Killer Queen: A Painted Faces Novel by L.H. Cosway Read Free Book Online

could
have my wicked way with her. Unfortunately, my forwardness was not taken in the
manner I had intended. Pulling swiftly out of my hold, she lifted up her
stirring spoon and pointed it at me as though it were a weapon that would keep
me at arm’s length.
    “ Okay. Listen here — back the hell up, or
I'll knee you in the balls.”
    Well, now, this definitely wasn’t the reaction I’d
been aiming for. It seemed being forward wasn’t going to work with Fred. I took
a step away, allowing her some space, and dived straight into an apology.
“Sorry, Freda. I thought you were making all the passive-aggressive comments
because you were into me.”
    “Yeah, well, you thought wrong. Now sit down at the
table and make nice before Nora comes back out.”
    Her response made me grin. I kind of liked it when
she went all stern headmistress on me.
    “Yes, sir,” I said, and obediently went to sit down
just as she requested. I didn’t stop staring at her, though. I couldn’t. And it
struck me all of a sudden that something quite unusual was taking place. I
think I actually liked this girl far more than she liked me. If she even liked
me at all. It saddened me to think that after my most recent behaviour, she
might think I was some sort of perverted creep. Regret instantly overtook me.
I’d gone about this all the wrong way.
    She was looking back at me now. Still mad, but not
as mad as she’d been a minute ago. God, her eyes were gorgeous. I couldn’t help
but say, “What colour are your eyes, anyway? They look gold in certain lights.”
    She shrugged and gave me a shy glance, while the
tiniest hint of a smile played on her lips.
     “Hazel, I guess.”
    “They're lovely,” I told her. “You're lovely.”
    I saw her instantly melt as she shifted self-consciously
on her feet. Ah, so it was wooing and romance that was needed. I would try to
remember that for future reference. She drew in a quick breath, and then her
armour was back in place.
     “Thank you for establishing my loveliness, Viv.
Now, do you like garlic? Because there is a lot of garlic in this
bolognaise.”
    I grinned. She was changing the subject, but I could
tell she enjoyed my compliment.
    “I love it.”
    “Good,” she said, and then Nora was back from the
bathroom. I swear I almost choked on my laughter when Fred called to her
roommate, “You might want to crack a window in there, Nora. You were in for a
while. Number two, was it?”
    It was right after she said it that I came to the
instant conclusion that she was a woman after my own heart, and even if she
didn’t want to shag me, I would go out of my way to keep her as a friend.
     “She's just fabulous, isn't she?” I said to a
rather red-faced Nora. Their interaction reminded me a little of me and Phil. I
often liked to rub him up the wrong way for my own personal enjoyment. Yes,
Fred and I were kindred. There was no denying it. And I was staring at her
again. I knew she wasn’t comfortable with the attention, but I just couldn’t
seem to help myself.
    “Unfortunately, yes,” Nora replied to me tightly,
and came to sit at the table. Fred began to dish out the food. I started eating
immediately, finding myself suddenly ravenous. The bread, which I suspected was
homemade, was delicious.
    “So, Nicholas, what do you do for a living?” Nora
asked.
    Ah, now, answering this one would be tricky. I
didn’t think Fred would be the kind of girl to have a problem with my career
choice, yet I was anxious that she might turn out to be close-minded. I was
liking her so much that if she had a problem with my profession, I was going to
be very disappointed. So I decided to play it safe and answer in a roundabout
way.
    “I'm a cabaret performer,” I said, speaking to Nora
but watching for Fred’s reaction. She seemed to be interested but trying not to
come across as eager.
    “Oh, really,” said Nora. “How interesting. What
exactly does that entail?”
    “It's a whole act, a bit of music, a