Polar Quest

53

After parking her BMW in the closed lot, Martineau entered the Pierre de Taille building in the Eighth Arrondissement, collected her mail, and scaled the wind ing stairway to her fourth-floor apartment. Her building was located on Avenue Montaigne, one of the most expensive addresses in Paris and just a short walk to Vielogic’s headquarters.

Over her arm, Martineau carried a woven bag that held a few items she had picked up for dinner. Her keys jangled in her hand as she approached the tall door of her apartment. She slipped a key into the dead bolt and turned it — but the dead bolt was already unlocked.

Odd, she thought. I swear I locked the door this morning.

Cautiously, she opened the door to her apartment. Inside, the lights in the main room were on and music was playing softly.

‘Charles?’ Martineau called out.

‘I’m afraid not, Dominique,’ Duroc answered, stepping in from the terrace.

‘What are you doing here? Where is Charles?’

‘At his château.’

‘Shouldn’t you be overseeing security?’

‘My men don’t need me to hold their hands,’ Duroc said confidently. He closed the distance between Martineau and himself, casually draping his black leather coat over the back of her couch. ‘I have the night off.’

‘And you thought you would spend it here,’ Martineau said disdainfully, ‘with me?’

Duroc walked up to Martineau and stood just inches from her. She held her ground, refusing to be intimidated by the large, muscular man. He reached around her and palmed her derrière, kneading her flesh with his steely hands as he pulled her body into his. Martineau’s bag slipped off her arm and dropped onto the marble floor.

‘That is exactly what I thought I would do.’

Martineau stared into Duroc’s inky black eyes, then reached up and pulled his mouth against hers. Martineau’s tongue darted feverishly about his lips, probing excitedly. Her pelvis rocked against him, moving in rhythm with the contractions of his hands on her buttocks.

Her hands slid from his head, down the front of the collarless cotton shirt that clung to his chest like a second skin. Deftly, she unfastened his belt, peeled open his pants, and slid her hand down.

Martineau pulled her mouth away from his, kissing and licking his cheek as she moved toward his ear. ‘As always,’ she said in a low whisper, ‘you are overdressed.’

Martineau and Duroc stripped each other where they stood. She embraced him around his shoulders, pressing her flesh against his. He once again grabbed her derrière and, as he lifted her up, Martineau curled her legs around his torso and locked her feet behind him.

Duroc stood with his legs slightly bent at the knees, shoulder-length apart, as Martineau’s inner thighs pressed against his hips, drawing him inside her body. Duroc struggled to maintain his balance, his muscles tensing as he approached ecstasy.

Both their bodies wet with perspiration from the effort, Martineau felt his body lock. Slowly, she arched her back, trusting that he would not drop her while simultaneously excited by the danger that he might. She moaned and ground her pelvis into his, as he responded with a tight squeeze of her buttocks. He held his breath, then exhaled with a sharp burst.

She pulled herself against him, Duroc’s strength ebbing with his release. Slowly, she unwound her legs and he gently lowered her to the floor.

‘Shower?’ she said softly.

‘Oui,’ he replied, his breathing returning to normal.

They bathed each other in the shower, then made love again before rinsing off.

‘I’m impressed,’ Martineau said as she handed Duroc a thick terrycloth robe.

‘It’s been longer for me than it has for you. Did you miss me?’

‘Every time I made love to him, I missed you.’

‘Then why do you do it?’ Duroc asked.

Martineau laughed as she cinched her robe. ‘Business, of course. He knows it, too. You, mon chéri, are for pleasure.’

Duroc embraced her and kissed her still-damp neck. ‘Perhaps, but he is not the only one with money.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘The future. I know all about the doctors he sees. Charles won’t live forever, and I’m certain that you and I are not mentioned in his will.’

Martineau pulled away, clutching her robe tightly. ‘Sumner, what have you done?’

‘I made a modest fortune in the stock market recently. Nothing compared to Charles’s vast wealth, but enough for the two of us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.’

‘UGene?’

‘Yes.’

‘You idiot! I was with Charles yesterday. He has discovered that many shares of UGene were sold before the murders. He is very curious about this.’

‘He will find nothing that connects me to the trades,’ Duroc said confidently.

‘How can you be so sure? If he finds out, Charles will view this as a betrayal.’

‘Trust me, Dominique. Soon, only you and I will know, and neither of us is going to tell him.’