The bastard doesn’t so much as flinch. He licks his lips. “Oops, somebody is feeling tetchy.”
“Do you want to order anything?” she asks, pointing her pencil in my direction, but she’s staring down at her notepad like it’s offended her.
“Look at me,” I hiss on a demand.
When she slowly draws her eyes up to mine, my heart skips a beat. Her gaze pleads with me not to make a scene, not to humiliate her like I was planning on doing, not to demand for Reggie to fire her ass right in front of her customers, and those green orbs of hers pull on something I never knew existed.
Instead of answering her, I remain transfixed in her orbit, lost for words at her beauty. Her eyes draw me in, tugging on my heart as her vulnerability seeps from her, and in this moment, I want to protect her, whisk her into my arms, and declare to the world she’s mine. My thoughts and judgment are clouded. For a split second, she’s no longer the enemy; she’s the woman I want to fuck, the one woman I want to keep around. The one I want to swell with my baby.
But she’s the one I hate.
When she moves her attention to Venom, it breaks our trance, and she takes my breath with her. I’m relieved for the reprieve of being entrapped in her presence, and I silently reassure myself I need to keep on target.
“How about you?”
He licks his lips and stares down at the menu, and I’m grateful that at least one brother isn’t drooling all over her. “Double cheeseburger, darlin’, fries and a Coke. Get the dumbass the same.” He’s talking about me, and I’m grateful he ordered me something even though I know I won’t be able to eat it.
Not when I have something far tastier on offer.
CASSIDY
I’ve been feeling him at night. He was in my room, inside me. Whispering promises coupled with threats of violence in my ear while I floated between subconsciousness. I’ve been prescribed sleeping pills for years now, but only take half the prescribed dose, too worried Noah will wake in the night needing me. He might not be aware of it, but I feel almost every move he makes, and those words he whispers, the vulnerable ones, I long to hear them. So, I remain in my sleeping form, allowing him to take what he needs. As messed up as it is, I find solace in him seeking pleasure from me.
Now, I can’t believe he’s here. Having to wait on his table is hell, and I chew on my lip, contemplating asking Jolie to switch tables with me while I wait for their orders to come out.
“Order up!” Reggie declares, and I glance around the packed restaurant. I’m going to have to do this. I pull my shoulders back and take the tray, hoping and praying I don’t fall on my ass as I walk toward the table. He has me on edge. His handsome face and that chiseled jawlinemake me want to stroke over his stubble. His body commands mine to please him, despite how much his mind objects, and we’re drawn to one another in a way we shouldn’t be, creating a ferocity of sexual chemistry I never knew existed.
Their loud voices and laughter can be heard above all other customers. My footing wavers as I approach, and a hushed silence sweeps over the table when I place the tray down. It should make me self-conscious, but instead, I’m grateful for their silence. At least this way, there’re no questions or unwanted jibes.
“Here we go,” I say before I begin handing out the food. When I get to Killa’s, he grabs a hold of my wrist and pulls it toward him. Fear grips me. I don’t like him knowing my insecurities, and when his blue eyes zero in on the scars there, I waste no time in snatching it back. Grateful he remains silent, I push his burger and Coke across the table to him.
“Can I get you guys anything else?” I ask.
Slash opens his mouth, and it doesn’t surprise me. “Yeah, can you just—” A thump sounds beneath the table and is swiftly followed up by his grimace. “Motherfucker!”
Killa’s focus shifts to mine, and he folds his arms over his broad chest. His muscles pull his T-shirt tight, and I don’t miss the way his biceps bulge. Jesus, he’s hot, and I want to touch him. All over. “Didn’t want any onion.” He sneers, shocking me silent for a moment.
“Then take it off,” I snap back.
“Didn’t order it.” His eyes are daring. He’s being an ass on purpose, and irritation flashes through me.
“You didn’t order anything at all. Your friend did.” I motion toward the broad-shouldered one. Venom.
“Would you like me to do it for you?” I give him a supercilious smile.
“I bet he has a lot of things he’d like you to do for him,” one of them says, but I’m unsure which, too lost in the stare-off with Killa.
“Cassidy, can you take table three’s order, please?” Reggie calls, breaking my focus.
I glance over my shoulder toward my boss and deliver him an award-winning smile. “Sure.” Then I turn to collect the tray from the table just as Killa bites into the burger. “Don’t choke on it,” I mumble, and walk away.
KILLA
“Don’t choke on it,” she mumbles as she walks away, so low I know I’m not meant to hear it. And I’m already plotting every way she’s going to choke on my cock for the snarky comment.
I needed a reminder to punish her, and she gave me the perfect one.
Raider leans over the table. “You’ve gone from looking like you want to devour her, to looking like you want to kill her.”
