Page 49 of The Forbidden
Do I give a fuck? No.
“Right. We should get back.” My voice is once again detached, cold. I wrap my fingers around Anais’s elbow, dragging her past Jameson and back to the event.
After the showcase, I send Anais home with my father, sister and Bishop.
For the rest of the night, I stuck by her side like a stage five fucking creeper, silently warding off anyone who dared glance her way.
And now I’m alone at the hotel bar waiting for Jameson and scrolling through my phone.
“Hey,” says a soft, sultry voice. I glance up. Blonde woman. Big tits, tiny waist, and lustful brown eyes. Under normal circumstances, I’d probably let her suck my dick, but after Anais? I feel nothing. “And you are?” she purrs, running a finger across her full bottom lip, in an attempt to entice me.
“Not interested,” I say coldly, eyes returning to my phone.
But of course, my disinterest doesn’t deter her. With more confidence than I thought possible for someone who’s just been rejected, she leans in, pressing her fake tits into my arm. “I canmake it worth your while. I’m known for having the best mouth in the city,” she whispers.
I stand abruptly. She stumbles, half landing on my stool. I glare down at her, my lip curled in disgust, as I let my disdain leak onto my expression. “Who the fuck said you could touch me?” I hiss, my voice low, lethal. “Now get the fuck out of here before I have security remove you.”
“You can’t do that,” she bristles, outraged.
I laugh, ready to show her what the fuck I can do, when Jameson steps in behind her. “My friend may not have the authority that I do inmyhotel, but if he asks for your removal, it will happen. Now you have three seconds to get your desperate ass out of here, orI’llhave security remove you.”
Blondie scowls, snatches up her purse and sashays out of here like she hasn’t just been humiliated.
Sighing, I turn to Jameson, “Thanks, man. She wouldn’t take the hint.”
Jameson claps a hand on my shoulder, squeezing. “Not a problem.” He signals the barman, ordering us both a scotch and we settle onto stools. He glances at me, and I know what he’s going to say before he even speaks. “So…what’s going on with you and Anais?”
“Nothing,” I lie.
He smirks. “Didn’tlooklike nothing,”
I grit my teeth, so hard, I’m surprised they don’t turn to dust. “It was nothing.”
Jameson sighs, taking a sip of his drink. “You can talk to me, Maxwell. I won’t judge.”
My irritation flares, and I swallow down the rest of my drink. “I don’t interfere with your life, and your insane obsession with finding Mon–”
“Don’t,” he warns, cutting me off, his voice as cold as ice.
Taking a breath, I collect myself. Everyone knows not to bring up Monroe. It was a low blow, but for fucks’ sake, I’m on edge right now. I need to take my frustrations out, and unfortunately for Jameson, who agreed to have a drink with me, he’s also involuntarily become my punching bag.
Running a hand across my jaw, I meet his cold, detached gaze. “I won’t apologize, because… well, I don’t apologize for shit. But I shouldn’t have broughtherup. I know what she meant…” I frown, correcting myself. “Means to you.”
He nods tersely, the pain he tries so hard to hide bleeding out on his expression. “If I never find her… if she’s dead... She’ll still be the only woman I ever love.”
One look at his face, I know he means it. “Fuck. All these years and still nothing?”
He signals the barman again, ordering us another round. “Not a trace. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop looking.”
Needing to lighten the somber mood, I blurt. “I kissed Anais.”
Jameson huffs a breath of amusement, “Harrison is going to kill you.”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah,” he agrees. “Was it at least worth it?”
I groan, running a hand down my face. “Fuck, I’m going to sound like a pussy.” He nods for me to continue. “I’ve never had a kiss like it. It was fireworks when I pressed my lips to hers.”
