Page 75 of Monster

He popped open a bottle of wine. “The guest tab I should put these drinks on. Whose tab?”

I blinked. “Yes. My apologies. Mateo Emiliano, please.”

The man paused. “Come again?”

I furrowed my brow. “You asked for a guest name. ‘Mateo Emiliano’ is the guest name.”

He smiled kindly at me. “Right. My apologies.”

I wanted to ask him why he had the reaction he had, but I decided against it. There were too many people breathing down my neck for me to have that kind of conversation in the middle of a crowd. So, I simply waited for the drinks. After the bartender was done with my order, I scooped both of them up, whisking them back to Teo before I pressed the drink against his palm.

And of course, that woman was back to staring at us.

“Teo, I don’t like this. I think we should say something to her.”

His hand fell to the small of my back. “Come with me. Now.”

I snickered. “Why are you upset with me? I’m not the one—”

“Just come on, Char.”

I felt him pressing against the small of my back before he quickly led me into the kitchen. We bobbed and weaved around staff and chefs, snaking back into a part of the industrial kitchen that housed almost no one. Teo put his drink down before plucking mine from my fingertips, then he reached for the knob of a door.

And when he ripped open a walk-in pantry, he shoved me inside.

“Hey! Wait a second. What the—!?”

He clamped his hand against my mouth. “Not another sound, got it?”

My eyes widened as I nodded my head. He backed us into the pantry before he closed it behind himself, then managed to flip the lock. His hand slowly slid away from my mouth as it spread my lipstick down my chin, and I thanked my stars that I packed some makeup wipes in case I needed to clean myself up.

“We’re in trouble, aren’t we?” I whispered.

He gripped my cheeks. “Promise me something.”

I nodded quickly. “Okay.”

He pressed himself against me. “Stop asking questions, and I’ll give you what you want.”

I blinked. “You’ll let me go home?”

His eye twitched. “No. But, I’ll give you release.”

“I’m not following.”

“Promise me you’ll stop looking around and asking so many fucking asinine questions, Char.”

His panicked voice worried me. “Okay. Okay. I promise.”

He tapped my cheek softly. “Good.”

When he slid to his knees, my eyes widened. But, when he gathered my dress against my body, I braced myself against the wall he had me leaning against. He spread my legs and pulled my thong off to the side, giving himself the perfect angle to inspect the most vulnerable area of my body.

And when I felt him press soft kisses against my pussy lips, I gasped.

“Teo,” I whispered.

“Shhhh,” he said softly.

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