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Chapter One

“The thing about Laurie,” Mark Anderton said, finally co to the point after three food courses and a brandy’s worth of prevarication, “is that she can’t get enough”

“Enough?” Vincent left the word hanging, whether out of politeness or confusion wasn’t clear

Mark hoped it was the former If it was the latter, he really didn’t think he had the heart to go into the details He siave Vincent a terse nod and waited

“And that’s why you’ve been cultivating reat company or excellent taste?”

“Excellent taste does come into it” The words rushed out of Mark’sthem on “Of course, it does You like Laurie, don’t you?”

“Of course, I like her What man wouldn’t? But, you knoould never have let that admiration cross the boundary…not without some kind of…”

“Permission?”

“Yes” Vincent reached for the decanter, pouring them both another tumbler

To Mark, the gesture see the proposition out of hand, so there were grounds for hope

“Permission is what I’m here to talk to you about,” said Mark

Vincent smiled “This is the most surreal conversation of my life,” he said

“Mine, too,” admitted Mark

It hardly seee to look through her wedding albued for dinner a few days later

It was less than a year since that day on the sands in Antigua She looked at herself, bea and beautiful with her bouquet of tropical blooms then she looked at Mark, chest about to burst with pride They ood couple, didn’t they? Attractive, accouess at the secrets that lay behind their bedroom door?

For a second or two, Laurie experienced regret, even sadness If only the perfect h for her

But then she remembered that no two people were alike and that the cookie-cutter “perfect e” didn’t exist, and besides, all this had been Mark’s idea She put the album aside and smiled quietly to herself

If she and Mark decided to bring a third person into their bed, whose right was it to judge the to cause anybody else pain Only pleasure would be the result— pleasure

Her phone rang The caller display read Mark

“Darling?”

“We’re just leaving Vincent’s house”

“And he’s still okay with all this?”