in the estate.
Picking up the check and the notes, she walked to the door.
She turned there and looked back at me.
"I won't be here when you get back from the plant."
I looked at her for a moment. "You don't have to go," I said. Her eyes met mine. I thought I caught a hint of sadness in them.
"No, Jonas," she said softly. "It wouldn't work out."
"Maybe," I said.
"No, Jonas," she said.
"It's time you got out from under the shadow of your father.
He was a great man but so will you be.
In your own way." I reached for a cigarette on the bedside table and lit it without speaking.
The smoke burned into my lungs. "Good-by, Jonas," she said. "Good luck."
I stared at her for a moment, then I spoke. My voice was husky from the cigarette.
"Thank you," I said.
"Good-by, Rina."
The door opened and shut quickly and she was gone.
I got out of bed and walked over to the window.
The first morning red of the sun was on the horizon.
It was going to be a scorcher.
I heard the door open behind me and my heart leaped inside my breast.
She had come back.
I turned around.
Robair came into the room carrying a tray.
His white teeth flashed in a gentle smile.
"I thought you might do with a cup of coffee."
When I got down to the plant, Jake Platt had a gang of men up on the roof, painting it white.
I grinned to myself and went inside.