Heiser-The-Facade - Sparkling Eyes

"No you don't. For some reason, you want to ruin me, to bring me to shame. Whatkind of a twisted slut are you?""Twisted!" Melissa exploded, "1'll tell you what twisted is, you bastard! Twistedis you peddling your religion in front of real scholars! Twisted is quoting your asinineBible verses to people whether they want to hear it or not! Twisted is portraying yourselfas more pure than anyone else! Well I know betterI know you want me. You're not whatyou make yourself out to be. Your kind are all the same: con-trolled, thoughtful, and kindon the outside, but on the inside you're just as corrupt, ready to drop your pants and yourprecious standards—but in this case you'd get caught, so you hide behind your sickeningself-righteousness!"Brian felt the anger welling up in him, a fury like he'd never known. "Let me tellyou something, Miss Kelley," he seethed. "If you ever do anything like this to me again,what I'll feel won't be arousal, it'll be pitypity you're so weak that the only way you cancope with whatever's made you so angry is to try to make other people as miserable asyourself.""Why you let me go!" she snarled, and tried unsuccessfully to jerk her arm fromhis grasp."I'm not finished!" Brian shouted. "I have something else—" he stopped in midsentence,his gaze having fallen on the tears welling up in her enraged eyes. The paradoxjolted him for a moment, but his surprise was soon replaced by a wave of realization."Go ahead!" she blustered, but held her bearing."If you ever do anything like this to me again," he said calmly, looking squarelyinto her moistened eyes, "I'll listen.""What?""I'll listen," he repeated himself. "I don't know what you've been through, but I'mgoing to find out.""Is that so?" she sneered."Yes . . . it is," he replied, still holding her arm. "I may not ever be of any good toyou," he continued in a gentle but firm tone, "but you're not going to leave this basewithout knowing God placed someone in your life who at least wanted to help you dealwith what-ever was done to you. I've only been treated with this kind of con-tempt oncebefore, and at the root of it was pain. If you're ever ready to talk, I'll listen." He releasedher.Melissa appeared ready to engage him again, but her expression changed, asthough his words had hit their mark. The silence was broken by the clamor of shoutingand bootsteps in the hallway."Get dressed," Brian said, and proceeded to button his shirt. Melissa disappearedinto the bedroom just as an MP carded his way into the room, his pistol drawn."Hands in the air!" the gunman shouted at Brian, who by this time had taken aseat on the couch. He complied. Another MP entered the room and headed for thebedroom. The Colonel followed as a third Marine held the door open, just in time to seeMelissa emerge from Brian's bedroom, jeans and bra in place, but no blouse, handsbehind her head, escorted by the security detail."What the hell is going on here?" the Colonel demanded."What does it look like'?" Melissa asked sarcastically."Melissa was just leaving."216