Lila nodded in greeting, and they shook hands. He introduced himself as the owner of the hotel, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled at Lila. It was written all over his face.
He wanted her.
My blood boiled, and I swallowed down a growl.
His hand brushed against Lila’s arm. “Please, if you need any help today, you can come and find me. A lady like you shouldn’t have to go through any trouble alone.”
Lila let out a small laugh. “Oh, I’m not alone.” She stepped closer to me and place a hand on my arm, smiling. “Maddox is with me.”
Mr. Owner, I didn’t catch his name nor did I care, eyed me up and down. “A friend, I see?” he asked, with a thick English accent.
He was checking to see if I was his rival. If he only knew…
Lila, oblivious to what was happening, replied, “Yes, a friend. We’re so excited to be visiting Paris together.”
The moment Lila admitted we were friends, his eyes lit up with triumph.
I instantly hated him.
He was practically undressing Lila and fucking her with his eyes, and she had no idea. Or she was playing coy…
My chest tightened. Was she interested in him…? Lila was smiling, her body relaxed, and she giggled at something he had said.
By the time we got to our rooms, I was seeing crimson red. I’d never been so angry in my entire life.
“He said they have a fancy bar. Maybe we should go tonight after we’ve rested?” Lila asked, rubbing her tired eyes. “I need sleep right now.”
She stifled a yawn and peeked up at me through her lashes. I nodded, mutely, and walked into my room, closing the door behind me.
My skin prickled with the need to hit something. I ripped my shirt off and quickly undressed, getting in the shower. I turned the water to cold, letting it seep through my bones. My body numbed, but my mind was still a storm of mixed emotions. It was that feeling when I didn’t know what the fuck I was feeling.
I quickly soaped up my body, my hand drifting to my dick. I stroked myself once, and my eyes squeezed shut. An image of Lila drifted behind my eyelids.
Perky tits, pink nipples, cute as fuck belly button, taunt stomach, curvy hips, and an ass I wanted to sink my dick in.
My cock jerked as I put more pressure on it, fisting the length from base to tip. My hand glided over my dick easily through the cascading water. Pre-cum covered the tip, and my balls grew tight between my legs.
Sometimes, as messed up as this was, I wondered if I could just fuck her and get rid of this itch. But Lila wasn’t someone I could fuck out of my system. It was years of built-up tension and sexual need between us. One simple fuck, one hot night… would never be enough.
Because the moment I had one taste of her… I’d need more...I would never be satisfied.
My stomach caved, and my thighs tightened as the pressure built, and it finally released. My knees weakened, and I pressed my forehead against the tiles, thick ropes of cum spilling over my hand instantly washed away by the water. I fisted my dick until every last drop was spent and then I cursed. So. Fucking. Weak.
This had to end, now… tonight…
38
Lila
His presence was a warm heat behind me as we walked into the bar. He was close; really, really close. I could feel him. I could smell him. He was so close, yet so far out of reach. A dangerous temptation dangling right in front of me.
I wanted to turn around and wrap my arms around him, bask in his warmth. We’d hugged and cuddled plenty of times before, but since the Charity Gala, everything had been different.
He had been different.
Somehow, there was a wall between us now. I couldn’t break it or walk around it. It was exhausting and scary – watching the change in him, seeing him so…cold and withdrawn from me. Sometimes, it felt like he was battling something inside his head. I waited silently for him to come to me, to speak of his worries, so I could find a way to soothe him. Like always.
Except…it started to feel as if I was the problem. As if he was hiding from me.
A week in Paris. This was supposed to be fun and exciting. An adventure for us, but it was day one and it was already going to waste.
I chewed on my bottom lip as we walked further inside the dim room. It wasn’t overly crowded, but everyone here looked fancy. After all, this was one of the most famous hotels of Paris; wealthy and posh people came here often. “I didn’t think the hotel would have its own bar. Fancy. I like it.”
“It’s nice,” he replied. There was a roughness in his voice, except his tone was robotic. No emotions whatsoever.
I paused in my steps, expecting him to bump into me. He didn’t. Instead, I felt his arm slide around my waist as he curled it around me. Our bodies collided together softly, and I sucked in a quiet breath. His rock-hard chest was to my back, pressing against me, and I could feel every intake of breath he took. His touch was a sweet, sweet torture.
Fuck you, for making me feel this way, for tempting me and leaving me hanging and…for making me fall in love with you…
“This way.” His lips lingered near my ear as he whispered the words. He steered me toward the bar stools.
We sat side by side. From the corner of my eye, I watched him as he ordered our drinks. His voice was smooth, and it slid over my skin like silk. Soft and gentle.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice the man standing next to me until his hand touched my shoulder. I swiveled to the left, my eyes catching the intruder. Yes, intruder. He was interrupting my time with him.
Maddox Coulter – the balm to my soul but also the stinging pain in my chest. He was a sweet heaven but also the of my existence.
“Remember me?” the man in the suit asked with a tiny grin.
Yup, I did. He was the owner of the hotel. We met him when we checked in yesterday.
“I saw you across the bar, and I knew instantly, you had to be the pretty girl I met last night.” His English was perfect, but it was laced with a husky French accent. I had to admit, it was kind of sexy. Mr. Frenchman stood between our stools, separating Maddox and me. He blocked my view of Maddox and I. Did. Not. Like. That.
“Thank you for helping us yesterday,” I replied sweetly, masking my irritation.
His emerald eyes glimmered, and his grin widened. Mr. Frenchman was your typical tall, dark, and handsome eye candy. And he wore an expensive suit that molded to his body quite nicely. “It was all my pleasure.”
I nodded, a little lost at what else I could say. I wasn’t shy or uncomfortable around men. But this one was a little too close for my liking, and since I had zero interest in him, even though he could definitely be my type, given the fact that someone else had all my attention, I didn’t want to continue this conversation.
“Lucien Mikael.” He presented me with his hand. I remembered he told us his name last night, but I didn’t tell him mine.
I took his palm in mine, shaking it. “You can call me, Lila. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”
Instead of shaking my hand, he turned it over and brought my hand to his lips. He kissed the back of it, his lips lingering there for a second too long. His eyes met mine over our entwined hands. “My pleasure, ma belle.”
Oh dear. Yup. Mr. Frenchman was flirting.