“Whoa.” Ellie sounded as shocked as I felt.

I leaned back in my seat as George’s lips pressed up against mine, and his hand caressed my face. I forgot what to do. I’d kissed a guy just last night, yet this felt more like my first kiss ever.

Excitement. Nerves. Fear. More excitement. Lust. They all crashed and collided together, as George’s lips parted mine just wide enough so that his tongue could reach inside and touch my own.

Some of my senses came back to me. My hands dangled limply by my side, so I wrapped them around his large torso and placed them on his muscular back.

Faint hints of his aftershave wafted up my nose, as I tried to focus on what they hell I was doing. Eyes closed. Check. Lips moving. Check. Heart racing. Double check.

I knew I was in a bar, with my friends watching on excitedly, but in my mind, we were in the privacy of my bedroom. The music that had been pumping so loud we could barely hear each other, lowered to a soothing rhythm, and the chair I was perched on become the edge of the bed that I’d soon be experiencing ecstasy on as George took me—

He stopped kissing me as abruptly as he’d started.

“They’ve gone now,” he said.

I opened my eyes and tried to regain my focus. I felt like I’d been in the dark for days, and my eyes were trying to adjust to sunlight, instead of the rather dim lights in the club.

George was having no such issues. He took a sip of his drink, and acted like nothing had happened. He had on another shirt, although this time most of the buttons were done up, and it had been ironed. His jeans still looked a little rough, but perhaps that was the fashion now. At least he didn’t look like those douchebags who’d been hanging around us before he scared them off. They didn’t stop talking about how rich they were, which either meant they were tools or liars. Likely both, actually.

George had done us a favor, but that didn’t make this any less weird. At least I could count on Ellie and Dani to acknowledge how bat shit crazy this all was.

Holy shit, Ellie mouthed, when I looked over at her.

I couldn’t quite tell what Dani was trying to say, but it looked a lot like “fuck him.” She did tend to get to the point.

“Thanks George,” Ellie said. “For getting rid of those assholes. Although they were about to buy us another drink, so I reckon you owe us one.”

“Ellie,” I snapped. “We can buy our own damn drinks.”

That’s what overdrafts were for.

George laughed, and waved for the attention of a nearby barmaid, who seemed ready and willing to serve him at a second’s notice.

“These three ladies are drinking on me tonight,” he said casually.

“Yes, Mr. Whittemore.”

“You really don’t have to do that,” I insisted.

“Don’t worry about it,” George replied. “At least this way you only have to spend the evening talking to one arrogant arse.”

“I suggest we all drink some expensive whiskey,” Ellie said. “I’ve always wondered what whiskey tastes like when it’s not mixed with coke or lemonade.”

“Four of these,” George said to the barmaid, as he held up his drink. “The drinks come with one condition,” he added.

I sighed, and slumped back down in my seat. “Men always expect something in return. Usually one thing in particular.”

“I don’t care,” Dani said quickly. “I’ll do whatever you want me to. All three of us will, won’t we girls? I’m sure we won’t mind getting to know each other a little more intimately.”

Ellie laughed, while I choked back what was left of my cocktail.

“I appreciate the enthusiasm, but actually all I wanted was a little one-on-one time with Sophia. Nothing seedy. I just want to get to know her a little better. Deal?”

“Sounds great,” Ellie said.

“I suppose,” Dani said disappointedly.

“Do I get any say in this?” I asked. Ellie and Dani both stared at me like I was mad. I realized they were probably right. Why was I fighting this? I was being contrarian for the sake of it. If Ellie and Dani had told me George was a jerk, I’d be all over him like a rash.

“Uh, you ladies discuss it,” George said. He was looking towards the far end of the bar where the three men were now standing. It looked like they were talking to some new victims, but I couldn’t see because of a pillar in the way. “I’ll be right back.”

George walked towards the group while the barmaid poured us each a double measure of whiskey from the top shelf. It looked like liquid money. Like $100 bills—or £50 notes I suppose—melted down and poured into a glass.

It smelled like success.

It tasted like… like fire.

“Holy shit,” I coughed, after taking a sip. “This stuff is strong.”

“People drink this for pleasure?” Ellie asked after taking a sip herself.

“I like it,” Dani said, despite cringing when she took a sip. “It tastes like money. Speaking of which…”

“Yeah, what the hell is the deal with this George guy?” Ellie asked.

“I should be asking you,” I replied. “I assume his appearance here is not a coincidence?”

“Well, no, but I didn’t know you guys were that close already.”

“We’re not,” I insisted. “That was just… I don’t know what that was.”

“That was the prelude to a lot of hot sex,” Dani insisted.

“It was just a kiss,” I said.

The best kiss I’d had since coming to England. I cast my mind back to other first kisses I’d had in America, but there hadn’t been any like that. Not even close.

“That wasn’t just a kiss,” Ellie said. “I’ve seen you kiss guys before, and it doesn’t look like that.”

“I didn’t know you paid such close attention to my technique.”

Ellie shrugged and took another sip of her whiskey, even though she still clearly hated the taste. “There wasn’t much technique that time. You looked like a fish out of water.”

“He took me by surprise,” I said defensively.

“Well now you’ve had time to prepare, so you can up your game. Stop being so cold around him.”

“She’s right,” Dani said. “You’re always complaining about your bad luck with guys. Well a winning lottery ticket has just fallen into your lap. Don’t rip it up and throw it away. Cash that baby in for a lifetime’s supply of earth-shattering orgasms. Tax free.”

And that there was the problem. Dani was right. I had been complaining a lot, and George was exactly what I wanted, in all ways but one. There was no “lifetime supply” with guys like George. One night was all I would get. I should go for it anyway. Unless I figured a way out of this visa mess, I wouldn’t be in England much longer. I might as well have some fun. He might look and sound like Prince Charming, but he’d be gone in the morning, and I’d be more like Cinderella, which I guess made Ellie and Dani—

“What’s going on over there?” Ellie said, pointing to the men who’d been chatting us up earlier.

The three men had surrounded George, and they looked pissed. I moved off my seat to get a better view. I saw the group of women the men had been chatting up. They looked around, trying to get the attention of a manager, but only a few barmaids were on the floor, and they wouldn’t do much good.

What had George done? Knowing him, he’d run his mouth and upset the men. His tongue was as strong as all the other muscles in his body, he just didn’t know how to control it.

The three guys all looked wired. That trip to the bathroom hadn’t been to pee. Women went in packs to powder their nose, and I’d guess these guys had all done the same thing.

“Should we help?” I asked.

“And what help would we be exactly?” Ellie replied. “I suggest we just watch the action.”

I protested, but the three of us all walked slowly closer to the scene. We were still twenty yards away, when Whit pushed George from behind. George barely moved in response. Whit pushed him again, harder this time.

Now George reacted. He swung an elbow, and connected with Whit’s face, sending him crashing to the floor with a scream of pain. The other two now realized they had to act, but had no idea how. George stood there waiting patiently for them to do something, as if his code of honor wouldn’t allow him to make the first move.

Both of the men acted together, but they made a complete hash of it. One guy pushed George, moving him back a yard, while the other tried to punch him. The punch ended up swinging through the air in front of George, who effortlessly grabbed the arm and pulled the puncher towards him.

I couldn’t make out what happened in the tangle of legs, but the guy who threw the punch ended up on the floor while the other just ran out of the club as fast as his drug-fueled legs could take him.

“Are you ladies okay?” I heard George ask the women at the table.

“We’re fine now, thank you,” one of them said, as she eyed George admirably. “I thought we’d be safe from guys like that here, but apparently not.”

George looked down at the guy on the floor in front of him. “I don’t think they’ll be giving you any more trouble.”

The guy in front of George looked out for the count, but Whit was moving. “George,” I yelled out nervously, as Whit pushed himself to his feet.

“Be there in a minute,” he replied.

I rolled my eyes as I watched George lapping up the attention from the ladies. Men.

Whit looked dazed from the elbow to the face, but he clearly intended to swing for George.

Fuck it.

I threw my glass—still full of whiskey—and managed to connect with the back of Whit’s head. George spun round to see Whit falling back down to the floor, as the glass shattered on the floor.

“Nice throw,” George remarked with a smile.

Some bouncers finally came running over ready to take out the trash. “Sorry, Mr. Whittemore. I hope these men didn’t bother you.”

“Don’t worry, Dan. They’ve been dealt with.” He turned back to face me, and smiled. “Now, where were we?”