Free Streetwise by Roberta Kray

this could be our man.’ He glanced up at Danny. ‘Squires. Jeremy Squires. He’s forty-six, a businessman – something tedious to do with computers – but he’s also a local councillor with ambitions to stand for Parliament. As such, any scandal would be decidedly unwelcome.’
    ‘Married?’ Danny asked.
    ‘Naturally. Although rumour has it that he has a penchant for the
younger
ladies.’ His gaze slid towards Silver where it settled for a few seconds. ‘He also has two teenage daughters.’
    ‘Nice,’ Danny said, gently rubbing his hands together. ‘Sounds like he’s our man. Loaded, I take it?’
    ‘Apparently so.’
    ‘Best give us the details then.’
    Morton Carlisle gave a nod of his head before writing out the name and address on a notepad. He ripped the sheet off and passed it to Danny. ‘Let me know when it’s done. How were you thinking of —’
    ‘You let me worry about that,’ Danny said, rising to his feet. ‘Let’s just stick to what we’re good at, eh? I’ll be in touch.’ He took hold of Silver’s elbow. ‘Come on, babe. Time to go.’
    ‘Hold on.’ Carlisle sat back, frowning. ‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’ His eyes darted towards Silver. ‘We have a deal, remember?’
    ‘Oh,
that
,’ Danny said, smirking. He gave Silver a small push. ‘Go on, hun. Go and be nice to Mr Carlisle.’
    Silver obediently walked around the desk until she was standing right beside his chair. She stood for a moment gazing down at him, before slowly undoing first the belt and then the buttons on her raincoat. She took her time, occasionally pausing to sweep back her long fair hair. An enigmatic smile played around her mouth, but her eyes were cold and empty.
    Carlisle’s tongue darted out like a snake, briefly wetting his lips before disappearing back inside. His breathing grew audible and his hands slid down into his lap.
    Silver let the coat slip from her shoulders on to the floor. It made a light swishing sound like an indoor breeze. Underneath, she was naked, her skin as smooth and pale as porcelain. All she was wearing now were a pair of red stilettos. She put her left hand on her hip and stood very still as if she was posing for a magazine picture.
    Carlisle stared hard at her full breasts and tiny waist before his gaze gradually descended to her pussy, her thighs, her ankles and feet. Then his eyes quickly swept up again to focus on the small brown nipples of her breasts. Almost immediately, he reached out a hand, but Silver stepped smartly out of reach.
    She laughed, leaning forward to wag a finger in his face. ‘Uh-huh, you know the rules, babe. You can look – you can look as much as you like – but you can never ever touch…’

10
    From her bed, Ava gazed across at the thin grey light sliding through the gap in the curtains. Morning or afternoon? At this time of year it was impossible to tell. She reached out, scrabbling for her watch on the table, but couldn’t find it. Now she was awake she knew that she would have to get up, but still she lingered for a few moments, enjoying the warmth and snugness of the duvet.
    While she delayed the inevitable, she thought back over the previous day. In the afternoon, Chris had informed her that he had to go to Manchester and they’d set off within the hour. She’d enjoyed the drive up the motorway, getting some speed out of the Mercedes for once instead of being stuck in a perpetual traffic jam. He had spent most of the journey on the phone, making calls, sending texts or checking out the Facebook page for Belles.
    Once in Manchester, she’d dropped him off in the city centre at a pub called the Crown and then found somewhere to park before going to get a burger. There had been some nice-looking restaurants around the area, but she hadn’t fancied eating in them on her own. The burger place was busy and anonymous, easy to blend into. Surrounded by northern accents, she’d felt like a stranger, but not an unwelcome one. Natural