The Beast of Stornoway

Chapter 32: Marie

They have no idea how they look together. They're like old friends who've just found each other again. 

Marie had never seen Van act so relaxed around anyone besides herself and Hamdi. She grinned. That might be the weed helping with that.

But I've never seen him so...attentive to anyone like this either. 

He'd certainly never acted this way when he was with Rebecca. He definitely never brought his assistants to hang out with him before, but they weren't as interesting as Amani.

"Come on, American, you were the one who wanted to play this bloody game. Throw the ball!" Van taunted from the other end of the ping pong table.

Amani nodded next to him and placed her hands on her hips. "Yeah, ya bloody American," she said in the worst accent Marie had ever heard. Van and Hamdi burst out laughing at her attempt at a Scottish burr.

"That was awful. Stick to your Americanisms, lassie." Van grinned as he booped her nose.

God, he's so high.

Marie shook her head and couldn't stop the laugh that burst from her mouth. Van could hold his liquor exceptionally well, but he was never good at handling a bit of weed. It made him so damn goofy.

Amani swatted his hand away from her and laughed as she told him to 'fuck off.' Van gasped, feigning shock. "Cursing at your boss." He tutted. "I may have to fire you for that."

She raised an eyebrow at him and poked a finger into his chest. "You wouldn't know what to do without me, Blarcum." She glared as she took a swig of the drink in her other hand.

"Alright! I'm throwing my ball before someone loses her job!" Marie laughed and launched the little white ball toward the red cups across from her. The ball sank into one of the cups and Hamdi roared in excitement next to her. "Drink up, Van!"

"Whose idea was it to play with liquor?" He laughed into his cup. "The game is called 'Beer Pong,' isn't it?"

Hamdi snorted. "You wanted to play with whiskey, ya muppet. This is what you get for losing."

Van turned his joyful glossy eyes on Amani. "Shouldn't you be good at this? I demand you sink some balls into those cups, assistant!"

"I will if you stop distracting me." She laughed as she pushed him away from the table. She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders. She held the ball up and focused her eyes on the target.

Marie bit her cheeks from laughing at the way Van stared at her backside with a lustful grin plastered across his face. He'd been checking her out since she'd finally taken off his damn jacket. She'd purposely hid Amani's jacket from her at the lounge. She couldn't understand why she was insistent on covering up that gorgeous back of hers. A flawless back like Amani's was one of Van's turn-ons and Marie wanted to see if he'd have the same reaction to Amani as he did to Rebecca.

And I am not disappointed.

Van hadn't taken his eyes off her since they'd gotten to the penthouse and he was completely captivated by her once she lost the jacket too. His reaction to her was far more than the infatuation he had for that conniving bitch, Rebecca.

Amani didn't hide her attraction to him either. Marie saw the way she watched Van when it was his turn to play. She had that same lustful look in her brown doe eyes.

Good. 

Now she just needed to find out more about little Miss Blake. If she was as genuine as she seemed, then Amani was perfect for Van.

Screw this bullshit with Lady Fife.

Marie wasn't going to let her dig her greedy claws in Van. He didn't deserve that kind of torment again.