Silence #2
He sits to my right, Yale to my left, and Xavier across from me, and I cast a glance over my shoulder to the blonde man at the bar. His attention is on his drink, and I can’t help but stare as Zayden runs his fingertip up my dress and strokes my inner thigh.
“Do you know him?”
I’m jolted back to the moment, to the dinner table and Yale’s question.
I shake my head and snatch up the menu. “Probably a patient. I thought I recognized him.” Slamming my thighs together, I trap Zayden’s fingers, and he huffs a laugh.
Yale throws the man at the bar a frown, his chiseled jaw tight, and the stranger makes the mistake of glancing in our direction again. He quickly shifts his attention behind us, but Yale noticed. They all did. “He’s still looking over.”
My grip tightens on the menu. “Is he?”
“I bet I could kill him from here,” Xavier says, turning over a steak knife in his fingers, his attention firmly on my stranger. I bristle. “Yale, bet me twenty bucks and I’ll do it.”
“You do realize you’re thirty-one years old?
” I point out, and Xavier turns his glare on me.
It’s pointless to start this back-and-forth, but the mention of killing has soured my stomach.
It’s something we can’t avoid totally, but the last thing I need is to be reminded of what they do when I’ve spent my life trying to escape death and the devastation it leaves behind.
Xavier rests his elbows on the table, still holding the steak knife, green eyes piercing into me as sharply as the cutlery would. “You think you’re all grown up now, Q?”
“I think even ten years ago I was more mature than you.”
Yale snorts a laugh. “She has you there.”
Xavier’s steady gaze never leaves mine, and Zayden, the bastard that he is, shifts his finger to graze my clit. I almost jolt out of my seat.
“Speaking of ten years ago … remember when you weren’t in our lives and things were noticeably easier?”
My smile vanishes, and so does Yale’s. Xavier’s words used to hurt, but now they just piss me off. I drop the menu. “Why did you even come if you’re going to be a dick?”
“And miss your special day?”
“Enough.” Zayden’s voice rumbles through me, and seemingly the room, because some of the other guests glance over. He removes his hand from between my legs. “Can you cut your bullshit for one fucking day, Xavier? Shut your mouth, eat your steak, and smile.”
He rolls his eyes. “How can I eat my steak if my mouth is shut?”
Yale huffs. “I swear to God, X, if you ruin Silence’s night, I’ll kick your ass.”
“You haven’t kicked anyone’s ass in years,” Xavier hits back. “You wanna go? We can go.”
“Oh my God,” I hiss. “Everyone be quiet and let me order my chocolate spaghetti, or I’ll kick all your asses, and I won’t pay the bill.”
It takes a second for me to realize that it isn’t just our table that’s quiet. People are watching, and some look beyond disgusted.
“Causing trouble?” Grant says from beside me. Eager to move past the squabble, I squeal and hop to my feet, throwing my arms around his neck, and he picks me up. “Happy birthday, Q. You don’t look a day over exhausted.”
He places me down and I flick his cheek. He looks charming as always—dark blue suit, white shirt, dirty blonde hair cut short.
“X.” Grant takes the empty seat between Xavier and Zayden. “You couldn’t have worn a suit?”
“This coming from a man in a mismatched outfit.”
“It’s not mismatched.”
Xavier reads the menu. “The pants and jacket are a different shade of blue.”
Grant looks between us all. “Are they? Am I mismatched?”
“He’s fucking with you,” Yale says. “Ignore him.”
“Is he? Are you?” Grant looks helplessly at me. “Help me, Silence.”
I laugh and return my attention to the menu.
We order, we eat (the chocolate spaghetti was weird and delicious) and as the night moves on, I snuggle closer to Zayden. Xavier tells a story that I’ve heard a thousand times that still makes me laugh, Yale rolls his eyes, Grant cackles, and my husband pulls me closer.
“I love you,” he whispers.
I lean into him, breathing in his cologne, his warmth, his words. I’m buzzed from the alcohol, full from the meal, and so damn fucking happy.
But they’re just like him.
I usher the thought away as Zayden takes out his phone.
The message on the screen is a simple ivory bar, the number “7” in the middle.
My heart sinks, because I recognize that notification—work.
It’ll be from the mysterious Cleo, the voice behind the Agency.
I don’t eavesdrop when it comes to their work, but it’s been hard to avoid hearing her name—she seems to be able to do anything and knows everything, too. She’s a little like God.
Zayden unlocks his phone, and when the notification opens, he tenses. I glance between him and the message, but he’s stone-like.
“Everything okay?”
He recovers quickly and nods. “Fine, baby. Yale.” He tips his head toward the hotel lobby.
Yale’s smile fades and he stands, leaning down to kiss my cheek. “Sorry, Q.”
I nod and force a smile. Grant gives me an apologetic look as he leaves, too, and Xavier follows, more interested in his phone.
Zayden kisses my temple, and I look up at him. “Really? You have to work tonight?”
“I’m sorry. It’ll be quick.”
“It’s never quick. Can’t it wait?”
He shakes his head. “Not this. I’m sorry, baby.” He kisses me, dampening my anger with a slow, leisurely stroke of his tongue against mine. He tucks his hand behind my neck, angling my head to kiss down my throat.
“Not fair,” I grumble. “You can’t use the good moves on me when I’m trying to be pissed.”
He laughs softly against my neck, then lifts his head to nod at the man at the bar.
“Do you want him to be your birthday present?”
The noise of the restaurant dies away, my heart slamming into my ribcage. “Really?”
Zayden’s green eyes dance across my neckline, as if he can see the frantic pulse point in my neck.
“I booked us a room for tonight, anyway. I spoke to the manager when I spotted him staring at you, and he”—he nods again at the man— “has been here a few days for work. Cleo looked into his background, and everything checks out. The staff say he’s polite, tips well, always respectful.
A nice, normal guy who leaves tomorrow to go back home to his office job in Seattle.
” My heart is working overtime, because he’s done all the due diligence we said we would if we ever decided to do this.
I swallow. “He’s safe?”
“He is. Either way, I have access to every camera in this place from my phone, including a camera in the room. I’ll be watching you the whole time.”
I frown. “How?”
“Because I’ve had this room booked for a long time.
You know me, baby.” He grins. “Safety first. But it’s your choice, always.
Either way, you’re coming tonight. Several times.
” I laugh and bite my lip before glancing at the stranger.
This is a huge step. A terrifying one. We’ve discussed at length what our boundaries are, but this is real.
“Okay.” I let out a shaky breath. “So … I take him upstairs? What if your meeting runs over?”
“If I walk in and find his face between your thighs, I’d take great pleasure in joining in.
” I’m close to floating with desire, my body vibrating with the turn this night has taken.
A final kiss, this one capturing my heart and soul with it.
Desire pumps through me, and I no longer care that this public display of affection is likely offending the other customers.
I allow Zayden to devour me, to remind me with this kiss that no matter what happens, he loves me, and I love him.
When he lifts his lips from mine, he slips a keycard into my hand.
“Room nine-oh-five-five. Have fun, baby.”