Femme Fatale

Chapter Twenty-One: Michael

As soon as Jo stepped one strappy Jimmy Choo out of the limo, she was in femme fatale mode. A sexual aura radiated from every pore of her body. Jo bent down to adjust the skirt of her dress to reveal more thigh, and Michael watched, entranced.

She gave him a knowing smile. There were sex and secrets in her eyes, and he wanted to know both.

Jo gripped his bicep and they made their way up the cobblestone steps. Jo's nervous energy had dissolved into excitement, and her body was buzzing with adrenaline. She was ready for what tonight had in store for them.

She gave Michael a sidelong glance. He had a calming presence about him, and she was happy he was by her side. Michael was a mood chameleon: he could sense what others were feeling and adapt accordingly. Jo could read people well, but he was in a league of his own. When Michael looked at her, she was sure he was undressing her soul. It was unsettling.

To be honest, Jo had enjoyed working alongside Michael and Jax. The past week was filled with late nights of planning and heated discussions. It was nice to work together as a team, even though the other two members of said team despised her.

Jo wished she could work alongside Thomas and Jake, but they would never leave the Agency - and she would never join. Jo felt a tight squeeze around her heart, and she had to exhale slowly to ease the aching sensation in her chest. Even though she was upset with them for getting her into this predicament, she still missed them. She missed them so much it hurt.

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Michael and Jo were ushered into a hazy room with red painted walls and Oriental decor. The air was thick with a sweet-smelling smoke and the unmistakable scent of sex.

"Have you ever smoked opium before?" Michael asked as he guided her through the smog. She shook her head as she looked around the room. She noticed a few individuals holding long wooden pipes, either black or gold in color, and blowing out smoke through their mouths and nostrils.

Those who weren't smoking were in various stages of undress, and various stages of sex acts. Jo observed curiously, but was careful not to make eye contact with anyone. She could feel eyes on her, and she wasn't looking for any invitations just yet.

Jo unwittingly gripped Michael's bicep a little tighter, and he smiled to himself. Warmth disseminated from her fingertips, and the heat slowly spread throughout his arm. Michael turned to Jo and kissed the side of her head. She looked up through her long eyelashes and smiled at him appreciatively. 

Under the focus of Jo's beautiful hazel eyes, Michael began to feel dizzy.

"Michiel! Natalie!" Pierre's voice brought Michael back to reality.

"Pierre," Jo greeted her host warmly. She let go of Michael and kissed Pierre on the cheek.

A buxom beauty in a low-cut red dress was on Pierre's arm. Her straight black hair was parted in the center, and her dark brown eyes were heavily lined with kohl.

"This is my fiancé, Isabel," Pierre said, motioning to the striking woman in red.

Isabel clutched Jo's forearms and examined her before exclaiming, "Pierre was right, you are absolutely exquisite!"

Before Jo could even respond, Isabel leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Jo had never kissed a woman before, and it felt vastly different from a man's kiss. Isabel's lips were pillow soft and sensuous. Michael tittered beside her, and Pierre had an impish smirk plastered across his face.

When the women pulled away, Jo was blushing. "It's so nice to meet you, Isabel."

"No, the pleasure is all mine," Isabel purred back. "Come now, let's not dilly dally."