'Can you organize professional packers to box up my clothes, manuscripts and other stuff, then have them ship everything to me in L.A.? I'll e-mail you a list.'

'Of course,' Luanne said. A long beat. 'Did you catch Jump with another woman?'

'What makes you think that?'

'Well... when I stayed at the loft, I put in a nanny-cam - one of those small hidden cameras that keeps an eye on Nanny while she's watching the baby.'

'So?'

'When I moved out I forgot to take the camera. You were in London and Jump had gone off to Atlanta for a gig. There were a few days in between me leaving the apartment and coming back for the camera.'

'Go on.'

'I played the nanny tape, and on it Jump was banging some blonde.' An awkward pause. 'Sorry.'

'Why are you telling me this now?'

'I didn't think it was fair to mention it before.'

'What if I caught your husband banging some blonde?' Cat said vehemently. 'Would you think it was fair for me not to tell you?

'I was waiting until I saw you.'

She sighed. It wasn't Luanne's fault, no good blaming her. 'Thanks for telling me anyway,' she said. 'It simply confirms that I'm doing the right thing.'

'I'm really sorry, Cat.'

'Yeah,' she said ruefully. 'So am I.'

Sex with Tony seemed to get more amazing every time. No games, just mind-blowing sex with one hugely sexy Latino man. God! He turned her on big-time!

By the time Lola redid her hair and makeup it was almost midnight.

They left the hotel, settled into Tony's limo and set off for a tour of the salsa clubs, neither of them feeling any pain.

Tony broke open a bottle of Cristal in the car and poured two glasses. 'Got a question,' he said, handing her one.

'What?' she asked, taking a sip of champagne.

'Didja sleep with that Linc Blackwood dude?'

'Did you sleep with that putta you flew into New Orleans?' she countered.

'You first,' he said, dark eyes ever watchful.

'No.' A long pause. 'I could've, but I didn't.'

'Me neither,' he said, clinking glasses with her. 'Here's the deal, baby girl, you've damned near ruined me for other women.'

'I have?' she said, delighted.

'Yeah, babe. You're the shit, an' that's the way it is.'

She leaned forward, cupping his face in her hands, her tongue flicking lightly over his lips before she grabbed his crotch with her right hand. 'Mine,' she said fervently. 'All mine. You stick it in anyone else, Tony Alvarez, and I swear to God I'll cut it off.'

'Oooh, scary woman,' Tony said, throwing his head back and roaring with laughter.

'Yes, I am. And don't you ever forget it.'

'Wake up,' Linc said, not so gently pushing Shelby's shoulder.

Slowly she uncurled her body. 'Oh,' she said, yawning. 'I must've fallen asleep.

I wasn't sure what time you'd be back, so I put on the TV and that was it.

Instant sleeping pill'

He noticed that she had on one of his favourite dresses and her hair was loose around her shoulders. She looked so damn beautiful.

She reached her arms up to bring him closer so she could kiss him. He responded.

'I missed you,' she murmured. 'I'm so happy to be here.'

It was apparent that she had not seen the New York papers.

He pulled her up, holding her close to him for a minute.

'I've decided that separations are no good,' she said. 'In future I'm turning down any movies that take me away from you.'

He didn't believe her. She was merely saying that to appease him. She'd probably seen the photo of her with Pete in People and was wondering what kind of lies to feed him.

Her lips were soft against his. Arousal was automatic.

Details of last night began to come back. Lola Sanchez was a prize prick-tease.

She'd got him hot and drunk in the restaurant, then left him high and dry.

Typical female behaviour. He hated all of them.

'Love you,' Shelby whispered. 'Missed you.'

Yeah. Sure you did. Especially when you were out with Pete.

Without saying a word he went for her breasts, caressing them roughly.

She was startled. 'Can't we wait until we're in the bedroom?'

'No,' he said abruptly. 'I've waited long enough.' Then he did the unthinkable.

He ripped her dress - the dress he liked so much - off her body.

Now she was shocked. 'What's the matter with you?' she protested.

'Can't I miss my own wife?' he said, pushing her down on the couch, unzipping his pants and mounting her. No foreplay, no kissing, just straight to it.

Something like her big sex scene in Rapture.

She had a strong urge to fight him off, tell him he had to wait. But he was giving her no choice as he plunged inside her.

Furiously he went at her, desperately trying to rid himself of the anger that surged through him.

When he was finished, he zipped up and walked into the bedroom.

Shelby lay there, feeling used and abused, trying to figure out what had just happened. Then it occurred to her that, of course, he'd been drinking.

A feeling of dread enveloped her. Slowly she got up, went into the bathroom and put on a terrycloth robe she found hanging behind the door.

'What's going on, Linc?' she asked, wrapping the robe tightly around her as she confronted him in the bedroom. 'What was that all about?'

He was sitting on the edge of the bed smoking a cigarette. She glanced around to see if she could spy any booze. Nothing visible. Oh, God! Why had she thought he could be trusted?

'You tell me,' he said, his voice hard.

'About what?'

'Isn't there something I should know?'

Instantly she realized that somehow or other he'd found out about Pete. Damn!

She should have told him herself.

'Nothing I can think of,' she said, adding casually, 'I've been busy filming, doing press, that kind of thing.' A short pause. 'Oh, yes, and guess what?

There's an old friend of yours working on my movie. Actually, he's an old friend of ours.'

'Yeah? Who?' Linc said, his eyes cold and distant.

'Pete,' she answered. 'He sends you his best regards, can't wait for us all to get together.'

'Can't wait, huh?'

'That's right,' she said evenly.

'What's he doing on your movie, Shelby?'

'Actually he's the stunt co-ordinator.'

'Big coincidence,' Linc said, with a bitter twist to his words. 'Wonder how he got that job.'

'You always used to say that Pete was one of the best stuntmen in the business.'

'Then I suppose you didn't have to put in a good word for him?'

'What are you talking about?'

'I'm talking about the photo of the two of you in People: 'There's a photo?' she said, truly surprised.

'Seems you didn't realize you were being watched coming out of Jerry's Deli all tight and cosy together with his arm all over you.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah. Oh.' An ominous beat. 'What the fuck were you thinking? You've made me look like the biggest jerk walking.' Another long beat. 'Did you screw him?'

'How dare you?' she said, blushing a deep red.

'How dare I?' he yelled. 'What the fuck am I supposed to think?'

'He's coaching me to do a car stunt; we were discussing it. Lunch was perfectly innocent.'

'I don't get you,' Linc said harshly.

'What don't you get?'

'You know me well enough, right?'

'Yes.'

'Exactly how did you think I'd react?'

She did not wish this conversation to go any further, but it seemed like she had no choice. 'I had no idea there'd be a photo in a magazine,' she said, hoping to put an end to it.

'No idea, huh?' he sneered. 'You're starring in a high-profile porno movie, and you have no idea that the paparazzi might be following you?'

'Rapture is not a porno movie, Linc.'

His voice got louder. 'You're stupid, Shelby, you know that? You're really fuckin' dumb. First the USA Today piece, now this. Goddamn it, you're an idiot.

And you're making me look like one too.'

Now she knew for sure that he'd been drinking. He never insulted her and called her names unless he was drunk. It was only then that his venom bubbled to the surface and he turned mean and verbally abusive.

She couldn't stop herself asking, although she knew what his answer would be.

He'd deny it. He always did. 'Are you drinking again?' she ventured.

'Fuck you!' he screamed, losing it altogether. 'Do I look like I'm drinking?'

Yes, you do. Your eyes are bloodshot, your skin is blotchy, and you look horrible.