‘That was a quickie,’ she said, wiping her lips with a tissue. Usually it took much longer.
‘It’s been a while.’ He zipped up his trousers. ‘And I’ve had a hard-on all evening thinking about you.’
She went into the bathroom and started to clean her teeth. Justin lolled at the door. ‘Willy must be on the flight by now,’ he said. ‘You know, I’ve become fond of him.’
‘Oh, no.’ Laura sighed. ‘Don’t tell me you’ve fucked him. I told you not to.’
‘I haven’t, and I like him. He’s good company. Sure he can lash out a bit, but considering all the tedious family situations he’s had to go through, he’s impressed me.’
‘I like him too,’ she said softly, then laughed. ‘He kisses like a teenager. He was so nervous of taking me in his arms, even if it was just for show.’
‘He means us no harm, Laura, I know that. Sometimes I think he’s the only man I’ve ever trusted.’
‘Are you in love with him?’ she asked, her voice soft and afraid.
‘Hell, no, I mean... it’s more that I love him like...’ He thought about it for a moment. ‘...I don’t know.’
‘Love him like a brother, perhaps?’ She stared at Justin in the mirror.
His brow was furrowed in a deep frown and he shook his head slowly. ‘No, not like that. Maybe it’s because I’ve never known anyone for such a length of time. I dunno. It’s a new one on me, but the old codger grows on you.’
He stood behind her and slipped his arms around her, hugging her close. He had a vulnerable side, and it was the side she cared for most of all. ‘I miss you so much when you’re away from me. I love you, Laura,’ he whispered.
‘I know, I know. Now go on. Go to bed.’ She cupped his face between her hands and kissed his lips. ‘We only have two weeks, then it’ll all be over and we’ll be free.’
‘You won’t leave me?’ he said anxiously.
‘No, of course I won’t. Will you leave me?’
‘Not even with all the diamonds Willy’s going to give you?’ Justin insisted.
‘We’ll be together, Justin, I promise. We’ll live in our villa, just you and me, and no more nightmares. We’ll have paid Matlock back and we’ll be free. It’ll all be over.’
‘Yes,’ he said, then kissed her lightly before he left the room.
This was the side of Justin that William had rarely seen. Hardly anyone had ever seen it, apart from Marta and Laura. This was not the vicious, twisted Justin, or the over-confident, witty, talented Justin. This was the child who hid in the darkest recess of his adult mind, when Laura became the stronger of the two.
Next morning, Justin and Laura went to the control room to survey the guests at play. Justin’s mood had lifted, and he was chuckling at the film footage.
‘Well, I’d better start work,’ she said. ‘If I have to begin with Cedric Hangerford, you’d better stand by. I doubt if it’ll take long. His kind never do. Where is he?’
Justin flicked on a monitor and pointed at the screen. ‘As arranged. He’s midway through a workout with Kurt in the gym. He’s got a massage booked immediately after with Kiki.’
‘Tell Kurt,’ Laura said softly, ‘to suggest to his lordship that he has a sauna. Justin? Did you hear me?’
‘That’s not on the list.’
‘No, I know. I’ve just had a good idea. I’ll work him over in the sauna. So arrange it.’ Then she leaned towards him, and whispered further instructions.
‘Sauna it is, my darling. And just remember, Big Brother is watching you.’ He picked up the intercom phone. He adored Laura: sometimes her mind was even more warped than his. She was right, though: they needed to move fast on William’s tedious guests, get rid of them as soon as possible, leaving Matlock for the plucking.
Kurt replaced the receiver.
‘I’ve arranged a sauna for you,’ Kurt said to Hangerford, now flat on his back, arms splayed at his sides.
‘Christ, I don’t think I can get up,’ he said.
Kurt put out his hand and hauled him to his feet. ‘I’ll take you through, sir. I’d keep to the lower bunks,’ he added, ‘it’s hotter and better for your skin.’
They went in and Kurt laid out a towel for Hangerford, who flopped down with an exhausted sigh of relief. Then he passed him a bottle of chilled water. ‘Drink as much as possible,’ he said encouragingly, and waited a moment as he watched Cedric gulping it down.
Laura lay on the top shelf of the sauna, naked apart from a small white towel across her thighs, her body glistening. When the door opened she didn’t move a muscle, but remained still with her eyes closed. Hangerford sighed again, as soft relaxing sounds drifted into the sauna, the noise of waves and whales over the sighing ocean.
Hangerford did not notice that the sauna was already occupied, until one perfect white hand swung down from the bunk above. Then Laura sighed, and yawned as if just waking. She dropped her towel, which brushed his shoulder, and he half sat up, wondering who was above him. As the sighs grew louder, he realized it was a woman, and that she was masturbating. His body flushed with anticipation. Laura began to mew like a kitten and then she moaned. Hangerford could feel the tremor of the bench above him and he was now fondling himself. As she became more and more vocal in her arousal, so did he. His body felt as if it was on fire.
Laura swung her hips and legs down over the side of the upper bunk, and gripped the slats with her hands to keep from dropping to the ground. Cedric raised himself on one elbow. She thrust herself into his face. He put his head between her legs and began licking and sucking, grunting. She pushed her hips forward and wrapped her legs around his shoulders. He was virtually buried inside her when the sauna’s incredible heat enveloped him. His brain felt as if it was about to explode. He tried to draw his head away from her legs. He was gasping and unable to get his breath, but the more he panted, the dizzier he felt. He couldn’t breathe and his heart felt as if it was about to explode. Darkness descended and he passed out.
Laura shoved him away from her, picked up her towel, and opened the sauna door. As it closed behind her she turned up the temperature and walked into the shower. By the time she felt cleansed, her skin tingling from her body scrub, she reckoned Hangerford might need assistance. As she passed the sauna, she lowered the temperature and headed for the changing cubicles. Justin joined her. ‘Get him out quickly,’ she said.
Justin and Kurt carried Hangerford out of the sauna and into the shower. They remained with him as he spluttered and shrieked from the ice-water jets. From her changing cubicle, Laura saw Dahlia walking towards the sauna with Clarissa. With a white towel clutched to her naked body, she told Dahlia that she could never take more than a few minutes in a sauna. Dahlia laid the towel along the top bunk and assisted Clarissa up the ladder; then she lowered the heat, threw some pine essence on to the coals and closed the door. Laura left the changing rooms with Dahlia.
Hangerford was resting, another glass of water in his hand. He wished Kurt would stop hovering around him. He insisted he was perfectly recovered and, in fact, felt remarkably fit. Just thinking about getting back into the sauna gave him an erection. It had been the most exciting sexual encounter he had ever experienced.
The moment Kurt left him, he went straight back inside. His heart was thudding in his chest, yet he felt focused, full of energy and sexual drive. He closed the door and dropped his towel, proudly revealing his bloated penis. He walked to the bunk he had used before, lay down and stretched his hands up to fondle beautiful firm breasts. His hands roamed over the young body and he grew more excited as he masturbated the woman, pressing his fingers between her legs. Feeling her opening he could no longer contain himself. ‘Come down, I want to finish where I left off. I want to fuck you.’