‘Are you guys coming down to the bar?’ Emma asked Luca.
‘I don’t think so,’ Luca said, looking at Claire questioningly. ‘We have that thing, remember?’ he said to her.
‘Oh, yeah.’
‘Well, some of us are going on to the Arch Club in a bit,’ Emma said. ‘Maybe we’ll see you there.’
‘Okay,’ Luca said. He took Claire’s hand and they said their goodbyes.
‘We’re going home after a drink here,’ Yvonne said. ‘But I’ll see
you
on Monday,’ she added to Claire, in a way that left her in no doubt she’d be getting the third degree.
‘We could have done the
thing
in the bar back there,’ Claire said, when they got outside.
‘Uh-uh. There’s public and public, and I know way too many people back there. We wouldn’t get a minute’s peace. We need to be in public but incognito. We’ll go on ahead to the Arch Club.’
He led her out onto the quays and across the Halfpenny Bridge, up through Merchant’s Arch into the cobbled streets of Temple Bar, still crowded with people spilling out of bars and clubs.
He took her through a courtyard and down a set of steps to a small, intimate club. Red plush sofas were arranged around low wooden tables, the lighting was subdued, and soft piano music poured from the speakers. He sat down on a sofa in a quiet corner of the bar, pulling Claire down beside him.
A waitress came to take their order, and they each asked for a glass of red wine.
‘So what was that all about with Yvonne? Why was she acting so weird?’ Luca asked, while they waited for their drinks.
‘Oh, she thinks you’re my fuck buddy now. Sorry.’
Luca laughed. ‘Why would she think that?’
‘She knows I’ve been seeing someone. I didn’t tell her or anything. She figured it out.’
‘Did she do her sex-radar thing on you?’
‘Yeah, she did!’ Claire said, sounding surprised that he knew about it.
‘She’s a bit spooky, the way she can do that.’
‘I didn’t call you a fuck buddy, by the way. She said that – though I didn’t really contradict her.’
Luca shrugged. ‘It’s a pretty accurate description, I suppose.’
‘So … you don’t mind? That she knows we … see each other?’ Claire asked.
‘No. Why would I? She knows I’m not saving myself for marriage. As long as we don’t have to go on double dates with her and Ivan.’
The girl came back with their drinks and Claire tried to pay, but Luca wouldn’t let her.
He turned to her as the waitress left. ‘Hello, gorgeous.’ He stroked her cheek with a finger. ‘Alone at last.’
She smiled back nervously. Then she took a big gulp of her wine. When she had put the glass back on the table, he leaned in to kiss her, trailing his fingers down her arm as he did so, allowing his thumb to brush her breast in passing. She was trembling already as he opened her mouth with his and their tongues tangled together, her fingers clutching his hair. Her breathing became deep and rasping as he slid a hand up under her shirt and pulled down the cup of her bra, his thumb teasing her nipple into a hard point. God, she was so responsive! He sucked at her neck as his hand moved to circle her knee. Then he slid it higher, under her skirt, stroking the achingly soft skin of her thighs. He pushed her legs a little further apart and pulled her knickers aside, his fingers stroking along the soft folds of her flesh.
‘You’re so wet!’ He sighed into her mouth, groaning deep in his throat as he slid a finger inside her, pumping it in and out while his thumb stroked her clit. He felt the heat and tension building inside her, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she clung to him. She opened her eyes as she kissed him, and he saw the desire mixed with panic as her muscles began to clench around his fingers.
‘It’s okay,’ he whispered, angling his body so she was completely shielded from view. ‘Let go. No one can see you.’ He worked his fingers faster, and her mouth opened in a silent scream, her fists clenching on his shoulders, bunching up the material of his shirt as he felt her spasm around his fingers. He continued to stroke her, and she gave a helpless little whimper, barely audible, as he made her come again. She held his gaze the whole time, and he thought it was the hottest thing he’d ever seen. He wanted her so badly at that moment, longing to drag her off to the toilets and bury himself inside her. When he pulled his fingers out of her, she threw her arms around him, clinging to him fiercely and burying her head in his neck. He pulled her tightly to his body, stroking her back soothingly as she came down from her orgasm, still hot and trembling, until she went limp in his arms.
‘Okay?’ he asked. He pushed damp tendrils of hair from her face and kissed her softly – her forehead, her hot, flushed cheeks.
She gave him a slow, lazy smile. ‘That is so going in my blog.’
Shortly afterwards, Emma and the band arrived. As they drew up chairs to join Claire and Luca at their table, Claire excused herself to go to the loo.
‘I’ll save your seat,’ Luca said, placing a hand on the sofa beside him as she squeezed past him. He shifted uncomfortably, wishing he could follow her and fuck her up against the wall.
Shit, the image of her legs wrapped around him while she bounced up and down on his dick just made him harder.
‘Hi!’ Aisling threw herself down on the sofa beside him, sitting on his hand.
‘That seat’s taken,’ he said, pulling his hand from under her.
‘It is now,’ she said, plonking her glass down on the table in front of her and not budging.
‘Seriously, Aisling. Just piss off.’ Jesus, he thought, with mounting irritation, didn’t she ever get the message? He’d thought the fact that he was with Claire would act as a deterrent, but he should have known better. She was like a fucking Exocet missile with her radar locked on his dick.
‘Don’t be so mean, Luca,’ Aisling pouted. ‘I haven’t seen you in ages. I miss you.’ She put a warm hand on his leg, inching it higher up his thigh. ‘Well, hello!’ She grinned, her eyes dropping to his crotch. ‘You may pretend to be all cool, but I can tell you’re pleased to see me really.’
‘That’s not for you,’ he snapped, slapping her hand away.
But she slid her hand back onto him under the table.
‘Poor Luca,’ she purred. ‘Did your little girlfriend get you all worked up, then leave you hanging?’
‘She’s not my girlfriend.’
‘Really?’ Aisling raised her eyebrows. ‘That’s not what she told the guy who was trying to chat her up at the gig.’
‘What?’ Luca was momentarily too distracted by what Aisling had said to pay attention to her roving hands. ‘Well … I’m sure she only said that to get rid of him.’ That
was
the only reason, wasn’t it? Claire wasn’t starting to get possessive, was she?
‘Well, if you’re sure.’ Aisling shrugged.
‘We’re just hooking up. She knows that,’ Luca said, trying to sound more certain than he felt.
‘I could take care of it for you,’ Aisling murmured, stroking his dick over his jeans. ‘Must be a bit uncomfortable.’ Her fingers moved to his zipper and she began tugging it down slowly.
‘For fuck’s sake, Aisling—’ Just then he heard a gasp and looked up. His eyes locked with Claire’s as she stood frozen, halfway across the room.
Claire’s heart sank when she came out of the loo and saw the awful Aisling sitting beside Luca on the sofa. Damn! She’d hoped she’d seen the last of her tonight. But then, as she got closer to the table and realised what was going on, she stopped in her tracks. She didn’t know where to look or what to do.
‘Claire!’ At that moment, Luca’s eyes flew up and met hers, and he simultaneously batted Aisling’s hand away.
She withdrew it slowly, smiling smugly as she looked up at Claire.
Claire forced herself to walk back to the table.
‘Sorry – am I in your seat?’ Aisling said, but she made no move to get up.
Claire picked up her drink and drained it. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ she said, slamming her glass back on the table and throwing a furious look at Luca. ‘I was just leaving.’
‘Claire!’
She ignored Luca and raced outside. She didn’t look back, but she knew he was following her. She stood at the edge of the pavement and stuck out her hand, desperately hoping she would get a taxi before he caught up with her. No such luck.
‘Claire!’
She turned to face him, fizzing with rage.
‘What the fuck was that about?’ he panted.
‘
What?
’ She gave an incredulous laugh. ‘
You
’re asking
me
what that was about? That girl had her hand on your dick.’
His eyes narrowed. ‘So? You don’t own it, Claire.’
‘Have you slept with her?’
‘We’ve hooked up a few times, yeah.’
‘How many others of those girls you introduced me to tonight have you slept with?’
‘For fuck’s sake, what’s it to you? You’re not my girlfriend.’
‘Yes, I
know
I’m not your girlfriend, Luca. We all know that, don’t we? I mean, God forbid anyone should admit they have feelings for you!’
‘Then why did you tell that bloke at the gig that you were?’
She huffed, aghast. ‘Is
that
what this is about? Because he was being a pest and I wanted to get rid of him, okay?’
‘That’s all?’
‘Yes, that’s all!’
‘So why are you acting all jealous, then?’
‘I’m not jealous! I’m
humiliated.
She thought you were with me,’ she said, waving her hand back at the bar, ‘but you were letting her feel you up right in front of everyone. In front of
me
.’
‘Well, I don’t see what you have to be so high and mighty about,’ Luca shouted. ‘You’re only using me to practise your moves so you can fuck Mr Perfect in London.’
‘And I’m paying you for the privilege. You could at least show a little respect.’
‘Jesus! You’re not paying me enough to put up with this bullshit.’
‘Oh, really?’ Her mouth curled in a sneer. ‘How much would I have to pay you to act like a decent human being?’
‘Gee, I don’t know, Claire. There probably isn’t enough money in the world to turn me into a “decent human being”.’
‘And what if I wasn’t using you for my own ends? What then, huh? If I was one of those girls, like Aisling? It wouldn’t be any different, would it? I’d still be expected to know my place, not to expect anything from you. What would I be getting out of it, then?’
‘A bloody great fuck! What more do you want?’
‘A lot more,’ she said quietly, all the fight going out of her. ‘A whole lot more. Most people do, Luca.’
They faced each other in hostile silence, out of breath after their shouting match. Then Claire saw a taxi with its light on and hailed it. When it stopped, she got in and didn’t look back.
The next morning, Claire stood on the step outside Luca’s house and pressed his bell. She had tussled with herself about what she should do ever since she’d woken in her own bed, vaguely aware that she wasn’t supposed to be there. Rage had boiled up inside her as she recalled their fight and the way Luca had behaved. But she felt bad about some of the things she’d said to him. Were they finished or should one of them apologise? And if so, should it be her – or him?
Part of her would have been happy never to see Luca again. He was the very antithesis of Mark, the opposite of what she wanted in a man. But she still needed him, so regardless of who was most in the wrong, she decided she would be the one to make the first move towards trying to patch things up between them. She’d come over rather than trying to call him, sure that he would simply ignore her if she phoned him. Only after she had rung the bell did it occur to her that Aisling might be with him, but it was too late to run away.
Luca’s silent scowl when he answered the door wasn’t encouraging, but at least he let her in, and she rehearsed what to say as they climbed the stairs in silence.
‘I’m sorry,’ they said simultaneously, as soon as he had closed the door behind them, which made them laugh, dispelling some of the tension.
‘Okay, I’ll go first,’ Claire said. Luca waved her to the sofa and sat beside her. She was relieved to see there was no sign of Aisling.
‘I’m sorry if I acted like a jealous girlfriend,’ she said. ‘Maybe I
have
let myself get more attached to you than I should. It’s hard not to when you’re giving me orgasms all the time and making
me feel amazing. But I know it doesn’t mean anything, and you don’t have to worry about me going bunny-boiler on you, honestly. And I didn’t mean what I said – I think you’re a really decent person, and you’ve been very generous and sweet to me. So please don’t quit on me, because I still need you. If you want more money—’
‘I don’t,’ Luca interrupted. ‘Look, I’m sorry too. You were right – I acted like a dick, and I’m sorry you felt humiliated. I just – I felt like you were getting possessive and I freaked out. I know I’m supposed to want more, but I just don’t.’
Claire shook her head. ‘I know that, and it’s a pity because you have so much more to give. But I’m not trying to change you. I meant what I said about wanting more …’ Luca opened his mouth to say something, but she held up a hand to silence him ‘… but I’m not looking for that from you, honestly,’ she raced on. ‘Mark wants the same things I want, and he’s the reason I’m here in the first place.’ She took a deep breath. ‘So – do you think we could continue?’
He smiled. ‘Actually, I’m relieved you said that because I seem to remember giving you a money-back guarantee.’
‘So you did.’
‘We can get back to it right now, if you like,’ he said, taking her hand.
‘Good. Because there’s something I want to try.’
‘Ow! Claire, what are you doing?’
‘Don’t you like it?’ she puffed, frowning in concentration as she alternated twisting her hands in opposite directions on his shaft and slapping it back and forth vigorously. They were both naked, Claire kneeling up beside him, while Luca lay prone on the bed.
‘No, it hurts!’
‘Really?’ she asked uncertainly, reducing the slaps to light flicks.
‘Ouch! Yes, get off me!’ He pushed her hands away, shunting away from her in the bed. He collapsed back against the pillows, his breathing ragged.