Page 4 of Stalked By Pestilence
Instead, I folded my arms and made damn sure to hide the object of his fascination, because his eyes hadn’t strayed much from my breasts since I appeared in this hallway. “Not interested.”
My rejection didn’t seem to bother him. “That’s a weird name. French?”
I sighed loudly and readjusted my purse strap. “Look, baby boy, there’s plenty of girls in this club you can bother. This one isn’t interested. Now get out of my way before I kill your chances of getting a gig here ever again.”
A whistle left his mouth and sailed down the corridor like it’d run from one end to the other. “You’re rather feisty. I like that.”
“Good for you,” I clapped back, over it already. I sauntered up to where he stood, challenging him with my glare. “Move.”
“Or what? You’ll ruin my chances, is it? Not much of a threat for a bloke like me. I don’t have any trouble finding an audience,” came his suave reply.
That accent was already doing things to me I’d rather not acknowledge, and I didn’t want to get distracted by a gorgeous asshole. I could already tell he was bad news. If I hadn’t been turning over a new leaf and becoming a new woman tomorrow, I might invest in training him. But tonight I needed someone who didn’t give me hell for everything I did.
It's a hard no for me, Simon.
I set my mouth in a grim line and summoned my bedroom voice, coming close enough that he couldn’t mistakea single word. “You look like you enjoy pain, baby boy,” I whispered, and his eyes dropped to my mouth.
My hand glided across his bare, tattooed arm, sliding up until I grasped him around his bicep. His eyes followed. They always did. Suckers.
“Bet it gives you a thrill to be under a girl half your size and weight, hmm?” I went on, tone sultry, every word enunciated with the usual goading dominance I used to find and snag prey. “A girl who knows her way around the pain you’re looking for. But…” He barely moved, waiting for whatever lust-laced nonsense I threw at him next. “I’m. Not. Interested.”
I threw my weight into his side, knocking his body sideways into the wall, and pushed past him. The dude was pure muscle, so even I was impressed I’d pulled it off. Definitely thanking the booby distraction for that one. Songbird was all eyes on them at the end of my little seductive tease.
I tossed a little glower over my shoulder. “Get in my way again and I’ll call security over here to kick your ass. The pain I inflict on others is formutual pleasure.Stubborn dicks who think the world of themselves don’t do it for me. Go bother someone else with your songbird seduction.” I gave him the middle finger before finally entering the bathroom.
My phone was where I left it, next to the sink. I grabbed it and pressed my back against the wall.
I’d wait long enough to give the asshole time to fuck off, and if he was still out there when I peeked out, I’d call Dom. He wouldn’t hesitate to rescue me.
I wasn’t a fighter like Asha. The things I did that hurt were always in the bedroom and consented to—I wasn’t a monster. Well, and I hurt a lot of feelings, but Asha told me that didn’t count.
Something about Songbird rattled me in ways no man had. The way his eyes stripped me bare on the spot. The voice that was practically a caress all on its own. I really didn’t want to run into him again. I needed to be New Emily tomorrow. This was my last night to be this one.
After ten minutes of bracing against the bathroom wall, I peeked my head out into the hallway. I refused to think that the pit in my stomach was disappointment when no one was there.
Fixing my dress, I strolled out and took my time getting to the front. Iwasn’tlooking for him. I was glad he’d fucked off. Had we met again after tonight, I would’ve called him a good boy for listening. I gave the room one last fleeting glance before walking toward the exit.
Dom peered down at me as I headed out. “You okay there, Ems?”
I plastered a smile on my face. “Just peachy. By the way, who was the band playing tonight? I’ve never seen live music on days that weren’t Friday or Saturday.”
Scoffing, Dom shook his head. “Not really sure, honestly. The boss just showed up and said they’d be playing. Told me to let them do as much or as little as they wanted and treat that leader of theirs like a VIP.”
My eyes traced the sidewalk, noting that Blue Eyes was nowhere in sight. Guess I was back on the hunt. But not here. Not with Songbird skulking around with an all-access pass from the club owner. I’d hit the nearby bar next. “Oh? They’re that important but you’ve never seen them before?”
My large and in charge friend of five years gave me his one-shoulder shrug. “The boss does what he wants. That’s hardlyshocking. It was a bit more abrupt than his other asks, but nothing to sing home about.”
“Sing, ha!” I pointed at him, and he pointed back.
“Aye.”
“Ayeeee.”
“How you doin’?”
“No, howyoudoin’?”
We’d both pulled out our Joey voices fromFriends, making increasingly unattractive faces and nonsense sounds until one of us broke. Tonight, it was Dom. My Joey-isms were unstoppable!