"No, to Lance Gregory will be fine," Gregory said.
"Yes, or course," Vern said, making no effort to hide his displeasure at making the check a personal one.
Lance Gregory pushed the button on his desk and told his secretary to draw up the necessary contract between Vernon Shipley and Dream-Date. Vern glanced at his watch. "I really must be returning to my office," he said. "Will the contract take long?"
Gregory stood up. "You run along then, Vern. We'll mail the contract to you. No problem. Just call us and tell us when and where you'll want Maria. She's yours exclusively-for as long as you'll require her services."
As Vern left the offices of Dream-Date Incorporated, he wondered how Lance Gregory knew he wanted Maria on an "exclusive" basis. He had not mentioned a desire to engage her "exclusively," except when he and Maria had been alone.
So Lance Gregory had been spying-listening and watching him and Maria Reese make love in the office. What did it mean? Was Lance Gregory merely a Peeping Tom, or did he have other reasons for eavesdropping on Dream-Date's clients? Blackmail, for instance. Well, at least I'm not married, Vern thought. He couldn't attack me on that level.
Vern retrieved his Continental from the subterranean garage and headed back for his office in Beverly Hills.
Chapter 4
Lance was still sitting behind his desk, his brow furrowed in intense concentration, when Maria Reese entered and half sat, half reclined on the long sofa against the wall. Lance did not look at her, but sat with his palms together and stared scowling at the ceiling.
"Well, what do you think?" Maria asked, her free leg swinging suggestively. "Think he'll sign?" 'Think he'll sign?" Lance repeated, chuckling. "After that screwing you gave him any man with the means would sign. Yes, he signed. What I'm concerned about is the two of you becoming too lovey-dovey. Also, I'm trying to determine just where the man is vulnerable. It's difficult, you see, blackmailing a man who leads a fairly moral fife. Particularly when he isn't married. I mean, he doesn't have anything to lose community-property wise if he's single, does he? I'd say we'll have to attack him on the business level, but I'm not sure just how to go about it." Lance Gregory sighed and ran his hands through his dark, long, "styled" hair. "Well, I'll think of something as we go along."
"Yes, I'm sure you will," Maria said. "You-you're really determined to stick Vern Shipley, too?" Lance shook his head, raised his eyebrows in amazement. "My darling, the idea is to stick them all. That's where the real money comes from. You don't think this firm could survive on just the fees we make legitimately, do you? Hell, after I pay all you high-class whores the profit is nearly all eaten up!"
Maria pursed her lips. "Tsk tsk," she said, making kissing sounds. "Poor baby." Maria stood then and paced the spacious office. "What did you mean by your lovey-dovey' remark," she said finally.
"Just what I said," Lance said. "My God! You certainly put your all into fucking and sucking him."
"He sucked me, too," Maria said, sarcastically correcting her boss.
"Yes, he certainly did," Lance agreed unhappily. "Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting."
"That's what you get when you insist on spying on people making love," Maria said. "It's supposed to be a rather personal affair."
"Oh, listen to Miss Fancy Ass," Lance said. "Before I taught you how to be a lady-how to read practically-you were making the orgy scene for money. Now you give me that 'sex should be a personal affair' crap. Don't make me laugh."
Maria whirled, then calmed herself down. "You have helped me tremendously, Lance, and I'll always be indebted to you for that. I'm only saying that when you spy on people making love, you deserve whatever you get."
Lance put up both hands in front of his chest. "All right," he said. "All right. Let's not fight about it. I was a bit jealous, and I admit it. I'm sorry."
Maria smiled her Kim Novak smile. "Did you nearly get your eye put out when he went over and touched the painting? I didn't believe it when he started poking at that picture. He's pretty perceptive.
You have to admit that. I mean, to locate the only peephole in the place takes a good instinct for such things."
Lance nodded. "Yeah, he scared the shit out of me there for a second. Perceptive? Not particularly. He was just lucky. I don't think he really knew there was a hole in the eye of that painting."
Maria shrugged. "Well, he signed," she said. "That's the main thing. Are you trying to tell me you don't want me to make love to Vernon Shipley or something?"
"No, I didn't say that," Lance said. "I simply meant I didn't want you to get involved. It-it's bad business policy."
Again Maria smiled her special smile, this time with a hint of humor washing over her lovely features. "Why would you think we'd get involved?"
"Hah, just take my word for it," Lance said. "There are special vibes between you two. I could feel it the instant you met. Admit it. It's true, isn't it?"
Maria's face remained expressionless now. "Oh, I don't know," she said noncommittally.
"Come here," Lance Gregory said, swiveling his chair to the side. "I said to come here!"
Frowning, Maria obediently walked slowly to the spot at which Lance Gregory was pointing. She stood behind his desk, staring down at him then.
"Get down on your knees," Lance commanded.
"Lance, please. I-I'm awfully tired right now and-"
"Goddamit, get down on your knees, slut! I made you what you are and don't you ever forget it!"
Dutifully, Maria knelt and let Lance take her cheeks in his hands. He jerked her neck so that she was staring up into those steely, gray eyes. "Listen and listen good, sugar," Lance said. "You're mine to do with as I please-anytime I please. You're going to give daddy a nice little blow job, and you're going to put your heart and soul in it-just the way you did for that Vernon Shipley ass hole."
Lance unzipped his fly, reached inside his pants and withdrew his flaccid penis. He waved it back and forth then, carefully watching Maria's expression. Maria swallowed. Her cheeks were tired from nursing on Vern Shipley's prick. She felt spent sexually. She would give anything not to meet her boss's demands, but he did seem determined. He had such an enormous prick and sometimes he took forever, it seemed, to come.
"M-My lips are awfully tired, Lance," she whined. "Couldn't we do this tomorrow?" She ran her hand up the insides of his legs. "I mean, you know I like to do that to you, dear, but I am terribly, terribly tired."
"Bullshit!" Lance spat. "You'll suck my dick same as always. For as long as I like and exactly the way I say. Understand?" He gave her hair a tug. She winced, mewing, "All right, dear. I just thought you might prefer it tomorrow when I could give you my very best."
"You'll give me your best right now!" Lance snarled. "Now start kissing it, baby. Nice and slow so daddy can watch it grow and then shove it way back in that beautiful throat of yours!"
Strangely, as always, Maria found herself being excited sexually by her boss's haughty, inconsiderate manner. She loved to suck a hard prick-she truly did-and Lance did love having his rod sucked. That appealed to her, too. That and the fact that he kept referring to himself as "daddy."
"All right," she said, kissing his balls. "You-you know I will, dear. I always have, haven't I? You know I love to-to give you what you like."
Her mouth was nibbling at his foreskin now and the huge flesh instrument was beginning to stir. Soon, she knew, it would reach its incredible full length and then she would take the hard-on back far into her throat. She would not be able to help herself. Already all thought of fatigue had left her and there was only the sight of the beautiful male organ lengthening, widening, growing, bulging, responding to her noisy kisses and gentle manipulation.