The Encounter By Steph Chapter Four *          Isabelle could no longer concentrate on her work. She sat at her small desk which was littered with papers and books, starring off into space. This unknown man that had entered her life had brought about total chaos to her otherwise dull uneventful existence.          It was only yesterday that he had come to the Library in search of her. Why, she asked herself. Perhaps there was a higher force at work here. In any case, she was finding that in his presence, nothing else seemed to matter. It was as if the world itself had melted away into nothingness. His touch was overwhelming and if had wanted more from her, she was powerless to protest. Why did this man have such power over her emotions, her feelings and her very thoughts ? Isabelle closed her eyes and could see those dark enticing eyes before her.          "Excuse me." A voice interrupted her thoughts. Isabelle was startled and looked up to find a well dressed man standing in the doorway.          "Miss Grant ?" He asked as he reached his hand into his suit and retrieved a wallet. He was a lanky man, tall but well porportioned.          "Yes, I am Miss.Grant....you many call me Isabelle..and you are ?" The man stepped forward and flipped the wallet to reveal a gold badge. "My name is Detective Jase Bailey. I would like to ask you a few questions." He gave ample time for her to look over his credentials before returning them to his suit pocket.           "Questions ?" Isabelle asked as Jase pulled a nearby chair closer to her desk and made himself quite comfortable without an invatation.          "Yes, There have been some strange occurences and we like to be thorough and check with as many people as we can. I'm sure you understand." Isabelle did not like where this was leading. If he should dare to ask her about her mysterious man, she would not willingly answer. Strange, how instant protectiveness overcame her, for this dark stranger.          "Strange occurences?" She asked trying to sound completely unaware of whatever he was getting to. "Yes, Your Co-Worker Mary, has told me you sometimes walk at night thru the cemetary district. Perhaps you can tell me if you have seen anything unusual lately ?" Isabelle would never reveal the sights of that night. She had seen only figures in the distance, except for him.          "I'm sorry Detective Bailey..I can think of nothing out of the ordinary." Isabelle tried to make her words seem confident and truthful. He seemed to accept her answer for the time being.          Jase stood and pulled a small white business card from his shirt pocket. "Please, if you happen to recall anything, anything at all, please call. Thank you for your time Miss. Grant." He smiled slightly and offered his hand to her. Isabelle rose from the chair and shook his hand. He placed his business card into the palm of her hand and saw himself out of the small office. Isabelle watched him leave.          "Goodness...Wasn't he a handsome devil ?" Mary was quite excited at the visit of Dectective Bailey. "He seems a little thin, I would love to cook one of my homemade meals for him. He's single you know " Mary prattled on, obviously quite taken with this Jase Bailey. "I wonder if he likes children ?"           Isabelle had other thoughts on her mind. Were they looking for him and those others ? When would she see him again ? Did she want to see him again ? These were questions that she had no answers to. ***************          Fouchon eyed the floating corpse with no emotion. The hunt had gone well and his client was satisfied. But something told him there was a matter weighing heavily upon Van Cleaf's mind.          Pik instructed the others to pull the body in from the water with just a nod of his head. Once the water soaked body was pulled to shore, Pik kneeled and cut the money belt from around the waist of the victim. His thoughts were not on the hunt. They were elsewhere.          "Pik, a moment if you would." Fouchon ordered. The client had been led away to a nearby car. "There is something on your mind. I can feel it ." Fouchon eyed his silent partner.          "I suggest you see to it, before it becomes a hindrance to our trade." Pik did mistake the undelying threat. "Do you understand ?" Pik did not answer. His look of cold emotionless feeling was answer enough.          It was well past midnight and Isabelle was wide awake. She lay uncovered from the waist up peering up at the ceiling clad in her pale pink night gown. Isabelle closed her eyes and willed herself into a restless sleep. It was short lived. Her eyes shot open and eyed the small alarm clock across the room. 1:45 am. It was evident that she was not going to sleep. Isabelle ran her hands thru her mass of uncombed hair and made her way to the kitchen and she stopped cold in her tracks. He was here. She could feel him. Indeed he was.          Pik emerged from the shawdows revealing his presence. "You..." She whispered in a stangled voice. He walked towards her, as always his hands tucked into his jacket pockets. Isabelle felt fear arise within her chest and she began to back away from him. It was futile. He was just inches away and she pressed her back into the wall trying to make herself as small as possible. Pik was intrigued at her reaction. He reached out one hand and traced his finger down her cheek. She was warm and so soft. The moment he touched her Isabelle could feel the fear subside and was replaced with desire.          Pik had waited long enough, he could no longer control his own actions. He lowered his head and took her lips into his mouth. She was sweet and willing. His arrousal was growing impatient and his kiss grew more insistent. Isabelle could feel her own heart pounding and the need to touch him was strong. She slid her hand up to his neck and lightly touched his warm skin. Her touch seemed to ignite him.           Pik slid his hands over her shoulders and down to her waist and her shapely hips. His fingertips began to grasp the silky fabric and raise it ever so slowly. His lips left hers only for a moment and trailed along her neck and down to her breast. He ran his tongue over the silky fabric that covered her nipple. Isabelle let out a low moan that even she did not recognize.          Pik kept lifting the folds of the fabric until he could feel her skin and he returned his lips to hers. Isabelle had to feel him. She slid both her hands to his jacket front and began to unbutton the two rows of buttons in a feverent manor. She slid the jacket from his powerful broad shoulders and let it fall to the carpet below.          He was wearing a black turtle neck that clung to his very muscular chest. Never had she ever wanted to touch a man this badly. Her hands ran over the thickness of the turtleneck savoring at the hardness of him. If she had to stop touching him this very moment, she would surely die, so great was her wanting.          There was no stopping him, and she offered no refusal. Pik was beyond any rational thought as he pressed her hard against the wall. His hands slid to her now exposed thighs and lifted her higher against the wall.          Isabelle allowed her hands to drift lower, as if they had a mind of their own, to his belt. It took but a moment to free his belt and first button on his trousers. Just imaging how he would feel inside her, pushed her over the edge. She reached inside his trousers and ever so lightly touched him. This small action made him moan into her mouth.          Isabelle knew at this moment that she had waited all her life for this moment and for this man.   NEXT     TABLE OF CONTENTS     BACK