Downtown Girl (Lipstick Red #1)

by Zara Asher

  ‘The blue one would match your eyes,’ David said as he followed her gaze to the Pimaletto bags in three colors on display.

  ‘Bloody hell, it’s three months salary for me. I can think of better things to spend ten grand on!’ She felt unprepared for the trappings of wealth in Cannes, yet David was so cosmopolitan. It looked like he’d fit in anywhere. He might have refined his voice from his days on London’s streets, but he could turn it back on when he wanted, as he’d proved earlier today when he was sleeping. Frowning, she remembered how he’d called out in his sleep, tossing and turning for a good half hour, but she’d no intention of bringing it up yet. If he wanted to tell her, he would do it when he was ready, that’s if she saw him again after this weekend.

  Sitting across from the drool worthy handbag shop, a beggar patted his dog. She stopped to stare as the disheveled but young man began to rifle through a bin, pulling out crumbs to feed the hungry yellow labrador’s mouth. David circled her waist with an arm, before he saw where her gaze was directed.

  ‘He’ll be moved on soon, or arrested.’ David laced her fingers through his, nudging her into continuing their walk, before turning into a new street and settling her at a pavement café.

  ‘Two glasses of white wine please,’ he asked the waiter who was bounding outside to claim the table for a potential tip. It was a quiet night. ‘Wait here,’ he said to Taylor, ‘I forgot to make an important call. Enjoy your wine; I’ll be back in a few minutes.’

  He’d left her sitting alone, which made her brows knit in annoyance. He retraced their route, making her overly suspicious. Accepting her glass of wine from the over keen waiter, she followed David’s footsteps as stealthily as she could. It was possible he was just out of sight, or she could even meet him on his way back, but her inquisitive lawyer’s brain took over.

  Reaching the corner, she stopped. Frozen to the spot. David was leaving a deli with food in his hand.

  Approaching the beggar and his hungry dog, David handed over the sandwiches he’d bought. Pulling out his wallet, he also gave the man something. It could have been money, or it could have been a card, but whatever it was, the man grabbed his arm ferociously, pumping it up and down madly, before feeding pieces of a sandwich to the over excited dog.

  The beggar turned to walk away, waving his arm in a salute to David, who simply raised his own back. Like her, David stood and watched as the hungry duo walked away, the man alternatively patting and feeding small bites of food to the jumping dog.

  Her heart beat like a steel drum as she quickly slipped back to her seat, the fluttering made worse by the man who kept his good deeds a secret, even from her. Her cheeks flushed bright red as the sound of her heart pounded mercilessly in her ears.

  Pretending to be engrossed in her phone when he returned, she glanced up to flash him a welcome back grin. He’d a satisfied smirk on his face, making her want to race to his side and squeeze the life out of him for his generosity.

  ‘Successful call?’ she questioned, sliding her phone back into her bag.

  ‘One of the best!’ His eyebrows twitched.

  Paying the waiter, he returned to their table, quickly finishing his glass of wine.

  ‘Time for food girl, or I’ll end up eating you, right here in the street.’

  ‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep,’ she countered, bold with the knowledge of his generosity.

  ‘Come here!’ He tugged the fingers enclosed in his hand and circled her waist with an arm. Kissing her lightly and nibbling her lip with his teeth, she felt his hard on push through the fabric of her dress before he let her go.

  ‘Good evening,’ a familiar voice said to the side of Taylor’s ear. She swung round, her face falling in shock at the sight of the familiar person interrupting them.

  Chapter 7

  ‘David Burton.’ David outstretched his hand to the man who’d interrupted them.

  ‘Jack, Jack Collins,’ the deep English upper class accent, adorning the dark eyed and dark haired top lawyer replied back, his eyes landing on Taylor as he spoke.

  Jack spun towards her. ‘Taylor, it’s a pleasure.’ He took her hand with his, lifted it to his mouth and kissed it with expert ease, meeting her eyes confidently. ‘I’d no idea you’d be in Cannes this weekend. Is it work or pleasure?’ The remark made her blush furiously. ‘I’ll take that as pleasure then shall I?’ he said sarcastically with a sneer as he glanced at David. It didn’t suit him.

  Jack Collins was a good looking man himself. Everyone at work thought he and Gillian Traynor, his business partner, were at it like rabbits. The gossips would live on this for months if she told them he was alone in Cannes, and giving her the eye while she was out with a date.

  She’d seen Jack many times in the office. He worked closely with Kevin, and she’d often had to run options past him while he chatted about nothing much in particular. Looking back on those meetings, she instantly realized he’d kept her for longer than necessary. When she’d first arrived in London, she’d thought he was good looking, but knowing how successful and rich he was, she’d pushed any attraction towards him to the back of her mind.

  What if Kevin told him I was here? She instantly panicked with guilt, but she was uncomfortable with Jack kissing her hand and holding eye contact.

  How unlucky was she, to run into the man who owned Willgox? Taylor’s first thought had been the amount of trouble she’d be in at work, but she dismissed it as silly.

  When David spoke, she’d been floundering, with no idea what to do or say next.

  ‘After you,’ David said graciously, as he took charge. They were outside the plush gilt double doors of Chavabox, blocking the entrance. The doorman nodded his head to Jack, opening the door with an experienced flourish.

  They each received their own Maitre D, as they were shown to their respective private dining rooms. ‘Enjoy your meal,’ Taylor managed to say as Jack walked away, his eyes dark, thunderous and unreadable.

  ‘And to you,’ he replied, shooting daggers with his eyes towards David.

  ###

  ‘Are you going to tell me what that was all about?’ David asked when they were finally alone in their dining room. The table was set with four sets of knives and forks, distracting her from the uncomfortable situation. She was glad they were alone, so she wouldn’t embarrass herself by picking up the wrong implement at the wrong time.

  ‘Absolutely nothing,’ she replied, coloring. ‘He’s only ever spoken to me about work before, or made light chit chat in the corridor. He’s never, ever kissed my hand.’

  ‘Until tonight?’ David answered, stroking his chin with two fingers while his thumb rested under his chin.

  ‘I could get sacked.’ She whispered quietly, her eyes brimming with tears. She was taken aback when David laughed at her distress. ‘I’m glad you see the funny side of it, because I don’t,’ she replied haughtily, a tear spilling over her curled lashes.

  ‘Taylor, that man wants into your pants. He’s not going to sack you. And if he does, I’ll hire you. I could use a good defense lawyer on my team.’

  ‘How can you possibly tell that? He can’t possibly want into my pants. There are dozens of beautiful women at Willgox.’

  ‘But none of them as smart as you I’ll bet! I know he wants into your pants because I know men, and I know when one Alpha male is giving another a warning. I consider myself duly warned, but I’m not one for doing what I’m told. I won’t share you Taylor, I’m warning you now.’

  ‘I don’t want to be shared,’ a sob escaped as she took a deep breath and regained control over her emotions. ‘And even if he did want into my pants, why would he decide to show his hand now?’

  David took her right hand, enveloping it fully with both of his. ‘Because he thought you’d wait for when he was ready to make his move.’

  ‘How could you possibly know that?’

  ‘Because I know Jack Collins!’

  The waiter entered with the wine menu and some compliment
ary tasters. Her phone buzzed in her pocked while David tried the samples on offer. She ignored it while she watched him order his own food.

  ‘Can I take your order?’ the friendly table server asked.

  Taylor faltered. ‘I’m not ready,’ she looked at David. ‘Could you order for me?’ He nodded, surprised. He obviously thought she would have specific food requirements.

  ‘We’ll have the Fromage De Chrevre for starters and the Filet De Boeuf Facon for our main course. We’ll choose dessert later.’

  Grateful for the change of direction in conversation, she kept the flow going.

  ‘So, in English, what are we eating?’

  ‘Goats cheese with roasted red onions in balsamic syrup for starters, and beef fillet, served with caramelized onions, green beans, chestnut mushrooms, Chantenay carrots and potato roulade in a whisky sauce for our main course.’

  David still toyed with her hand, rubbing his thumb in circles on her palm. She could get used to this.

  He pulled her upright. ‘This is what a private dining room is all about!’ he grinned, opening a door at the back. A small and intimate lounge with a champagne bucket on ice overlooked the city, the lights shimmering into the distance for a perfect view.

  A central circle in the drinks table caught her glance.

  ‘That will flash when our first course arrives. There’s nothing worse than waiting half an hour for a made to order dish on a hard dining room chair.’

  David slid open the bi-fold glass doors to the balcony. The building was a semi circle around a central garden, with the twinkling flashes of the city lights and marina in the distance. It was a slice of sheer heaven, taking her breath away.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ she gushed.

  ‘Just like you.’ He slid his arms around her waist as she stepped back from the glass balustrade, leaning into him as he hugged her tightly. Pulling an arm up, he moved tendrils of her hair aside, to nibble and graze at her neck, while she tilted her head, slipping a sandal off and running her toes up his calf. She felt the pressure of his erection begin to throb against her behind as she ground herself into him, knowing she was tantalizing him.

  She wondered if she could have sex here, in a restaurant, then wondered how many other couples had done the same in the privacy of their undisturbed lounge.

  Breathing deeply, he spun her round, trapping her against the side wall of the balcony. It was dark and she was sure they were alone. He smelled of spice and citrus, the scent rendering her putty in his hands.

  He quickly gathered her wrists in one hand, pinning them against the wall above her head while he kissed her hard, holding her chin firmly in his grip as his knee pushed between her legs. Her pulse rose as desire pooled in her belly, with nerve endings firing her brain. This was hot, and her body was quivering for more.

  Releasing her hands, he lifted her up, settling her across his abdomen as she locked her legs behind his back. He walked inside the private lounge, with her hands fisting his hair while they kissed deeply, allowing the billowing fabric screen to block them from view.

  He grunted with the effort of holding her up, not fully recovered from his afternoon ordeal in the ocean. He turned her to the steps leading to the dining room, standing her one step above him. He tugged aside her panties, as he felt the moist juices of her sex meet his throbbing fingers.

  She responded by undoing his buttons and pulling down the zip, freeing his trapped cock from its tight constraints.

  ‘I want you inside me,’ she said. ‘Now.’ She was rewarded by a loud moan that matched hers, as his finger found her throbbing bud. She kicked off her panties as he rolled a condom on his cock. Wrapping one her legs around his waist, he groaned as he pulled her down onto his engorged manhood, twitching and glistening at the end. She felt herself falling onto him, while he supported her hips with his strong hands. She was in control. At this angle, her clitoris banged off his lower belly as his cock slid in and out, bringing her close to spasms of joy, as she felt her body begin to tense with the effort of staying upright. Every jerk of his body increased the pressure building in the heat spot between her legs, her breath becoming more shallow, and faster with each thrust.

  His rasping breath turned to breathless moans of pleasure, as her body responded to the sound. She was close. ‘I’m going to come,’ she purred, quietly panting at his thrusts.

  ‘Wait for me,’ he said, his breath low and throaty. ‘I want to feel your muscles contract around me when I come. You’re so bloody tight, it’s driving me crazy.’

  ‘Damn,’ he said a few seconds later as his body began to spasm. She began to let go, the tingles of pleasure beginning at her throbbing little nub, radiating heat down her inner thighs and reaching to her toes, with a violent tearing through her chest, that made her want to bite down on his shoulder as his grunt of release drove her brain to mush. She clenched her jaws, feeling flesh under her teeth, biting as the full force of heat rising in her throat caused her jaw to clamp down. The intensity overwhelmed her whole body as he took a nipple into his mouth, sucking and squeezing as she orgasmed, adding seconds to the waves of ecstasy washing over her body.

  Satiated, he pulled out gently, making sure to keep hold of her. She was in danger of falling over.

  ‘My legs have gone dead,’ she laughed, falling forward and landing in his arms.

  ‘As long as it’s just your leg. I wouldn’t want your heart to peg out on me. That was the most magnificent show of orgasmic frenzy I’ve ever seen.’ She giggled as he helped her to stand properly, rubbing the leg that had been hooked around his waist.

  Holding hands, they stepped back onto the balcony while he held her comfortably in his arms. She liked the feeling. She felt safe.

  ‘Starters on the table,’ he whispered, nodding to the flashing blue table. He kissed her ear as she glowed with the aftermath of a great orgasm.

  Turning to walk inside, she spotted the red glow of a cigarette being inhaled a few balconies along, hoping whoever it was enjoyed as good an evening as she’d had so far. Her inner sex bomb was fully satisfied.

  Grabbing her bag and phone, she noticed two missed messages, both from an unknown number, but when she read them, it was obvious who they were from.

  ‘Dining room 4, three doors down from you on the left hand side. I’ll be here all night. There’s something you need to know about your dining partner.’

  Three doors down the corridor on the left! She quickly stepped outside, counting along to where she’d seen the cigarette glow as she read her texts. Three balconies along on the left! Her heart sank as she kept reading.

  ‘Don’t ignore me. I’m not a man to be messed with!’

  ‘Come on gorgeous. Goats cheese with roasted red onions in balsamic syrup is served.’ David stepped through to whisk her into the dining room. Feeling slightly sick, she forced a smile while she ate her thankfully small portion of food.

  The waiter knocked hesitantly at the door of their private space before entering.

  ‘Message for Ms Griffiths. An urgent call.’

  ‘That’s odd,’ she said, knowing she’d only told one person.

  Checking her phone, she hadn’t missed any calls.

  ‘It must be Amber, my friend from home. She’s such a drama queen and she’d the only one who knows I’m here. I’ll be as quick as I can,’ she smiled to David as she took her bag and began to follow the waiter.

  David pulled out his phone to check e-mails. ‘Take your time. We’ve got at least half an hour before the next course. I’ll be out on the balcony, or on the sofa when you get back.’

  ###

  Following the waiter, she stepped along smartly behind him. He stopped three doors down on the left, his eyes dropping humbly. The door was open as the waiter used a hand to motion her inside.

  ‘Come in,’ Jack said, his eyes flashing in anger.

  ‘What do you think you’re playing at,’ he hissed as he closed the door. ‘He’s an ex-gang leader. Do you have any idea what
you’re getting into, you silly girl?’

  ‘What’s it got to do with you?’ she flashed back, irritated that he’d lied to get her to come to him.

  ‘It’s got everything to do with me. You work for me.’

  ‘You don’t own me, or are you going to sack me? Is that it?’

  ‘Christ, I don’t want to sack you, I want to fuck you. Exactly like he’s just done! I’ve wanted you since the day you walked into the auditorium on your first day!’

  Six months ago, she’d have been ecstatic to hear that. ‘So why didn’t you tell me then? I might have listened six months ago, or is it that you only want me now, because I’m not sitting around waiting for you to notice me? Do you think every woman at Willgox is just waiting for years on end, just for you to come calling?’

  ‘Kevin asked me to keep my distance.’

  ‘Why would he do that? And why would it matter?’

  ‘Because he seems to be in love with you, and if I’d jumped in, he’d have left the company. We can’t afford to lose him.’

  ‘Well then, I’d say you made your decision. It’s too late to come calling now. How did you know I’d be here anyway?’

  ‘Did you think I wouldn’t notice your absence at the financial meeting on Friday? You left a massive trail Taylor Griffiths. It was easy to find your phone tracking details. Kevin handed them over. He was very concerned about your safety this weekend.’

  ‘I had no idea I needed to be secretive, or protected.’ she pouted.

  Taking a step towards her, Jack leaned a hand against the wall behind her head. He ran a finger across her top lip. She flinched, his touch burning her skin, and causing her stomach to churn nervously.

  ‘I don’t think this is…..’ she started to speak, as she tried to move away.

  Jack swiftly grabbed her hands, pulling her hands above her head, like David had done on the balcony. He pushed his knee into her, pinning her body against the wall and covered her mouth with his, just like David had done. Pushing his tongue into her mouth caused waves of nausea to rise from her stomach, spilling up and into her throat, making her want to vomit.