by Julie Huleux
The Koreans spoke in their native tongue, thinking that the pretty, dumb girl by their side would not understand. She smiled again when the Godfather expressed his surprise to his compatriot.
“A black woman? You have strange taste…”
“She is a whim,” Il-Sung answered without raising his tone.
“I don’t like that in my house. But I will let it slip this once.”
“She will have no consequence on our meeting.”
“We are still waiting for two members to meet in my office.”
“Very well, Sunbae-min.”
All of this was but a masquerade. One hundred and twenty people, at least, to be used as an alibi for this top-level meeting between the gang chiefs.
Eve inhaled deeply, then swept her gaze over the invitees, the waiters, the bar, the buffet and the canapés. Number Six was outside with the other bodyguards and she was alone in the lion’s den. They had failed across the board. No copied laptop, no list of gang member names, no compromising evidence. And it was out of the question for her to do the French’s job on this case. Although she appreciated the pale-eyed spy, she also liked living and she intended to continue doing so.
She had to leave, to escape from there, ideally keeping up appearances to be able to finish her mission for her clients for another day or two. She had to find a way to contact Six to warn him about what was going on.
“My love, excuse me, I need to go powder my nose,” she whispered to Il-Sung.
“The bathrooms are upstairs,” the Godfather answered.
“Go,” the other approved.
“Thank you. I won’t be long.”
She bowed her head as she had been taught to do in this country, and left the company of the two men with no regrets.
Eve pierced through the crowd of guests, a fake smile on her face. The background music pulsated through her veins, so attentive to her environment she was, her senses on high-alert. She took a section of her dress in her hand to be able to climb the grand staircase that led to the mezzanine, continuously observing everything around her. As naturally and beautifully as possible. Self-control. As long as she was not suspected of anything, she was not in danger.
She needed only to lock herself in the bathroom and get out her phone from her tiny clutch to call the French spy. She would find a way to code her rushed explanation. There, simple.
Whilst glancing below, she bumped into someone on the last step.
Rough shoulder against naked shoulder.
“Excuse me!” Eve exclaimed in English.
“No, Miss, it is I who should excuse myself,” answered a deep voice that she recognised.
She also recognised the cologne, strong and magnetic.
Six.
She raised her eyes, taken aback, and discovered the secret agent in disguise. A large grey jacket, a wig of light brown hair and a pair of glasses. He flashed a shy smile she had never seen on him. The metamorphosis was elementary but devilishly efficient. The tall, bald bodyguard had become an ordinary English broker.
“Sir, with your stature, you should be more careful if you are going down into the crowds,” Eve pulled herself together. “It’s a lion’s den, it’s difficult to reach the canapés.”
He leant towards her, changing his voice to force his fake British accent. The smell of his skin came within reach, an underhand temptation, and a sudden wave of heat.
“It’s a shame I could not have you as my evening companion. A feline among others, you would know how to guide me…”
She looked at his thin lips as one admires a dish brought to one’s table. desire and appetite mixed together. Then Eve looked away, amused by the allusions. She glanced over the room. Il-Sung did not seem to be looking for her.
“A tiger. He is surely a tiger…”
“Me too,” said Number Six.
“There are many. It would be too dangerous for just the two of us,” she answered evasively.
With incredible delicacy, he discreetly stroked her arm to bring her attention back towards him. When their gazes met again, soldered and strong, he put all possible weight into his words so she would understand every meaning.
“You are a panther, you have nothing to fear. You can disappear into the shadows… You need only say the word. One word and I will take care of it.”
“The alcohol has gone to your head,” she smiled, pointing to the champagne glass held in his large hand.
“No doubt…”
She edged over to be less visible and straightened up to completely regain her part. A smiling and uncaring mask on her face, while he was split between worry and relief. She was not going to try anything alone, but they were in the presence of the danger she had foreseen. His offer held: if she wanted to leave, he would take care of it. To hell with the mission! She would not be able to flee by her own means. The risks of exposing her cover were too great. He would help her, he would make her disappear. Under the very eyes and nose of ether target, of the South Korean mafia and the French secret services.
“What are you doing inside by the way? Are you watching me?”
“I’m making sure my asset does not change hands,” he murmured.
She pulled a vexed face and stole his glass of champagne. He put up no resistance when she drank it in one gulp, her eyes fixed onto his as a somber provocation.
“Do not underestimate me,” she finally said. “I will act tonight. Stand ready.”
He took back the empty glass she held out to him, readjusted his glasses to hide his frowning. The turnaround of the beauty was sudden. He did not know which plan of action had just sprung to her mind but she was satisfied with it he seemed to hear her purr.
She left him on those words, decided and princely. and returned to their target’s arm. In the heart of danger. She threw him an ephemeral glance through her lashes over her shoulder…
10
They all took her for a pet cat…
Eve smiled when she thought about it. That tendency men had to think her inoffensive, that was where her strength laid. Better yet: her talent.
Even the French spy who knew her dangerous curriculum vitae had let his guard down. She had read it in his pale eyes in the reception during their meeting at the top of the stair. He was worried, profoundly troubled. To the point that he had offered her a way out of this dirty affair. He had offered to help her flee, nevertheless! And his boss? And his mission, huh? She had done nothing to blur his mind like that. She had wound him up a little sexually, that did not count. No… She had known how to look fragile. And that, that touched men. Heterosexuals, at least. So she now knew she could do whatever she liked with Number Six!
For the time being, changed into a tight-fitting red lace get-up, she intended to attack someone else…
What her CEO darling, the old mafia godfather and the other Asian big shots did not know was that the beauty did not just have a lovely body. She also had a sharp mind and an aptitude for linguistic learning. She may pass herself off as a catwalk diva that demanded her entourage speak English, but she mastered no less than nine languages, including Korean.
She therefore understood each sentence pronounced in front of her that night. From the most trivial to the most insulting. She smiled with an absent look to not betray herself, but she noted everything.
When the missing guests arrived - other bandits in white collars -, Il-Sung claimed an impromptu meeting to send Eve back to his house, well-escorted and without asking for her opinion. He simply slid her a brief kiss on the nape of her neck before sending her away.
She was not unhappy to be out of there without having blown her cover. The old mafioso inspired no confidence in her at all, and she almost lost her calm in his presence… A shiver went down her spine when she closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them again, intensely fixating on her silhouette in the mirror, she bat her eyelids, satisfied.
She was back in Il-Sung’s immense room. It was a suite of modern luxury, with a large bedroom in wh
ich the king-size bed took centre-stage alongside a designer desk, a stocked dressing-room and an ensuite bathroom.
Eve awaited the return of her target pretending to be in love as much as she could. A passionate and smouldering girlfriend. She watched out for the arrival of the sedan through the window and when she saw Six go out to open the door for the boss, she went to sit lasciviously on the bed.
She counted the metres, the steps and the minutes. Just a little longer…
Six had only one thought since the reception. A clear idea, shining above the backdrop of the rest.
It was obvious: Eve was going to drive him crazy.
He wondered if actually she had not already succeeded. What had made him go intercept her in disguise? To ensure she was not going to get in danger or just for the pleasure of keeping an eye on her? He took inadmissible pleasure in watching her move. He was hypnotised as much by her body as by her astonishing grace, as by what he knew of her. He had been touched for months by what she was capable of. Such a young woman in such long undercover missions, and who did not back down from anything to achieve her goals. The fact of working with her over the past few days had greatly amplified his admiration. And his desire, dammit! She had looked sublime that evening. And even more beautiful when her gaze veiled. At that moment, he had found her to be so true… rid of all her ravishing artifices and of all staging. It was the only time, in the four months he had been closely observing her, that he had felt her falter. The momentum it caused in him, his desire to save her, was not faked.
She had picked herself back up so quickly he could have dreamt it.
He was separated from her by the security system of the evening. Given the level of alert, he had been affected to the close protection of the boss.
The limousine was parked in its place, the beauty was back without any mishap. In a brief frown, the man tried once again to get rid of this new side that moved him. To worry about Eve was a madness even greater than to want her. It was to forget that she had been doing this dangerous job for three years, that she knew how to use her magnificent body in a fight and that she was wanted by Interpol!
He wanted to help her, but it was not impossible she was manipulating him. She was so gifted at tormenting men… He was no exception.
Six remembered her luscious mouth that was satined in red and of her words. She would act tonight. Now.
Three bodyguards accompanied Il-Sung to the villa. They dispersed as they went along, after having each turned their walkie-talkie to the security frequency.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take the first quarter,” Six said discreetly to his colleague as they approached the bedroom.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. The corridor is calm at night.”
The other sniggered, thinking of the screams of delight that often emanated from the other side of the closed door. It was almost as good as porn.
“Have fun, man!”
He gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder before leaving.
Six raised an annoyed eyebrow when he was alone walking behind the boss. He lengthened his strides and politely stepped ahead of the Korean, opening the door to his bedroom for him.
Procedure demanded he glance inward before his boss enter. It was also a quick reflex of a spy in the field. In a fraction of a second he detected and evaluated any potential danger.
That night, the danger wore red lace…
“Oh my love, finally you’re here!” Eve’s velvet voice purred.
She rose from the bed where she was laid, and walked on the tip of her bare feet towards the two men. She briefly stared at Number Six, who moved aside to let Il-Sung enter the room.
The Korean flashed a smile when he saw the young woman’s outfit. She wrapped her arms around his neck, affectionate and oblivious. She heard the bodyguard leave into the corridor while she kissed Il-Sung passionately.
It was perfect.
Her eyes half-closed, she guided the movement. A strategic turnaround, taking the man towards the bed. Happy, she released her grip after having bit his lips, and pushed him to the mattress. He smiled more strongly, desire ignited in his onyx eyes. The Asian man let himself fall onto the sheets and watched her close the door, impatient for her to come back to him. He did not see the exact movement she made, that after the usual sound of the door closing, she had reopened it carefully. He did not see the tiny opening she left before turning back to him. He had eyes only for her brown skin and her mouth, both wearing red.
She gave him a mysterious smile, bearing an intense gaze as she walked towards the bed. One step after another, she savoured the air that was suddenly heavy with desire. When she finally climbed onto the mattress, a knee placed either side of the seated man’s legs, she swooped on him like a cat on its prey and kissed him with revived fervour. She pushed back his suit jacket over his muscled arms and opened his luxurious shirt, ripping it in one swipe. Her wilderness made Il-Sung moan with delighted surprise. He grabbed her bottom in a rough embrace to bring about change.
She laid him down, pushing him roughly, and once again he let her get away with it… Never had she been so ferocious with him. But after this important meeting, the idea did not displease him. Even when Eve bit him again, putting an end to their kiss, and she straightened up to immediately attack his trousers. Her breath was warm and she felt the taste of blood on her lips.
The corridor was silent. Number Six, immobile, his back against a wall, was attentive. To the camera that was in his field of vision, the bodyguard was simply fulfilling his mission of night-guard. He seemed concentrated and nothing betrayed the slightest agitation on site. Even more so as the video reordered only image, not sound. It was a measure linked to Mr. CEO’s privacy… and to the secrecy of business. Six did not raise his eyes from his shiny leather shoes. His breathing was of olympian calm. He faked boredom, but the hands that were joined behind his back, hidden by his body, were moving slightly. The man pressed silently on a tiny button on his watch, then smiled as he finally lifted his gaze to the camera in the corner. He knew it was no longer recording, replaying the last six minutes on a loop. The men at the security post would not even realise.
It was time for him to take action. He moved towards the bedroom door in silence. As he approached, loud groans escaped from it in a chant.
He had not missed a second of beautiful Eve’s little game earlier. His gaze had been fixed on her red thong while she left the door half-open. She offered him a splendid and tempting view of her bottom and an opening to the bedroom. Her plan was of such simplicity that it did not even need explaining: she would distract their target while he crept into the room to access the computer. Easy, efficient, but extremely risky.
It was even more exciting than usual, he thought ironically. Exciting in every meaning of the word, for adrenaline was not the only reason blood was pumping so quickly around his veins…
Prudently, he glanced through the crack, which did not improve his state. He had a view of the immense bed, the hand of the Korean gripping the creased sheets and Eve at work. She was administering a fellatio to the target that greatly deserved an X-rated Oscar.
Six closed his eyes and grit his teeth to stop himself from saying anything. He took a deep breath and got down on all-fours to creep into the bedroom. Il-Sung could not see him whilst he was busy with the attentions of the panther. His head was thrown back between the pillows and for the moment had no desire to straighten up. The spy hoped that Eve was not putting too much effort into her work because if the man came too quickly, he would not have time to copy the data from the computer.
Scaling the wall by the door, he made out the crocodile skin satchel that had contained the laptop all evening. Il-Sung had placed it on one of the armchairs along with his coat. Usually the object went on the designer desk but the boss had been distracted by his welcome committee. Six took advantage of that detail, he delicately opened the satchel, extracted the laptop just as softly with a glance to his pa
rtner in action, grit his teeth again in frustration then hid behind the large back of the armchair. The object would hide him from the Korean in case he changed position.
He turned on the laptop and worked his secret agent magic to hack in, using some high-tech gadgets for support. In the background, there were groans and murmurs.
Stay focused, man, Six said to himself whilst trying to ignore it. The PC was almost cracked, he needed only a short half-hour to copy the drive. But a feminine laugh disturbed his thoughts and a red lace thong landed on top of the chair.
Eve’s laugh morphed into a delighted yowl when she fell back onto the bed on all-fours, entirely naked after having removed her lingerie. Il-Sung, laid on his back, watched her come towards him, his eyes half-closed by desire. He wanted her more than ever, witnessed by his huge erection that she had just dressed with a condom. She had gotten him in a real state with her impetus tongue games and Amazonian attitude. The important nature of the evening and the excitation of the imminent release of his new product both had an influence on him. If there was a night he felt powerful and did not have to prove it, it was this one. So the beauty could play. His pleasure would be that much greater.
Eve smiled at him, her eyes expressive and her mouth wandering. She undressed him as she advanced. His trousers were still wide open after the fellatio, his gaping shirt offered his stomach and chest to kisses. The young woman traveled down him, nibbling his skin here and there, an opportune swipe of the claws or a suggestive suck. Her thin fingers outlined the tiger tattooed on the Asian’s pec, as if to cajole it. To keep the big cat there and allow the other to go wild.
