I headed for the Eiffel Tower first. Too many people had gathered on the grass below the steel construct, drinking wine and chatting despite the cold. I didn’t see Anna anywhere. I jumped back on the Vespa and raced away. One of the most romantic places at night was the area around Notre Dame, especially the Seine embankment.
When I dismounted the Vespa at my destination, I followed my gut. It didn’t take me long to find a place where many couples had gathered with a view of the church and the Seine to get it on.
I didn’t see Anna anywhere though. I searched the area for another hour until I gave up and headed toward Montmartre. But I didn’t find her there either. Panic was starting to set in.
If I didn’t find Anna until the morning, I had to consider calling Dante so he could organize help. I couldn’t risk waiting too long before I rang the alarm. If she’d been kidnapped, every hour mattered. And calling the police was out of the question.
It was four in the morning when I headed back to the apartment. My shirt stuck to my sweaty body and my veins were still pulsating with adrenaline.
I parked the Vespa in the street and froze when I spotted Anna in front of the building. She didn’t have keys, so of course she had to wait in front of it. I stalked toward her, torn between overwhelming relief and fury.
Anna’s lips were puffy as if she’d spent the night glued to Maurice’s lips, or worse… The mere idea made my blood pump with jealousy and rage.
“You’re lucky I’m supposed to protect you, or I’d kill you!” I growled as I grabbed her arm, unlocked the door and dragged her upstairs.
To my surprise, Anna followed along without much protest.
I released her once we were in our apartment and away from curious eyes. “Where the hell have you been?”
“You’re in a foul mood. Didn’t the French-Wench cheer you up? She gave you her Vespa as a thank you, I suppose.”
“Where the hell were you?” I got in her face, so very close to exploding. I immediately smelled the alcohol on her breath. “Are you drunk?”
She grinned. “Maybe. I think we shared two bottles of very delicious wine.”
I gritted my teeth. “You met with Maurice?”
“I did. Why should you be the only one to have fun?”
I’d find the fucker and chop off his head. “What happened?”
I wasn’t even sure why I was asking. Anna’s lips were swollen, her hair tousled and her blouse buttoned the wrong way. Even an idiot could guess what she’d been up to with Maurice. Maybe I should have expected it. Anna was an eighteen-year-old who finally got a taste of freedom. She’d been trying to seduce me for weeks—hell, months now—of course, she’d eventually find someone else who’d scratch her itch.
Regret tasted bitter in my mouth. Why did I not take her up on her offer? Why did I have to act noble when I decidedly wasn’t?
Anna smiled crookedly. “It’s the city of love, what do you think happened?”
I nodded, bottling up my rage as deeply as I could even when I wanted to roar. Anna wasn’t mine, had never been, and would never be, but my heart didn’t care. I was jealous.
“I hope it was worth pissing me off. Because from this day on, I won’t leave you out of my sight for a second.”
“Is that so?”
I didn’t say anything only glared at her, even if it hurt looking at her when the proof of what she’d done with Maurice screamed at me. I hadn’t hooked up with anyone in more than a month now because Anna had wormed her way into my head and wouldn’t leave.
Anna shrugged. “All right.” She began unbuttoning her shirt.
“What are you doing?”
“If you’ll follow me wherever I go, I might as well undress right here.”
Still not done playing?
I didn’t react.
Anna opened her blouse, revealing one of those lacy bras I always saw laying around in the bathroom. She then pulled down the zipper at the back of her skirt and let the piece of clothing drop to the floor. In only her underwear, she was a sight to behold. But I didn’t give her the satisfaction, of checking out every inch of her body, even if I wanted to. I had seen her naked, had memorized every inch of her body.
“I’m heading into the bathroom now,” she said, turning around, presenting round ass globes to me. She bent forward to pick up her skirt. The string of her thong between her ass cheeks teased me and barely covered her pussy.
I could have had this, if I hadn’t been trying to be a virtuous idiot. Now Maurice had had his paws all over this amazing ass, and I had pushed Veronique away.