Chapter 5

The pressure of his fingers on Abegail's hand was almost unbearable. He was electricity; he was fire. She melted to his touch. "Yes, oh yes, I would," she managed to say in a strained, small voice.

"And what would you do to be able to go to the World's Fair, Abegail?"

"Anything... anything," Abegail answered breathlessly. He was stripping away all defences and anything but a totally honest response.

"If you come with me back to my room, Abegail, I will take you to the World's Fair tomorrow."

When Wally returned, not having found the catalogue anywhere in the storeroom, the store proper was, of course, empty. The missing catalogue was lying on top of the showcase Cole had been leaning against.

Cole had Abegail stripped down to her corselet expertly in no time after they had gotten to his room at the hotel. She had no idea what to do, but he was doing it all. They were sitting side by side on his bed, and he was encasing her shoulders with one arm and pushing her bodice down to below he