Where Sara was an artist with paint and brushes, Liam was an artist with ingredients and flavors. He created tiny little pieces of architecture, each plate so beautiful you wondered if it was even edible. He was a master at his craft.
In between Liam moving through his kitchen with such fluidity that you could almost consider it a form of dance, he had a small staff working on a variety of dishes—and I knew, there was no way the four of us were going to make a dent in all this food.
I wasn’t sure if the full-scale production was just for Sara’s birthday weekend, or if Liam had been keeping this whole thing up for weeks now, but it was clear he was trying, really fucking hard to take care of her, and I hoped he was taking care of himself too. I shook my head, knowing at least Gina was.
Next to me, Sara finished her second glass of wine, and Gina wasted no time refilling it. I groaned internally, but all I could do was head to the fridge to get her a bottle of water and try to keep her hydrated.
Staying out of the staff’s way, I opened the fridge, and that’s when itreallyhit me. The scale at which Liam had been trying to coax Sara into eating, as if this dinner hadn’t been evidence enough.
The fridge was stocked with every kind of food I imagined Sara had ever eaten. All of it was staged beautifully to Liam’s credit, ready to grab and go, just waiting for her to partake. Colorful little ceramic bowls of different kinds of berries were perched at the front of the shelves. Gourmetsnack-packs filled with the best quality ingredients money could buy. Stacks and stacks of individual servings of food were labeled neatly, ready to be reheated on demand—small servings of pasta, soup, little meat dishes. And heartbreakingly, filling the entire middle rack of his commercial refrigerator was bin after bin,filled with every type of cheese stick imaginable.Panic pricked through me, taking it all in. We had to do something, and soon.
Next to a rainbow of bottled juices, I spotted the glass water bottles and reached for several, knowing it was no doubt some specialty spring water from some obscure mountain.
I returned to the kitchen island knowing I’d need to tread carefully or Sara would dehydrate herself—just because she was actually that stubborn.
“Staying hydrated, ladies?” I asked, passing each of the girls a bottle.
“Oh thanks, Carter.” Gina slid off her stool, texting furiously before she answered a work call. “Tell him to take the plea deal, it’s his best option.” She demanded, stepping outside.
I stood there, holding Sara’s gaze while I guzzled down my own water.
“Can I help you?” She saw straight through me, and I knew she was about to shut me down.
Glancing over, I confirmed Liam was distracted in the kitchen. “I don’t know, can you?” I flirted, trying something.
I offered her my already open bottle, and her eyes flickered between me and Liam before she took it, smirking while she obnoxiously wiped the rim off with a napkin.
“What’s the matter, don’t wanna touch something my lips have touched?” I crooned quietly, chest thundering, hoping she’d play along, hoping that spark was somewhere in there. I’d hardly seen a glimmer of it since I’d arrived.
“Oh, I never said that.” She parried right back. “I’m sure your lips are perfectly touchable,Casanova, but I wouldn’t know, since I’ve never actually touched them.” She smirked, adding. “You feel like playing another game—risking another black eye?”
Oh, fuck me.
She took a tiny sip and gave me a coy smile, teasing melodically. “What’s the matter, Kensington? Cat got your tongue?”
I rolled my eyes. “Just drink your damn water.”
“Or what, flyboy? What are you gonna do—pin me down again and make me?”
“Careful.” I warned, dragging my fingers over hers as I took the bottle back—her eyes flared with nerves.There it was, she was always all talk.
But she quirked a brow, and to my complete surprise, she kept going. “Do you lay in bed at night and think about what it felt like—me underneath of you? You tell me your truth, and maybe I’ll tell you mine.”
“Don’t play with fire if you don’t want to get burned.” I warned, my skin heating from the inside out as she gave me a heavy-lidded look.God, she had no idea what she could do to me with a simple look.
She didn’t miss a beat as she responded with a murmur, “Would you do it? Would you light me up if I asked you to?”
Mother of God, this woman.
I’d never seen her flirt so shamelessly before.
Game on.
“If you asked me nicely, I’d do a hell of a lot more than that, sweetheart.” I rasped completely recklessly, lowering my voice to a mere push of air. “But the question is, would you be a good girl for me and do what you’re told?” I knew I’d gone too far the moment it was out of my mouth—except she sucked in a small breath, and nodded,yes, almost imperceptibly.
Ohhh, fuck me. Was she serious?
A quick glance into the kitchen confirmed nobody was paying attention to us, and I was practically panting at the realization.
