The Scarlet Woman

chp. 5 ~ mountain fire

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Paris

Fear was so heavily imprinted into my thoughts that I didn't even realise when the scarlet-haired woman had slipped into my room and quietly moved across to where I was standing by the mirror, staring at my reflection.
In the past twelve hours, I'd undergone hundreds of varying emotions, from frustration to denial, then an all-consuming terror, before eventually sliding into a wild sinkhole of paranoia.

Victor had called me to his office before I'd even stepped foot into Casa Rossa's bar area, my throat itching to numb the burning emotions swirling through my head. I'd mumbled something snarky before lying about the success of the appointment, and Victor had given me the next day off to rest, but the snide comment had cost peace for tonight.

I whipped my arm around in reflex when she touched my shoulder but with surprisingly sharp reflex she caught my wrist right before it hit her face.
Her eyes took me in with mild amusement and I sighed in relief as she dropped my hand.

"It's you...sorry..."

"It's alright."

We studied each other for a moment before she sat down on the couch and looked up at me.
Today she was wearing a long, green dress instead of a suit. It held her body elegantly, like an evening glove.
She looked so out of place in this rotting hell, this royal creature amongst a band of demons.

I couldn't help it as a spark of envy slithered into my chest and squeezed it uncomfortably.

"I tried to take care of as much as possible, but there was only so much I could do in a few hours. One of my guards acted as Brennan and told your boss that he was finished with you, to confirm that you won't be sent to that house again."

I'd forgotten all about having a second appointment, and it would've created a number of problems if another guard had rocked up there and everyone was dead.
All I could do was look at her as she pursed her lips thoughtfully, turning a slender ring on her forefinger.

"The worst part was getting the blood out that carpet. The stuff stains like aged merlot-"

"How can I repay you?"

She glanced up at me and frowned, folding her wrists over her knee.

"Not to be rude, but you don't look the type that could ever repay me. At least, in anything I desire."

She clucked her tongue and I glanced at her lips immediately, an absurd thought popping into my head.
I suddenly came towards her and pushed her against the couch, straddling her hips.

"I'll repay you with the one thing I do know how to do..."

I dragged my fingers across her collarbone and felt her heart beating alarmingly fast, although her face betrayed not much beside a flash of bemusement.

I traced my finger along her jawline.

"I can give you pleasure."

She immediately glanced at my lips and took a deep breath before glancing back up at me, meeting my eyes.

"Is it really repayment if it's also at my expense-"

"Oh, for shit's sake, what do you really expect me to do, huh? Just...allow me."

I took her face in my hands and kissed her, my eyes falling shut. She tasted like honey, cinnamon and whiskey all at once.
Her perfume filled my nose and poured over my senses like a heavy drug, intoxicating me. I felt her hands unconsciously slip around my waist and for one moment it seemed like she was kissing me back.
She suddenly unwound her hands and grabbed my shoulder roughly, pushing her arm across my chest and shoving me away, her expression rattled.

I tried to kiss her again but she held her deflection and moved me off of her, gently this time.
She ran a hand over her hair as I awkwardly sat next to her.
Then when my brain had caught up with itself, I wanted to shoot myself in the foot with the amount of irrationality I'd just displayed in front of this...lady.

"That wasn't the first time I kissed a woman."

I told her and she looked at me silently, her chest heaving slightly.

"It was the first time I enjoyed it, though."

The woman didn't say anything and slowly stood up, her dress sliding back down to her ankles.
She stared at the bed for a second then turned to me, looking down at me with an air of elegance only the upper class could pull off.

"Despite what you've just...done, I do want to help you.'

As I stared at her in confusion, she turned away again and went to sit on the bed.

"My name is Selene."

We stared at each other before I looked away sheepishly, realising she was waiting for my name.

"My name is Paris. It's, um, it's ironic, isn't it?"

She gazed at me before nodding and folding her hands over her knees again, as though we were sitting casually at a corner café.

"I'm...sorry about the whole...kissing you so suddenly..."

Redhead, Selene, glanced back at me and held my gaze.

"I do want to repay you and...I'm pretty unskilled in basically anything and...my god, you're just really attractive, so I just thought-"

I winced at my blusterous remark and glanced away from her, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand and feeling foolish.

"I'm flattered if you find me attractive."

The blush crept up to my cheeks before I could stop it, and I cursed inwardly at my childishness.

"I am really sorry, mademoiselle, I won't do something like that again."

She laughed and waved her hand, giving me a pointed glance.

"You don't have to be so formal. Mademoiselle makes me feel old and I'm barely thirty."

"Of course...wait, what's your name again?"

She raised an eyebrow, the light from the lamp on the bedside table softly twinkling against her eyes.

"Selene."

"Oh, of course...Selene."

"Thank you, Paris."

She looked at me then, a strange glint in her eye that shadowed her whole face, like she knew something I didn't.
Something calculated and almost sinister.
That look made me very, very nervous, but I got the feeling that whatever terrible thing she was thinking, it wasn't directed at me.

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