Page 65 of Pride
Her mobile phone was still in her handbag. I’d be sorting that discrepancy out a little later. I wasn’t worried, though. She had no family waiting on her, and she hadn’t taken her phone out the whole time she’d been with me. She’d given me one hundred percent of her time and attention. I’d give her the exact same treatment later, when I had her alone in my studio.
Through the evening, I’d noticed that she was left-handed. I’d need to bear that in mind when the time came to restrain her. Subtleties like that had to be noted, and I was a perfectionist. There was no room for error.
She thanked me for the compliments I was showering her with, then reached for her handbag as she said, “I have to use the bathroom. I won’t be long. Would you excuse me for a moment?”
“Of course.” I nodded and smiled as she stood up and made her way to the back of the restaurant. She glanced over her shoulder as she walked away and grinned when she saw I was watching her.
I shook my head, smiling to myself as she disappeared out of sight.
Fuck I was good at this shit.
I poured more wine into her glass; more for her meant less for me. I needed to keep a clear head. To stay focused on the goal of the evening. There was no room for alcohol and no room for failure.
As I sat back, assessing the area and planning my next move, I spotted a familiar figure walking through the restaurant towards our table.
He moved across the space as if he was in an action movie, with his foreboding height and rippling muscles, like he waswalking away from a disaster about to explode behind him. And I smiled, knowing it was the opposite. It was disaster he was walking towards, not away from.
“I would say I’m surprised to see you,” I said as he came nearer. “But part of me is disappointed you waited this long to pay me a visit.” I frowned and added, “How did you find me, by the way.”
He didn’t reply straight away, just pulled out the chair opposite and sat down.
Then he leaned forward, alert, glaring at me like he wanted to fly across the table and stab me in the eye with a fork.
“And I’m disappointed that I have to be here and state the fucking obvious, but here we are,” he finally replied in a gruff, low voice. Then he gestured to ring on my right hand. “The ring I gave you last year, it’s fitted with a tracker. I knew it’d come in handy eventually.”
I lifted my hand and twisted the ring on my finger, shrugged, and said, “Good call.”
Anyone looking our way would think we were two businessmen, discussing deals and making money. Both of us were wearing dark blue, fucking expensive suits, and shoes that would cost a month’s wages for most people. But this was no friendly sit down. This was something else entirely.
“You need be careful what you say, Alex.” I smiled a slow, leisurely smile. “My date will be back soon. I’d hate for you to scare her off. It’s been going so well.”
I noticed the way his jaw clenched before he replied.
“I already paid the waiter to stall her until I say so. We don’t need an audience for this,” he sneered.
I folded my arms as I lazed back in my chair, wanting him to know how relaxed and unfazed I felt. The polar opposite to his hunched forward stance and uptight demeanour.
“But you know how much I love an audience.” I cocked my head to the side. “Why would you try and stifle me, Alex? You should never stifle a creative when they’re in their element.”
“You’ve gone too fucking far this time. You know you have.”
I shrugged as if I had no idea what he was talking about.
“I know nothing of the sort. I think you need to elaborate for me.”
His jaw was ticking now, like he might break a tooth at any minute. I did love making him squirm.
“Don’t play games with me,” he hissed. “You know exactly what I mean.”
“Which is...?”
“Emma,” he snapped. “Stay the fuck away from her. I fucking mean it.”
I gave a low chuckle as he bristled with anger.
“You’ve got it bad for this one, huh?” I joked.
In all the time I’d known Alex, he’d never shown interest in a woman. And then along came Emma fucking Belmont.
