Killer Queen: A Painted Faces Novel

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

Book: Killer Queen: A Painted Faces Novel by L.H. Cosway Read Free Book Online
Authors: L.H. Cosway
bit of comedy,
a bit of interaction with the audience.”
    “Do you sing?”
    “I most certainly do,” I gave her a wink and picked
up the wine. This would be my first drop of alcohol since Berlin, but I felt my
head was in a good enough place to handle it. I knew I was only going to have a
glass or two, rather than a whole bottle…or several.
    “Wine, Fred?” I asked, settling my gaze on her.
    “Of course, Viv,” she said, still with the sassy
tone. When I fucked her, and I was determined to make it happen, she would not
be calling me Viv. In fact, I was working on this rather detailed fantasy of
her screaming my name while I took her up against a wall.
    After I poured the wine and Fred had a taste, Nora
continued to question me. I didn’t mind. As I stated already, I’d known
countless women like Nora in my time, and they were uneasy when they didn’t
know every single thing about a person’s background, family history, blood
type, etc.
    “And have you lived in Dublin long?” she asked.
    Deciding to satisfy her need for information, I told
her everything I presumed she wanted to know. “Just arrived. I've visited a
couple of times, though. It's a great city. A friend of mine manages a new club
here and offered me a regular gig performing, so I jumped at the chance. I've
been travelling from country to country for years, going wherever the work took
me. But I think I'm ready to settle down somewhere, for a while, anyway.”
    “Nora's in the nightclub business herself,” said
Fred, and I looked at her with interest, glad she had decided to take part in
the conversation. “She bartends. You two will be able to exchange stories about
all the drunks.”
    I gave Nora a smile. “Oh, really, where do you
work?”
    “Temple Bar,” she answered, and glanced up at me
from beneath her lashes, perhaps in an effort to appear demure. I felt a small
pang of guilt for not telling her that her efforts were lost on me. Fred was
the one who held my rapt interest. Still, I never liked to be rude, especially
when I could help it, so I replied, “Ah. The club I'll be performing in is on
Capel Street. For a moment there I thought it was fate, and we'd be working in the
same place.” I paused and swiftly turned my attention back to Fred. “So tell me
about you, Fred. What do you do?”
    I did my best to hide my irritation when Nora
answered for her. “She's a baker. She makes cupcakes.”
    So that was what I’d smelled today. Her cupcakes. I
knew baking was a time-consuming profession, so I gave her a little
conciliatory look. “Early mornings, I presume?”
    She nodded, swallowed, and looked down at her plate.
God, this woman was infuriating in her ability to avoid meeting my eyes.
    “Very early mornings. It's the one flaw in a perfect
occupation. I also work in the charity shop down the road. It sells all sorts
of clothes and knickknacks.”
    “Two jobs — I'm impressed.” I smiled at her
affectionately.
    “I'm an industrious young lady,” she answered
smartly, and my smile deepened. Slowly but surely, she was warming up to me. I
gave her my most smouldering stare when I said, “Oh, I bet you are.”
    Almost of its own accord, my gaze wandered to her
ample bosom, which was hidden beneath a loose shirt. She could try to hide it
all she wanted, but I knew her body would be exactly what I craved. I’d always
been drawn to curves. As I dug into the spaghetti bolognaise, I complemented
her on her cooking while also flirting.
     “This is brilliant. You're a great cook. I haven't
had a meal this tasty in a while. Can I take you home, and you can cook all of
my food for me?”
    “Of course you can. Just put a cardboard box under
the sink, and I'll sleep in there.”
    Her response spurred me on.
    “Nonsense. You'll share my bed. I wouldn't agree to
anything less.”
    “Great, so I can be your cook and your bed warmer.
What a convenient setup.”
     “My thoughts exactly. I could fall asleep on those
wonderful

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