Agent Provocateur

The next morning after breakfast, Stu proposed that they walk the relative short distance to the police station. By Delhi standards the humidity was relatively low so she agreed and they set off side by side. Danielle was enjoying the freedom she had discovered in letting loose her lust and finding a level of trust that she hadn't felt for anyone in some time. Jeff's betrayal had bought her to the realisation that she needed time away from him. Whether that meant a divorce she didn't know at this stage, but given the physical relationship she was sharing with Stu, she couldn't be objective about her needs.

'This afternoon I need to pick up the chip that contains the plans I was sent here to get.' Stu's statement was so matter-of-fact that for a moment Danielle didn't realise what he was talking about.

'You mean you have them?'

'Well I did, but I suspected that the police were following me so I handed them off.'

'I don't want anything to do with it, and I don't want you involving me at all...'

'You aren't involved, I am just telling you out of courtesy.' Danielle bit her lip, regretting the defensive nature of her outburst. Courtesy was something that had been missing from this whole adventure.

'The chip is with some contacts in the old bazaar, so it will be nothing out of the ordinary for me to go there this evening.'

'I'll come,' she said. 'You've been good to me so I'll give you that much help.'

'That'd be nice, we'll have dinner then go looking for some silk.'

'I love silk,' she added.

'We'll be asked to go to a shopkeeper's cousins place to see very good silks, you can browse, I'll make the pick up and then we'll head back to the hotel for the night.'

They walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

'I hope it's a night like last night,' she said. Stu didn't immediately respond.

'Look Dani,' his tone told her that he was about to place a damper on things, 'I hope you're not developing feelings for me, because I love Naomi...'

'Stop Stu,' she cut him off. 'Don't worry, I'm not falling for you or anything romantic, I'm loving the...' she was about to say sex, but changed her mind, 'loving fucking you, that's all. I'm the most relaxed I've been in some time, and tomorrow its over.'

'Oh, okay.'

'But I can't see how you can fuck me and other women by all accounts, and say you love Naomi.'

'You know, I was thinking about what you said the other day about what Naomi gets up to while I'm away.' Stu seemed to avoid the accusation.

'And?'

'I guess it is possible, and that she doesn't tell me, but I've realised it doesn't matter.'

'How can the knowledge that your wife is having sex with other men not bother you?'

'Might be having sex,' he argued. 'Because our relationship is great. Really,' he added seeing her look of disbelief. 'We have sex at least, and I mean at least, twice a week. And it is great, sometimes loving and gentle, sometimes its an up against the wall, spine tingling, no time for kissing, fuck.' The thought of Stu pinning the statuesque blonde to the wall sent a tingle through Danielle.

'We hold hands when we walk, we always kiss each other goodbye in the morning, hello in the afternoon and goodnight before we sleep. No one has captivated me more, there is no one I want to spend time with more than Naomi.'

'Well why do you fuck other women while you're away?'

'There's a challenge, its fun, hell Dani, it feels good.'

'It does doesn't it.' They fell into silence again.

'Do you tell Naomi about it?' They had arrived at the police station and were stopped to finish the conversation.

'Sometimes she wants to know, it becomes part of the turn on for us, when we have down and dirty sex,' he smiled.

'Will you tell her about us?' His answer to this question was going to be fundamental to what she would tell Jeff.

'I don't know,' he admitted frankly.

'You need to make up your mind so I know what to tell Jeff.' He nodded.

'Will you ask her about other men?'

'No,' he shook his head.

'Hypocrite,' she said with a smile. 'C'mon let's get our stuff and get out of here.'

***

There had been no last minutes hitches with the police. Danielle's meeting at JetAAI had gone exceptionally well from her point of view, with her manager indicating that he was looking for a big pay rise or was going to leave. It had solidified her plan of moving to India to live. She had agreed to the pay rise, but insisted that he only receive a six-month contract with options. That would give her time to make the arrangements and get settled before letting him go. The pay rise would cost little in the longer term and would ensure that he was happy and productive while he remained in the position.

They selected a café in the bazaar, but had barely finished when Stu said that they should get going. She sensed that he was feeling nervous and again took his hand as they wound their way through the small back alleys, offering a reassuring squeeze now and then and making him pause to look at other shops before they reached their destination. They had browsed for a couple of minutes when the shopkeeper asked if they would like to look at a larger quantity of fine quality silks. Five minutes later they were in a large room in the back that was filled with rolls and rolls of silks. Almost at once Stu was whisked away by a turbaned man, while five young and very beautiful women brought out displays of silks for Danielle.

Stu had told her that they should remain an hour in case they were being followed, so she accepted some tea and seriously shopped for silk. Having selected and paid for several lengths, she was feeling bored after half and hour and decided to go looking for Stu. The women looked a little concerned when she began to walk towards the door where Stu had vanished.

'Oh, no Missus Stu,' one began. 'We have many more silks...'

'No thank you, I'll go and get my husband now.' Her tone was firm enough to discourage further attempts to stop her, but their concerned looks puzzled her.

The door led into a darkened corridor and she had to stop to let her eyes adjust. In the silence she thought she heard whispered voices, and walked towards the last door on the right. It stood ajar and a small amount of light spilled from within.

Danielle was about to push it open when she heard the guttural moan of Stu that she had come to associate with his arousal. She hesitated and considered returning the way she came, but her own newly re-discovered interest in sex over-rode her sense of polite decency and she pushed gently against the door which opened enough for her to peer into the room.

Several candles that burned on a modest dressing table along the far wall provided the light that was spilling into the corridor. The aroma of sandalwood filled her nostrils, the pleasant by product of incense. In the centre of the room, between the candles and where she stood, was a double bed. Stu was lying on the bed on his back and above him a slender, naked, Indian woman, rose and fell in the unmistakable rhythm of sex. Danielle drew in a sharp breath as she looked at Stu's partner. Her skin was chocolate brown and glowed like satin in the candlelight. Her hair was thick and fell in a straight mass down to her buttocks, the closest Danielle had ever seen to reflecting what shampoo advertising always promised.

Danielle could only see the woman's face in part profile, but the perfectly shaped nose, and sculptured cheekbone combined with a strong but feminine jaw line gave a hint of a face that would not be out of place on the catwalk. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she rode Stu, and her full lips were parted as she tried to control her ragged breathing. Her breasts were small and very firm, with small dark nipples that pointed slightly upwards. She was exquisite and Danielle was surprised at her own appreciation of the woman's physique, and the growing arousal she felt.

Watching, Danielle saw Stu begin to tense and she knew that he was close. Her knowledge of Stu's physical responses was something of a revelation to her; it had taken her some months to develop that level of intimate knowledge of Jeff.

'You are close?' The woman's question was asked in a soft and heavily accented whisper. Stu smiled at her and nodded. Without a word the woman lifted herself from his body, revealing Stu's slick shaft that bobbed as it left her embrace. The woman reached for a small decorated glass bottle from the bedside table then poured a thick jelly like substance onto the palm of her hand. Reaching for Stu's shaft she covered him with the gentlest of hand movements which Danielle was pretty sure was not going to bring him to completion if that was her aim.

To Danielle's surprise the woman then positioned herself on all fours, the pink folds of her aroused sex pointing straight at the door. Stu kneeled beside her and they both watched as the Indian woman smeared the last of the substance from the bottle onto her puckered anus. Danielle felt her mouth open in shock as Stu then positioned himself behind the woman and placed the bulbous head at the woman's puckered entrance. He had one leg propped to the side to provide balance, which had the side effect of giving Danielle a good view of what was happening.

Danielle shook her head. There was no way that Stu was going to be able to push himself in there, but she watched in a mixture of wanton lust and horror as he did just that, with the tightening of his buttocks the only real indication to her that he was inching forward. Jeff had once asked her to try anal sex, but she had refused the thought both unclean and painful to her. The gasps of Stu's willing partner seemed to indicate that the pain bordered on pleasure, and when Stu was finally fully inside her and began to thrust, it sounded as though the pleasure was very real.

It was over a minute later, the muscles in Stu's back outlined and his buttocks taut as he came. Almost at once he pulled free from her and flopped onto his back. Danielle started to move back into the corridor and as the scene inside the room disappeared she thought Stu had caught a glimpse of her.

A moment later she had returned to the silk warehouse and met the concerned stares of the women there with a knowing smile. She could see the looks of shock on their faces and then she asked if her purchases were ready. They were and by the time Stu had emerged she had paid for them and they escaped into the now darkened alleyways of the bazaar.

'I'm sorry about that, I should have warned you so you didn't have to see it.'

'On the contrary, I found it most...interesting,' she replied, smiling from the corner of her mouth at him.

'Oh.'

'This trip has changed everything for me Stu,' she continued. 'I allowed things to go as far as they did the first time because I was angry with Jeff.'

'Hang on Dani...'

'Hear me out,' she cut off his interruption. 'Jeff endangered my company and my reputation without telling me. He betrayed my trust and I have come to the realisation that I may not be able to continue with that knowledge.'

'What are you telling me Dani?'

'I'm going to spend some time by myself once I get home. That doesn't mean I'm going to divorce him, just that I need to see how I feel without him in my life. Because right now I'm not missing him and that is really sad. But maybe its just that the situation has been, to say the least, weird and that I might feel different once I get home.'

'I'm sorry Dani, I should've controlled myself more.'

'I don't think that would've changed anything Stu. This betrayal happened before I left Australia, what happened between us started out as a revenge thing for me, but turned into something of an exploration of...of my, I don't know, my desires?' She searched for a better word.

'Jeff's my friend, so I still can't help but feel guilt.'

'That's your problem,' Danielle said. She felt some annoyance that he was trying to make this about his feelings. 'At the end of the day I don't. My mind was toying with the whole separation thing before you came in my mouth.'

'Oh.'

'Your feelings are your problems and you need to deal with them before we get home tomorrow. What are you going to tell Naomi?'

'What are you going to tell Jeff?'

'Quite frankly it doesn't matter does it? Our separation is going to be about his betrayal of me, because that is what it is about. So if you don't want to tell Naomi, I won't tell Jeff.'

'Thanks,' Stu said the relief clear in his voice. 'But I am going to tell her, because I promised never to conceal anything that could impact our relationship from her.'

'I'm glad to hear it and I guess the fact that I'm about to separate from Jeff will make it easier for her to accept because we probably won't see much of each other once that happens.'

'Why not?' Jeff asked.

'Because Jeff is your friend so you will see more of him.' She could see him open his mouth to protest, but he said nothing as he realised that she was probably right.

***

'Does anal sex feel better that the real thing?' Danielle asked as they stood on their balcony sipping at some white wine. The afternoon had brought a rare breeze to Delhi that had cleared most of the over powering smog and left the night cooler and clearer than normal. The cacophony of the traffic below was a suitable backdrop to the chaotic twinkle of lights that covered this most paradoxical of cities. They could see the flicker of flames in the shantytowns not far from the bright illumination of skyscrapers.

'What?' Stu asked, almost choking on his drink.

'Well, I don't know, if you want to do it, it must feel better. I always thought it was for gay men.'

'God you've become frank haven't you?'

'You've been something of an education actually.'

'Thanks, I guess,' he shrugged.

'Well?'

'Well, I hadn't expected to get together with Mahdi, so we didn't have any protection, so it was a safe way to...well you know.'

'Okay. But that didn't answer my question.'

'Its different, so I can't say that its better or not.'

'Do you prefer a woman's mouth then?' Danielle was becoming aroused and wanted the topic to continue.

'Depends on the woman,' he replied with a smile.

'And whose is your favourite?'

'You want me to say yours is, don't you?'

'Probably.' Danielle felt herself blush and was glad that they were outside.

'I taught Naomi so she is by far the best.'

'Taught her, how, at the Stuart Fosdike School of Oral Sex?'

'I told her what I liked and she was happy to do it.'

'Fair enough,' Danielle smiled. 'I always found it hard to talk about sex, let alone lying there giving a partner instructions.' She giggled self-consciously.

'I'd never have guessed it,' Stu admitted, 'even before these past few days.' He grinned at her and then held up his empty glass. 'I'm getting a refill, d'ya want more?'

'I do,' she grinned suggestively. He ignored the innuendo and disappeared into their room. Danielle watched the mass of taxis and motorised rickshaws jostling for position on the huge round about below the hotel. A cow stood in what would have been the fast lane back home, unfazed by the mass of vehicles as though aware of its sacred status.

'Here you go.'

'Thanks,' Danielle accepted the proffered glass. She took a sip, savouring the crisp liquid. 'I'm planning to move to India and concentrate on the business here.'

'Ah, the romance of India has bitten another westerner.' There was more than a trace of cynicism in his tone.

'Do you call what we've experienced in the past week romance?'

'Touche,' he replied.

'There are great opportunities here, both in business and for me anyway, personally. You know, when Dad died I was thrust into the company and that became my life. I've suddenly realised that I need to get out more!' They both laughed and Stu raised his glass.

'To new beginnings then.'

'Thanks.' They stood in silence for a while. 'How do you think Jeff will take it?'

'Badly,' Stu said frankly. 'He worships you...'

'No he doesn't,' she scoffed.

'Yes he does,' Stu said with a quiet confidence that made her believe him.

'He'll be shattered, but if you do come over here, the distance may be just the tonic he needs to get over you.'

'Oh, thinking about that already are you?'

'No, but April in accounts will be.'

'What?' April was a recent addition to the office staff, a newly graduated accountant.

'She'll be offering her condolences within a week.'

'What?' Danielle was shocked at Stu's assessment of her employee.

'Didn't you know that she's made several passes at Jeff?' Stu asked incredulously.

'No.'

'Oh.' Stu looked across the city as though unwilling to offer more information.

'She's attractive too isn't she?'

'Yes.'

'Why the fuck didn't Jeff tell me?' There was anger in her tone. Was this another betrayal that she was discovering?

'I don't know,' Stu said, 'honestly,' he added seeing the look of disbelief on her face.

'Do you know if he fucks around when I'm away?'

'I don't think he would, but who ever knows?' Stu kept his tone light, wanting to soothe her anger. It worked.

'Naomi does,' she said with a smile.

'Yeah, but we're different.'

'So it would seem.' Danielle's thoughts raced away to how the past few days had stood her life on her head, and how the man she had promised to love through sickness and in health, for the rest of her days, seemed to have suddenly become of almost no importance to her. Deep inside she knew that this wasn't the result of recent events but that it was the resolution of a process that had started with her father's death. She felt sorry for Jeff but couldn't bring herself to feel guilty what she had done with Stu; the Indian saga had been no more than a catalyst.

'Would you fuck me here on the balcony?' she suddenly asked.

'What, now?'

'Yes please.' She placed her wineglass on the small table, then hitched her skirt up and pulled her panties off, throwing them onto a chair.

'If I didn't know you better I'd think you were a slut.' Stu didn't move as he spoke, so Danielle unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it open to reveal the swell of her breasts encased in their bra.

'Well come and treat me like one, we'll make it a race to see who can come first.' She walked to the railing, pulled her skirt up to expose her buttocks, then placed both her hands on the railing while pushing her bum out suggestively.

He moved then, placing his glass next to hers, then struggling to undo his fly. She looked back and felt her heart skip when he pulled his shaft out, already fully erect. Stu grabbed Danielle's waist with one hand, and with the other guided himself into her. There were no niceties; he simply slammed his full length into her so that their bodies slapped together. With each thrust Danielle rotated her hips backwards so that her clit rubbed along his shaft. She knew that she had the advantage in that he had come only a few hours ago, never the less it was close.

Not wanting to let him know that she was close she bit her bottom lip so hard that she almost drew blood, the ripples of pleasure arcing through her blurring her vision. With the sounds of shouting, horns blaring and brakes squealing she came with a long drawn out shudder. Her stomach felt as though it was folding in on itself and she was only vaguely aware of Stu's pulsating gland as it pumped his seed into her.

As soon as he had finished he pulled out of her and was standing in his previous spot, drink in hand. Danielle smoothed her skirt back down and re-fastened the buttons on her blouse.

'Wow,' was all she could manage.

'You wanted to be treated like a slut,' he smiled.

'I think you were far too nice,' she smiled back.

***

The airport was packed with travellers arriving and it seemed as many departing. They had cleared through the Qantas ticket counter and were about to enter the Qantas Club lounge when two men and two women, all dressed in suits, stopped them.