The scent ofmoney.

Malcolm pulled out of her and patted her ontheass.

"Good lass,” he said. "Welldone.”

"Thank you.” She slowly stood up straight and took a deepbreath.

"Take a moment,” he said as he laid on the bed again. "You’ve earned alittlerest.”

She was desperately thirsty from pantingsohard.

"Water?” sheasked.

"Please.”

She pulled the little basket she’d packed out from under the bed. From it she took out two green glass bottles of sparklingwater.

"Dangerous,”hesaid.

"Whatis?”

"Glassbottles.”

"Whyso?”

Hesmiled.

"You wouldn’t,”shesaid.

He cocked his head to the side, raised hiseyebrow.

"All right,” she said as she unscrewed the cap of the bottle. "Youwould.”

"It isn’t that I would. It is that I will. You do realize this is merely foreplay, don’t you? We haven’t even started yet. I like to play games. I like to play roles. I might even bring an audience one night or two. I might even bringfriends…”

If this was nothing but foreplay, nothing but the opening act, what would the main attractionbelike?

"You didn’t bring the riding crop,”shesaid.

"Not tonight. Would you like me to bring it for our nextassignation?”

"I have a choice?” She handed him a bottle ofwater.

"You have a choice of when, not if. There is no if. I will beat you with a riding crop at some point in the next twelvemonths.”

"Might as well,” she said. She wasn’t looking forward to being beaten with a crop, but it seemed it would be best to get it over with. Maybe she would like it. Only one way tofindout.

"We’ll see,” he said. "Drink yourwater.”

She drank her water deep and he sipped at his. His stamina was remarkable. He had the sexual energy of a teenage boy and the lasting power of a man. A potentcombination.

"Is this something you do often?” she asked. She sat on the bed, cross-legged like a child inschool.

"Fuck?”

"No. Find women in need and turn them intowhores?”

"You aren’t my first. You will be my last, however.” He gave her his half-drunk water bottle and she set it on the floor beside the bed. Then he laid back on the pillows, stretched out. His penis lay limp and draped on his thigh, a sleepinggiant.