"I like your shirt." My eyes meet hers.
Sarah flushes before averting her eyes.“Thanks.Do you have any olives by chance?"
"What kind?"
"The green pimento stuffed ones? I like to eat them when I have spaghetti and salad,” she replies. Sipping the glass of wine I’d poured for her, she brings her eyes back to mine.
“I might. Let me check really quick.” Working fast, I grab it out of the fridge and hand it to her. “Seems like it's your lucky day. Here you go,” I say, opening it before sitting it next to her bowl.
She's too busy eating her first bite of bolognese to say thank you, though. I watch with pleasure as she tips her head back much like when she was eating the pancakes, letting a small moan out of her mouth. My cock goes hard again, and I curse to myself because eating dinner with an erection is not fun.
No. It should be: her as the appetizer, then we eat, and then I eat her again for dessert. That's the order my meals should be in.
I mentally pin it for future reference
My eyes fall to her plate and then the big serving bowl of spaghetti, narrowing at what she’d done.The little minx. The muscles in my forearm flex with agitation.
“This is better than that Italian spot by my office. Oh my gosh, Alex, you canreallyget down in the kitchen,” Sarah compliments, opening her sparkling eyes and throwing me a pretty smile before twirling more spaghetti on her fork. "This is a good meal."
I warm uncomfortably at her admission. Hannah was always on some diet and never ate what I cooked. As someone who shows their love language through food, it was hurtful to stifle that part of me. So, needless to say, I was never complimented or appreciated for my skills in the kitchen.
Therefore, her attention is refreshing and so, so welcome.
Relaxing into my seat, I give her an easy smile back. “Thank you. I do okay I guess.Sometimes,” I reply cheekily. Lying but trying to be modest. I take a bite of my own, nodding my head. I really did a good job.
She swallows her other bite, then bites her lip as she shifts in her seat.
“So, I sent an email to the hostel before I laid down, and they replied that they can get me booked in time for the conference,” she says, pulling her salad and bowl of olives closer. I stare, a frown tugging my mouth as she pops one into her mouth.
Hostel?
Something hot, fierce and protective rises up inside me while I quietly watch as oil from the olives pebble on her bottom lip before spilling over down her chin. Losing my mind, I reach over without thinking and wipe it off with my thumb, ignoring her breathless gasp and wide-eyed expression. Yetalsonoticing she doesn’t flinch or pull away from me, and God, that causes me the most pleasure of all.
Keeping my eye contact, she slowly places the napkin over the spot I’d just touched, as if in a trance. I work to regulate my sudden, ragged breathing.
Fuck girl, what on Earth are you doing to me?
My phone rings with Aurora's ringtone, startling us both out of the spell we've fallen under. Leaning to the side, I hurriedly pull it out before silencing it and setting it on the table. “No,” I answer automatically, as if my brain is on autopilot, “you'renotstaying at a hostel."
Thankfully, I have the sense to not sound like an asshole when I say it. Practice makes perfect.
Popping another bite of spaghetti in my mouth, I chew slowly, waiting for the response I know is coming because she's hardheaded.
I look down at my phone when it dings again.
Aurora: What the fuck's the matter with you? I feel nothing foryears,now all of a sudden you give me every fucking emotion in the span of three days. Do you even care I might fuck-up someone's life by nicking an artery?! I'll answer that for you:NO. You don't.
Aurora: So, is it the therapist? What's going on? Stop it.
I ignore my sister, who's more cold-hearted than I ever was, and watch Sarah sputter, amused at the flush rising in her pretty cheeks.
“Excuse me?”Sarah says with a half-laugh. “You don’t have any say in where I stay! I’m an adult, asingleadult!"
My eyes narrow because I don't like that for us.
Yes, there's going to be an us, but I continue to watch silently, letting her get her words out.
She continues, "We aren’t together. Iwill notbe staying with you.” Indignation colors her tone, but it doesn't bother me any.
