Page 11 of The First Deal

Couldn’tanswer her.

Instead, I gave in to the moment. I caved to the look in her eyes. I pinned her to the lounger and fucked my best friend.

For the first time in my life, I pulled out of a woman without coming. Vi had though, multiple times, and holy shit was she loud when she came. Thankfully, up here on the roof, no one could hear us. Not that I ever usually cared about that, but today I did. Today I didn’t feel as though what I had done was something I could shout from the rooftops, even though Violet kinda had.

I watched her from behind the bar as she adjusted the straps of her dress. I hadn’t ripped it off of her body. In fact, I hadn’t even exposed a nipple. Violet knew what she wanted, and although I had taken the lead, full control, I had read her body, just like I did with all of the others. Vi wasn’t into foreplay, so I hadn’t wasted my time giving her something that she wouldn’t appreciate. She wanted me inside her more desperately than anything else, and the look on her face when I had finally given her exactly what she wanted was one I never thought I’d see.

But I had.

I had crossed a line with her, and now…Shit.I didn’t feel good about it.

What the hell was up with that? I should have been over the moon about what we had just done. She was sexy, smart, and experienced. I should have been blowing my load within seconds. Not sitting here with an ache in my balls that I didn’t want to satisfy with her cunt.

It was all down to that stupid deal though, wasn’t it? That was what had made it feel so wrong. She wanted more from me, and she was convinced that one quickie on a sun lounger would win me over.

I knew it wouldn’t be enough. So I had humoured her. She knew that I wasn’t on the same page as her, I hadn’t lied to her, but I could see it on her smug face as she touched up her lipstick, she thought that she had won me over. That I was about to fall madly in love with her and we’d live happily ever after.

She should know by now that my happily ever after is me, sitting by the sea, warm ocean breeze whispering over my body as I sipped aged whiskey. She couldn’t insert herself into that image, no matter how hard she might try.

“Happy birthday to me,” Violet said under her breath, meeting my eye with a satisfied sigh.

Forcing a smile, I passed her a fresh glass of wine. “Do you have plans for the weekend?”

Her face lit up, and I instantly realised my mistake. I wasn’t offering anything, but it was obvious she thought that I was hinting at spending it together.

“I was supposed to go out with Steve, but that’s clearly not happening now. Some of the girls suggested drinks, but I haven’t set anything in stone with them.” She gulped down her wine, then placed the lipstick-stained glass back on the bar.

I stared at the marks on the expensive crystal. Peachy pink. It suited her. It wasn’t appealing to me though. The colour didn’t make my cock twitch, not like red perhaps would, or even a glossy, bright pink. Playful and inviting.

Vi must have caught me staring. She picked up the glass, twisted it to examine the stain, then bit her lip, misreading my thoughts entirely. “We could make whatever daydream is playing out in your head reality this weekend… if you can wait that long.”

I blinked. “Sorry, I zoned out there, what?”

“This weekend—”

“I have plans, sorry, Vi. I have to head out to Italy to deal with Leo.” She knew how much hassle I had with that boy.

Nodding in understanding, her gaze dropped to the bar, then she sniffed, raised her head, and grinned. It was forced. She was disappointed, but she wouldn’t voice it. Women like Violet never did. Instead, they spoke breezily, saying things like “If your hotel room gets too lonely, I’m only a call and the company jet away.”

“I’ll be swamped. Enjoy your weekend with the girls, and I’ll see you when I’m back.” The chances of actually being swamped were slim, if anything, I’d be bored and irritated for most of that trip, but Violet wouldn’t be joining me.

She could spend her birthday weekend drinking like she was still twenty-five, hopefully meeting some random guy at a bar, and maybe, if I was lucky, forgetting that she wanted me.

Still forcing a grin she accepted my refusal. “Dinner when you’re back then, at mine, I’ll cook.”

“Looking forward to it,” I said, rounding the bar and heading past her to the loungers, grabbing my phone as it started to vibrate violently on the table.

Vi clicked her tongue in subtle irritation as I scrolled the notifications, mostly from Lynda, as I had expected. “Call me when you’re back then,” she finally said.

“Yeah, oh, and Vi…”

I paused as a new message popped up, her name sitting at the top of my screen, her message making me groan under my breath.

Hannah:I’m taking your silence as confirmation that you died, hopefully peacefully in your sleep. Which is a shame, but I’m glad that I was able to provide you with such a delightful final meal.

“Yes…”Shit.I had become entirely distracted, what was I about to say to Violet? Something about dinner, surely.

Looking up, it came back to me. I threw her a teasing grin. “No paella. I know it’s my favourite, but woman, you fuck it up every single time.”

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