Page 10 of Hard Lessons

She touched his cheek and licked her lips. “I didn’t realize it was that sort of place.”

“Everyone has needs.” He grinned, his eyes glazed. “The patrons here can afford to pay for discretion as well as the finer things in life.”

A room. A photograph of them going into a room together, after all the flirting in the bar, it would be the icing on the cake.

She risked a glance at Luca. His eyebrows were pulled low; in one hand he held his phone, the other fist was clenched on the table. His jaw was so tight she reckoned his teeth were in danger of cracking.

Placing her hand over David’s, she slid it a little higher, exposing more leg and ensuring he felt the lace top of her stocking. “Not something I can put on expenses, but if you can arrange it... then a room filled with magic could be just the relaxing balm I need.”

“Of course I can arrange it.” He gestured to the barman with the moustache. “I need a room, on my account.”

“Certainly, sir.” The barman retrieved a small wooden box from beneath the bar. He opened it and took out a key. “Room twelve.”

“Thank you.” David mimicked signing his name. “I’ll just...”

“Of course.”

A pen and receipt were produced.

As David signed, the barman glanced at Serena.

She didn’t like the judgement in his eyes. He saw her as an easy lay. A woman with low morals. Someone who would spread their legs for a guy she’d just met in a bar. For a moment she wanted to scream at him that there was only one man for her and he was sitting twenty feet away. That her man was probably thinking about killing the guy who’d just stroked her thigh. That her job wasn’t in fashion, it was in extortion, in arms, drugs... whatever Cosa Nostra called for.

Damn it. Get a grip, Serena.

David stood; he swayed and held the bar. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way.” Serena smiled then slipped to her feet. She was the same height as David.

Follow us, Luca. Follow us.

She didn’t need to worry. In her peripheral vision she spotted him standing. Then as they made for a door at the back of the room, bearing a sign that readResidents Only, she could feel Luca following.

The small stairwell had worn red carpet and the banister was polished dark wood. A window with stained glass depicting a crest of arms looked over the dogleg.

“I would never have known this was here,” Serena said, slipping her hand into David’s and squeezing. She was keen to keep his attention on the task of climbing to the first floor. He didn’t need to see the ominous shadow following them.

They came to a landing, the old floorboards a little wonky, clearly an older part of the building.

Room twelve was before them.

David held the key aloft, wrapped his arm around Serena’s waist and grinned. “I’ll warn you, I’m one hell of a magician.”

“And I can’t wait to see what you can do with your magic wand.” She giggled then pressed up against him, gazing at him as though she was about to rip his smart suit clean off him.

He grinned and tipped his head. Set his lips over hers.

Serena resisted the urge to shove him away. Instead she leaned in and accepted the kiss.

When David pulled back, his lips wet and cheeks red, he held the key up again. “Right then, let’s get this show on the road...”

Luca was behind him, phone aloft the same way as David’s key. Luca’s expression was thunder, his eyes burning with rage.

“No more than necessary, you’re mine, remember.”

His words came back to her. She’d overstepped the mark in Luca’s mind. She knew she had. Serena had seen the look before. The green-eyed monster had come out to play; no, not play, party, and it was one of those parties that would turn to mayhem and carnage.

“Ladies first.” David unlocked the door and used the flat of his palm to push it open. He gave Serena a lopsided grin.

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