Page 21 of Until You’re Breathless (Insatiable #1)

Jagger

I am so up shit’s creek without a paddle.

Bowie looks fucking amazing all decked out in her killer black dress.

The second that I see her calves, her chest, her ass, I thank Christ that I’m wearing a double-breasted suit, covering my zippered area.

She’s so fucking beautiful it’s painful.

And what’s worse, once we get to the restaurant, Wesley starts feeding her wine.

Like, the most expensive wine available, so she can’t say no to him.

They’re talking it up so much so that it’s like nobody else is here.

No, I’m not jealous, I’m absolutely intrigued by this woman that seems to have at least two men at this table completely under her spell.

“More wine, please.” Wesley says, after ordering a round of desserts, even though we’re so full of the beef wellington and other various delicacies he’s taken the liberty of ordering. Bowie is very drunk, but thankfully she’s just a giggly drunk, not a rude, lame-brained or a horny one.

“I need to go to the ladies’ room.” She says, and I take this as my opportunity to go along with her and make sure that she’s okay. Nonchalantly, I grab her elbow to steady her. “God, what do I do, Jagger? I’m ploughed.” She almost cries, as soon as we're out of earshot.

“It’s okay, Bowie. You’re handling yourself so well.”

“God, what if I puke all over him?”

“You won’t. I tell you what. I’ll order us some coffee.”

“It may be too late for that, Jagger. All my limbs are numb. God, I wish Jinny were here. She’d know exactly what to do.”

“It’s okay. You’ve got this.” I assure, as we arrive at the washroom. She can barely walk in the heels, so I have her lean on me while I remove them, so she can at least steady herself. “I’m sure this place has the cleanest floors in the world. We’ll wash your feet when we get back to the hotel.”

“Jagger...I don’t think I can walk by myself.” She all but cries.

I look to my left and to my right. There is nobody coming to use the washroom. “Come on.”

As I get into the ladies’ room, I see that the handicapped stall is free.

In fact, we’re the only ones in here, so I guide her into the bathroom, letting her hold me from around the neck.

Toilet seat covers are available, so I put on one and sit her down, dress still on, while I close the door. “Just hang on.”

Wrapping her arms around my neck, I help her lift, as she pulls her panties down. “God, this is humiliating.”

“It’ll be more humiliating if you fall on your ass. At least this way, you won’t piss yourself, too.”

I listen to her pee while I hold her dress up, not looking anywhere else but at the wall. When she’s done, I get her toilet paper and hold her steady so she can wipe herself. “I can’t go back there, Jagger. I’m too far gone.”

“Listen, we’re going to splash your face with some water, and get you a coffee.

You’ll sit by me, and we’ll act like we’re getting a little too friendly.

Wesley’s tanked anyway so he won’t pick up on it.

And all the other guys are pretty much wasted, so it’s in the bag.

” I advise, feeling like it wouldn’t be difficult to act like we’re really friendly, but with how drunk she is, it wouldn’t be right.

“How come you’re not drunk, too?”

“Because I’ve had half a glass. And I’ve been talking shop with his head engineer, who’s a recovered alcoholic.”

“And you’re not mad at me for getting plastered in front of these guys? I mean, we’re supposed to be doing business with them.”

I grunt as I help her off the toilet. “How could I be angry at you? Thanks to you, I think that we got this deal.”

“It’s not just thanks to me, Jagger. Shit, I’ve only been with you for like six weeks. It’s you.”

I look at her glassy eyes. “Tell me something. Do you think that Wesley would even consider doing business with me if it weren’t for you?

You heard the man say it himself, that he thinks Boston is an asshole, and it was you that was keeping Kruger afloat.

Well, right or not, Wesley feels like you’re doing the same for me, and I’m okay with that.

It’s not about power or ego for me, Bowie.

It’s about doing what’s best for the company, and what’s right.

Now, you can do this, okay? We’re going to go back to that table and I’m going to get you a coffee.

I know damn well that if I allow you to skulk your way out of this tonight, that you’ll never be able to forgive yourself. ”

“Do you really love me, Jagger?” She asks, eyes so glassy but so honest.

I slide a loose strand of hair over her ear. “I do love you. I only ever mean what I say.”

“Do you believe that I love you, too?”

“That’s the thing, see. We’re both honest people.

We only say what we mean and that’s why we mix so well together.

” I lick my lips, feeling her slip downward a little.

“Come on. We’ve got to get you some coffee and some water, or else you’ll feel like a bag of shit tomorrow, and we’ve got a long flight. ”

“Kiss me, Jagger.” She breathes, drunkenly.

“I’m not kissing you in a bathroom stall.” I tell her directly, like she’s a child. “Now, come on. Pull yourself together. We can do this.”

She swallows and scrapes a hand down her face. “You’re right. I can do this.” Her voice is like she’s suddenly turned into a life coach.

“Let the jury note that I’m holding you up with both hands.”

“Details.” She trails off as I open the stall door, listening to the automatic flush do its thing. “Besides, you said that we were supposed to pretend that we’re lovers, so that’s why you’re doing that.”

“If that were the case, then I would have fucked you in that stall, but I’m not.”

She giggles.

“Come on, drunky drunkerson. Let’s get you cleaned up.” I chuckle.

I help her wash her hands, and I grab some paper towel to wash her face.

Bowie barely wears makeup, so this isn’t an issue.

The girl could literally crawl out of bed and look fucking fantastic.

A natural beauty. The cold water on her face seems to help.

I hear a tap at the door. “Hey, mate. Are you two okay in there?” I hear Stephen Vittles, Wesley’s main engineer, call.

“Yeah.” I call back.

“Anyone else in there?”

“No.”

He sticks his head in. “Here, take this.” He hands me a bottle of water.

“Thanks, man. You’re the best.”

“No sweat. Hey, I told Wesley that you’re taking a call from home, so take your time. There’s an exit behind this wall. Go outside and get some air and I’ll get some coffee.”

“You’re a saint, Stephen. Thanks a bunch.”

He winks at Bowie. “You okay, love?”

“As long as I stay away from the wine.”

“Wesley’s in the john, too. He’s pretty drunk as well.”

I open the water bottle for her, and she starts drinking it. “I’ll get her some fresh air for five minutes and we’ll be back.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

Holding her steady, I take her outside, not bothering to put her shoes back on her feet. Thankfully, the terrace’s floor is clean enough to eat off, so it isn’t a problem. She’s drinking the water like she just ran a marathon. “Take it easy or you’ll puke.”

“I’m so thirsty.”

“Yeah. Wine will do that to you.”

The fresh evening air seems to help her focus. As she draws in a couple of deep breaths, I place my arm over her shoulder. “You’re not cold, are you?”

“No, this is nice. Thanks for taking care of me, Jagger.”

“Hey, we take care of each other.” I correct. “If I was the one in there, you wouldn’t hesitate.”

“That’s true.”

I rub her arm with my hand. “You did well in there. Held it together well, even though you were falling apart on the inside.”

“Jagger, I have to tell you, I think the gods are looking out for me since leaving Boston.”

“That’s very valid. But it’s also got to do with making better choices.”

“Yeah, that too.” She takes another sip of water, and I watch the glassiness in her eyes start to dissipate a little. The air is crisp, and the moonlight illuminates the terrace perfectly. “It’s so beautiful here.”

“I won’t argue with you there.”

She turns to me. “You look so handsome tonight.”

I look at her and smirk. “You’re stealing the show in that dress, I have to tell you.”

Her eyes search mine. Her voice is soft. “You think you might ever kiss me?”

We’re not in a bathroom stall anymore. We’re alone.

There is nothing here except the moonlight and the Thames River off in the distance.

I lean in and give her a soft kiss on the mouth.

My lips touch hers gently, semi-chastely, and I let the touch linger for a moment, before pulling back.

Before I pull all the way back, I rub my nose on hers. “You still taste like licorice whips.”

“The wine is sugary.” She says, as her eyes still search mine.

“Quit looking at me like that, or we’ll never be able to stay out of trouble in the hotel later.”

“What if I don’t want to stay out of trouble.”

“Well, for the record, I don’t want to, either. But we’ve discussed this. We need to keep focus until we know that this deal is in the bag.”

That breaks the spell. “You’re right. All this wine made me lose my head.”

I slide a finger down her cheek. “That’s okay. You’re killing it tonight.”

She takes another sip of water. “We should get back in there. Wesley will think that we ditched him.”

“I think he’s probably too tanked to care, but you’re right.”

“One more kiss...for the road?” She asks, looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

I lean in and kiss her once more, making a playful, smacking noise.

“Let’s go.” She says, as if that’s all the motivation that she needed.

When we get back to the table, Wesley’s ordered a round of shots and a plate of bangers & nash.

Bowie takes one look at the disgusting delicacy, and I know that she’s about to toss her cookies.

“Oh, Wesley...” Bowie trails off. “I’m so sorry, but I’m terribly drunk. ” She admits, not looking at the food.