Page 23 of Maximum
“Don’t worry about it,” I answered and grabbed Fleur’s hand. “We were on our way back to the hotel anyway.”
“Fleur, before you go, I need to talk to you,” Pierre insisted.
She held my hand tighter. “Say what you need to say, Pierre. I have no secrets from Maximum.”
He gave me a glare of hostility before speaking to her. “Maybe I could take you out for breakfast tomorrow and we could talk.”
I had no right to feel as jealous as I did, but squaring my shoulders, I stepped in front of Fleur. “I’m going to tell you what Fleur is too polite to say; fuck off, old man.”
Pierre narrowed his eyes. “Fleur and I were together for ten years. How long have you known her; three months?” He scoffed. “Fleur knows that she’s the love of my life and I know I’m hers. You are nothing but a peacock who got her temporary attention.”
“I’m no fucking peacock,” I sneered, “more like a younger and stronger lion chasing off the old one. Trust me, I’m ready to defend what’s mine.”
Pierre and I had moved so close that we were almost chest to chest.
“Maximum, let’s go,” Fleur said behind me and only then did I notice how many were watching us.
As Fleur and I moved away, Pierre locked his hand around her wrist.
“Fleur, meet me tomorrow!”
I was a second away from physically pushing him back, but Fleur looked down at her wrist and spoke with a firm tone.
“Let go of me.”
“But…”
“Pierre, I mean it. Let go. Not just of my wrist, but of the idea that I’ll ever be with you again.”
He tightened his grip and it made me almost crazy.
As if Fleur could sense I was about to deck him, she placed her left palm on my chest while looking straight at Pierre.
“I’d rather be single for the rest of my life than go back to feeling controlled and unappreciated by you. For the last time, let go of me!”
When he didn’t release her wrist fast enough, Fleur tore her hand away from him. “And just so we’re clear, I’m not having breakfast with you tomorrow or any other day. I’ll be busy doing other things.”
Pierre looked mad as hell as we left, but I couldn’t help myself and threw a last comment over my shoulder. “By other things, she means me.”
“That was unnecessary,” Fleur scolded me as we searched for her parents.
“I know, but it felt fucking fantastic to give him that last stab.”
She shook her head. “You’re a child, Maximum.”
“No, I’m not,” I insisted, feeling offended.
We found Tom and Justine in conversation with some potential buyers of their photographs.
“I’m tired, so we’re headed back to the hotel, but I’ll call you tomorrow,” Fleur told her parents and kissed their cheeks. I gave them both quick hugs before leaving the gallery.
Silently, we walked down the street toward the hotel. Adrenaline was still pumping through my body from my impulsive proposal and the confrontation with Pierre.
“He’d better leave you alone from now on,” I muttered.
Fleur walked fast beside me. “You looked like you were ready to pounce on him. I can’t imagine what you’d have done if we were a real couple.”
I didn’t want to imagine it either. I knew myself well enough to know that I was a jealous bastard. It had destroyed relationships in the past and was the very reason I’d stayed away from getting too involved for years now.
“Just playing my part,” I said and tried to sound nonchalant when in reality I was worried that I’d made a big mistake coming on this trip. What if I ended up chasing her for the next four years like Pierre? I’d only known Fleur for a few months, but I understood why he had a hard time letting go.
