Valentine's Dinner?

62. Settling In

Lorne paused his gentle movement. "Fifteen million?"

Valerie nodded. "That was in 1998, extracted from the probate records and assuming the inheritance tax had been paid. At bank interest, it would have gained about forty percent by 2005."

"Yeah, before the collapse of interest rates." He resumed his exploration in her depths. "I think you'll have to guide me to it again. If he has any financial smarts, it would far exceed that by now."

"Lydia calculated a fixed-term deposit would have been twenty or more by the time of his 2005 declaration and audit for the settlement, so he could have hidden more than fifteen."

"Might have been stupid and got caught by the dot-com bubble burst."

"True. We'll find out. I'm amazed that Lydia has convinced HMRC to request access to his archived accounts."

"They've broad powers when financial fraud is involved, particularly if they smell avoided taxes." He gave a gentle thrust, changing the angle. "Guide me to your spot again. I'm curious whether your idea works."

She tilted and rotated her hips until she moaned, "Hunnn. There. Hunnn. Oh, fuuuu. Yeah, that's... hnnnnnn."

Lorne lay still while Valerie knelt astride, guiding the deep massage and intensifying her pleasure. When she was no longer able to hold back, she let a series of loud bellows undulate from her throat while she convulsed in orgasmic ecstasy. He moved with her, gently pressing, allowing the rhythmic contractions of her deepest reaches to spur his own pulsating release. Then they slumped into a tangled embrace, caressing and moaning while involuntary waves coursed through their bodies.

"Better," she panted. "Each time, better."

"Hmmm. I like your idea."

"Thought it should work."

They lay for a long while, enjoying the closeness and the harmony in silence until Lorne said, "No need for visual now. Just imagination."

"Told you the brain is the primary sex organ."

A while later as they washed each other under the gentle spray from the rain nozzle, Lorne asked. "Any evidence of offshore accounts?"

"Two so far on Jersey, Lloyds and Barclays, both substantial from what Lydia's been told. The British banks are complying early, but she suspects the foreign ones will delay until closer to the deadline at the end of May, hoping for a reversal."

"I can't see Revenue backing down. One report I read said they estimate about six hundred million pounds in evaded taxes are still unreported. The banks foresee a substantial decline in total deposits as delinquent taxes are harvested and penalties are collected."

"Taxes on interest, so a thousand times that or more in hidden money. Six hundred billion." Valerie chuckled as she watched Lorne playing with her breasts. "You're fascinated with them, aren't you?"

"I love the way they move. Watch." He cupped his hands under them and lifted, then he let them drop and bounce back into place. Next, he separated them wide and let them bounce together and jiggle. "So firm. So beautiful."

"So is this." She wrapped her hands around it. "I'm amazed you're up again so soon."

Lorne shrugged. "Looking at you and thinking."

"Oh, God. You make my knees weak." She chuckled as she knelt. "See."

"We don't have to use it just because it's — hunnn. Well, maybe."

A pleasant while later, as Valerie sorted through the closets and the drawers, she said, "I'll have to spend a day organising. At least, most of it's here now."

"You've more to come?"

"At the office. I like the convenience of being able to change there to suit different occasions."

"Hmmm, that's smart. I've always just taken a bag." Lorne examined the wall of closets with their built-in drawers and shelves. "Penny spread mine out, but it'll all fit easily into one section with room to spare. You can take my unused one."

"You sure?"

He shrugged as he pointed. "Mine will be less stuffed in only one than yours will be in three."

Valerie pouted. "You telling me I have too many clothes?"

"Not at the moment." He turned to run his eyes up and down her nude body. "I prefer you this way."

She giggled. "I can see that." She took a few steps and patted it on the head. "Down, boy. You're going to wear yourself out."

"Not intentional. Seems it's on automatic." He looked down as she stroked him. "I need to learn how to control it."

"I see no need to at the moment. I'm sure the novelty will wear off after a while. You realise we're only six days into this?"

"Seems like forever. Still can't get enough of you." He swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed. "Let's let nature take her course. She'll tell us when to slow down."

Twenty minutes later, as they again basked in the afterglow, Lorne asked, "So, if the warrant's been issued, why hasn't he been arrested?"

"Lydia wants to see where he leads us, and to what. She's found that the chain of forwarding addresses leads to a flat in downtown Saint Helier on Jersey, in a building registered to a company owned by Broughton."

"From the family estate?"

"No, purchased in 2005."

"When he would have been scrambling to hide money from you."

"That's what Lydia thought. We've sent three of our Security team to Saint Helier to keep an eye on the house and to follow their noses."

"How easy is it to get there?"

"Simple; it's only an hour by air, and there are twelve flights a day from City or Gatwick, most with cheap fares. They cater to all the duty-free shoppers and to the unsophisticated offshore banking crowd."

"Hmmm. He could easily hide among them. Play gawking tourist."

"Be tough to blend in with his height, his limp and his scars. He's very easy to identify."

Lorne nodded. "Tall?"

"His file gives it as six-four."

"Almost a head above the average. Yeah, he'd stand out." Lorne bobbed his head for a while, then said, "Chloe should be tall also. Your height or more."

"She's already nearly three inches above the average for her age."

"Speaking of Chloe, we should clean and dress, then go down and be social."

She pressed her body into his and sighed a quiet moan. "Or you could bring me again."

"Hmmm."