Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
R upert
Every man in this fucking restaurant was staring at Veronica. It didn’t help that she looked like a porn star. Even the women were shooting her envious glances. She should have been here with me, not with some old fart who was going to drop dead at any fucking second. I was surprised he didn’t have a heart attack when he saw Veronica in that dress. I did not know what I was thinking when I stormed towards their table, but I needed to get her away from him.
Monica, the lady with me, was my personal assistant, and I’d wanted Veronica to see me with another woman. So I’d asked her to accompany me to dinner tonight in Paris. Monica was engaged and she had always been loyal to me.But maybe this whole plan was stupid.
I had been watching Veronica for a long while. Our flight had been slightly delayed and then we had to wait for the table. Monica had to pull several strings to get this reservation.
Veronica panicked, her eyes widening when I started walking toward her table. I smiled at her client who I had specifically picked for her this evening. Matthews had told me not to mess around with her schedule, but there was no fucking way I would let her fuck another man. I went through everyone on the database who specifically wouldn’t want to fuck her. Yet, as I stared at him, I was barely controlling myself just because he was holding her hand.
I moved past their table, changing my mind at the very last second, deciding not to approach them. She was working and I couldn’t jeopardise the business like that. Not my or Matthews’ money at least. My muscles tensed and my cock twitched when our eyes met for a brief second. There was no doubt that Veronica was furious, which turned me on so fucking much. This was a bad idea, full stop. It was already horrible enough that I’d messed around with her clients. I couldn’t ruin her date, too.
I headed straight to the bathroom to cool off. After splashing some water all over my face, I waitedg for my erection to go down. In the past few days, I’d kept asking myself why the hell I desired that woman so much, and unexpectedly, hooking up with someone else lost its appeal. She was infuriating and could easily ruin the Banks’ reputation, yet, I couldn’t imagine my life without her. I was totally and utterly screwed. She drove me mad and I just wanted to submit to it.
I stared at my own reflection in the mirror, analysing myself. Just as I was about to leave the bathroom, someone walked inside, straight into my arms.
“Hello, stranger. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Her tone was tight. “Have you followed me all the way here to ruin my date with lovely Bruce?” Veronica asked, pushing me back into the men’s with a little force.
My cock went rigid. She was so glamorous, her skin shining, and I had an urge to run my hand over her bare chest. She was going to be the end of me. Her dress exposed so much. My imagination ran wild with all the things I wanted to do to her.
It was the best sex of your life, man. You won’t find anyone else like Veronica. I hated this. Why did she keep drawing me back in?
I wiped my face with my hand, then turned around. My whole body tensed as I took a step towards her. My fingers itched to touch her. Fuck, she was hot and appeared very pissed off. Fiery as her hair. I couldn’t help the way my body reacted to her when she was near, but a part of me wanted to deny it. But who was I kidding? I had gone to lengths to change her clients, to ensure she fucked no other man but me. I wanted her, all of her. The more she opened up to me, the more I was falling for her.
“I have no idea what you are talking about, sweetheart. I’m on a date myself, so why would I follow you here all the way to Paris?” I asked nonchalantly. Obviously, I was lying through my teeth. It drove me crazy that she was with that old dude, even though I’d chosen him. He’d seemed so … tame. Now I wasn’t so sure.
She tilted her head to the side, studying me, then narrowed her green eyes.
“What is your game, Rupert? I thought you didn’t want me. I thought the fact that I’m fucking other men for money disgusts you? So tell me, why are you here this evening?” she asked, but this time she poked her finger into my chest and there was blazing anger in her eyes.My cock jumped at the sight.
I took a deep inhale, ready to push her against the wall and stick my fingers into her drenched pussy, just so I could prove my point that she was always wet for me.
“I have no game, sweetheart. I’m just looking out for my business and the fact I am here is complete coincidence,” I said, trying to sound as cold as I could. This whole situation was completely fucked. I was acting out of the character, ignoring everything else for her. “How old is this guy anyway? Are you planning to sleep with him tonight? Trying to slide into his will before giving him a heart attack with that pussy?”
I was pushing my luck with all these questions and yet, I couldn’t fucking stop myself, especially when we were in such close proximity. Veronica inched closer, and I wondered if anyone else would come in here to interrupt us. It was the men’s toilet, after all, in a very exclusive restaurant in the centre of Paris. Not everyone could dine here. So, if I was planning to taste her, I had to do it fast. Of course, this place was completely inappropriate for the things I wanted to do to her. However, the things I wanted to do to her were inappropriate anyway. I wanted to rip that dress off her to see her naked, breasts bouncing.
“It doesn’t matter, because this ,” she said while circling her fingers between us, teeth gritted, “is none of your business. “Even Rowan doesn’t do shit like that. I don’t like being controlled and I don’t care how much money you have. There is nothing between us. Especially now. So, leave before I squeeze your balls so hard that they might burst.”
I wanted to laugh. She wouldn’t hurt me; she didn’t have it in her. Especially when she liked my cock so much. Damn, she smelled fantastic. Scorching heat crackled between us as I stared at her lips … thinking about stealing one kiss. I craved it, needed it. This woman was going to be the death of me, literally and figuratively. She could ruin me, so why the hell couldn’t I distance myself from her?I felt like an addict at this point.
“Oh yeah, really?” I laughed, but then she grabbed me by the balls and did what she’d threatened to do, so hard my knees nearly gave up on me. I gripped the side of the sink, thinking that surely she was trying to scare me, but fuck, this hurt.
“I’m going to break your massive dick, so stop winding me up. Acting like a jealous alpha male doesn’t suit you one bit,” she said, and then let go of my balls.
I took a sharp breath, ready to back off. At the same time, the door opened and a guy walked in. He flinched, then lobbed his gaze between Veronica and me. He must have noticed the bulge in my groin area, but said nothing, only shook his head and muttered something in rapid French.
Veronica moved past me and quickly vanished. I swore under my breath, then dragged my hands through my hair. This sort of thing shouldn’t have turned me on, but I was rock-fucking-hard, despite the aching balls. I was a little shocked that she’d actually followed through with her threat.
I finally left the bathroom and headed back to my table where Monica was seated. Finally, I cooled down. Veronica and her old-fart client were leaving. She gave me a glare. I smirked and imagined her on her knees, begging me to allow her to suck me dry.
“So what happened? I guess this didn’t go well since you look like you’re ready to murder that old, fragile guy she is with,” Monica said, clearly biting back a laugh.
“No, it didn’t, so let’s just leave it at that,” I answered.
Monica was my friend since her fiancé was my finance director. She knew about Veronica, and that was the main reason why she’d consented to come with me to Paris. She’d tried to talk me out of it, but since I didn’t want to listen, she’d tagged along to, in her words, save me from myself.
“Are you ready to go? I need to get out of here."
“Rupert, I know exactly what you’re going to do, and I don’t think it’s a good idea. Matthews isn’t going to be pleased when he hears about this,” she warned with a wag of her finger.
“He won’t know, and I’m not going to do anything except return to London. Eventually,” I told her. I was fucking stubborn and probably clinically insane, too, because I already knew which hotel the client had checked into.That meant Veronica would be staying there, too.
Monica opened her mouth as though she wanted to give me more advice, but in the end, she picked up her bag and stood up.
“All you Banks are the same, but you? You’re the worst,” she muttered before she finished her champagne.
“I will drop you at the airport,” I said once I gestured to the waiter to get the bill.
We were out of the restaurant in ten minutes, and half an hour later, Monica sat in my private jet, getting ready to take off to London on time, as opposed to our trip here. I don’t even know why I stayed. Maybe I was worried and jealous. Sure I was… Veronica had done this many times before, so obviously she knew what she was doing, but that didn’t change the fact that I refused to accept it. She is mine. I don’t want her to sell her body just to make a living.
Around half past nine, my driver dropped me off at the Ritz Paris. So, I went to the bar first before checking in to my room. While I drank a couple of gin and tonics, I kept questioning my actions, my sanity and self-resilience. No other woman had ever infatuated me more. Her sultry voice, red hair, and eyes were ingrained in my memory now. Forever burned like a branding on a cow.
It was time for me to settle down, but Rosie wasn’t an option anymore. Not since a certain someone bulldogged back into my life. Matthews was right. Rosie would only be with me for one thing. But Veronica … I knew she would be with me for the right reasonss. She would be with me for love, support, and definitely sex. Sex with her was the best I’d ever had. I could not think of anyone who’d get close to what she made me feel.
Technically, since returning from Greece, I’d slept around with new women almost every weekend, hoping they would all make me forget about that one night. To forget about this one woman. They were all stunning, smart, and willing. But none of them helped me get over the one I craved. I kept losing myself and longing for that connection, thinking that if I tried hard enough, it would return. It never had—until I saw her again in that club.Then it all came flooding back. Everything I felt in Greece, everything I was longing for, it was there in the form of this red-headed woman.
“I’m in room three-one-seven,” a pretty, tall French brunette said, grazing her finger over my arm as she moved past me, hips swaying in the most seductive way.
I glanced at her when she walked away. She had a killer body, and yet my dick remained flat.This was a first.
It was half past ten when I finally decided to leave the bar. I realised if I drank any more, I’d get wasted. That could lead me to do things I shouldn’t be even thinking about, like dragging Veronica out of the fucker’s room and then thrusting my cock deep into her pussy making her scream my name so the entire Ritz would know what I would be doing to her. I shook my head, smiling. I couldn’t do any of these things. I had a few drinks and an itch to scratch, but once inside the lift, I pressed floor five. Time to call it a night.
I was still frustrated and pretty pissed off that Veronica thought this whole thing was acceptable, that she could simply go on about her day like we’d never met. I clenched my fists, breathing in and out trying to calm myself, unable to get her out of my mind. The arrow lit up for the second floor, third floor, fourth floor, until the lift stopped and the door opened up.
“Son of a—”
It seemed like she was waiting for me, standing right outside when the lift opened with her hands on her hips. She looked worried but frowned when she finally spotted me, and I instantly knew something was wrong.
“Are you all right? Are you hurt?” I asked frantically, automatically thinking that something must have happened if she was going down. Then my slow brain reminded me that she was actually staying in this hotel with her agency client who was footing the bill.
“What the fuck are you doing here? And don’t tell me it’s another coincidence, because I won’t believe you.” She gave me a cutting glare. She must have changed, because now she appeared before me in a sleek black long-sleeved dress.
“I will explain everything, but first you need to tell me what you are doing on my floor?” I got off the lift and pushed her toward the wall because something felt off.
She narrowed her eyes at me again, but then her shoulders sagged.
“Well, Bruce fell asleep … and I thought I’d get a drink.” She avoided my eyes.
This was definitely not it and I tried to ignore how soft her skin felt underneath my fingers.
“Try again. You weren’t convincing enough,” I said.
She bit her bottom lip, and my cock throbbed again. This was getting ridiculous. The wind could blow while she was near and I would have a raging hard-on.
“Come on, tell me what this fucker did, then I’ll tell you the reason why I’m really here.”
“I was supposed to be his companion for the night, but then when we came back to the room, he suddenly asked if we could have sex. Before you even ask, no, he didn’t do anything to me, but when he changed his mind, I felt like a cheap whore. We both know how this whole thing works. Especially now that you work in the club,” she said.
I nodded. Every potential client always made a list of things he expected from the girls a night before escorting her. I’d read Bruce’s file, and he hadn’t mentioned sex at all, so this was odd. Now I was ready to fucking barge into that old cocksucker’s room and make him even less alive than he was now.
“Did he touch you?”I demanded.
“No, don’t be silly. He started drinking scotch, and five minutes later he passed out,” she explained. “Now your turn: tell me why you’re here?”
Fuck, now I was in trouble. I knew she’d go off on me if I told her everything, but it seemed she had me by the balls yet again.
“I made Rowan tell me who your next client was and I might have switched some things to make sure he only needed a companion for a night, not a whore.”