“Carolyn, I assure you that it did not come from me, nor do I have any knowledge of whom it might have come from. I have the greatest respect for Hugh. Though we were never close, any dealings I ever had with him were always conducted with the highest degree of professionalism and mutual respect, and if you wish to quote me to the Drudge Report or anyone else, you may do so freely.”
She looked a bit mollified. “Thank you, Mr. Cabot; I know Mr. English would appreciate that. By the way, a cable has come in from James Tiptree in St. Marks, saying that the island is once again open to air travel.”
“Thank you, Carolyn, I’m glad to hear that. I want to extract the Peppers and some other people from St. Marks as soon as possible.”
“Would you like me to arrange air travel for them?” she asked.
“Thank you, yes. If you could get them a mid-sized jet, perhaps a Hawker, I’d appreciate it. There’ll be six passengers and their luggage.”
“I’ll do it right away and e-mail you the details,” she said. “And thank you again for what you said about Mr. English.”
“I’ll drop him a note and tell him myself,” Lance said.
The woman left the office, and Lance continued to make notes about fixtures and furnishings. He also made a note to himself to add the Drudge Report to his office’s morning reading.
51
Stone woke late in the morning to find the bedsheet no longer covering him. He delayed pulling it up again to enjoy the sight of Holly lying naked on her back, her legs slightly parted, her hair awry.
She opened an eye. “You’re awake?”
“I seem to be.” He slid toward her on the bed, and she turned on her side to greet him.
“Something I can do for you, mister?”
Stone kissed her lightly on the lips, then he rolled her on her back again and kissed her on the nipples. They stood at attention. “Just lie there, and let me enjoy myself,” he said.
“Don’t I get to help?”
“Not just yet.” He worked his way down her body, kissing her navel and her belly. He admired her Brazilian wax job for a moment, then parted her vulva with his tongue.
Holly made a noise of pleasure.
Stone continued playfully with his work, then more seriously, until she heaved and thrashed, while running her fingers through his hair, until she climaxed with a long, loud sigh.
They lay there for a moment, both panting, Stone’s head resting on her belly.
“That’s a very nice way to wake up,” she said, then she rolled him on his back and sat astride him, stroking his penis until it was explosively hard. She slipped him inside her and began moving.
To his surprise, Stone came almost immediately. “Wow,” he said softly.
Holly leaned over and kissed him. “That was quick.”
“I had a head start,” he said, “so to speak. I nearly came when I was doing you.”
“How long do I have to wait for a rematch?” she asked.
“Until after breakfast,” he replied, reaching for the phone. “I’m hungry for more than you. What will you have?”
“It’s nearly lunchtime; Eggs Benedict, orange juice and coffee.”
Stone ordered the same for both of them.
Shortly before noon, Lance was sitting in his temporary office having a sandwich sent up from the cafeteria, when he looked up to see Mona Barry standing in the d
oorway, holding a laptop. “Good morning, Mona,” he said. “Nice to see you in on a Saturday.”
“I wish I could say it was nice to be here, but I’ve been putting in a lot of time on the photos you gave me, and I have some results, though perhaps not the results you hoped for.”