Agent Provocateur Read Online Free

tonight? My trip was cancelled at the last minute.’ He knows how Grace needs to keep things at arm’s length and acts accordingly.
    ‘Yeah, OK.’
    ‘Don’t sound too keen.’
    ‘Sorry, Olly, I’m just a bit tired.’ Grace thinks she slept well, but she is finding it hard to shake off the sleepy feeling she woke with.
    ‘If you didn’t spend half the night trying to trap men, you might not be tired.’ She detects disapproval in his voice, which always riles her.
    ‘I was not out half the night.’
    ‘Maybe, but you do have an amazingly tacky job.’ She should have known that he was dying to say that to her; he always needs to make one comment at least.
    ‘Olly! You know how I feel about what I do. Don’t start.’
    ‘Sorry. I’ll come round after work?’
    ‘Not before eight.’ Because he has annoyed her, she decides to annoy him.
    ‘But I was going to finish early.’
    ‘Shame. Bye.’ She puts the phone down with a smile.
     
    After another coffee, she types up a report of the previous evening to email to Nicole, and she listens to the tape. She shudders at his voice, dripping with – what is it? Desperation, lust, greediness. Then she removes the tape, puts it in a padded envelope and addresses it to Nicole, who will send a courier for it. At five minutes past ten she dials Nicole’s number.
    ‘It’s me,’ Grace says.
    ‘Morning, honey. So, the spider went for the trap.’ Nicole likes to use what she thinks is ’spy speak’. It always makes Grace want to laugh.
    ‘Yes, he did. Have you spoken to his wife?’
    ‘She called me last night; couldn’t wait until today. I told her that he went for it and I’d call her today to see if she wanted a copy of the tape and the report. Poor woman was beside herself. Kept me talking for hours. I didn’t get to sleep until gone two.’
    ‘Poor thing. I’ve emailed you a full report and the tape is sitting here waiting for you to send a bike.’
    ‘Well, she does want the report, obviously, but I think she’s made up her mind to throw him out. Apparently she doesn’t want her daughter growing up thinking all men are cheats. Anyway, you’re pure gold, Gracie. So, how are you?’
    ‘I’m OK. Tired, for some reason.’
    ‘Darling, chasing cheating men is a tiring business, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,’ Nicole laughs.
    ‘Don’t I know it. You know, I would just like one to tell me to bugger off.’
    ‘Well, one of my other girls did get turned down, if that’s any consolation.’
    ‘No, really?’
    ‘Yeah, but I think she went a bit wrong with the tactic. Anyway, I’m going to take you to lunch soon, because you sound thin.’
    ‘How can I sound thin?’ Grace tries not to be too attached to Nicole, because of the work connection, but she is.
    ‘You just do. And when we have lunch we’ll natter about your quest for a faithful man. Also I’ve got something else I want to talk to you about.’
    ‘OK, Nicole, I’ll look forward to it.’
    When Grace puts the phone down she feels sad, because she doesn’t want Mrs X’s daughter thinking all men are cheats, but she also doesn’t want to think that herself. But they are, aren’t they? Or is there still hope?
    A couple of hours later, after organising her files and her upcoming jobs, she breaks for lunch. She makes herself a salad and she eats it in the sitting room, where she sits on her sofa, facing her fish tank.
    ‘You guys might be a bit aggressive with each other but at least you aren’t lying cheating men.’ She smiles at them.
     

 
    Chapter Two
     
    ‘Johnny, stop it. I’ll be late,’ Betty Parkin begs unconvincingly, through her giggles.
    ‘OK, fine. Go to work.’ Johnny sits up in bed, and folds his arms, dropping Betty like a stone on to the mattress.
    ‘Well, maybe I can be a bit late …’
    Johnny turns to face her. ‘Really?’
    ‘Oh, well, the buses were a nightmare and the tube was stuck in a tunnel for hours.’
    ‘Choo choo, here comes the