Stuart Woods - Cold Paradise

“It’s a start,” he replied.

She untied his robe and took it away, then untied her own robe, letting it drop to the floor. She pressed him back on the sofa, knelt beside him and kissed his penis.

Stone made a little noise.

She took him into her mouth and played gently with him, rubbing a nipple, getting the response she wanted at both ends. She held his testicles in one hand, doing inventive things with her tongue, then she stopped for a moment. “This is just for you,” she said. “You don’t have to wait for me.”

“I want you now,” Stone said, panting a little.

“Maybe later,” she said, taking him into her mouth again. She pushed his legs apart and pulled his knees up, then began exploring the cleft of his buttocks with her fingers.

“I’m going to explode soon,” Stone said.

“Not yet,” she replied, then began again. She moved her head slowly up and down, beginning with the tip, then pressing until nearly the whole length of him had disappeared.

Stone couldn’t find words, only noises.

Then Stone exploded, and she stayed with him for another minute, prolonging the orgasm, keeping him going until he could only cry out and collapse back onto the sofa.

Finally, cradling his testicles in a hand, she laid her head on his belly and kissed it softly. “How are you?” she asked.

“I can’t make a fist,” he replied.

“You hardly need to,” she laughed.

They remained that way for a moment, then she climbed onto the sofa with him and lay on top of him, nestling her head into his shoulder.

“There’s something else I should tell you,” he said, “just so you won’t think I’m keeping anything from you.”

“I’m listening.”

“When I heard about Arrington and Vance-I was on the island of St. Marks, at the time-Allison Manning and I had…”

She raised her head. “Each other?”

“Yes. I was angry with Arrington, and Allison…”

“Was there?”

“Yes.”

She laid her head back down. “Well, Allison is somewhere down the road, and I’m here, so just stay away from her.”

“That may be difficult,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“Somebody broke into her house this evening and trashed a room. Thad has brought her back here. He’s asked me to look after her while he’s on the Coast.”

She raised her head again. “Where’s that gun?”

He pulled her head back down. “Not to worry.”

“How do I know that?”

“Let me show you,” he said. He rolled her onto her back and knelt beside the sofa, the way she had. With his tongue, he explored her soft fur. “How’s that for reassurance?” he asked.

She pulled his head back into her lap. “It’s a start,” she said.

Stone was still sleeping soundly when he was awakened by the sound of his cabin door opening. He lifted his head and saw Callie approaching with a breakfast tray. She was fully dressed.

He sat up on his elbows. “What time is it?”

“A little after nine,” she said, setting down the tray on the bed. “I’ve been up since six, seeing that everybody got breakfast before Thad and Arrington left for the Coast.”

“They’re gone?”

“Half an hour ago. After our conversation of last night I didn’t think you’d want to get up early to say goodbye.”

Stone laughed. “After our, ah, 'conversation‘ of last night, I don’t know that I could have gotten up. I may spend the day in bed.“

“I’d spend it with you, but there are some odds and ends with the painters and builders that I have to deal with. And, by the way, your friend Allison-sorry, Liz-is moving onto the yacht, into Thad’s cabin.”

“Why?”

“She complained that the odor of drying paint gave her a headache. I’d like to give her a permanent one.”

“What have you got against Liz Harding?”

“Her past with you, of course, and now she’ll be right down the corridor. See that your door is securely locked before retiring, please.”

“Then how will you get in?”

“I have a key,” she said smugly, “and I know how to use it.”

“Fear not, you’ve rendered me incapable with another woman. I’m not sure I can walk.”

“Don’t walk, eat,” she said, stuffing a croissant into his mouth. She walked to the door, then turned back. “You’re going to need your strength,” she said. “See you tonight.”

Stone bit off a bite of the croissant and lay back on the bed, chewing.

At mid-morning, showered, shaved and dressed, Stone ventured out of his cabin and found Liz Harding sitting on an afterdeck sofa, reading a book about Palm Beach.

“Good morning,” he said. “Feeling better today?”

“Feeling safer,” she said, “since I’m here with you.” Her voice was kittenish.

“You’re not here with me,” he said. “You’re here with Thad.”

“But you’ll protect me while he’s gone.”

“Yes, but I’m not expecting anything untoward to happen. Are you?”

She closed her book and tossed it onto the coffee table. “I don’t know anymore,” she said. “It took me a year after I left St. Marks before I began to relax, and the marriage to Winston before I felt really safe. But after last night…”

“It may just have been some teenaged vandal,” Stone said. “I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“I hope you’re right,” she replied. “Now, I want to do some shopping, and I don’t think I’d feel safe unless you were with me.”

“All right, I’ll tag along. Since I’m staying longer than I’d planned, I could probably use a few things myself.”

“I’ll get my purse,” she said.

They found a parking spot on Worth Avenue and strolled slowly down the street. Stone glanced around occasionally, looking for anyone resembling Paul Manning. Liz had said he’d had a nose job, so Stone concentrated on tall men. Manning was at least six-three, he remembered. Everyone he saw was comfortingly short.

He sat in the husband’s chair in a shop as Liz tried on dresses, while he flipped idly through one of several Palm Beach magazines, which featured grinning people in lavish clothes, photographed at parties, and many shots of overdecorated interiors of huge houses. There were ads for Rolls-Royces and Ferraris and many for jewelry.

They went into the Polo Ralph Lauren shop, where Stone bought some extra underwear and socks, along with a spare cashmere sweater for the cool evenings he had not anticipated.

He followed Liz into a jewelry shop and looked at a Cartier Tank Francaise wristwatch, while she tried on a diamond bracelet.

“You like?” she asked, holding out her wrist.

“I like.”

“I like your watch, too.”

Stone gave it back to the saleslady. “It’s beautiful, but…” The “but” was twenty grand, he thought.

Liz bought the bracelet, which came to nearly thirty thousand dollars, Stone noted. “I’ll wear it for Thad, when he comes back,” she said.

“When is he coming back? He didn’t tell me.”

“Tomorrow or the next day, depending on how his business goes.”

“Don’t forget to call your insurance company to put the bracelet on your policy.”

“Thank you. I would have forgotten. I did call my bank about the settlement with the life insurance company. The funds will be wired to your bank today.”

“Good. I’d like to get that settled as soon as possible.”

“Me, too,” she said.

“I’ll call my office when we get back to the yacht.” As he spoke, he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. “Excuse me,” he said, answering it. “Hello?”

“Hi, it’s Joan.”

“How are things in the big city?”

“Running smoothly. The bank called. Mrs. Harding’s money is in your trust account. You want me to complete the transaction with the insurance company?”