His Nasty Virgin

JESSE

That was close. Too close.

But God did I want to kiss her. I could have easily leaned in, circled my arms around her waist and held her against me. I couldn’t bring myself to do it, though, no matter how much I craved to know the taste of her lips.

I’d been burned before. I wasn’t willing to do it again.

Besides, getting involved with my client was a recipe for disaster. I needed a clear mind and unshakeable focus, not to be distracted by a pair of pretty eyes and a dazzling smile. Giving into my desires would be… reckless.

The police station was a cacophony of noise and movement and unpleasant smells. Phones rang off the hook. Police chattered over their radios. Drunk tank imbeciles yelled through the bars demanding release. The whole place smelled of burnt coffee, printer ink, and sweat. If I found the place deplorable, I couldn’t imagine what Vivian must have thought.

This was no place for a sweet young thing like her.

Some greasy looking thug smacked his lips, whistling at her. “Hey, baby. Why don’t you come over here and take a look at a real man?”

I clenched my fist and set my jaw. What was with all the catcalling these days? First the bar, now here. Vivian couldn’t escape it. Men had no fucking honor. This wasn’t how they were supposed to treat a lady.

I was about to step in when she snapped, “And risk going blind? I’ll pass.”

I smiled, oddly proud. She could handle herself just fine.

A police officer guided us to a private interview room in the corner of the precinct. It wasn’t a grimy interrogation room, but a small office complete with a desk, two comfortable guest chairs, a couple of potted plants, a wall lined entirely with grey metal filing cabinets.

The man behind the desk -Detective Anderson Monroe – looked like he was fresh from the set of a noir mystery film. A thick moustache wedged between his nose and upper lip. A beer gut that the buttons of his shirt strained against. All that was missing was a lit cigar between his fingers and a dame out front working reception.

“Miss Jones,” he said. “Have a seat. I’m going to have to ask you to leave your friend outside.” Detective Monroe jabbed a chubby finger in my direction.

“I want him here,” Vivian insisted. She looked at me, like she wasn’t sure I’d stay.

“I’ll be a fly on the wall,” I said.

Detective Monroe huffed. “Whatever. Let’s get to work. I’ve got four other cases I need to attend to.” He slid three mugshots across the desk to show Vivian. “Do you recognize these men?”

“Yes. They’re the ones who attacked me.”

“Are you sure?”

She frowned. “Without a doubt.”

The detective hummed. “They’re confirmed members of the Azure Cartel. They’re facing aggravated assault and outstanding drug distribution charges, but I doubt anything’s going to stick.”

“Why not?”

“The people they work for can afford to hire really good lawyers. They’ll make bail easy.”

Vivian shifted in her seat. “Does this mean they’ll try and come after me again?” She sounded so small and afraid. I fought the instinct to wrap her in my arms, keep her safe.

“They won’t get to you,” I assured her.

Detective Monroe shifted through his paperwork. “Now, it says here your friend’s missing.”

“Yes. Her name’s Molly Burke. I haven’t heard from her in days.”

“And you think the cartel has something to do with her disappearance?”

“I know they do.”

“Do you have any proof?”

She sucked in a sharp breath through gritted teeth. “No,” she mumbled in reply.

“Your friend’s case will be handed off to MissingOwned by NôvelDrama.Org.

Persons.”

“You’re not going to handle it?”

“Without proof, your friend’s disappearance is circumstantial. I have no evidence or reason to believe that the cartel did something.”

Her shoulders tensed, concern wrinkling her brow. She had the same look in her eyes from before. Fiery. Determined. “That’s… No, there has to be something you can do.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Jones, but there isn’t.”

“So, what? I’m supposed to sit around and wait for

Missing Persons to find Molly?”

“That’s how it works, yes. They’re going to look into it.”

She stood up quickly, very clearly holding back something venomous. “Will that be all?”

Detective Monroe nodded. “Yes. I just needed a positive ID. You’re free to go.”

Without another word, Vivian turned on her heel. I pulled the office door open and stepped through first, ushering her before me so we could leave.

“Useless,” she grumbled the second we were outside the police station. “What a waste of time.”

“I know,” I said, helping her into the car. “Try and stay calm.”

“Calm?” she shrieked. “How can I possibly stay calm? Molly’s out there somewhere! Those cops are going to-” I closed the door on her and circled around front, slipping behind the wheel. She was still going off, furious as all hell. “-and did you get a load of that guy’s porn ‘stache? Who the fuck does he think he is? Why not have another donut, you washed up desk jockey?”

“Vivian-”

“And what does he mean the charges aren’t going to stick? They attacked us. They attacked you. How is the

system so broken? This is unfair!”

“Vivian.”

“What?”

“Are you hungry?”

She frowned at me. “Huh?”

“I asked if you’re hungry.”

“I…” Vivian took a deep breath and slumped in her seat. “Yes.”

I kind of figured that was the case. I was trained to look for signs of distress, and Vivian was checking all the boxes. Difficulty sleeping. Bursts of -frankly understandable- anger.

I pulled up to the nearest Burger King drive-thru. “What do you want?”

“Fast food? Don’t you find this sort of thing sacrilegious?”

“Don’t be dramatic. It’s fine in moderation, and I need to get your blood-sugar levels up.”

Vivian licked her lips. “Are you sure you don’t want to go to that vegan place around the corner?”

“Do you want a burger or not?”

She paused, glancing between me and the massive menu structure past the speaker box. She leaned forward, pressing against me to shout out the window. “Can I get a number four and number six combo with a side of onion rings, chicken strips, and a large strawberry milkshake?”

She turned to me. “Do you want anything?”

I shook my head. “I’m good.”

She ripped into her food the second she got it, the whole car smelling like grease and seasoning. I normally had a strict rule about eating in the car, but I was willing to make an exception for her. Vivian had an impressive appetite, and I wasn’t about to put my life on the line by telling her to wait until we got home.

Vivian ate in silence, chowing down with gusto. As I suspected, she perked right up after finishing her burger, moving on to munching on her fries. She was lost in thought, staring out the window while she chewed.

I was busy running through my regular checks as I drove. The most dangerous time for any client was during transit. I had to worry about other drivers on the road as well as the possibility of being tailed. It was a masterclass in multitasking. I was so focused on the road and getting us back to the penthouse that I didn’t even register that Vivian held a fry to my lips until I was swallowing the food.

She laughed softly. “Not bad, huh?”

“It’s alright.”

“Liar. You think it’s delicious. Here, try the milkshake.” Vivian held up her cup, sticking the straw in front of me. It seemed silly to be fixated on something so small. It was just a damn straw. The straw she was just using. The straw that her lips were wrapped around not seconds before.

I took a sip. Strawberry coated my tongue. I grimaced. “It’s too sweet.”

Vivian shrugged. “More for me, then,” she said calmly, bringing it to her lips to drink.

I swallowed, concentrating on keeping my breathing even. Did she know what she was doing to me? The glint in her eye told me she did.

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, determined to get home sooner rather than later.

Wally was seated in the living room, playing a video game,

Fortnight or Call of Duty or whatever it was. They were all the same to me. A mess of colors too much noise and an overall waste of time.

“Whoa, where’s mine?” he asked when he saw Vivian’s Burger King bag.

She smiled. “Sorry. Didn’t know you wanted some.”

“Can I have a bite? I haven’t had lunch yet.”

“We both know I don’t share.”

I walked past them and shrugged off my suit jacket, ears tingling. Was that true? Vivian didn’t seem to have any qualms about feeding me. I felt oddly special.

I opened my laptop, checking if any of the security sensors leading to the penthouse were tripped. Nothing on the CCTV cameras and no alarms were triggered. We were in the clear for now.

“How did things go at the station?” Wally asked Vivian.

She huffed. “Fine, I guess. They’re going to look into it or whatever.” She sighed heavily. “The detective says I need proof to connect the cartel to Molly’s disappearance, but I don’t have anything. I’m just so exhausted.”

“It’s going to be okay.” Wally hugged her, patting her on the back. A pang of jealousy festered in my chest. Seeing them so comfortable around one another… For a moment, I wished that I could take my son’s place and be the one to hold her.

“Go lie down,” I told Vivian. “Get some sleep. We’ll discuss how to move forward from here once you’ve had some rest.”

She hummed. “A nap sounds nice.” She squeezed Wally’s hand before she ventured down the hall to the guest room, disappearing.

Wally crossed his arms and regarded me curiously. “Can’t imagine what she’s going through.”

“What are you doing home?” I asked, changing the subject. “I thought you had a full day of classes.”

My son shifted. “I did, but I thought I should be home for her just in case.”

“I have everything under control.”

“I’m just trying to be a good friend.”

“I know you are, but you still have your studies to think about. There’s a reason you entrusted her with me. You should be in class.”

Wally rolled his eyes. “It’s not like we were going over anything important. It’s stuff I already know.”

“What about that group presentation for biology you were telling me about?”

“We were going to meet up later to put it together before class.”

“Individually marked?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I expect you to pull your weight.”

He shook his head and sighed. “There are more important things going on right now, Dad. Vivian-”

“Is in good hands,” I interrupted. “Her being here shouldn’t affect your studies.”

“I can never talk to you,” I thought I heard him grumble before storming off.

I found myself alone in the kitchen, the low hum of the air conditioning in my ear. There was so much that I had to do. Important emails to send, security teams to check in with, clients to proposition. I didn’t get around to any of it.

For the first time in forever, I didn’t want to. In a rare turn of events, running my business was the least of my concerns.

Looking after Vivian was the only thing on my mind.