Stuart Woods - Reckless Abandon

“Neither do I.”

“I mean, the part about the Arab assassins would be funny if you and I hadn’t already killed three of them. I wouldn’t believe it, otherwise.”

“Neither would I.”

“And he said they wouldn’t know we’re in Orchid Beach?”

“He said that he figured it out, but they wouldn’t.”

“I hope to God he’s right.”

“So do I.”

“Still, I’m sleeping with a gun.”

“Good idea.”

“Speaking of sleeping…”

“I’m right behind you.” Holly let Daisy in from her nightly run in the dunes, then led Stone upstairs. “Daisy, get in your bed,” she said, and the dog curled up where she had been told.

“Good,” Stone said, stroking her hair, “I don’t want anybody between us tonight, and I’m glad Ham’s out of the house, too.”

“I’m glad, if you’re glad,” she said, helping him shuck his shirt over his head.

Stone worked on her buttons and unhooked her bra. “Alone is good,” he said, kissing her breasts.

She pulled him to her and pushed down on his shoulders until he was on his knees, pulling off her clothing. “Ooooh, that’s the place,” she said, running her fingers through his hair.

He pushed her onto the bed, and she opened her legs. For the next few minutes he concentrated on making her happy, and the noises she was making confirmed her feelings.

She came with a series of cries and little convulsions, then she pulled Stone on top of her. “I want everything tonight,” she said.

Stone slipped inside her. “The works,” he said, kissing her ear as he moved slowly in and out.

“The works!” she cried and moved with him.

For the better part of an hour they explored each other with fingers and tongues. They changed positions and laughed at the intensity of their pleasure. Then they took turns coming and collapsed in each other’s arms.

“It occurs to me,” Stone panted, “that my heart must be in pretty good shape, because if it weren’t, I’d be dead right now. That’s the best stress test in the world.”

Holly rested her head on his shoulder and threw a leg over his. “Okay, the Arab assassins can shoot me now.”

“I hope not.”

“If they showed up right now, I wouldn’t be able to hold a gun. I can’t make a fist.”

“Then we’re both helpless.”

“We could rely on Daisy.”

“We’d have to.”

Stone suddenly thought of something. “I just had a troubling thought.”

“Not now, please.”

“If they don’t know we’re here, who ransacked your house a few days ago?”

“Don’t make me think about it now.” Her voice trailed off. “I’m going to sleep.”

“Oh, no. You have to answer that question. You’re not sleeping until I’m sleeping, and I can’t sleep thinking about that.”

“What was the question again?”

“Who broke into your house?”

“How the hell should I know?”

“Didn’t your police force investigate?”

“Yes, but they didn’t leave any prints.”

“Who do you think it was?”

“Are you saying it was Arab assassins?”

“It would certainly seem to be Trini-connected, wouldn’t it?”

“Trini’s a Florida boy. If he wanted my house broken into, he wouldn’t need Arab assassins, he’d just make a call to some of his homeboys.”

“Well, I’m relieved that it wasn’t Arab assassins.”

“I’m so glad.”

“Is the burglar alarm on?”

“No, but there’s a keypad right here by the bed.”

“Would you turn it on, please?”

With a groan, Holly rolled over and tapped in the code, then rolled back. “There you go.”

“Good. I think I can sleep now.”

“But I’m wide awake.”

“I’m sleepy.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” she said, taking his testicles in her hand and squeezing.

“Hey, I can’t sleep with you doing that.”

“That’s the idea.” She stopped squeezing and began lightly kneading instead.

“You don’t really think I can…”

“Sure you can.”

“It’s impossible after what we’ve just done.” “Then why is this working?” she asked, continuing. “Oh, God.”

Holly rolled on top of him and put him inside her. “In fact, it’s working very well indeed.”

“I can’t argue,” Stone said, arching his back. “But I’ll never be able to come again.”

“Wanna bet?” she asked.

WHEN STONE WOKE up he was lying on his side, and Holly was curled up with him, in the spoon position. Stone had a notion of starting something, but Daisy was staring at him intently from across the bed. She was difficult to ignore.

“You want to go out, girl?” he asked.

“No,” Holly replied sleepily.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

He got out of bed and walked downstairs naked with Daisy. He opened the sliding door to the beach and left it open so that she could come back in.

Holly came down the stairs, getting into a robe. “I like you naked in my house,” she said.

“Why are you up?”

“It’s after eight, and I really ought to at least check in at the station before I come back and fuck your brains out.” She pinched him on the ass as she passed.

“So I have to wait?”

She made coffee and switched on the TV to CNN.

“In New York City last night,” a reporter was saying, “the FBI pulled off a major sting against a large terrorist organization. After setting up a bogus money-laundering apparatus, they lured the terrorists’ financial people to an address in Little Italy and, posing as members of the Mafia, videotaped their transaction, then arrested everybody. No names have been announced yet, but sources say that seven members of the as yet unnamed terrorist organization were arrested and more than ten million dollars in Euros and Swiss francs was confiscated.”

The scene switched to a group of smiling men at a microphone. “We’re very pleased about this,” a man was saying.

“Look, there’s Grant Early Harrison in the back row,” Holly said. “They’ve done it. I can go after Trini now.”

“I guess so,” Stone said. “Lance didn’t mention this last night.”

“I guess the FBI didn’t let him in on the timing. You ready to go back to New York?”

Stone shrugged. “Sure. I don’t know how much more of this sunshine and sea and clean air I can take, anyway. Can I have breakfast first?”

“Sure.” She went to work in the kitchen.

An hour later, Holly left the house in uniform. “I’ve got a couple of hours’ work at the station. You go ahead and file your flight plan. I’ll bring sandwiches for lunch on the airplane.”

“Are you going to call Ham?”

“I’m going to leave Daisy with him. I’ll tell him then.”

“Whatever you say.”

She left, and Stone phoned for a weather forecast, which was favorable, and filed a flight plan, then he called the airport and asked for the airplane to be refueled. Holly dropped Daisy off with Ham, who didn’t like her going back to New York without him.

“You call me if you need me,” he said.

“I will,” she replied, kissing him on the cheek.

With Holly in the copilot’s seat they climbed out of Vero Beach airport and headed north, by way of Ormond Beach and Charleston, South Carolina. Stone noted a nice, thirty-knot tailwind, so they made good time along the route.

They had just passed Charleston when the AirCell phone rang, and Stone answered it. “Hello?”

“Stone?”

“Yes.”

“It’s Eduardo. I hope you don’t mind my phoning you on the airplane. Your secretary gave me the number.”

“Not at all. It’s good to hear from you, Eduardo.”

“Where are you?”