Page 73 of Untether

‘No,’ I say sternly. ‘Don’t do that. Sure, I have no problems getting women. I’m adorable.’ I flash her a cheesy smile. ‘But you, baby, are a fucking superstar, and you have no idea how much you blow me away. You’re so far out of my league it’s crazy, but I don’t care. I probably should, but I don’t.

‘Call me cocky, but it seems to me I make you happy—just a little bit? So I’m going to forge on ahead here, and, just like last night, I’m going to be the cheeky fucker who takes as much as he can get from you.’

She’s staring at me like I’ve lost my damn mind, so I close the gap between us and drop a tender kiss on her lips.

‘Now, let me ask you again,’ I murmur against her mouth. ‘When are you next kid-free, and can I cook you dinner?’

46

AIDA

‘Well?’ Simone says, dropping her enormous Bottega Veneta tote on the soft carpet of the Lanesborough’s drawing room with what some might say is excessive drama. ‘You can’t leave me hanging like you did.’

I sigh and settle onto the overstuffed couch. We’re having a quick coffee while the crew gets our suite upstairs prepped for our latest interview. ‘Yeah. Sorry.’

‘I don’t want sorry. I want details.Omit nothing.’

I roll my eyes at her. One of Britain’s finest newsreaders is, in fact, a dirty little ho for other people’s gossip, especially when it involves sex.

‘It got out of hand,’ I say matter-of-factly.

She leans forward. ‘In a good way or a bad way?’

‘In a great way, I guess.’

‘And who let it get out of hand?’

I consider. ‘I insisted on going to this party I knew would be wild. He turned up in a full balaclava like he was gonna commit an armed robbery, and I went along with every single thing he suggested.’

She arches her perfect eyebrows. ‘Willingly?’

‘I was the most enthusiastic consenter in the history of consent.’

We pause and smile politely at the fresh-faced server who comes to take our coffee order. Nothing to see here. Just two household names discussing kinky sex.

‘Hmm. How extreme are we talking?’ she asks when our server has trotted off.

I roll my tongue over my bottom lip while mentally preparing a litany. ‘Let’s see. Exhibitionism, I guess. I let him go down on me against a pillar in the middle of what was basically an orgy.’

She spits out a shocked laugh. ‘No.’

‘Yes. In my mind, I had a mask on, so that was ample protection.’

‘Right. Good logic. And it was hot?’

I run a hand over my fabric-covered thigh. I’m in a black jumpsuit for today’s interview. It’s tailored, extremely chic, but deliberately edgier than myCentre Stagewardrobe.

My monkey brain dives back of its own accord to the other night. The dim, smoke-filled room. The pulsing, soaring music. Cal, mask on and shirt off, on his knees in front of me, his skilled tongue working my pleasure centres until I went up in flames around him.Fuck.

‘It was extremely hot,’ I say shakily.

‘I bet it was, you dirty little bitch,’ she says, and I laugh. ‘Fuck. Good for you. Seriously. Then what?’

‘Oh, God.’ I bend my head and press my fingertips to my temples—lightly, so as not to ruin my immaculate makeup.

‘Hey. Don’t get bashful now, darling. You’ve got to go upstairs in a few minutes and confess on camera, remember?’

I laugh. ‘The camera’s getting an abridged version for sure. Azure would pull that contract so fast.’

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