By the time he finally worked her to an orgasm she wasn’t even rational anymore.
Trading up? You better believe it.
She glanced down at herself, experiencing a sultry pride at how wanton she looked. “That was me,” she said out loud. “I did that.”
“You certainly did.” He was lying on his side, skin beaded with sweat. The greed was still burning bright in his eyes.
“This is a cliché, innocent young girl being taught the facts of life by older man.”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to call you innocent.”
Annabelle laughed, stroking her hands and feet across the sheet. “Not anymore. I’ve never felt so…free. I can be as bad as I want, and it doesn’t matter. Bad isn’t even bad anymore, it’s just what I enjoy.”
“Damn, you’re so beautiful. And exciting.”
“I excite you?”
“Yes.”
She smiled that sultry smile again. “What next?”
“Give me a minute, I’ll show you.”
“I mean, after today?”
“After today there’s tomorrow, and then another tomorrow after that. I’ve got this suite for a fortnight.”
“I even get turned on by that part of it. This is an illicit affair. Sneaking around behind Tim’s back.”
“You know why we have to do that.”
She sobered. “Yes. It’s strange, he’ll never know how much we care about him. That’s sad in a way. I feel quite virtuous protecting him from the truth.”
“He’s pretty upset over your bust-up.”
“He’ll get over me and find someone else. Look at me, I did.”
“You got a sister he could date?”
“No!”
He laughed at her indignation, then reached for her again.
THIS TIME WHEN THEY WERE SPENT her limbs had an actual physical ache, deeper than any gym session had ever given her.
“Martina Lewis was right,” she said. “They really did rejuvenate every part of you.”
Jeff was flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. “Yeah, I’m well worth several trillion euros.”
“Smug pig.” She slapped him playfully, then rolled onto her side to look at him. “Were you like this before? When you were young, I mean?”
“I dunno. I remember I did get laid quite a lot at university. I was lucky, that was the late seventies, just before AIDS broke out.”
“The seventies,” she said in wonder. “You have to deep mine a database to get that far back. It’s history, like the World Wars and airships and knights and kings. I know you had CDs; were there computers then as well?”
“Other way round, actually. CDs came in during the nineties. Computers were just starting to get smaller in the seventies. But thanks for making me feel old.”
“You’re not old. You just have a lot of memories. That’s good.”
“You think so?”
She stroked his chest, fingers tracing the lines of muscle. “Yes,” she murmured. “When I do think about your age and the difference between us, it’s kinky. I like that.”
“God, there was never anybody like you in the seventies. Maybe that’s why I was really chosen for rejuvenation, so I could meet you.”
“We were destined to meet!”
“Yeah.”
“Jeff?” she asked shyly. “Can I be the one leading this time? There are things I’d like to do to try and please you.” Derek had shown her techniques to gratify a male body that she was curious about trying with Jeff, who didn’t seem to have a single inhibition. Although it wasn’t so much what you did, but the way you did it that made them so euphoric. Things that she’d never considered doing with poor old bashful, uncertain Tim; he would never have been able to cope with knowing what his girlfriend had got up to previously. Another reason why that had been a big mistake from day one. And why this was so right. “They’d be bad things.” Her tongue licked down the edge of his ear. “I would have to be naughty…really naughty to do them to you. Would you mind that?”
“Oh Jesus.” Jeff sounded as if he was in pain.
He didn’t see her little grin of victory as she slowly climbed on top of him.
33. AGONY AUNT
THE ELEPHANT KECK WAS IN FULL BLOOM, big hemispherical flower clumps swaying in the slightest breeze, sending dead petals to carpet the roads. Councils had a statutory requirement to cut them down, but to do that they needed money, a commodity Rutland County Council was notoriously short of. So the tall invaders were left alone to grow up packed tight along the county’s D-class roads, blocking the view around every bend.
They didn’t make Tim’s journey any easier as he rode the e-trike along the strip of dilapidated tarmac ringing the reservoir, weaving about to dodge the potholes. He had to keep the speed low for fear of what was coming the other way; mostly it was cyclists and other e-trike riders, but once a car purred toward him, well into the middle of the road when it appeared. He was sure it only braked because of the Europol team’s BMW following him. He was back on probation with the bodyguards following his behavior at the ball.
He arrived at the gates to the protected estate and flashed his smartcard at the sensor pillar. Aunt Alison was in her little front garden, clipping away determinedly at the straggly rosebushes that were tumbling over the pavement. Her heavy-handed attentions were actually making them look worse. She pushed her straw hat back, and gave him a big welcoming smile. “Tim! Hello, darling, how are you?”
He endured the wet kiss she gave him as best he could. “Okay, suppose.”
“Oh, dear me, that bad is it?”
“Maybe.” He frowned. “Why are you doing gardening?”
Alison gave his shoulder a mock punch. “A little less of your cheek, young Timothy. I always keep this garden in tiptop shape.”
“No you don’t.”
She gave a hearty laugh. “Got an official letter of complaint from the Residents Association. They said I was letting down the tone of the estate. I assumed they meant the garden. Do you want to see it?”
“Er, no thanks.”
“That’s my boy, who cares what old people do and say.” She stripped off her thorn-proof gauntlets. “Come on through, I’ve done quite enough vegetable maintenance for today.” Her attention suddenly focused on the Europol team, who were out of the BMW, stretching their legs. “I say, young man, do you think you could possibly help me out?”
Hans Goussfar was unfortunate to be the one closest to Alison. “In what way, madam?” he asked politely.
Alison waved her clippers at the black dome of the lawnmower robot, which sat inertly in the middle of the front lawn, surrounded by grass that was now almost as high as it was. “It simply stopped the other week. I have no idea what’s wrong with the poor thing, I’m utterly dreadful with machinery. Could you possibly take a peek underneath for me?”
“Ah, well…”
“Oh, you are such a dear. Thank you. I’ll have Timmy bring some tea out to all of you.”
Once the front door was shut, Tim started laughing. “That was cruel.”
“Pha, about time I got my money’s worth out of Brussels, all that bloody tax I pay. And let’s face it, it’s probably the most useful thing he’ll do all year.”
“I doubt he’ll be able to fix it. He’s a policeman, not an engineer.”
“It just needs the skirt sensors cleaning; the software will reboot once it has all-round coverage again. Oh, and there’s a filthy great wad of wet leaves plugging up the engine intake, although they’ve probably dried solid by now.”
“You do know what’s wrong with it!”
Alison winked at him. “How could I? I’m just a helpless girlie.” She led him through the living room and out onto her patio. The arch of wisteria creepers had thickened considerably this year, turning the paved area into an emerald cave. Bushes and shrubs in the back garden were climbing skyward as if that was their only escape route. “Still upset about your mum leaving?”