Untouchable by Ava Marsh Page B

my ear I can feel the moistness of his breath on my skin, and then I come with a cross between a yelp and a moan, Alex suspended above me, watching me subside. That perpetual half-smile. A taunt. An invitation.
    I lean forward and grasp his neck, pulling him towards me, parting my legs as my hand goes down to unzip his trousers.
    But he pulls away. ‘No, Stella. Not here.’
    I look at him. ‘Why not?’
    He just shakes his head. ‘Get up.’
    The night is wearing into early morning, though it’s still dark outside. Harry and Rob have tired of porn and now CNN runs soundlessly from the screen on the wall. Janine is picking at a tag on her nail, mentally on sabbatical now that no one is paying her any attention.
    ‘Shit.’
    Harry grabs the remote and turns up the volume. We all stare at the TV. A reporter in a grey trench coat stands in front of the Houses of Parliament, speaking fast into a handheld microphone, reeling off details of some defence contract. Before I can catch what it’s all about, Alex gets up and seizes the remote, blanking the screen.
    ‘What the—’ Harry blurts, but shuts up when he sees the frown on Alex’s face. Even so, his features are rigid with excitement. He punches the air, belly fat wobbling with the force of the movement.
    ‘Fucking yessssss!’
    Alex’s expression gives nothing away.
    ‘He did it,’ Harry exclaims loudly. ‘ He actually fucking did it .’
    ‘Who?’ asks Elisa, looking from one to the other. ‘Did what?
    Harry eyes her and sniggers. ‘We could tell you, darling, but then we’d have to kill you.’
    Elisa smiles, but there’s frost in it. Harry doesn’t pay any attention.
    ‘I can’t believe the bastard didn’t say anything all evening. Not a fucking thing!’ He looks around and spots a half-empty bottle of whisky. Gets up and gathers together a collection of glasses. ‘Come on, girls, let’s party.’
    Elisa and Janine both accept a Scotch. Janine downs hers with a wince – clearly she’s more of a champagne girl.
    ‘This calls for emergency supplies.’ Harry digs in his pocket and pulls out another bag of white powder. He offers it to Alex, who shakes his head. Janine does a line, then Rob. He waves it at Elisa and me.
    I excuse myself. ‘Too much to do today.’
    ‘What?’ Harry snorts. ‘Get your fanny waxed?’
    I let myself stare at him for an instant too long, but he’s too high to notice.
    ‘Well, I’m gonna get totally wankered.’ Harry wipes his nose and leans back into the sofa, a beatific smile across his lunar face. ‘Being as I’m now a damned sight richer than I was this time yesterday.’
    He looks over at Alex. ‘And you, mate. What have you just made? Huh?’
    Alex maintains his impassive expression.
    ‘Thought so,’ Harry grins.
    Janine sits on the side of the sofa. She looks first at Harry, then Alex. ‘Sounds like you’re both very lucky boys.’
    Alex’s mouth tics, as if repressing the impulse to say something snide.
    ‘Naughty boys, more like,’ drawls Harry with a snort of laughter. ‘We’re golden, darling, we can’t lose. We’re fucking untouchable.’
    ‘Untouchable?’ Janine leans towards him, giving him a premium view of her cleavage, while slipping a hand inside his dressing gown. ‘Surely not?’
    ‘You’ve no idea, sweetheart.’ Harry downs the rest of his Scotch and pulls her on to his lap. Yanking a breast from her corset, he pinches her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
    ‘You’ve got no fucking idea at all.’

10
    Friday, 13 February
    As soon as Rachel walks in I realize I’ve made a mistake. Everything about the place – the central circular bar, the runway floor lighting, the clumps of live bamboo – seems silly and frivolous juxtaposed against her heavy brown mac and large practical handbag, the strap slung across her chest like a bandoleer.
    Rachel takes in the crowd of twenty-something media types and City traders as she wriggles out from under her bag and coat,