Introduction

 

William, on your knees this instant! ... Then crawl over here and pleasure me with your mouth.

Penny sighed quietly to herself. She didn't need to wonder what his reaction might have been had she spoken her daydream out loud, instead of fantasising.

Sex once a week with William warranted a celebration. He was hardly likely to embrace the more colourful variations of sensual pleasure.

Yet she'd seen men only a week earlier at the chateau being trained to do just that. What a shock they'd been ... deliciously naked, restrained and gagged and with cocks up like cucumbers.

They had stared imploringly at her over their silencers while she was being shown around by the mistress. Though ... whether they wanted release or relief, she hadn't been able to fathom.

She recalled the incomparable thrill she'd experienced when, while the mistress's back was turned, she'd delivered a furtive, fluttering fingertip tickle to a straining erection.

She'd enjoyed it ... It awoke a dominance within her that she didn't know was there.

She wanted to do it again ...

She looked up from the glossy pages of her Woman's Life, of which she hadn't read a word, and flicked William a glance.

There he was, as ever at this time of the evening, sitting opposite in his business suit, tie loosened and with the telephone receiver seemingly part of his head.

Business, always business ... but always in the boardroom or over the telephone. Never in the bedroom.

Penny's insides were a turmoil, reminding her of what she had to do, despite her outward show of controlled serenity. She accepted that she could stall no longer. It would have to be tonight ... There was no alternative.

She'd tried hard over the past few days to convince herself that such drastic action wasn't necessary.

Deep down, however, she'd accepted all along that if left to himself William would only get worse ... if that were possible.

Things had been good once, full of magic, promise. When they met he was a young man with fire in his eyes ... broke, but exciting, keen to take on the world and defeat it.

She hadn't realized when they married that his flame could be fanned only by money and its acquisition.

Well, he'd made it, and he'd made it big. But somewhere along the line he'd forgotten the encouragement and support she'd given him ... those times she'd lifted him when he was down, urged him on when he'd felt like giving up. She'd sacrificed much of her own time and interests to push him up the ladder, thinking that things would improve once success came his way.

Instead, she'd been rewarded with neglect. She had come to feel like a fixture, stuck in a grand house to cook his meals and to greet him on his return from the office in the evening.

God, he was a pain in the arse.

Yet he stubbornly refused to even acknowledge a problem. The very mention of marriage guidance counselling had sparked the grandmother of all rows, followed by Penny staying with her mother until things had cooled down.

Divorce was the natural solution, but there was one problem there; she still loved the rat. She couldn't give up hope of changing him ... of finding again the person under that business suit.

Well, now she'd been offered a way. But it seemed uncomfortably extreme ... given the somewhat two-dimensional life she'd grown accustomed to.

Before embarking on such a recourse, she decided to have one last try at reasoning with him.

She looked up again from her magazine .... He was still at it, unwittingly sealing his own fate.

Business ... always business ...

Chapter One

THE COLLECTORS CALL

 

'... And you can tell Duro Plastics that they can go to blazes if they expect a penny more! ...' William almost spat at the telephone mouthpiece as the words left his lips.

'... Yes ... Yes, I'll confirm later and we'll have the papers drawn up ready. They're in too much trouble to refuse the offer ... OK ... Bye ...' He looked calmer replacing the receiver.

'Not another takeover, darling? ...' Penny spoke without looking up from her magazine.

William snatched his Financial Times from the table beside him.

'What do you mean, 'another' ...? That's only the second this year.'

He scanned his paper casually. 'You make it sound as though I do it every day ...'

'Really, darling, ... I know you're only thirty-three, but you should take things easier, you know,' said Penny.

'All that stress can't be good for a man ...'

Her husband gave a disgusted glare over his newspaper. 'I didn't create Consolidated Synthetics by taking things easy, woman ... Not many men can boast a business like that at my age.'

'True, dearest, but at what price ...?' said Penny. We've not taken a holiday together for the past seven years ...' She flicked him a coy glance.' ... Other things have suffered, too ... I miss them. I'm only twenty-eight, after all ...'

'God, woman, ... don't start all that again ...!' snapped William without looking up. 'I've told you before ... go and buy a vibrator or something.'

'Darling, you know I'm too shy to go into that sort of shop ... And besides, it's hardly the same is it?'

'Timid, that's your trouble,' replied William.

'That's what will always keep women out of the boardroom ... timidity. Now get me my nightcap. I've had a hard day at the office.'

Penny placed aside her magazine, gave a sigh. 'Yes, darling.'

Stirring his gin and tonic at the drinks cabinet, she spoke to the back of William's head. 'Won't you at least give it serious thought, darling ...? The holiday, I mean ... It might be nice ... together, somewhere in the sun, a nice big hotel bed and all.'

William slammed his Financial Times to his lap. 'For God's sake, woman, will you be told once and for all ...!? I'M the master of this house and I say I'm far too busy for such nonsense. Money must always come before pleasure. Now hurry up with that drink ... I really need it.'

Penny gritted her teeth and stirred in a little something extra. 'Yes ... Yes, I feel you really do need it darling.'

She moved to his side, placed the glass in his outstretched hand.

He took it without thanks, intent again on his newspaper.

His wife sat, giving nervous little glances from her magazine ... watching, but not watching, every sip of the gin and tonic disappearing gradually, interminably down an unsuspecting throat.

Within thirty minutes the drinker was in a deep, deep sleep.

Penny strode to the telephone, dialled with fingers that shook slightly, heard a female voice respond at the other end.

'Penny Forest here, ...' she said. 'I've done it... He's ready for you now.'