el.angeleyes-第81部分

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　〃His　white　hand　closes　over　my　ankle　so　that　I　am　stretched　out　across　the　bed。　'How　old　are　you；　little　Irina？'　he　whispers。　The　wide　brim　of　his　hat　hides　his　face　pletely；　so　that　he　seems　to　be　a　part　of　the　shadows　of　the　room。　A　shadow　that　holds　me　fast。
　〃　'Eight。'　I　hardly　know　how　I　squeezed　that　one　word　out
　〃His　hand　moves　up　to　my　thigh。　He　touches　me　there；　between　my　legs。　'Take　care　of　your　mother；　little　Irina。　She　needs　you。'
　〃　'What…What　did　you　do　with　my　Daddy？'　I　asked　him。
　〃　'Forget　your　father；'　the　man　from　the　KGB　says；　straightening　up。　'He's　dead。'　〃
　Irina　had　recited　this　horrific　tale　in　a　dispassionate；　detached　voice。　But　as　soon　as　she　uttered　the　words　〃He's　dead；〃　she　broke　down；　sobbing　hysterically　into　Mars's　chest。
　He　held　her；　gently　swinging　her　back　and　forth；　as　a　mother　will　fort　a　child　with　night　terrors；　until　at　last　her　sobbing　subsided。
　''Irina；''　he　said　gently；　''tell　me；　did　the　man　from　the　KGB　force　himself　on　you？''
　〃You　mean　sexually？〃　Despite　her　best　efforts；　her　voice　cracked。
　〃Yes。〃
　She　shook　her　head　no。　After　a　moment's　pause　she　said；　〃But；　in　a　way；　what　he　did　was　just　as　bad。　It　made　my　flesh　crawl；　and　when；　years　later；　my　first　lover　touched　me　there　for　the　first　time；　I　screamed　just　as　if　he　had　thrust　a　knife　into　me。〃
　〃My　God；〃　Mars　said；　〃what　a　nightmare。〃
　Mars　was　right；　she　thought；　though　the　nightmare　was　continuing　in　the　present　in　a　way　he　could　not　imagine。　Her　first　instinct　was　to　break　off　with　Valeri。　Then；　almost　immediately；　she　saw　why　she　absolutely　must　not　break　with　him。　In　the　first　place；　she　saw　quite　clearly　that　she　must　not　give　Valeri　any　reason　to　suspect　that　she　had　been　spying　on　him；　or　that　she　knew　what　he　really　was。　If　she　broke　off　with　him　now；　with　no　good　reason；　he　would　undoubtedly　bee　suspicious。　She　knew　well　that　paranoia　was　the　KGB's　middle　name。
　In　the　second　place；　she　thought；　Valeri　is　evil。　Just　as　the　man　in　the　black　leather　trench　coat　was　evil。　They're　one　and　the　same；　and　if　I　run　from　Valeri；　I'll　just　be　giving　them　another　victory　over　me。　I　don't　want　that。　I　'd　like　nothing　better　than　to　give　them　back　a　measure　of　the　pain　they　gave　my　father　and　mother。　I'd　like　to　finally　free　myself　from　this　nightmare。
　She　came　to　her　decision：　I'll　give　Valeri　to　Mars。　Of　course；　that　means　implicating　Natasha；　but　perhaps　that　won't　be　so　bad；　what　could　Natasha　mean　to　Mars？　If　I　give　him　Valeri；　that's　all　he'll　focus　on。
　〃I　may　have　found　a　way　to　track　White　Star；〃　she　said　abruptly。　〃It　concerns　Valeri　Bondasenko。〃
　''What？''　Mars　frowned。　''Is　this　how　you　have　been　spending　your　time；　koshka？〃　his　frown　deepened。　〃I　know　I　told　you　that　Valeri　Denysovich　is　also　looking　for　White　Star；　but　you　see　he　is　dangerous；　too　dangerous　for…〃
　She　said；　〃There's　a　woman　Valeri　Bondasenko　secretly　sees　during　the　day。〃
　〃Aha！〃　This　clearly　interested　Mars。　〃A　chink　in　the　iron　man's　armor。〃
　Irina　said；　〃He　obviously　cares　for　this　woman；　so　there　is　an　obvious　weakness　there　I　believe　I　can　exploit。　If　I　can　find　what　Valeri　Denysovich　and　this　woman　are　up　to；　I　think　I　can　use　it　against　him；　get　the　information　you　want　in　return　for　my　silence。〃
　Mars　looked　dubious。
　''I　know　what　I　'm　doing；''　Irina　said；　''and　I　'm　doing　it　well。''
　〃No；　Irina。　I　can't　let　you　continue　your　surveillance　of　him；　especially　now　that　I　know　your　background。''
　〃You　think　I　haven't　the　nerve；　but　you're　wrong；''　Irina　said。　〃I　see　now　this　is　something　I　have　to　do；　I　have　to　face　my　fear　of　the　KGB　in　order　to　overe　it。　If　you　think　me　weak；　Mars…〃
　〃No；　I　don't　think　that。〃　He　smiled。　〃Otherwise　I　never　would　have　allowed　you　to　follow　your　instincts　in　trying　to　find　White　Star。〃　He　nodded。　〃So　be　it；　koshka。　Well　done。〃　The　sudden　look　of　admiration　on　his　face　flushed　her　with　warmth。　〃My　little　dove；〃　he　said；　using　the　mon　Russian　slang　for　a　female　spy。　He　embraced　her；　kissing　her　on　both　cheeks　as　she　had　seen　Red　Army　generals　do　when　they　greeted　one　another　within　the　precincts　of　the　Kremlin。
　Valeri　said；　〃I　hope　you're　not　falling　in　love　with　Mars。〃
　〃What　an　extraordinary　thing　to　say。〃
　〃Is　it？〃　He　eyed　her。　〃He　took　you　home　to　meet　his　parents。〃
　Irina　was　startled。　〃Are　you　having　me　watched？〃
　〃Only　when　you're　with　Mars；〃　Valeri　said。　〃And　only　to　make　sure　nothing　happens　to　you。〃
　''What　could　happen　to　me？〃
　Valeri　turned　down　the　stove　burner。　How　much　more　bear…like　he　seemed　to　her　now；　almost　like　a　Titan；　the　implied　strength　in　his　massive　shoulders；　chest；　and　upper　arms　so　much　more　intimidating　because　he　had　the　infinite　power　of　the　KGB　behind　him。　〃When　it　es　to　women；〃　Valeri　said；　〃Mars　can　be　dangerous。〃
　Mars　can　be　dangerous？　Irina　thought。　Holy　Mother；　how　he　can　twist　the　truth。　She　was　sitting　in　the　kitchen　of　Valeri's　apartment；　watching　him　prepare　breakfast。
　He　said；　〃Do　you　know；　even　I　couldn't　get　peppers　or　zucchini　at　the　street　stand　yesterday。　I　had　to　settle　for　cucumbers；　and　they　looked　none　too　fresh　to　me。''　He　poured　the　contents　of　a　frying　pan　onto　a　platter。　The　Toshiba　puter　was　on；　and　he　regularly　consulted　its　screen　while　he　was　cooking。
　〃How　do　you　find　time　to　get　all　those　recipes　in　memory？〃　she　asked；　because　she　was　unfortable　now　talking　with　him　about　Mars。
　〃I　get　some　help。〃　Valeri　laughed。　〃There's　a　ghost　in　the　machine。〃
　Of　course；　Irina　had　a　great　deal　of　expertise　with　puters；　that　was　one　of　the　reasons　she　had　been　sent　to　Boston。　Now　she　was　in　charge　of　the　new　puter　system　at　the　Ministry　of　Education。　It　was　rudimentary　by　American　standards；　but　still　it　made　life　so　much　easier。
　Valeri　said；　''I　hope　you're　going　to　eat　better　than　you　slept。''
　Indeed；　for　the　first　time　since　she　stayed　with　him；　she　had　not　slept　well。　In　the　middle　of　the　night　Valeri　had　reached　over；　put　his　arm　around　her。　Irina　had　gone　rigid。　How　could　she　possibly　make　love　with　him　now？　And　yet　when　he　turned　toward　her　and　she　felt　his　heat　against　her；　his　central　core　of　hardness　like　a　bar　of　iron　pressed　against　her　tower　belly；　she　melted。　It　was　as　if　she　were　two　women：　one　who　was　now　terrified　by　Valeri；　the　other　who　had　found　something　deep　inside　him；　something　not　only　tremendously　exciting；　but　also；　in　a　way　she　could　not　fathom；　redeeming。
　Valeri　was　so　gentle；　so　tender　as　his　lips　covered　her　body；　moving　from　the　hollow　of　her　neck　to　her　breasts；　her　stomach。　By　the　time　he　reached　her　thighs；　she　was　trembling　in　anticipation。　Her　mind　was　on　fire。　No；　she　realized　later；　not　her　mind。　For　she　had　put　her　rational　mind　on　hold；　locking　away　for　the　moment　her　terror　and　her　shame；　while　her　heart　seemed　to　merge　with　her　sex　at　that　precise　moment　Valeri's　tongue　found　her　open　and　wet。
　She　moaned；　reached　back；　holding　onto　the　brass　bars　of　the　bedstead　while　her　head　whipped　from　side　to　side。　When　she　felt　on　the　verge　of　exploding；　she　reached　down；　ran　her　fingers　through　his　thick　hair　to　pull　him　up。
　Mindlessly　she　guided　him　into　her；　arching　up　hard　against　his　groin　so　that　not　one　millimeter　of　him　was　left　outside。　She　was　wild；　wanton；　so　abandoned　that　she　could　not　remember　later　what　she　had　said　or　how　long　it　had　lasted。　It　had　seemed　like　forever；　an　endless　moment；　ripped　from　the　cloth　of　time；　when　the　both　of　them　hung　on　the　brink　of　ecstasy；　their　muscles　tight　and　jumping。
　At　the　end　Valeri's　lips　sought　hers；　kissing　her　as　the　delicious；　aching；　febrile　end　came；　as　she　groaned　into　his　open　mouth；　tasting　him　as　she　cried　out；　their　twined　bodies　spasming　on　and　on　and　on　。。。
　And　in　the　long　silence　afterward；　with　Valeri　still　inside　her；　with　her　licking　the　aromatic　salt　from　his　shoulder；　she　could　not　help　but　think　of　Mars；　beautiful；　handsome　Mars；　and　wonder　why　sex　with　him　was　so　uninvolving；　so　disappointing。
　She　had　fallen　asleep　on　top　of　Valeri；　his　hulking　body　her　bed。　And　when　she　awoke　at　dawn；　when　her　rational　mind　was　again　in　control；　she　wept　silent；　bitter　tears　at　the　weakness　of　her　flesh。
　Now；　as　Valeri　set　their　breakfast　on　the　table；　Irina　found　that　she　h