Last Resort (31 page)

"Or maybe, in a roundabout way, you did."

He frowned.

"Why, what did I say?"

Penny was on the point of reminding him, then thought better of it. What did it matter now? Why rake it up when she hadn't even really known him then?

"It's not important/ she said. I've just got a hang-up about my weight and'

"What did I say?"

he repeated.

"I told you, it's not important. Let's talk about my trip to LA, shall we? You obviously know hundreds of people there, so who are you going to put me in touch with?"

"Why have you got a hang-up about your weight?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, David/ she laughed.

"Let's not fool ourselves here, eh?"

His face was deadly serious and as he Jeaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking deep into her eyes Penny felt an incredible warmth moving through her as her heart started to quicken.

"Why don't you get undressed and let me look at you?"

he said softly.

The flare of lust was so intense it took her breath away and the image of his naked body that had never quite left her was suddenly so razor-sharp in her mind it was as though the very hardness of him was even now beneath her fingertips. And, were it not for Sammy driving in through the gates at that moment, she knew that

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she would have done as he asked, for her need to be held, to feel a man in her arms and the power of a body like his pressing against her, was wholly overwhelming. But as the headlights of Sammy's car bounced over the potholes in the drive she said,

"You're tempting, David, but I don't think either of us need another notch on the bedpost, do we?"

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Chapter 13

Robert Stirling was in his usual position on the sun deck of the motor yacht, a pair of binoculars pressed to his eyes. The twilight bathers on the Cannes beaches were drawn so close by the lenses he could almost see the blackheads in teenage boys"

ears.

As he tilted his head back, the creamy-white hotels and striped awnings of the apartment blocks along the Croisette rushed past in a blur until he came to focus on the wide, glassed-in balcony of David Villers's apartment.

Tuck!"

he spat as Villers, with his own set of binoculars, gave him a wave.

"Bastard,"

he grunted, dropping the binoculars into his lap.

He was on the point of getting up and going into the cabin, when a messenger pulled up on his scooter, calling out that he had a package for Monsieur Stirling.

Stirling, whose corpulent frame was no hindrance unless he wanted it to be, swung himself out of the chair and on to the passerelle. Taking the package, he signed the messenger's docket and went back on board and into the cabin.

"D'you tell Villers where to find this boat?"

he growled at Marielle, who was preparing supper.

"Of course not,"

she answered, glancing over at him.

"What's that?"

"Mind your own business,"

he told her, stopping a

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moment to look at her, bare-assed in a bib-apron. Then, sliding the documents out of their wrapping, he went to sit at the table, where he began leafing hungrily through the reams of typewritten pages. At first glance there was no sign of what he was looking for, but they'd talked to Villers's wife, so it had to be there somewhere. He'd go through it later with a fine-tooth comb, looking for just one word, one nuance, one fucking anything, that would give him what he needed. But he'd do it tomorrow, when Marielle was out of the way and a couple of the boys were on board to lend a hand. He didn't mind waiting, especially not when he was in the mood for a few games right now. Shit, were things going well for him! Yeah, things sure were looking up.

"Get yourself over here/ he barked at Marielle. Marielle looked back over her shoulder, then putting down the whisk she wiped her fingers on her apron and padded across the cabin.

"I need some help with this,"

he said, putting his left hand on the documents while brandishing the index finger of his right hand. Let's see how long it takes her to work this one out, he was grinning to himself.

Marielle's tongue pushed out the side of her cheek as, frowning, she looked at the finger. To give her a clue he waggled it back and forth a couple of times, crooking it as though beckoning to her.

As enlightenment dawned, Marielle's eyes clouded and a small, catlike smile curled her sumptuous lips. Then, hooking up her apron, she parted the lips of her vagina and bared herself to him.

Stirling was impressed, she caught on quick, and wetting his finger in her sex he began to employ a laborious method of leafing through the document. Each time his finger dried he went back for more, digging it in slowly, sliding it back and forth a couple of times, then peeled away a few more pages. This was a good game, he was thinking, he kind of liked it. Being treated like a whore was

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obviously what Marielle got off on and he had no bl with that.

"Course she probably thought she was gonna eet what she wanted out of him at the end of it, but she'd learn soon enough that she'd got the wrong guy here

"cos his head sure as hell didn't take no orders from his dick. He chuckled inwardly. Life felt real good tonight. Villers was in his sights, was gonna get what he had coming - and Stirling was pretty damn certain it wasn't gonna be long in the coming now.

"How long's Penny the Moon gonna be away?"

he asked, not bothering to raise his eyes from the page to look at Marielle as he prodded around a bit.

"Another week/ she answered huskily.

"Why?"

"Just wondered. Must be a good time for you, having her out the way a while."

"She's going to be gone a lot longer than she thinks/ Marielle answered, with a slight catch in her voice as he tapped his fingers against hers, indicating she should open herself wider.

This time he looked at her.

"What's that mean?"

he said.

"You told me she was gonna be gone two weeks, three at the outside."

"She is/ Marielle confirmed, wishing he'd stop looking at her and put his finger back where it belonged.

Three weeks is up Friday/ he said.

"You telling me she's not coming?"

"She's coming/ Marielle said.

"But she won't be staying long."

"Why? Where's she going?"

"I don't know/ Marielle answered, twitching her hips to signal she wanted more.

Stirling's top lip curled. Tou pull off whatever little stunts you want over there, Marielle/ he told her, poking her clitoris with his finger,

"but I don't want you getting in my way, do you hear? I want Penny the Moon back here in France and I want her staying as long as 1 say, not as long as you say. You got that?"

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Marielle nodded. Just tell him what he wants to hear, she was saying to herself.

"I've got it/ she said.

"You're the boss. I do what you say."

Stirling smirked.

"You're a fast learner, Marielle/ he said.

"I like that in you."

He put his finger in his mouth, sucked it, then withdrew it with a loud kissing noise. Tell you what/ he said,

"just to show how appreciative I am of how smart you are, I reckon I'm gonna fuck you."

Marielle tried to look meek, but couldn't quite mask the triumphant gleam that shot to her eyes. He'd done plenty to her these last few weeks, got her to do even more to him, but what he hadn't done yet was screw her.

Teah/ he said, reaching under his belly to unzip himself,

"I reckon I'm gonna put this here dick in you, Marielle, and get you screaming out for your Maker. Now, what do you say to that?"

"Whatever you want/ she said humbly.

"Good girl/ he said approvingly.

"Now get yourself over this table and spread those pretty legs of yours nice and wide."

Obediently Marielle bent over the desk, gripping the sides with her hands and resting her face on the documents.

"Oh no you don't/ he said, pulling the documents out from under her and patting her bottom.

"We're gonna find somewhere else to put these, so you just stay right where you are. I'll be back."

Marielle did as she was told, her long slender legs widely parted, her smooth, tight buttocks tilted upwards, ready to take him. She felt so sluttish she could come just thinking about it.

"Well now, I do believe I recognize that smile/ a voice drawled from the doorway.

Marielle spun round to find David Villers grinning down at her, one shoulder resting on the door frame, his arms casually folded.

"Hello, Marielle/ he said.

"Having fun?"

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'What the hell are you doing here?"

she hissed, pulling herself up quickly and unsuccessfully trying to cover herself with the apron.

"I could ask you the same question/ he said,

"but I'm a big boy, I reckon I can work it out."

Marielle was about to answer, when a door behind her opened and Stirling came in.

"Right, where were?"

He stopped dead as he saw Villers standing at the threshold.

"My, Bobby, I sure didn't expect you to be this pleased to see me,"

David grinned, looking straight at Stirling's erection.

Stirling's face was beetroot-red as he fumbled his dick back in his shorts.

"What the hell do you want?"

he growled.

"I don't remember inviting you here."

"I just came over to say hi,"

David answered.

"But I can see it's not convenient right now. I'll call back another time."

And with a quick glance at Marielle he left.

That's the last time that bastard pulls one on me,"

Stirling snarled, staring at the empty doorway. Tou tell him from me, Marielle, you tell that son of a bitch, I'm gonna blast his ass so fucking hard they'll still be looking for the pieces come Doomsday."

His eyes swivelled to Marielle.

"For Chrissake, cover yourself up,"

he barked.

"Then get the fuck out of here and don't come back."

The sound of laughter from behind the closed door of Sylvia Starke's office was becoming infectious. The production concourse was fairly full at that moment and as they all turned to look at each other a grin was spreading on every face. David Villers, Sylvia's cherished godson, had gone in a few minutes ago when just the sight of him striding through the office had caused more than a few female hearts to flutter.

In the comfort of Sylvia's plush seating area David had just finished recounting the story of how he had discovered Marielle with Stirling. Sylvia was dabbing her eyes and trying to catch her breath, she had laughed so hard.

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'What I wouldn't give to have seen his face/ she gasped.

"But you must be careful, David. Stirling is nobody's fool: he's clever and he's dangerous. He isn't going to take this sitting down and you know it."

"He's never taken anything sitting down/ David said calmly,

"but it's never got him anywhere yet."

She eyed him for a moment, her expression alone warning him not to become cocky.

"What made you go over there?"

she asked.

David shrugged.

"Seemed crazy not to when I'd just caught him spying on me with his binoculars."

"But how did you know he was there? On that particular boat?"

"Easy. I got Pierre to follow Marielle."

"Ah, yes, Marielle. So what happens to her now?"

David grimaced.

"I haven't made up my mind yet. Nothing, probably - at least, not for a while.

My guess is, when Penny finds her feet a bit more she'll fire her, but she needs Marielle right now whether she likes it or not. And Marielle's harmless enough. A bit of a schemer, but she's playing out of her league here which she'll find out soon enough."

"Well, just make sure she can't do you any damage before she does/ Sylvia warned.

"You got it."

David winked. Tou know/ he said, stretching an arm along the back of the sofa and resting a foot on his knee,

"I find I'm getting quite fond of old Stirling. I reckon I'm going to miss him when all this is over."

Sylvia's mouth tightened as she looked at him from under her lashes.

"And when will that be, David?"

she asked in a serious voice.

"Good question/ he sighed.

Sylvia watched him for a moment, then said,

"Have you heard anything more from Gabriella?"

He shook his head.

"Not for a couple of weeks."

"Do you trust her?"

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He laughed bitterly.

"With a woman like Gabriella, trust doesn't come into the equation."

"Has she agreed to let you see the boys?"

Sylvia asked after a pause.

"No way is she going to let me anywhere near them while she's staying with my old lady/ he answered, an edge of bitterness in his voice. The bitterness turned to anger as he got abruptly to his feet.

"It hurts, Sylvia,"

he muttered.

"It hurts like fucking hell. They're my boys and I'm not even getting to see them grow up."

Sylvia, watching him walk to the window, said nothing. There was no point reminding him that if he hadn't played around the way he had Gabriella might not be doing this to him for as true as it was, it sadly was now a very long way from being as simple as that.

"Stirling's after everything. You know that don't you?"

he said.

"And he's not going to stop until he's got it."

"He feels you owe him/ Sylvia pointed out.

David laughed and turned to face her.

"Now, there's an understatement/ he said.

Sylvia's answering smile was small.

"How's Penny?"

she asked, changing the subject.

"Still in LA. Back the day after tomorrow."

"Have things worked out for her over there? She hasn't called me at all."

T spoke to her last week some time. She sounded pretty pleased with herself, so yeah, I guess it must be going OK."

"Good. Didn't you tell me you got the impression she didn't want to go?"