With This Ring

I took the cash, folded it, and tucked it into my back jeans pocket. “There will never be a reason in the world big enough, Monsieur.” I smiled to take the sting away.

He took an elaborate sniff of the potent fumes, then a sip of the sinfully smooth luxury of his drink. “Ahhh …” he moaned at the pleasure. “You know, that pussy of yours is not going to lick itself. Someday you’re going to come to your senses and come with me, Princess.”

Dan roared triumphantly. “Join the line Mon-fucking-sieur.”

Nothing personal, all just part of the job, I told myself as I turned away to take care of the other patrons waiting to be served. That’s when my eyes suddenly met his.

I froze.

Right there in the midst of the crowd … he was watching me. His gaze was icy blue … and cold, and unmistakable and just as always, my stomach flipped.

I blinked, and briefly lowered my head in disbelief.

He was here?

Why?

When I had myself under control I lifted my stony gaze to him, but he was gone.

A frown furrowed into my forehead as my eyes roved across the bar. Every sound and sight beyond that of his haunting gaze faded into the background as I searched around the dimly lit space for him, but he had disappeared like a puff of smoke. After a few seconds I started to wonder if I’d just imagined him.

But why the hell would I?

I hate him. He was an arrogant, insufferable, rude, sanctimonious, annoying, ignorant, uncivilized, brutal thug. Immediately, I abandoned the search for such a low-life, and turned around to settle my breathing. It was uneven, and it aggravated me to no end that even imagining seeing him never failed to stir the most unpleasant storms inside me.

“Bastard,” I swore under my breath as I turned to a customer waiting to get my attention. But it was now a feat to focus on his order. He had to repeat it twice. I nodded and set to work, but my mood had turned sour. The rest of the night became an ordeal. I kept expecting him to turn up even though I had told myself a thousand times that he was just a figment of my imagination.

I usually headed out of the bar with a little skip in my step at the end of my shift at 3am, but thanks to the memory of that devil, I felt taut and irritable.

I’d just turned the block when I found Bisset waiting on the deserted side street, his foot against the wall. I wasn’t surprised, but I was disappointed. Despite his clumsy advances and smutty jokes, I’d considered Garlic Cock fairly decent and able to respect set boundaries. Meeting outside the bar meant there was no going back.

Chapter Two

Freya

“You’re waiting to harass me, Monsieur?” I asked coldly.

He smiled charmingly. “Never, mon chéri. I thought, maybe, the bar is too crowded for you to … express your interest. Perhaps, you are shy in front of your employers and colleagues. I thought maybe—”

I cut him off. “You figured wrong. I’m not interested in you.”

“That’s unfair, baby girl. Just look at you … I’m about to lose my mind just staring at you.”

I sighed. “Look, don’t make this ugly. Maybe you have drunk too much, but if you stop now we can laugh about this the next time you come to the bar.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“Well, I’m going home. Alone.”

He stepped in my path, his hands spread out and I could smell the alcohol I had fed him, pungent and overindulgent.

“My car and driver are right around the corner,” he slurred. “It’s running, waiting for you. Let’s go for a drive. I’ll show you some very beautiful places. Secret places. Where rich people go to feed their needs. You’ll never get the chance to see them on your own.”

My stomach turned at the thought of the ugly things he had in mind. “I’ve lived in this city for five years. I’ve seen all that I need or want to see of it.”

“No, you don’t understand,” he rasped urgently, his eyes shining. “This city has an underbelly. An exciting place that only those in the know can hope to experience. I promise you will love it.”

“Thanks, but no thanks.” I attempted to walk past him again.

Suddenly his face changed. The affable Frenchman was gone. Here was the real thing. The thing I would have seen if I had said yes at any time. “What will it take?” he asked, “because I’m not going home without you tonight.”

I lost my patience. “Out of my way,” I said and tried to push him aside, but he grabbed my hand and turned me violently around. It twisted my wrist and the pain made me wince.

He drew me to him and brought his nose close to my neck. Sniffing me he pressed his unimpressive cock against me.