AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Maybe instead of going straight to my room when I reached the hotel, I’d stop at the bar first and see if anyone caught my eye. Except even thinking about it, it relieved my cock’s strain on my jeans, only to have it tighten again as soon as my thoughts drifted back to the woman who was, without a doubt, mynemesis.
By the time I reached the hotel’s lobby, I’d talked myself out of doing anything besides going straight to my room, so I cringed when I saw a woman I recognized attempting to make eye contact. I toyed with acting as though I hadn’t noticed her, but when she stood and approached, I had no choice but to say hello.
“Iris, what a surprise,” I said as we cheek-kissed.
“I heard you were in town and thought I’d welcome you to London.”
While this was the hotel where I stayed whenever I was in this part of the UK, it was the hour that had me raising a brow. At nearly midnight? “How kind,” I said instead.
Iris tucked her arm in mine. “Heading upstairs?”
I removed it as gently as I could. “It’s been a long day, and I’m jet-lagged.” I’d offer a rain check, but I didn’t want to encourage her.
“I can think of a few things that might make you sleep better.”
I inwardly cringed a second time. “As intriguing as that sounds, I have to be honest with you, Iris. I didn’t come to London alone.” It wasn’t a lie. There were at least three hundred other people on my flight.
Her face soured. “I see. Well, don’t I feel the fool?”
“Don’t.” I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Goodbye, Iris.” I’d intentionally not said good night in case she took it as an invitation to try again.
I got on the elevator without making further eye contact, hit the button for my floor, and breathed a sigh of relief when the doors closed without her joining me. I wouldn’t put it past her, given God knows how long she’d been sitting in the lobby, awaiting my arrival.
I rested against the back wall and closed my eyes, picturing Margeaux’s face when I left her flat. It was all I could do not to lean in one last time, if only for another breath of her scent. Had I, the temptation to take her in my arms would have been too great.
Perhaps turning Iris away had been a mistake. Maybe all I needed was to get laid.
When I was still awake two hours later, hand on my cock, imagining—for the umpteenth time tonight—Margeaux naked and spread out before me, I knew getting laid would do nothing to quell my desire for her.
“Good morning,”I said to Cayman and Puck when I arrived at SIS headquarters the following day. I was surprised my nemesis wasn’t in yet. Maybe, like her unorganized investigative methodologies, the fact she was also late to work would turn me off her.
“No Nem this morning?” I asked, attempting to sound casually disinterested.
“Been and gone,” said Puck, raising his head.
“Gone where?” I asked.
“Meeting at MI5,” Cayman responded. “With Z.”
“What about?”
“Since we weren’t invited, we weren’t briefed,” Puck muttered under his breath.
“Were you able to determine where the containers originated from?” I asked.
“You’re not likely to believe me if I tell you.”
My jaw tightened. I was already irritated about Officer Jordan’s absence, at least from this office. Puck beating around the bush was only adding to it.
“Try me.”
“The manifest shows them traveling from Moldova through Bucharest and into Bulgaria. From there, they were routed through North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Croatia. The final stop was Belgium before landing in Purfleet.”
“Over what period of time?”
“Three days.”
“You’re right. It’s hard to believe.”
