I pace my bedroom floor restlessly. I was glad the hooker came by when Jade wasn’t around. It wouldn’t have been a pretty sight. But where the fuck is Jade now? I’ve already been to the conference hall, the room upstairs where all the other PA gather to do their clerical work, the swimming pool, the three coffee bars.

Hell, I need a drink.

It’ll help clear my head. I decide to go down to the bar, first. I head out to the elevator, and make my way to the closest drinking hole. I stop mid-step at the entrance of the bar. Carl Magnus at the bar, sitting next to Jade, and too fucking close, damnit. I don’t like this. As I watch in stunned disbelief, the asshole slides an arm around her. My blood starts to boil.

“What the fuck?”

Now I know why she didn’t answer. She’s right here with the guy who was hitting on her the other day.

Mesmerized by the scene unfolding before my eyes I see her laugh at something he says. I don’t know what the hell is so funny, but I do know I’m going to put a stop to this once and for all. I’ve already told this guy to stay away from her.

She smiles at him and says something. He smiles back.

From where I’m standing, they are clearly flirting. I see red. It’s all I see. My fists clench at my sides. She’s my girl. I thought I told this jerk that already. And now here he is. As soon as there’s a little hint of trouble, he comes sniffing around. Who the fuck does he think he is?

I feel sick and angry. All of my muscles are tense, and I’m grinding my teeth into dust. But I can’t calm myself down. I’m seething with jealousy. I take one step, and then another, until I’m standing right by them. My fists are still clenched at my sides.

He is telling her some story.

Both of them are oblivious to me. He mentions Paris, and I know I’m about to punch him. I don’t have time to listen to him telling my girl romantic stories.

“Carl,” I say. I glare at him so he knows that I’m not here to play nice. He’s trying to take what’s mine, and I’m not going to let that happen. He’s stupid if he thinks I’m going to let him take her from me.

He turns and looks at me. “Hey, Luke. Funny thing you’re here.”

“Oh yeah, why’s that?” I ask, feeling even angrier.

“We were just talking about you,” he says.

I look at Jade. She avoids my eyes, and that doesn’t sit right with me. It makes me paranoid. Pain tears through me. Did I do this? Did I push her into the arms of another man?

I turn back to Carl. “You were talking about me? You think you can just sit here with my girl and move in on her because we had an argument?”

“Luke,” Jade says warningly.

I don’t respond to her. I’m too focused on Carl right now. I want to knock his stupid teeth out.

“You’ve got it all wrong,” he says and stands up.

My clenched fist collides with his jaw before he can say anything else. He stumbles back and trips over his bar stool. Carl Magnus doesn’t fall to the floor like a demolished skyscraper, he rights himself, shakes his head and grins at me. That stops me in my tracks and the fact that Jade screamed. I grab her hand and pull her through the lobby. People are running over to make sure that Carl is okay, and I just wish I had knocked him out cold.

“Let go of me!” Jade shouts.

Totally ignoring her, I drag her struggling body into the elevator with me. Someone tries to come in with us and I glare at him. He steps back immediately. The doors close. Finally, we’re alone. I’m vibrating with fury. I can feel my muscles shaking from how tense they are.

Jade looks really angry, too. When the elevator dings, she steps out quickly, trying to leave me behind.

I catch up with her in a single step, grab her hand, and take her into the suite.

I still don’t know exactly what I want from her. And that might be the worst part about this whole thing. I wasn’t raised to talk about my feelings. I was raised to push feelings aside.

I close the door behind me and look at her. I’m not sure what to say or do, but she looks fucking gorgeous standing here in my bedroom. My dick twitches. I want to fuck her, but I know I’ll get a knee in the nuts with the way she is feeling. Beside, we have things we need to discuss. Like her great idea of letting that douchebag buy her a drink and put his arm around her.

I feel myself getting angry all over again, just from thinking about her sitting there with him. The image of him touching her enters my mind, and it drives me crazy. I want to punch his face all over again. So much for being turned on. I cross my arms.

“What the fuck was that about, Luke?” she yells before I can interrogate her.

Her face is dark with anger. I’ve never seen her this way. She looks like she wants to punch someone, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that someone is me. I deserve it after everything that’s happened.

“You were drinking with him. He had his fucking octopus arm around you.”

She gasps with astonishment. “I was having a civilized drink with him. He’s the only friend I have in this country. He was comforting me.”

“Comforting? Pull the other one. I wasn’t born yesterday. You think I don’t know what was on his mind. He was plying you with alcohol…” I stop, my eyes narrowing. Her chest is heaving and her cheeks are flushed. She’s drunk! “How many have you had?”

“None of your fucking business.”

“Everything about you is my fucking business.”

“Let me get this right,” she states sarcastically. “You get to be possessive over me, but I don’t get to object if you fuck other women.”

I scowl at her. “What the hell are you talking about now?”

“I’m talking about you having sex here in our suite with a fucking hooker!” She’s so murderously angry she shaking.