Tony's discomfiture nearly made Alvin burst out laughing.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he probably wouldn't figure out why.
Why had Tony Stark's usually foolproof name suddenly stopped working?
The reason was simple. The woman in the black dress wasn't a guest at the banquet at all. She was a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent known as Black Widow: Natasha Romanoff, formerly an agent of the Red Room!
As for why S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Black Widow had suddenly set her sights on him, Alvin could more or less guess.
And since his appearance had kept Tony's Mark I Armor from being exposed for now, it made sense that S.H.I.E.L.D. had no interest in Tony.
"You look like you're having a great time. Care to share with me, Alvin?" Natasha pressed close to him, her red lips breathing a sweet scent as her eyes brimmed with teasing charm.
The sheer black gown did nothing to conceal her enticing figure.
All Alvin had to do was glance to the side to catch a glimpse of the astonishingly curvaceous, pale skin beneath. It was downright unfair!
He had to admit, Black Widow's figure was absolutely top-notch. No wonder someone had wanted to drink her bathwater. What young man could resist?
"Of course. I'd be delighted to share my happiness with you~"
Alvin chuckled, lowering his head. He didn't stand on ceremony, putting an arm around Natasha's waist and giving her soft flesh a gentle squeeze. With an impatient look, he said, "How about we go to a room and talk?"
It was a freebie delivered right to his door. He'd be a fool not to take advantage.
Then again, Black Widow really was a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Though Alvin had no idea what she was thinking, he was shamelessly taking advantage of her, and yet she put on a bashful expression.
"Well, all right~ Since you're so handsome."
Natasha smiled sweetly and nestled into Alvin's arms, a rosy blush spreading across her cheeks.
"Damn it!"
Seeing the two of them cuddling, Tony behind them was so furious he nearly threw his glass!
He couldn't understand it. Why would she turn down someone handsome, charming, talented, rich, mature, and dependable, only to pick some young punk?!
What did Alvin have that he didn't?
That kid had nothing going for him except his face!
In a foul mood, Tony decided he'd make up for it by having an extra-wild night.
He looked toward the group of models at the banquet and puffed out his chest. "Tonight, I'm taking on ten!"
Upstairs from the charity banquet was a luxurious hotel lounge, reserved for guests to relax.
Of course, in Alvin's view, a so-called charity banquet was nothing but a place where men and women traded favors and bodily fluids.
Putting on an impatient act, Alvin led Black Widow toward a guest room with his arm around her.
As soon as they stepped inside, he eagerly prepared to make his move. But Black Widow's footwork was nimble; she gracefully slipped aside, smiling as she tossed him a flirtatious glance. "Don't be in such a hurry, handsome. The night's still young. How about we have a few drinks first?"
Seduction was a skill spies and agents—Black Widow included—were well versed in, but she had no intention of actually giving herself to him.
Alvin knew exactly what she was thinking. They were both putting on an act; it was just a matter of who could do it better. He played along, turning with a smile to take a bottle of high-proof liquor from the room's drinks cabinet. It was a limited-edition Macallan whisky, one of a kind worldwide. "Miss Natasha, I prefer strong liquor. What do you think of this?"
Perfect. Black Widow secretly rejoiced, unaware that she'd just played right into his hands.
She'd been wondering how to get Alvin drunk, and now he'd offered himself up. She hadn't expected this target to be so easy!
Naturally, Black Widow put up a bit of a show of reluctance. Then, cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she accepted his offer.
She wasn't bragging, but a little hard liquor was nothing. She could use it as mouthwash!
Watching Alvin's eager expression, Black Widow sneered inwardly. In a moment, she'd get him so drunk he wouldn't know which way was up.
And so, the two of them, each with their own agenda, began clinking glasses.
After a few shots of hard liquor, Alvin looked woozy, his face flushed and reeking of alcohol. He was clearly acting drunk. "I-I'm telling you, if it weren't for me, Tony would've been dead long ago!"
Well, wasn't that a stroke of luck?!
Black Widow was delighted. She widened her eyes and put on an admiring expression. "Really? Mr. Valshus, could you tell me how you rescued Tony?"
"W-We'd better get started!"
Alvin was starting to stammer. Swaying, he reached to grab Black Widow.
But Black Widow sidestepped, pulled a set of restraints from beneath her black dress, and bound him tightly before tossing him onto the bed.
"Huh? What are you doing? Untie me, now!"
Alvin struggled, "panicked."
"Don't bother, you little pervert."
Natasha brought over a chair and sat down, looking amused. "These restraints are made of special materials. Even dozens of tons of force wouldn't be enough to break them."
There was no denying that, from this angle, Black Widow's figure was on full display. It was a feast for the eyes.
Especially that black dress with its high slit, hugging her rounded rear. Black Widow's long right leg rested lightly over the other, and her waist curved into a graceful arch. A glimpse of pale skin showed at the opening of the slit, inviting all sorts of wild thoughts.
"You're with the Ten Rings Gang?"
Alvin "suddenly" grew calm.
"That's not something you need to know."
Black Widow played mysterious. She neither admitted it nor denied it.
The most important part of interrogation was to put psychological pressure on the other person. The more nervous the subject became, the more likely they were to give up information!
"Now, I ask and you answer~"
A short black baton had somehow appeared in Black Widow's hand.
Where exactly had she been keeping that thing?!
That sheer black dress didn't look like it had anywhere to hide it. Unless she—?!
Alvin sucked in a sharp breath. When he looked at Black Widow again, there was a strange note of meaning in his gaze.
Thank goodness she was a female agent. If it had been a male agent, would he have had to stick it up his ass?
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying!
"Kid, it looks like you're having some very unhealthy thoughts."
Black Widow could tell from the look in his eyes what he was thinking. Her face darkened as she gripped the stun baton. "Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson before you'll cooperate!"
Just then, Black Widow saw Alvin slip free of the restraints as if nothing were wrong.
"Hey, why did you have to come on so strong?" Alvin sighed in disappointment and shook his head. "I was starting to think I really was that charming. Turns out you were a spy all along?"
"H-How did you get out?"
Black Widow was dumbfounded. Those things could withstand dozens of tons of force, and they'd just snapped?
"Now it's your turn, Miss Natasha~"
Alvin smiled and beckoned with a finger, instantly binding her in place.
Then, without rushing, he took a coil of rope for the wealthy from the cabinet and tied Black Widow up in a classic Japanese-style shibari harness.
Next, Black Widow was suspended from a ring directly above the ceiling. Her hands and legs were bound behind her, and her spine arched outward like a fish bent for curing.
Hmm, not bad. Alvin admired his handiwork and nodded in satisfaction.
As for Black Widow, she wanted to curse him out, but she couldn't speak. All she could do was glare at Alvin, her beautiful eyes practically spitting fire. She wanted nothing more than to kill the bastard for tying her up like some porn star!
Ring, ring~
Suddenly, the landline in the living room rang. Alvin's lips curled into a smile. If he wasn't mistaken, that would be the S.H.I.E.L.D. crowd.
All that acting hadn't been for nothing. They'd finally taken the bait.
He picked up the phone.
"Hello, Mr. Valshus."
A deep, resonant male voice came through the phone. "Allow me to introduce myself. We're with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division—"
"I don't understand. I'm a foreigner."
Alvin cut him off mid-speech and crossed his legs. "Skip all that and get to the point."
"Very well, Mr. Valshus," the man on the phone said helplessly. "We're S.H.I.E.L.D., an organization that serves the International Security Council. We handle all kinds of crises that may threaten America and the world. And the woman you've—cough, cough—hung up is actually one of our agents."
"You say she's yours, so that makes her yours?"
Alvin sneered and glanced at Black Widow hanging from the ceiling. "Fine. Don't say I didn't give you a chance. Transfer a hundred million dollars into my account within half an hour, and I'll pretend this never happened. Otherwise, just wait for your agent to show up on a porn site tomorrow!"
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s sexy female agent sneaks in to investigate—and ends up... Surely that would draw an audience!
Please toss me some monthly votes and follows, as usual. And tips would be even better (shameless, I know).
Before you continue