The Knapthorne Conspiracy by Malcolm Ballard (best english novels for beginners txt) 📕

simple instructions. A few minutes later he lay back naked in the satin smooth water of the big, triangular bath, sipping the champagne she’d provided.

“Are you in?” Barbara’s voice came from beyond the door.

“I certainly am. Ready and waiting.” The door swung open to reveal the firm’s Financial Controller with her arm round the waist of a tall, slim, ebony-coloured girl in her early 20’s. Both of them were naked, their bodies moist with perspiration. It was obvious they hadn’t been idle while waiting for him to arrive.

“Ben, meet Mercedes,” Barbara said, by way of introduction. “She’s from St. Lucia and she’s going to join us.”

The next ninety minutes were among the most incredible that Ben had experienced in his full and varied career of sexual exploits. Barbara was in control, as usual, pulling Mercedes to the floor before they were barely in the room and making love to her while Ben watched in a state of highly-aroused fascination, hardly able to believe what was going on before his eyes. The older woman was insatiable but Mercedes had the supple body of an athlete and was more than a match for her. When he had first seen Barbara, like many others in the firm, Ben had had the passing notion that perhaps she might have been gay. It had only taken their first sexual encounter to prove otherwise, as far as he was concerned, but he had never considered for a moment that she might have been bi-sexual. As he watched them, it became obvious that the two women were accomplished, vigorous lovers who knew each other well and he was stunned, and in no small way concerned, to realise how little he really knew about his accomplice. The nagging hang-nail of doubt settled on the far horizon of his consciousness as Barbara knelt back on her heels, panting heavily, and beckoned him to join them, a lascivious grin on her glistening lips. She then saw to it that, one by one, every fantasy he had ever had was acted out, with him either participating or as a spectator. In one of the few moments when he was capable of rational thought, it occurred to him that this was the stuff of adult movies, totally unrelated to the everyday activities of normal human beings. Yet here he was, with a colleague from work, gorging himself from an unrestricted sexual menu. Spent and exhausted, the three of them had ended up in the bath casually drinking champagne, discussing their orgy as though it were as commonplace as a change in the weather. He got the impression that Mercedes had received a signal from Barbara indicating it was time she left them and the dull embers of his doubt were fanned into life. Incredibly he felt himself stir watching the sinuous body of the young girl as she stepped gracefully from the bath. It was unbelievable, he reflected, that he could still lust after her given all that he had just been through. Whereas the spirit might have been willing though, he had to admit that the body was far too sore and tired to respond. Barbara never missed a thing and grinned at his reaction.

“Still game for more, eh?” Ben affected a pained expression.

“Not for at least a week by the feel of things. Anyway I really should get a move on. I told you I couldn’t stay for too long.” It seemed as though she hadn’t been listening.

“Well I’m game for more.” Weariness prevented him from realising that she wasn’t talking about sex. There wasn’t a trace of excitement or humour in her voice. It was a plain statement of fact.

“You’re joking!” He made to get up knowing that he had to get away.

“Stay where you are, Ben. We’re not finished yet!” The violence of her command shocked him and there was a look of pure evil on her face as alarm bells started to ring in his head.

“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?” Fear and anger drove him now, fuelled by the sudden feeling that he didn’t know this woman at all, or what she was capable of.

“I’m talking to you, Ben Hollingsworth. The man who’s ripped off his firm to the tune of nearly half a million pounds.” Sharp fingers of pain clawed at his chest and his blood felt as though it had turned to ice. Any thoughts he might have had of leaving were dismissed by her outburst. Rendered speechless, momentarily, he eventually found his voice but it held no conviction, sounding like the whining plea of a scolded child.

“But you’re as guilty as I am!” She laughed. It was a harsh, cackling sound that made him squirm.

“Guilty of what, Ben? Carrying out the orders of my lover, a senior partner in the firm, with whom I was besotted and who had threatened to leave me if I didn’t agree to do what he asked. I’ve only ever received money from you, Ben. Believe me, nobody can trace any financial gain on my part.” Perspiration ran into his eyes causing him to blink rapidly and his heart was beating fit to burst. After all the frantic exercise earlier, exhausting both mind and body, stress was affecting him very badly and he willed himself to try and think clearly.

“So what is it you want? I presume that’s what this is leading to?” There was an air of quiet resignation to his voice as he forced himself to try and be calm.

“A hundred thousand will do nicely, for now. As a down payment.” The words echoed in his brain and he had a feeling of extreme light-headedness as if he were about to faint. Thoughts and images raced through his brain, a stunned reaction to her demand. His career, his marriage, his home. Everything was in the firing line were his crime to be exposed. Their crime, he thought, sarcastically.

“Blackmail.” The word sounded strange to him, even as he said it.

“I look at it