Chapter 18 #4
‘I’ll save your seat,’ Luca said, placing a hand on the sofa beside him as she squeezed past him. He shifted uncomfortably, wishing he could follow her and fuck her up against the wall. Shit, the image of her legs wrapped around him while she bounced up and down on his dick just made him harder.
‘Hi!’ Aisling threw herself down on the sofa beside him, sitting on his hand.
‘That seat’s taken,’ he said, pulling his hand from under her.
‘It is now,’ she said, plonking her glass down on the table in front of her and not budging.
‘Seriously, Aisling. Just piss off.’ Jesus, he thought, with mounting irritation, didn’t she ever get the message? He’d thought the fact that he was with Claire would act as a deterrent, but he should have known better. She was like a fucking Exocet missile with her radar locked on his dick.
‘Don’t be so mean, Luca,’ Aisling pouted. ‘I haven’t seen you in ages. I miss you.’ She put a warm hand on his leg, inching it higher up his thigh. ‘Well, hello!’ She grinned, her eyes dropping to his crotch. ‘You may pretend to be all cool, but I can tell you’re pleased to see me really.’
‘That’s not for you,’ he snapped, slapping her hand away.
But she slid her hand back onto him under the table.
‘Poor Luca,’ she purred. ‘Did your little girlfriend get you all worked up, then leave you hanging?’
‘She’s not my girlfriend.’
‘Really?’ Aisling raised her eyebrows. ‘That’s not what she told the guy who was trying to chat her up at the gig.’
‘What?’ Luca was momentarily too distracted by what she’d said to pay attention to her roving hands. ‘Well… I’m sure she only said that to get rid of him.’ That was the only reason, wasn’t it? Claire wasn’t starting to get possessive, was she?
‘Well, if you’re sure.’ Aisling shrugged.
‘We’re just hooking up. She knows that,’ Luca said, trying to sound more certain than he felt.
‘I could take care of it for you,’ Aisling murmured, stroking his dick over his jeans. ‘Must be a bit uncomfortable.’ Her fingers moved to his zipper and she began tugging it down slowly.
‘For fuck’s sake, Aisling—’ Just then he heard a gasp and looked up. His eyes locked with Claire’s as she stood frozen, halfway across the room.
Claire’s heart sank when she came out of the loo and saw the awful Aisling sitting beside Luca on the sofa.
Damn! She’d hoped she’d seen the last of her tonight.
But then, as she got closer to the table and realised what was going on, she stopped in her tracks.
She didn’t know where to look or what to do.
‘Claire!’ At that moment, Luca’s eyes flew up and met hers, and he simultaneously batted Aisling’s hand away.
She withdrew it slowly, smiling smugly as she looked up at Claire.
Claire forced herself to walk back to the table.
‘Sorry ? am I in your seat?’ Aisling said, but she made no move to get up.
Claire picked up her drink and drained it. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ she said, slamming her glass back on the table and throwing a furious look at Luca. ‘I was just leaving.’
‘Claire!’
She ignored Luca and raced outside. She didn’t look back, but she knew he was following her. She stood at the edge of the pavement and stuck her hand out, desperately hoping she would get a taxi before he caught up with her. No such luck.
‘Claire!’
She turned to face him, fizzing with rage.
‘What the fuck was that about?’ he panted.
‘What?’ She gave an incredulous laugh. ‘You’re asking me what that was about? That girl had her hand on your dick.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘So? You don’t own it, Claire.’
‘Have you slept with her?’
‘We’ve hooked up a few times, yeah.’
‘How many others of those girls you introduced me to tonight have you slept with?’
‘For fuck’s sake, what’s it to you? You’re not my girlfriend.’
‘Yes, I know I’m not your girlfriend, Luca. We all know that, don’t we? I mean, God forbid anyone should admit they have feelings for you!’
‘Then why did you tell that bloke at the gig that you were?’
She huffed, aghast. ‘Is that what this is about? Because he was being a pest and I wanted to get rid of him, okay?’
‘That’s all?’
‘Yes, that’s all!’
‘So why are you acting all jealous, then?’
‘I’m not jealous! I’m humiliated. She thought you were with me,’ she said, waving her hand back at the bar, ‘but you were letting her feel you up right in front of everyone. In front of me.’
‘Well, I don’t see what you have to be so high and mighty about,’ Luca shouted. ‘You’re only using me to practice your moves so you can fuck Mr Perfect in London.’
‘And I’m paying you for the privilege. You could at least show a little respect.’
‘Jesus! You’re not paying me enough to put up with this bullshit.’
‘Oh, really?’ Her mouth curled in a sneer. ‘How much would I have to pay you to act like a decent human being?’
‘Gee, I don’t know, Claire. There probably isn’t enough money in the world to turn me into a “decent human being”.’
‘And what if I wasn’t using you for my own ends? What then, huh? If I was one of those girls, like Aisling? It wouldn’t be any different, would it? I’d still be expected to know my place, not to expect anything from you. What would I be getting out of it, then?’
‘A bloody great fuck! What more do you want?’
‘A lot more,’ she said quietly, all the fight going out of her. ‘A whole lot more. Most people do, Luca.’
They faced each other in hostile silence, out of breath after their shouting match. Then Claire saw a taxi with its light on and hailed it. When it stopped, she got in and didn’t look back.