But it was enough to irrevocably cross a boundary. For Salander it was a display of
strength by an enemy force—an indication that aside from their carefully defined
legal relationship, she was at the mercy of his discretion and defenceless. When
their eyes met a few seconds later, his lips were slightly parted and she could read
the lust on his face. Salander’s own face betrayed no emotions at all.
Bjurman moved back to his side of the desk and sat on his comfortable leather
chair.
“I can’t hand out money to you whenever you like,” he said. “Why do you need such
an expensive computer? There are plenty of cheaper models that you can use for
playing computer games.”
“I want to have control of my own money like before.”
Bjurman gave her a pitying look.
“We’ll have to see how things go. First you need to learn to be more sociable and
get along with people.”
Bjurman’s smile might have been more subdued if he could have read her
thoughts behind the expressionless eyes.
“I think you and I are going to be good friends,” he said. “We have to be able to
trust each other.”
When she did not reply he said: “You’re a grown woman now, Lisbeth.”
She nodded.
“Come here,” he said and held out his hand.
Salander fixed her gaze on the letter opener for several seconds before she stood
up and went over to him. Consequences. He took her hand and pressed it to his
crotch. She could feel his genitals through the dark gabardine trousers.
“If you’re nice to me, I’ll be nice to you.”
He put his other hand around her neck and pulled her down to her knees with her
face in front of his crotch.