Sinful Infatuation

Sinful Infatuation: Chapter 1

Jourdain shook her head and walked over to table four. It was a moot point anyway. Alicia never liked Maxwell, and usually avoided hanging on with Jourdain when he was around.

****

“Cut the bullshit. When am I going to get my payment?” Matteo asked. The man in front of him swallowed.

“Listen, Gianni---”

Matteo licked his lips before leaning forward, his elbows resting on his spread knees. His brows furrowed in anger. “No, you fucking listen. The fact that we’ve been in the business for a long time together is the only thing stopping me from lunging over and slicing your fucking throat. I don’t give a fuck about your family, your company---none of that! You forget; I’ve got so much blood on my hands I should have permanent stains. I’ll shoot you without so much as a flinch.” Matteo sat back, right ankle on left knee, enjoying the fear on the other man’s face. He took out a cigar from his pocket; Lorenzo lit it for him. The silence was loud. The tension ricocheted between the two groups.

“Hello Gentlemen, I’m Jourdain, and I’ll be your server for tonight.”

****

Jourdain was mentally cursing Alicia out as five pairs of hostile eyes turned their attention towards her. She swallowed lightly as she met Matteo’s hooded gaze. The embers from the lit cigar burned brightly as he inhaled. Enough of this, she thought. “Matteo, what a pleasant surprise.” This time only four pairs of eyes lifted in surprise, before turning to the man in question. His lips twitched briefly before he removed the cigar from them and held it between two fingers. “Jourdain,” he said, nodding. It was easier to hear him speak in the lounge area, away from the noise by the bar. It was a throaty, husky voice, of deep decadence. It poured over her like heated, warm chocolate. She shivered.

It wasn’t until one of the men cleared their throat that she realized she had been staring. She blinked and looked away, throwing on a smile that was strained a little around the edges. She didn’t need to look at him to know he was wearing a smug look on his face. After taking everyone’s drink orders, Jourdain asked, “Is there anything I can get you guys?” She was purely being polite at this point. The thought of running away from the leering men and Matteo’s heated gaze danced through her mind. Brown eyes flitted over each man as they shook their head in answer before landing on and meeting the dark green gaze that she was becoming familiar with. He lifted a hand and flitted his fingers a little, the universal way of saying ‘go away.’ Jourdain stiffened briefly in irritation at being so haughtily dismissed before turning to fill the drink orders.

****

Matteo wanted to smile in amusement as he saw Jourdain’s irritated expression, but remembered the company he was surrounded by. He watched her walk away and found himself mesmerized, checking out her plump derriere.

Lorenzo discreetly nudged him, smirking. Matteo shook his head gently before returning to business.

“I want my money. By the end of this week,” Matteo said, all traces of humor gone from his face.

The man in front of him blanched before nodding. Matteo nodded to his bodyguard, and the brawny, gorilla like man escorted the pale wanna-be out of the Orange Tabby.

Matteo looked up as Jourdain approached the table with the drinks. She placed the appropriate drink in front of each patron, and stood confused when she had one extra drink on her tray. “Why don’t you come here and sit down, Jourdain?” He almost smirked when her head shot up, a shocked expression on her face before her eyes narrowed, “No, thanks.” Lorenzo chuckled silently in the corner of the booth.

It was Matteo’s turn to narrow his eyes.

“Why don’t you sit down and drink that extra gin and tonic?”

“I usually try to refrain from drinking on the job. My boss wouldn’t approve.”

Matteo clenched his jaw. This girl was so stubborn. “I am the boss.”

****

Jourdain was getting tired of going back and forth with him. While a secret part of her enjoyed their verbal repartee, another part of her was thinking she didn’t get paid enough for this shit. She took a quick glance around the lounge and noticed that there weren’t that many people left. Only a few people, drunks, remained slumped at the bar and a couple of tables were still filled with people, not much. I am going to regret this, she thought briefly, before putting down the drink and tray and making her way over to sit down.