15. Birthday Cake and Chocolate Shakes #2
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 it really hit 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.
Gourmet snack-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.
I knew I shouldn’t, but I reached for the leg of her chair anyway, dragging her towards me—watching her eyes flare as I pulled her legs between my spread knees.
“ Prove it. ” I murmured, waiting in pulse-thrumming anticipation as I pushed her water across the countertop.
“Show me you can be a good girl and drink every last drop.” I challenged whisper soft.
She searched my eyes, lips parted on a retort that never made it past her lips.
“ I dare you. ” I hummed low and egged her on, knowing I had her. “Unless you don’t know how, Rookie. ” I smirked as something electric hummed in the air between us.
Oh so slowly, nervously, Sara picked up the bottle, and my eyes dropped to her lips as she tipped the bottle against that temptingly smart mouth of hers in compliance—watching as that slender throat worked while she swallowed.
“Atta girl.” I murmured breathlessly. “But I know you can take a little more, can’t you?” Sara’s eyes went wide as I rasped. “Unless you need me to teach you how.”
“Sorry about that.” Gina tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder as she slid back onto the barstool on the other side of Sara.
Sara jumped so hard that she nearly fell off the stool, and I only grinned, steadying her back into her seat as she sputtered water everywhere. Checkmate.
Sarah was coughing as Gina spread some caviar on a chive blini and popped it into her mouth. “What I’d miss?”
“Nothing at all.” I said casually, sliding Sara a wink that made her narrow her eyes.
Sara rested an elbow on the counter and leaned on her hand, scratching her face with her middle finger— subtly flipping me off.
There she is. I dropped my gaze and suppressed a smile.
“Dinner’s ready.” Liam announced and tipped his head, motioning for us to follow him into the dining room as he headed that way with several plates in hand.
I followed behind Sara and purred into her ear, “Don’t think this is over, pretty girl. I want you to drink every last drop, and swallow, like the good girl I know you are.” I smirked as she nearly tripped, but I was right there to catch her, and I always would be.
The most beautiful plates of food were spread across the flower-dressed table, soft music played in the background, and candles flickered all around us.
“Birthday girl first.” Gina beamed, inviting Sara to start us off.
Liam and I exchanged a look while we waited with bated breath to see what Sara would serve herself. She gingerly took a very small amount from the dishes directly in front of her and then quickly passed the plates to Gina.
Liam wasted no time. “Here, have some of this too.” He plopped a comically large pile of shredded meat onto Sara’s plate before she could object, and I passed a few more plates towards Liam to aid in the effort.
Gina, to my frustration, uncorked yet another bottle of wine, topping everyone off, and I realized Liam and Gina were definitely not on the same page regarding Sara. Had they even discussed this at all? They were usually so in sync.
After the girls had served themselves, I loaded up my plate, and Liam did the same, keeping a bright smile on his face as we worked overtime to keep the conversation light and easy.
“This is so cute,” Gina commented halfway through the meal. “It’s like a little double date.”
My chest tightened as Liam scoffed. “Hardly. Carter isn’t Sara’s type.” He shot a look at me. “And she’s definitely not yours.”
I felt Sara’s gaze flick up to me for a millisecond, but I didn’t dare look back. I was still on thin ice from Thanksgiving.
Throughout dinner, Sara made a good effort of looking like she was eating, but by the end, I knew she’d just pushed most of the food around on her plate.
The only thing she had finished was her wine, because Gina kept refilling everyone’s damn glasses the moment they’d emptied.
After dinner, we all crammed onto the deep-seated sofa with Liam and me on the ends, and the girls in the middle, but about ten minutes into the movie—Gina leaned over to Liam and whispered something before they disappeared down the hallway and didn’t return.
Sara brushed against me as she quickly reached for the remote and cranked the volume up, muttering, “When Gina’s in town, they’re like this every freaking night. ”
I chuckled and laid my arm over the back of the couch. “I guess that means it’s just you and me now, birthday girl.”
“Guess so.” Sara’s eyes darted to mine and then quickly away, not full of so much tease now that we were actually alone.
There was a heavy thump from down the hallway and then a muffled squeal from Gina, and a deep laugh from Liam.
“Let it begin.” Sara groaned and turned the TV up a little more.
A few minutes later, Sara started stuffing pillows around herself, and when she finally settled, I smiled to myself, knowing she was the tiniest bit closer. Her head was almost resting in the crook of my arm, where it draped over the back of the couch, and I didn’t mind one bit.
Throughout the entire movie, we awkwardly tried to ignore the moans that carried down the hallway, some louder than others—until a muffled scream from Gina cut through the chorus of thumping.
“Oh my God! I’m about to stab a Q-tip into my ear, so I never have to hear them again.” Sara groaned, “She’s gotta be faking that, right—I’ve never heard someone sound like that in my life.”
I opened my mouth, and then immediately shut it— nope, not even remotely appropriate. “Probably.” I muttered, trying to ignore what she’d just unknowingly admitted to me. Motherfucker.