Page 19 of The Passion

“Ughhh. Sure, there is good food in the restaurants, but it’s usually prepared by some pretentious chef who gives you a bare mouthful and you’re supposed to bow down at his or her feet, telling them how amazing it is. When instead, you are sitting there still starving.”

I try not to choke on my mouthful of chocolate strawberries. “Wow, tell me how you really feel, Felisha.” I know that in keeping this conversation going, I’m distracting her from how upset she was when she arrived.

“What, surely a big guy like you gets annoyed sometimes at how little food is on the plate?” She takes another mouthful, and just watching her slide the fork out of her mouth has me adjusting how I’m sitting on the couch, because these shorts won’t hide anything.

“When I’m the chef, there is always a plentiful amount served.” I feel like I’m needing to defend chefs all around the globe. “Plus, sometimes the portion size is so you can savor the taste of something pretty spectacular that they have worked extremely hard to prepare from scratch. A meal that you can’t get anywhere else in the world because it’s their original recipe.”

“Yes, I get all that. That’s why we source the best chefs in the world for our restaurants…”

“Second-best. We have the best,” I jump in before she can continue her spiel.

“Pfft, doubt it. But anyway, back to desserts. It’s nice to have a lovely dinner out, but when a girl needs to cry into her dessert, she needs strawberries and more chocolate sauce than she knows what to do with. So, suck it up and just agree with me… and half the tourists that visit London just for these.”

“Noted.” I’m too busy watching her eat to continue debating her logic.

Must be one of those women and hormones things. Since Tori has become part of the boys’ club in the office, we have learned at certain times of the month when Nic gives you the look, you just shut your mouth and agree.

They can call it sexist all they like, but it’s a fact. Some women are just fucking crazy when their hormones are on a war path.

I’m glad I’m a man!

The room has a peaceful quiet falling over it as we continue to sit close. My knee touches her thigh in the tiniest way, but it’senough to keep that buzz of adrenaline pulsing through me. Just having her in my home is confronting to my senses.

I wasn’t expecting to feel a sense of calm, not on a day like today.

But having her here, I can soothe her worries, and that makes me feel a sense of protectiveness I can’t say I have felt before.

And not that I will ever admit to her, but these strawberries are going down nicely.

Sometimes simple is all that’s needed.

We can’t sit here in silence forever, though, and as much as she doesn’t think we need to talk about the video, it’s why she turned up here.

Whether she likes it or not, this isn’t going away anytime soon.

“So, who is starting the conversation about the elephant in the room?” Placing my empty plastic cup on the coffee table, I turn fully to the side so I can pin her with my stare, and she can’t get away from the inevitable.

“You are, obviously.” She frowns at me like I just upset the stillness in the space.

“Well, it’s either we talk about this or I’m taking you to my bedroom to make you forget about the day. Your choice.” My dick is screaming for her to choose option two, even though I know she won’t.

“Flynn!” Putting her cup on the table, she wipes her mouth to make sure she is perfect again. I want to say let me lick off the last taste of sweetness from your lips, but I’m not sure it’s the right time considering her reaction to my proposal.

“That’s what got us in this mess. I doubt we will solve anything by sleeping together again.” Curling her legs up in front of her on the couch, she wraps her arms around them and is now facing me but with her barriers firmly in place.

“I don’t know, it’d help me to feel better, how about you?” I lean back into the corner of the couch and spread my arm along the back of the cushions toward her.

I just want to touch her, but I know she doesn’t feel the same, so this is as close as I can get.

“I don’t doubt that, but you do realize we can never go there again. Right?” There is a tinge of disappointment on her face which I find very interesting from the woman who told me in no uncertain terms that we would only ever have that one night and never talk about it again.

“So you say.”

“Flynn, please don’t make this harder than it already is. You want to talk, let’s talk. How are we going to find this bitch and bury her, along with that video?” Watching Felisha tonight is so interesting. The different parts of her personality are at war right now. She wants to be strong and in full control, but her body language is full of protection of the vulnerability she is feeling but never wants to expose to anyone.

“Okay, but let’s stop it right there. You won’t be doing anything like that. I’m worried there is a leak on your side because this happened in your room.” My tone is more serious now, letting her know where I stand.

And here comes the fighter!

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