Chapter 17 #2
He chuckles. “Well, that’s a shame, you’re hot as hell.”
“Thomas.” I widen my eyes. “Be serious.”
“It’s fine, we go meet him and his date. We get on great and put on a little show. We leave and then boom.”
“Boom?”
“Suddenly you have control because he knows that someone else is in the arena and maybe he should man up before you get snapped up.”
My eyes hold his.
“Trust me on this, it works every time.”
“I don’t know.” I twist my lips as I think. “This guy isn’t a normal guy.”
“What, is he like a vampire or something?”
“Probably.” I sigh. “He’s just very…dominant and bossy and….”
“I can handle him.”
My eyes search his.
“We’ll stay half an hour and then we’re out of there.”
I chew my bottom lip as I think.
“Do you want this guy or not?”
“Honestly, I don’t even know anymore.”
“Work that out when he wants you.” He stands. “Come on, let’s get to it.”
“To it?”
“Tell me a little bit about you so I can at least hold a conversation.”
“Oh, my name is Alora Sorenson, I own an antique shop in Nice, also American.”
“How did we meet?”
“Um.” I shrug. “How did we meet?”
“I’m a doctor and you were a patient of mine and I was besotted with you.”
That sounds cool. I bite my lip to hide my smile.
“Nice to meet you, Alora Sorenson.” He smiles as he clinks his drink with mine once more.
“Nice to meet you, Dr. Thomas Stone.” I smile back, this guy is so unexpected, cute, and smart and not in the least what I expected. “What the hell are you doing in this job?”
He chuckles. “Having the time of my life.” He drains his glass and holds his hand out to mine. “Are you ready to do this?”
“I guess.” I wince. “But just so you know, we are not having sex tonight.”
His eyes sparkle with mischief. “But if we do, we do. No harm done.”
“We aren’t.” I smile as I take his hand in mine.
“Okay, only maybe.” He pulls me out the door. “What’s this guy’s name anyway?”
“Edward.”
“Okay, Edward, prepare to sweat.”
We walk down the hall and get into the elevator and he steps toward me and fixes my hair, his eyes drop down to my breasts and he runs a finger over my clavicle. “You are absolutely gorgeous,” he breathes as his gaze follows his finger.
Nerves dance in my stomach at his touch.
He leans in and kisses my cheek. “Let’s go get him,” he whispers in my ear. The elevator doors open. “It’s showtime.” He takes my hand and leads me through the foyer. “Where are we going?”
“Just to the bar in this hotel.”
“Alright.” He looks around. “This way.” We walk through a corridor and into a large bar area, it’s painted in a dark maroon and the furniture is all vintage. There is a huge dark wooden bar in the center with chunky big stools around it.
“Hmm, it’s pretty nice in here, actually.” I smile, impressed.
“It is.” He looks around. “Are they here yet?”
“No, I don’t see them.”
“Let’s go stand in the corner over there.”
“Okay,”
“I’ll get us a drink. Another champagne?”
“Yes please.”
He disappears to the bar and I stand to the side; I still can’t believe I am actually going through with this, my mind is a whirl of possibilities. “Here you are, my dear.” He passes me a glass of champagne. “I got us the good stuff.”
“Thanks.” I smile as I take a sip. “Oh yum.” From my peripheral vision I catch sight of Edward walking into the bar. “Here he comes.”
“Where?”
I point with my chin as I glance over to see that he has a beautiful woman on his arm. “Who the hell is that girl?” I frown. “Where’s Nel?”
“Which one is he?”
“The guy in the navy jacket.”
“Oh fuck.” Thomas spins to turn his back to them.
“What’s wrong?”
“I know him.”
“What?” My eyes widen in horror. “You know him?”
Edward and the woman go to the bar.
He drags his hand through his hair. “You didn’t tell me he was a Kingsman.”
“A what man?”
“That’s what they call them.”
“Who?”
“Society.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I whisper angrily.
“The Riviera Brat Pack, they call them the Kingsmen.” He’s openly rattled. “You’re going to get me fucking killed.”
“You actually know him?” I begin to sweat as I see Edward approaching us from my peripheral vision.
“I don’t know him as such, I know who he’s friends with: Sinclair Montague, and the prince, Theodore Chapelle. His name is Edward Prescott, right? He’s the casino mogul.”
“Yes.” The blood drains from my face. “Oh my god, you do know him? Your ad says you were discreet,” I whisper. “You don’t seem very discreet so far.”
“Change of plans,” he whispers. “Just roll with it.”
“Roll with what?”
“Good evening.” Edward’s swoony voice cuts the air.
“Hello.” I smile.
Thomas turns toward him. “Hello.”
Edward’s eyes land on Thomas and he blinks as if surprised.
“Edward, this is Thomas. Thomas, this is Edward,” I splutter.
Thomas holds his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
Edward nods but doesn’t reply, his eyes are locked on Thomas’s.
“Haha, who is this?” I laugh in a high-pitched voice.
So help me god.
“My apologies.” Edward snaps out of it. “This is Colette.” He puts his hand on the small of her back as he introduces her.
“Bonjour.” She smiles as we shake her hand. She has long blond hair and a stunning face. She’s wearing a skintight black dress that leaves nothing to the imagination.
Who the hell is this woman…and why is his hand on her back?
Does he just have beautiful women on speed dial everywhere he goes…ugh, and why are they always blond? My eyes dart around as I search for the closest exit and that’s when I see his three bodyguards standing by the wall, watching us.
Perspiration dusts my skin and a fully fledged panic attack is imminent.
“So Colette, are you a local?” Thomas smiles calmly.
“Oui.”
He says something to her in French and she laughs and says something back.
Edward’s cold eyes hold mine; he’s openly pissed.
Well, that makes two of us…get your hand off her, asshole.
“So what did you do today?” Edward asks me.
“Um.” I try to think on my feet. “Had lunch. Went shopping, got a blowout.”
Witty….
Edward’s eyes roam over my hair as if deciphering whether I’m lying.
“What did you do?” I ask nervously.
“Lots of things.” He sips his drink and turns his attention back to Thomas. “So, Thomas, what’s your surname?”
“Oh my gosh, did you see what they have on the menu?” I cut him off.
“Yes I did.” Thomas plays along. “We’re going to have to get it.”
Edward’s jaw clenches as he glares at Thomas.
“Let’s get one.” I grab Thomas’s hand and pull him to the bar.
“Shit. Shit. Shit,” I whisper.
“What are you shitting about, I’m the one about to be murdered.” He opens the menu. “Great knowing you, Alora, we should have had sex before we came down so it was at least worth it.”
My eyes linger on Edward and Colette as they chat. “Do you think she’s pretty?”
“Who fucking cares?” he whispers. “We need to leave. Now!”
“Oh, you think?” I widen my eyes. “And for the record, you are terrible at being discreet.”
“Says the woman trying to piss off the most powerful man in Europe, have you gone completely fucking mad?”
“I’m in the middle of it right now,” I whisper angrily.
“What will it be?” the bartender asks.
“Umm….” I open the menu.
“Do tell what this great thing that we have to order is?” Thomas raises an eyebrow.
“Dead in a ditch looks good.” I smile through gritted teeth.
“Be careful what you wish for, Alora.” He smiles sweetly. “I’m pretty sure his bodyguards kill people for less.”
I look over at them. “You think?”
“I know.” He widens his eyes. “You do not fuck with this man.”
“Oh.” I frown. “Maybe just—”
“Order some goddamn drinks.” He cuts me off.
My eyes scan the choices on the menu. “If you only listened to me, I did tell you not to come.”
“Oh, so this is my fault.”
“Absolutely.”
“For the record.” He continues reading the menu. “If we do happen to survive tonight, we are one hundred percent having sex.”
“Oh my god. Stop talking,” I whisper angrily. “Just get me the fuck out of here.”
EDWARD
I watch Alora and Thomas at the bar, furious.
“Excuse me for a moment, I’m just going to the bathroom,” I tell Colette.
“Sure.”
I walk past my men and give them a subtle nod; they follow me out to the foyer.
“Yes, boss?”
“Who is that man with Alora?”
They exchange glances. “No idea.”
“I want a name and address, you have ten minutes.” I turn and walk back to Colette.
My phone vibrates in my pocket and I dig it out.
Philippe
To use facial recognition we need a close photo.
Fucking idiots. I run my tongue over my teeth in annoyance.
This is a first.
“Let me take a photo of you, Colette.” I hold up my phone. “Smile.”
She smiles playfully and I take a photo. I linger with my phone out waiting for them to come back from the bar and I casually glance over.
The fuck are they doing over there?
I keep pretending to take photos and eventually they come back to stand with us. Click. I snap a photo of Thomas and immediately send it to Philippe.
Thomas starts yapping on to Colette again and my eyes go to Alora. “So…what’s the deal here?”
“What do you mean?”
I lean in closer so they can’t hear us. “Who is this?” I gesture to Thomas with my chin.
“He’s an old friend.”
A surge of jealousy runs through my system like a tidal wave.
“What kind of old friend?”
“Edward, this is really none of your business, but I would like to discuss who your date is.”
“An old friend.”
She raises her glass to me and then takes a sip, animosity bounces between us.
Touché.
“We can’t stay long,” Alora says. “We have a dinner reservation.”
I begin to hear my heartbeat in my ears…. If she leaves with him….
“Thomas, we should get going?” she tells him.
“Sure.”
“One more drink.” I try to stall. “My treat.”
“Umm.”
“I insist.” I walk to the bar and order another round.
My phone vibrates with a text in my pocket and I take it out and discreetly read it.
Philippe
His name is Thomas Stone. He’s a male escort.