The Temptress (5 page)

‘You’ll beg me tomorrow, because you crave this
cock as much as I crave your tender little cunt, Lulu, on my mouth as well as
enveloping my shaft. I’ll warrant you’ve never had a man as large or gifted in
bed as me. So now that you’ve felt it, you’ll be dreaming of it all night,
thinking about it thrusting into you, stretching your muscles as you clench
around it, trying to milk me to completion, thinking about licking and sucking
it, having
me
beg
you
to let me come. You know if you return to
England without having this inside you, it will be the biggest regret of your
life, because if you don’t beg me, if you leave without me fucking you, every
time you have sex and you lie there wondering if his tiny prick is even inside
you, you’ll question what it would have been like to have
this
inside
you.’ He released my hand and smirked as I hesitated to release my grip on him,
taking a mental snapshot of what I was feeling flexing in my grasp. ‘Breathe,’
he reminded me, laying a gentle kiss on my forehead. He reached into his inner
jacket pocket and pulled out a card, as I let the wall support me, trying to
pull myself together from the most intensely erotic experience of my life and
we hadn’t even had sex. I blinked and looked down as he put the white card in
my hand and closed my fingers around it. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, ma belle.’

‘What if I don’t call,’ I managed to say,
breaking his hot as hell, intense gaze. I needed all of my energies focussed on
not letting my body slide down the wall, into an over aroused puddle on the
floor.

‘You’ll call,’ he confirmed, confidence
powering his voice, as he ran his thumb over my lower lip again. ‘You are too
curious to see if I am as good as I claim.’ My breath hitched and I closed my
eyes, praying he was about to kiss me again, to send my mind into the stratosphere,
weightless and free of anything but the beauty of that moment, as he had
before. He leaned forwards, disappointing me by instead simply whispering
sexily in my ear. ‘Trust me, I am even better. Bonne nuit, ma belle,
Lulu
,
à demain, until tomorrow.’

I felt that shiver of delight shake my body
like a small earthquake, reminding me of my fragility when it came to men I
desired, they were few and very far between and had the capacity to shatter me,
rendering me to tiny fragments that may never be glued back together again. I
held my breath, waiting for that goodnight kiss, my lips gently pursing and
swelling with anticipation.

‘Thank God, I was worried sick about you,
Lulu,’ came Coco’s voice. ‘You’ve been gone ages.’ I slowly opened my eyes and
looked around to find he’d vanished, yet I was still surrounded by his scent,
the powerful aura of masculinity he exuded. ‘What happened?’

‘I’m not entirely sure,’ I replied, as I looked
down at the card in my hand, needing something to tell me that I hadn’t just
dreamed that and there it was. A simple white card, with the name Luc in fancy
calligraphy, with two telephone numbers listed below, telling me that one was
his mobile and the other his direct office line. Nothing else. No surname, no
company details, nothing. I turned it over and drew in a shocked breath to see
a hand written message, in English, on the reverse.

‘How the hell did he know my name?’ I demanded, as I
looked up at Coco. He hadn’t had a chance to write this since he’d heard it
pass my lips, which meant he’d known it before he even sent over the Champagne
then followed me to the ladies. She shrugged and shook her head, leaving me
even more puzzled.

Lulu

The
Present

‘Be a good boy for Claire later, darling,’ I advised
Tristan, as I held him in my arms and kissed his soft cheek. ‘Mummy might have
to work late, I usually do after a lovely weekend with you, but if I can’t get
home before Claire puts you to bed, I’ll come and kiss you goodnight. But I’ll
make sure I’m there for breakfast with you and to take you to school, ok?’

‘Ok, Mummy,’ he sighed, as he flopped against my
shoulder, his warm breath heating up my neck.

‘What’s the matter? Don’t you like Claire
anymore?’ I asked, suddenly worried. I’d spent months interviewing nannies and
she was one of a very short list that had met my rigorous criteria and that I’d
liked enough to trust to look after the most precious thing in my life. The two
of them getting along was crucial.

‘Yes,’ he replied.

‘Then why the big sigh?’

‘I like you more,’ he whispered in my ear,
making my heart melt.

‘I know, darling and I’m sorry. But Mummy has
to go to work to earn money, so that we can live in our nice house, eat Chinese
takeaway for dinner, roast chicken and Yorkshire pudding for Sunday lunch and
visit the zoo once a month. We had a great weekend, didn’t we?’ I kissed his
head again.

‘Yes,’ he giggled, as his one hand tangled in
my hair. ‘I saw Max the elephant. I
love
elephants.’

‘I know you do,’ I laughed. ‘I’ll do my best to
get home early enough to give you your bath and put you to bed with another
chapter from Elmer, but no promises. Ok?’

‘Ok,’ he mumbled, as he snuggled in closer.

‘Can I let you into a secret?’ I whispered.

‘Yes,’ he whispered back.

‘I’d much rather be at home with you than at
work, but this is what grown-ups have to do.’

‘Bryce’s mummy doesn’t. Bryce’s mummy stays at
home and his daddy goes to work. Can’t you find me a daddy so you can stay at
home too?’

‘I’d love to find you a daddy,’ I sighed, my previously
melting heart suddenly hardening and shattering at the thought that he was
missing out on so much love. Whatever I gave him could never make up for not
having a father in his life. ‘But it’s not that easy. When Mummy meets a man
that she likes, she has to make sure that he’ll be amazing with you, because
you deserve that. If I find a daddy for you, he needs to be the best one in the
whole wide world, because otherwise we’re better staying as just you and me.’ I
reached up to wipe a stray tear that had escaped and was making its way down my
cheek. Was I being selfish having broken up with Greg on Saturday night? He was
almost the perfect guy, he could have been wonderful with Tristan, I just knew
it, but we’d had sex again,
awful
sex. I’d told him that it wasn’t
working for me and he’d been shocked, he’d thought it was sensational. We’d
tried again, but still nothing. I’d rather be on my own than in a sexless, passionless
relationship. But being on my own was affecting my darling boy as well. I
looked up at the school clock and grimaced, he’d be late if he didn’t go in. We
didn’t have time for a deep and meaningful conversation now. I was going to
have to try and get out of work earlier than normal, to reassure him tonight. ‘Do
you understand why I can’t rush this, darling? Why finding the perfect daddy
for you, one that will stay with us, is better than having lots that come and
go?’

‘I guess,’ he sighed.

‘We’ll talk about this soon, ok? Come on,
you’ll be late for school. I love you, for the rest of my life and beyond.’

‘Me too,’ came his little voice. I kissed his
soft hair and carefully set him down, holding his hand as we walked across the
playground to one of the school assistants.

‘Morning Tristan, ready for a fun day?’ she
smiled. He shrugged and looked at the floor.

‘He is really,’ I smiled, giving his hand a
squeeze. ‘Especially if at reading time Elmer the elephant could make an
appearance.’

‘I’m sure that can be arranged,’ she replied,
making him lift his head and smile. He took her hand, as I gave his other one another
quick squeeze before releasing it. I waited, as he headed inside with her. He
turned to give me a wave and I blew him a kiss, before they disappeared out of
sight. I quickly shook myself down. He’d be fine, it was me that was going to
worry about him all day, on top of my usual busy Monday. Weekends were always
the busiest for the girls, which meant more assessments and planning of next
moves, as well as more women who’d suspected their partners had been deceitful
over the weekend.

‘Morning, Violet,’ I smiled, as I walked into
reception. I’d deliberately made it fresh and modern, but with a cosy
atmosphere. Dove grey walls, white skirting and mouldings, white leather sofas
with soft grey knitted cushions and a long reception desk, made out of the same
white granite that covered the reception and corridor floors. Access was
restricted to those of us with key cards, visitors having to use the intercom
downstairs to be allowed entry. Violet was sitting behind the large desk, with
a beaming smile. She loved her job almost as much as I did. I couldn’t
understand how people who hated getting up on a Monday morning for their jobs, did
it week after week. ‘How was your weekend?’

‘Amazing!’ she winked, her not so secret signal
that she’d had great sex with her boyfriend Jared.

‘You?’ she raised her eyebrows hopefully, as she
stood up and handed me my coffee.

‘A fabulous time with Tristan and my parents.
Sadly, no winking with regards to my date with Greg on Saturday night.’

‘O no,’ she sighed, as she grabbed her pen and
diary and trotted around to walk besides me to my office, for our usual morning
briefing. ‘That bad?’

‘That bad,’ I confirmed with a nod, taking a
much needed sip of hot caffeine. ‘So bad it’s over.’

‘How did he take it?’ she asked, opening the solid
oak office door for me, given I had my briefcase in one hand, my coffee in the
other.

‘Not well. He begged and pleaded, but a relationship
without great sex is no relationship at all. Not for me anyway. I’m better off
with my ever expanding drawer of vibrators,’ I advised, with a wry smile.

‘I’m sorry, Lulu. How are you handling it? Not
the drawer of vibrators, the end of the relationship? I know you had high hopes
with Greg.’ She closed the door behind me, as we walked across to take our
usual seats on the white leather sofas, matching the ones in reception, that
were set out into a U shape against the back wall of my office, with a perfect
view out over the London skyline. I preferred a relaxed environment, rather
than speaking to someone from behind my desk.

‘I’ll be fine, but I need to try to get away
early tonight, well by five-thirty at the latest. Tristan was upset this
morning that I may not be home for bedtime. He asked why I had to work, why he
didn’t have a daddy that could work, so I could stay at home like his best
friend’s mummy does.’ I gave her a sad smile and she pulled a sympathetic face,
before grimacing.

‘Shit, I’m so sorry, but I made you an
appointment for six o’clock.’

‘With who?’ I uttered, my heart sinking.

‘A Mrs. Le Grand. New client.’

‘Vi,’ I sighed, with a shake of my head. ‘You
know six o’clock is an emergency appointment only, for VIPs, and
never
on a Monday night. After the weekends, it’s the night he feels the most
separation anxiety, suddenly being back at school again without me.’

‘I know, of course I know, but it was your
special weekend, so I wasn’t able to get hold of you to discuss it and I took a
calculated risk. She was
very
persistent on the phone, saying it had to
be Monday at six p.m. and all of the other girls on duty tonight already have
field assignments.’

‘Well you’ll have to call her and tell her that
I’m double booked, I’ll see her another night,’ I replied firmly.

‘I did some research on Mrs. Le Grand before I
agreed to the appointment, as I knew you wouldn’t be happy. She’s the wife of
Mr. Le Grand, CEO of France’s largest investment management company, worth
millions. As if that weren’t enough, her maiden name is Bouchon, she’s the
daughter of the head of the Bouchon banker family. Their lineage goes back
centuries, they’re one of the largest and most financially secure banks in the
world. Land a client like that and we step up to the
worldwide
premier
league, we could open a chain of Sweet Temptations, just like you always
dreamed of. Imagine the referrals we’d get off a woman of means like that?’

‘God damn it,’ I uttered, as I plonked my
coffee down on the table. Violet was right, landing a client like that would
elevate my profile substantially. We already did well, but clients of that
calibre were hard to come by. Not only did they have money to burn, but they
had a lot to lose by means of a standard divorce. Proof of infidelity always
ensured a larger pay out, because they were wise enough to have written it into
their prenuptials. Honeytraps were an ever increasingly competitive market. I
had the London market cornered, but branching out to Paris and potentially
other major cities in the world, had been in my business plan for some time. As
my right hand woman, this was something that Violet was privy to, so now I
understood why she’d taken the gamble and made the appointment. ‘I’ll see her
anytime, just not tonight. Can’t she come in this afternoon?’

‘No, she has her plane scheduled to bring her
from a meeting in Paris, that she said she can’t get out of.’

‘Why the urgency today? Why not another night?’

‘Apparently her husband comes to London on
business on a Friday and stays until he returns to Paris early on a Tuesday
morning. She told me that all efforts so far, to prove that he’s having an
affair, have failed. She says that she’s heard of our track record and needs
our assistance. I get the impression that a leak of an affair would bring shame
to her family.’

‘Why don’t you take the meeting? Find out this
Mr. Le Grand’s type and pick an appropriate girl,’ I suggested. She shook her
head firmly.

‘She’s been on our website, saw your profile
and says it
has
to be you. She says that she knows that you’re his type,
that if he is going to cheat, he’ll definitely do it for you.’

‘God damn it, Vi,’ I moaned, as I covered my
face with my hands. I couldn’t afford to turn a woman of Mrs. Le Grand’s
standing down, but my darling boy was starting to notice that being in a one
parent family wasn’t the norm. It was an issue I needed to start addressing,
before it became something more.

‘It’s one night, if he really is cheating and
you’re his type, you’re
The Temptress
. You’ve never failed. You can wrap
up this case in one night
and
get the accolade from a woman who has the
means to let you retire in a few years. Talking to Tristan can wait one night,
this can’t,’ she coaxed.

‘Fine,’ I sighed. ‘I’ll want Frankie as my back
up, she’s the best.’

‘You definitely are stressed. I already told
you none of the girls are free, and I’m not exactly an “in the field” girl.
I’ve roped Mike in.’

‘Mike? Dear God,’ I sighed as I pinched the top
of my nose. ‘Excellent driver he may be, the ability to infiltrate without
being seen and work off the cuff? Not so much. I’ll be charging this Mrs. Le
Grand extra for short notice and inconvenience. So, do I have anything in my
wardrobe here that will satisfy the husband of a wealthy woman, who can’t keep
him satisfied?’

‘That sexy black dress that hugs all of your
curves with the slit up the side to show off your amazing legs, teamed with your
gold Choos. You still have your custom made wigs and the coloured contact
lenses, I’d go with blonde hair and brown eyes. I checked the expiry date on the
lenses on Saturday and they’re still ok. I can’t believe you’re going back into
the field, it’s been forever,’ she clapped, excitedly. ‘I can’t wait to tell
the girls.’

‘If they start a bet on whether I’ll succeed or
not, stick £100 on for me to win,’ I smiled, noticing how the thought of being
back out there had excited me a little. ‘I’d better ring Claire and ask if she
can stay the night with Tristan.’

‘I’d better go and get Ian to run the
background checks on the Le Grands as a matter of urgency. I’ll come back to
run through the updates from the weekend, if that’s ok?

‘Great, thanks Violet,’ I smiled.

Claire had her own room at my house, opposite the
guest room on the top floor, but only used it if an overnight stay was
requested. Since I’d given up field work, it was rare for me to ask. She’d
covered on Saturday night, after I’d put Tristan to bed, while I’d been on my
painful last date with Greg, if it was too short notice, I’d have to give Mum
or Dom a ring. Tristan loved his Uncle Dom. In fact, that made me change my
mind. Maybe having a man in the house tonight would be better. I propped up my
iPad and FaceTimed him. It didn’t take long for him to answer.