That was when all his problems had started. First his appetite for sex had decreased, and then, when he thought he should indulge in carnal pleasures to distract himself, he was unable to perform. He was unable to get an erection.

Until …

Until Delilah entered his life. And now? Had she betrayed him too? Was she after his wealth too? The thought made him feel ill.

“You don’t look well.” Amaury entered the kitchen behind Ricky.

Leaning against the counter, Samson gave him what even he himself knew was a tortured look. “How do you expect me to feel?”

“She can’t have gotten under your skin like this, not in one night.”

Samson heard disbelief in Amaury’s voice. He ignored his friend’s remark. “We need to get to the bottom of this, fast.”

“I can run a background check on her, see who she really is,” Ricky offered.

Samson nodded. “Do that. Amaury, talk to Carl, and find out what else he’s noticed amongst her stuff that might be odd. He’s been to the place she stayed at, and if it’s true what she claims, that she’s from New York, the condo probably doesn’t belong to her. Find out who it belongs to. Then check with Oliver to find out what she did today. He was with her all day.”

Ricky’s cell rang, and he answered it instantly.

“Where?” He motioned to Samson and Amaury. “Okay, we’ll be there in less than half an hour.” He disconnected the call.

“That was Thomas. They’ve got the guy who attacked you and Delilah.”

Samson straightened out, relieved to have something productive to do.

“You and I’ll go. Amaury, find out about her what you can. Make it quick. Carl will help you. Ricky, we’re taking your car.”

Samson headed for the door.

“Hmh, shouldn’t you get dressed first?” Ricky wondered.

Samson looked down at himself and realized he only wore his jeans, no shoes, no shirt. “Give me a minute.”

He stalked up the stairs and entered his bedroom. Delilah had finished her shower and gotten dressed in a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt. It gave her an innocent look. He hesitated when he saw her. Only minutes earlier he had been inside her body and felt no greater joy than being swept away by her kisses, but now he was consumed with doubts. Who was she? What did she want?

“Anything the matter?” Her voice sounded shaky. Did she suspect something? Could she sense his doubts?

“Just a work emergency. I’ll have to take care of something.” Samson reached into his closet to pull out a black t-shirt. He dressed quickly while she watched him.

“I should be back in a couple of hours, so if you get hungry, you know where the kitchen is.”

He was about to storm out the bedroom, when he realized that she probably found his behavior strange. He’d been the hot lover only minutes earlier, unable to get enough of her. If he behaved with such aloofness now, Delilah would become suspicious. It was important to keep her in the belief that everything was okay, that he hadn’t caught on to her game yet.

As he approached her, he thought he detected her flinching, but couldn’t be certain. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Amaury and Carl will probably be around, so don’t be surprised if you see them downstairs.”

He watched for a reaction on her face which would give away that she found his abrupt departure unusual and noticed her lips curl slightly upwards. It wasn’t a smile, merely an acknowledgment she’d heard him.

“Sure, see you later.”

As soon as the door closed behind him, Delilah exhaled sharply. He’d seemed normal, maybe a little absentminded, but it sounded like the work emergency he’d mentioned was worrying him. She realized that she truly didn’t know him. She’d spend an entire night making love to him, yet she didn’t even know what he did for a living, what kind of hobbies he had or what food he liked.

Those were all things normal people discussed on a first date. Had she been crazy to spend their first date entirely in his embrace without asking him the most fundamental questions? It had been such a long time since she’d been on a date that she’d completely forgotten how to act on one. Had Samson taken advantage of that fact? Had he seen her as completely naïve and figured he could just get her into bed quickly?

It still didn’t explain the incident in the shower. Oh God, the shower. She’d let him inside her without a condom. What if he wasn’t as healthy as he’d said? What if the strange thing she’d seen in his eyes was some weird disease he had? Could he infect her with something?