“Explain.”She daubs her lips, after I feed her a second forkful of cake.
“She thinks I’m gay because it makes me seem cool.It’s something to talk about in interviews, and a way of making myself off-limits.”
“Is that the truth?”
“Fuck you,” I swear, rage swelling alongside my poor dick.
“I’m teasing.”She pushes my arm aside, when I raise it again.“Why are you feeding me your dessert?”
I shrug.“Thought I’d better have you check it wasn’t poisoned.”
“I thought your stalker was all for slashing you to ribbons, not watching you puke your guts up.”
My would-be slasher is a figment of the collective unconscious.
“Did you put something in it?”Kira asks.
“Why would I poison myself?”
“I meant to give to me.”
Can’t deny I’d be a lot calmer knowing she was out of my hair for the night.“How big a sedative do you think I’d need to give you to knock you out?”
She eyes me, like she can’t believe I’m even asking this, but isn’t surprised by it either.
“Take me out of play, and Falchard will field someone far, far worse to babysit your cute arse.”
“Is my arse cute?”I quip.
“It’s not bad,” Ewan mumbles around the last of his dessert.Plate cleaned, he reaches for one of the abandoned dishes that are currently sitting before unoccupied places.“Love cheesecake… It’s so good.”
Kira rolls her eyes, but her lips give away her mirth.She’s incredibly pretty when she smiles.Those gun-metal grey-blue eyes sparkle and the severe, no-nonsense façade she wears slips.I bet she’s fun, when she isn’t working.I almost start warming to her, until my dick realises who it is I’m thinking cosy thoughts about, then it gets all tumescent again, and I’m forced to think about Ewan’s frostbitten toes.
I need to get fucking laid.
The swing band assembled at the front of the stage start tuning up, and launches into an opening number.Various couples take to the dance floor.
“How long until you have to give your speech?”Kira asks, exactly as I’m turning my wrist in order to consult my watch face to ascertain that fact.
“Not long.Someone will come and let me know.”
“Okay.”She taps her heels impatiently, and watches the dancers.
Ewan digs his elbow into my side.“You should ask her to dance.It’s the done thing, when you bring a woman out to a gala dinner.”
Oh, dear God.How old-fashioned.“She doesn’t want to.”I tell him.
“You mean you don’t want to.”He smirks at my inability to hide my revulsion to the idea.“Two left feet, mate?I’d offer to step in for you, but—” he tips his fork towards his plate, “—cheesecake.Also, I’m sure you can dance better than a man missing half his toes.”
“I’m not dancing,” I insist.It isn’t that I can’t dance, it’s more than I don’t want to.I’m looking for ways to create distance between myself and Kira.Can you imagine how horrific it’s going to be entwining my arms around her, and risking the possibility of her hips brushing mine?
“Incoming, two o’clock,” my bodyguard mutters.
Rosie lands back at our table, and chaperones Adam Bask into one of the empty chairs.He immediately sets his beady gaze on me.Jeezus, I’m surrounded by vultures.
Ewan smiles to himself as he continues to feast on cheesecake.
Okay, so desperate times call for desperate measures.I hold out my hand to Kira, and she accepts.
