He ground out the cigarette butt in the ashtray. Meanwhile, you may have to keep spending time with her. Who knows? Maybe she'll suddenly come to her senses and decide to come clean.'Text content © .

Luca shook his head. 'I still can't believe it, though. The woman used to be engaged to you. She betrayed you, not the other way around. Why would she try to hurt you now?"

Austyn was wondering the same thing, but he had yet to figure it out.

The Dy Pi FM

"The motive doesn't matter,' he said. 'We just need to use her to get to Santoro,"

Luca nodded.

'One more thing."

"What?"

Austyn pinched his brows. 'Kira might be on to Deborah.

""What? How?"

'She's inquisitive, and she may have heard things.'

'Shit. She's not going to screw things up for us, is she?' Austyn tossed him a glance. 'Why would she do that?'

Claim Bonus For Free Every Day>>

How Much For A Lap Dance?

'She may not do it intentionally,' Luca said. 'But you know how these things go. She sees Deborah as a rival, right? She thinks Deborah's here to snatch you away. Maybe she'll do something to spook Deborah. What if she succeeds in driving Deborah away? Then we'll have lost our lead on Santoro.!

'You just do your job,' Austyn said. 'Leave Kira to me."

"What are you going to do? Ask her to stay away from Deborah? You know that's only going to backfire, right?'

'You let me worry about that. Just mind your own business. Austyn gave the captain a frosty look. 'You're getting cocky, parading around town with your mistress out in the open."

Luca winced. 'You saw that, huh?"

'I'm not blind,'

'I can explain.'

'Save it. It's not me you owe an explanation to."

Luca looked away. 'I don't want Isabel to know about this.'

'So you're just going to hide this from her for the rest of your life?'

'Why not? She's not the type to get suspicious easily."

Austyn curled his lip. 'You're my friend, Luca, but even I have to say-you're a bastard.'

Luca didn't take offence. 'Ours is an arranged marriage, you know. I was badgered into marrying her. It's either her or some other woman. My parents would not let it go unless I tied the knot.'

Austyn wasn't persuaded. 'That's still no excuse for having an affair. Man up, Luca. If you don't like Isabel, get a divorce. If you like her, then end things with the other woman. Carrying on like this is not going to end well for all three of you.' Luca looked like he had something to say, but in the end, he held it back.

Austyn worked his way through two more Sobranie Black Russians, lost in thought.

Luca was pensive as well.

They didn't return to the room till half an hour later.

When the door opened, neither was prepared for the scene that greeted them.

Austyn's face darkened immediately.

Luca swore under hits breath.

he long coffee table was littered with half-empty bottles.

The

Kira and Isabel, both drunk out of their minds, were blatantly flirting with a male waiter who'd come in to clean up the mess on the table.

Isabel batted her eyes at the twentysomething. "Pretty boy, how much do you charge?"

Kira chimed in, 'How much for a lap dance?'

Her speech was slurred, her cheeks flushed.

She had given in to Isabel's persistent invitation to try the merlot.

The fruity wine was smooth and soft and went down easily.

Both women got bored with waiting.

Then Isabel introduced Kira to Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah and Pinot Noir,

Now they were pie-eyed and teasing the waiter.

The waiter was sandwiched between the two women and all red in the face.

He kept his head down and sped up his mopping

'I hear being an escort can be quite profitable.' Kira sat on the floor next to the waiter, her head propped up on both elbows. 'Do you really make a hundred thousand dollars in one night? 'Miss, I'm not...I'm not an e-escort,' the waiter stammered, inching away from Kira.

'I know, I know.' She waved a hand dismissively. You guys don't call yourselves escorts. I

think it's called...'

She scratched her head. 'Hosts? Companions? I don't know. One of those things.'

Her hand stole towards the waiter's chest.

'Miss!' He shrank away.

'Wow.' Kira was undeterred. 'Your pecs are so firm! Do you work out?"

She prodded him in the ribs. 'I bet you have abs, too. Come on, show us! Is it a six-pack or eight-pack?"

'Yeah!' Isabel chimed in. 'Show us! We're good tippers!'

'Show us! Show us!' Kira chanted and banged an empty wine bottle against the table.

The waiter grasped his lapel and held his shirt together.

How Much For A Lap Dance?

If he hadn't, Isabel would have torn it wide open

'Come on!' Kira pleaded with him. 'Just a quick peek! I want to see if you have better abs than my hus-Ah!'

Before she could finish, she was hauled to her feet by a strong

tug at the scruff of her neck.

Austyn's arms clamped around her waist. 'You want to look at abs? Haven't you seen enough at home?'

Kira felt the warmth of a body behind her but was too drunk to process the familiar voice."

Who's this?'

Austyn sucked in a deep breath.

He shot a dark look at the waiter. 'Get out!'

The young man scrambled to his feet and scurried out, relieved.

Kira was reluctant to see him go.

She tried to push away the arms locked around her waist and chase after the waiter. 'Hey! Come back! I haven't seen those abs yet!'

Austyn spun her around, clasped her shoulders and dragged her out of the room.

'Hey! Let go of me! Who the hell are you?'

Isabel stumbled after her. 'Kira!'

Luca stopped her.

He slapped her buttocks. 'Don't you dare leave!'

Austyn didn't let go of Kira's hand until he'd left the building and was at the carpark.

All the while, he silently struggled for self-control.

Kira resisted the entire way.

She bit Austyn's hand.

When that didn't work, she wolf-whistled at passing waiters.

Alcohol didn't just lower her inhibitions.

It completely shut down the neurotransmitters in charge of impulse control.

Kira did all the things she'd wanted to do but didn't dare when Austyn was around.

Like ogling hunky young men and saying no to Austyn's orders.

She hugged a concrete pillar next to the Hummer and refused to get in the car.

Austyn's inhibitory neurotransmitters worked just fine.

Which was why he was able to suppress his growing anger.

He coaxed his inebriated wife in a gentle voice. 'Come on. Let's go home.'

Kira was tearing up. 'Who are you? Get away from me! I'm not going a-anywhere with you.

Are you trying to abduct me? Help! Somebody, help!'

A man on the way to his car stopped, gawking.

The Grodest Guy In The World

The Goodest Guy In The World

Austyn, embarrassed, gritted his teeth. 'Open your eyes! Look at me. Who am I?!

Kira shook her head. 'No.""

Austyn pinched her chin, forcing her to look up. "Who am I?"

Kira squinted, seeing double. 'What? Who? I don't know you."

Austyn closed his eyes and counted from one to ten.

He resisted the urge to spank the girl who was drunk out of her skull.

Kira looked at the rubbernecking stranger. 'Help me!'

The man took a hesitant step forward. 'Miss, do you need me to call the police?"

Austyn glowered at him. 'Piss off!"

The stranger recoiled, darted back to his car and sped off.

Kira pointed at Austyn's nose, accusing, 'Bad guy!'

'I'm your husband!'

How much did she have to drink?

Didn't she know she couldn't hold her liquor?

'You're lying!' Kira shot back. 'My husband's not a bad guy. He's a good guy. The goodest!'

'Oh?' Austyn leaned in. 'What's so good about him?"

Kira smacked her lips but said nothing.

Austyn goaded her. 'So you're lying?"

'Am not!' Kira retorted.

She held onto the concrete pillar and slid down onto the floor.

Austyn eyed the unswept concrete floor with disdain, but sat down next to her anyway.

"Your husband, the goodest guy?' He prompted.

Kira had a faraway look in her eyes.

'He's... Have you ever seen Mount Fuji?"

She steepled her fingers together to make the shape of a peak. 'He's like Mount Fuji. All snow

and ice and cold on the outside, but inside, it's all warmth and passion and fire."

joodest Guy In The World

214

Austyn didn't know if he should be flattered or annoyed by the analogy.

Was she calling him a volcano?

'He's not just good at expressing his feelings,' Kira continued. 'He's all stoical, macho, typical alpha male. I think it has something to do with his childhood. I hear his father's a bit of a jerk." Austyn smiled.

So that was what Kira thought of his father?

He agreed with her assessment.

'And he's so smart!' Kira's voice went up an octave. 'Did you know he used to serve in the army? A captain, or major, I don't know.'

She giggled. 'I bet that's where he got his hot bod.'

Austyn cleared his throat, pleased and embarrassed at the same time.

He'd noticed this strange predilection of hers-ogling strapping young men.

She kept it well hidden when sober, but showed her true colours once she got drunk.

This reminded Austyn of the scene back in the private room, and the scowl returned to his face.

Kira didn't notice, still lost in her own world.