last night.” His English was perfect, but it was laced with a husky French accent. I had to admit, it was kind of sexy. Mr. Frenchman stood between our stools, separating Maddox and me. He blocked my view of Maddox and I. Did. Not. Like. That.
“Thank you for helping us yesterday,” I replied sweetly, masking my irritation.
His emerald eyes glimmered, and his grin widened. Mr. Frenchman was your typical tall, dark, and handsome eye candy. And he wore an expensive suit that molded to his body quite nicely. “It was all my pleasure.”
I nodded, a little lost at what else I could say. I wasn’t shy or uncomfortable around men. But this one was a little too close for my liking, and since I had zero interest in him, even though he could definitely be my type, given the fact that someone else had all my attention, I didn’t want to continue this conversation.
“Lucien Mikael.” He presented me with his hand. I remembered he told us his name last night, but I didn’t tell him mine.
I took his palm in mine, shaking it. “You can call me, Lila. It’s nice to make your acquaintance.”
Instead of shaking my hand, he turned it over and brought my hand to his lips. He kissed the back of it, his lips lingering there for a second too long. His eyes met mine over our entwined hands. “My pleasure, ma belle.”
Oh dear. Yup. Mr. Frenchman was flirting.
I glanced around Lucien and saw that Maddox was lounging back in his stool, his long legs stretched out in front of him, a drink in his hand, and he was staring directly at me. His face was expressionless.
Lucien turned to the bartender and said something to him in French. I didn’t understand the words, but I quickly figured out what he said when he turned back to me.
“It’s on me. A treat for a lovely lady.”
I was already shaking my head. “Oh. You didn’t have to–”
His hand tightened around mine. “Please, allow me.”
“Thank you.”
Lucien opened his mouth to say something else, but he was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. “Excuse me, chérie.”
As he moved away, I caught sight of Maddox again. Our eyes met, and I stopped breathing. His gaze was dark, and his jaw was clenched so tightly that I wondered if it’d crack under the pressure. I could see the ticks in his sharp jaw as he gritted his teeth. His face – I didn’t know how to describe it. Anger made his eyes appear darker, almost deadly. A shadow loomed over his face, his expression almost threatening. There was a predatory feel in his glare as he watched me closely.
He constantly pushed me away, putting more and more distance between us. Why was he so angry now? I couldn’t tell. I. Couldn’t. Think. Especially when he stared at me like this.
Maddox was maddening. He pulled and pushed; he loved and hated. I always thought I understood him better than anyone else. But right now, he confused the hell out of me.
“Lila.” My eyes snapped away from Maddox, and I looked at Lucien. He was apparently done with his phone call, and his attention was back on me. Before I could pull away, he gripped my hand in his once more. “If you need anything while you are in Paris, please call me. I could take you sightseeing. I know many beautiful places.”
He let go of my hand, and I turned my palm over to see his business card. Smooth trick, Mr. Frenchman. “Umm, thank you.”
Lucien leaned down and quickly placed a chaste kiss on both my cheeks before pulling away. “Au revoir, chérie.”
I didn’t watch him leave. All my attention was on the man sitting beside me. He took a large gulp of his drink.
“He likes you,” he said, once Lucien was out of hearing range.
“Jealous?” I shot back immediately.
A smirk crawled onto his face, and he chuckled, his wide chest rumbling with it. “He wants you, Lila.”
My stomach clenched, goosebumps breaking out over my skin. My breath left me in a whoosh. His words were spoken dangerously low, although the harshness in his voice could not be mistaken.
“How would you know?” I retorted, angry and confused. He played with my feelings, turning my emotions into a little game of his. Maddox had me in knots, twisting me around like a little plaything.
He grunted, shaking his head, and then he let out a laugh. As if he was sharing an inside joke with