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I roll my eyes at him, but the girls are smiling like idiots at his behaviour. He’s looking into their eyes and really focusing in on them when he talks. Such a player.
Lauren in particular is trying to monopolise the conversation, but the whole time he’s talking to her and Grace he’s taking every opportunity to touch me. My hands, arms, hair, legs, anything really.
We get through dinner in record time. A few people come over to the table and, as we carry on and eat, he talks to them and signs napkins, t-shirts, anything people have on them. When the crowd gets a bit out of control and causes issues for Vinny, Mick and Tommy come over and move people on. I’m impressed with how polite and firm Mick is—he’s obviously done this zillions of times—and at no point does it look like Kellen is fed up with anyone.
“Shall we have a dessert?” Grace is sticking to the script. We usually never have starters so we can pig out on the puds.
Lauren jumps in with, “Don’t be daft, Grace. We don’t eat them.” Both Grace and I stare at her in disbelief, but she is totally making goo goo eyes at Kellen and doesn’t even notice.
Kellen looks at his watch, adding, “We should go if we’re going to sort out all the stuff we need to. We can have dessert later.” He smirks the dirtiest smirk and then turns and grins at the girls. They’re staring at him again and I roll my eyes at them all.
“So, you and Evie aren’t in a relationship?” Lauren gestures between the two of us. “You’re just sorting James's stuff out?” Lauren has clearly decided she’s going for it.
“I don’t do relationships,” Kellen deadpans. “One night stands only.” He looks Lauren up and down with a practised air. I wince when she wilts then buckles under the intense stare. “Thought so,” he says to her.
“Time to go, Kitten.” He stands and pulls me out of the booth. “Ladies, it's been a total pleasure.” He makes no move to go for goodbye kisses, which I can see Lauren is well annoyed about. “I’ve sorted the bill. Please, you two lovely ladies stay and have whatever you want for the rest of the night. I know I will be.”
He’s staring at me with so much intensity you could cut the atmosphere around the table with a knife, and the static coming off the pair of us is starting to hurt. Grace is looking from him to me and back again, like a tennis match referee. And Lauren is so focused on Kellen, she doesn’t even see me.
“Kellen, I need to run to the loo.” I need a minute to get myself together.
“Hurry, Kitten,” he growls into my ear before pushing me towards the door.
Grace jumps up and says, “I’ll go with and hurry her up, Marcus.”
Lauren is all too happy to stay alone at the table with him.
I rush into the toilet so Grace can’t collar me. I need to take a minute to collect my thoughts.
She pounces the instant I show my face. “You are totally bonking him. He can’t take his eyes off you. Jesus, Evie, he’s sex on a stick! Why do you call him Kellen?” she asks, looking me up and down through her lashes, a sly grin on her face.
“Long story, let’s go. I'll ring you tomorrow, but I’m not talking to Lauren. Don’t bring her.”
“I won’t. Be safe, Evie,” she whispers as she leans in and kisses my cheek.
Kellen’s still standing in the same spot, waiting impatiently to go, when we return to the table. “Ready?” He smiles at me, a full blow-your-hair-back smile, and Grace makes a squeaking noise.
“Bye, Kellen,” says Lauren, “see you next time you’re in London.”
“My name's Marcus,” he says to her with a dead straight face.
“Oh. Oh, I thought I heard Evie call you Kellen?” She turns to me, with a sneer on her face. ”Get him mixed up with another one of your many other boyfriends?”
I grin, “I don’t think anyone could ever mistake Kell for someone else. It’s called a nickname, Lauren. You know how it is,” I playfully touch her arm as if I’m being cheeky, “when you have such an intimate long term relationship, you have intimate names for each other. Names only the two of you really understand. Me—Kitten, him—Kellen.”
“Intimate, I like the sound of that.” He touches my face, running his finger along my jaw. Eyes fixed on mine. He continues to stare at me as he snaps out, “She calls me Kellen.” Then fixes his stare on Lauren. “You don’t. It’s Marcus.” He turns us away from her, leaning in to me. “Let’s go, Kitten. Now.”
Chapter
Nineteen
Evie
He pulls me out behind him, leaving my friends staring after us both. I wave at Vinny and he blows me a kiss as I’m bundled into the back of a blacked-out windowed Range Rover, the door closing and cutting off the shouts from the bit of a crowd that has gathered outside. I even see a few flashes go off. “Any issues, Mick?” Kellen enquires.
“None. All seems okay. James is with friends and going to a club. You good, Evie?”
“Yes, thanks,” I respond.
