Chapter 16 #3
“No way, Mia, you haven’t eaten all day.
You need to eat something.” His arms fall away, and he strides toward the buffet like a man on a mission.
His brow still furrowed, he opens and closes boxes until he finds one he likes, but instead of putting a couple of slices on a plate, he brings the entire box back over to me.
“Come on, let’s go.” He grabs my hand and tugs me to the pool beds, dropping down to sit on the one labeled with our names.
I step over the center console meant to hold drinks and snacks to settle on the other side, when his grip on my hand tightens.
“Where you goin’, Angel?”
“I was just gonna sit down.” I wave my hand to the other side of our pool bed, nodding pointedly at the way everyone else is sitting.
“Nope.” He pops the P, his eyes locked with mine.
“What do you mean, nope? I’m not just gonna stand here, Swayze. I think I’ve put on enough of a show today.”
“I mean, nope.”
With that, he tugs me to him, knocking me off balance as he wraps an arm around my waist. Next thing I know, I’m sitting between his splayed legs.
“That’s better. This is where you sit when we’re out here.” His rough, bossy tone screams dominant, and I go from embarrassment to excitement in half a second. I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t find that as hot as I do.
He leans over, flipping open the pizza box to reveal a mouth-watering cheese and pineapple pizza—my favorite.
Picking up a slice, he holds it to my lips. “Eat.” His steely gaze locks onto mine, face serious, leaving no room for argument.
My eyes scan the group and immediately connect with Pete’s, where his face twists into a vile sneer.
Pursing my lips, I shake my head at Swayze and catch the victorious grin crossing the asshole's face.
What the fuck am I doing? I’m still letting him control me.
“Angel, you need to eat.” Swayze’s hand sinks into my hair, his thumb tracing my bottom lip as he brings his face down to mine, his eyes studying me. “Please.”
My heart stutters and restarts, and I part my lips.
His mouth kicks up in a tiny smile watching me take a tiny bite.
I chew while he stares, his eyes dropping to my lips when I open them to take another. A satisfied rumble comes from his chest, the tip of his tongue peeking out to run along his bottom lip.
Oh hello. That low throb that had all but disappeared, is back and ready to party.
Eating pizza should not be this sexy.
We’ve eaten pizza together a thousand times.
But it’s never been like this.
Let alone eating it when I know I’m being watched by the scowling asshole who hardwired all my food hang-ups into me.
This should be a nightmare, not an audition for food porn 101.
Get it together, girl.
Our moms’ voices drift over, gushing over how cute we look. I’m pretty sure the words in love and wolf cubs are being thrown around like confetti too.
Jesus, Mom.
Swayze holds up a second slice to my lips, catching me totally off guard because I don’t remember finishing the first.
“Hey, you don’t need to do that.” I tug the slice from his hand. “Where’s yours? You need to eat too, ‘Ze.”
“I’m good right here, Angel. I’ll just steal a slice of yours when you’re done.”
“But you don’t like pineapple pizza? Let me go grab you a pepperoni, there might be some left.” I shuffle to stand but his hand clamps down on my thigh, halting my movements. With a wide grin, he leans forward and takes a huge bite out of the slice hanging limply in my hand.
“I said I’m good, babe.”
Swayze is firmly team pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza.
How is he eating it right now?
My cheeks flush watching him happily chew, his rough hand still hot despite the fabric on my thigh.
I hesitantly offer him the rest of the slice—to his hand, not his mouth in case you were wondering—and ignore the way his brows drop lower as he lifts his hand from my thigh. The second he takes the slice from me I spin away, needing to break whatever the hell this thing is.
The infinity pool trails off in front of us, disappearing into the sparkling Aegean Sea reflecting the late evening sun. The sky's just starting to turn with streaks of pink and orange bleeding into the blue.
Leaning back, I force myself to ignore our moms—who have progressed to hypothetical wedding planning—and relax against Swayze’s chest, staring out onto the water.
Closing my eyes, I suck in a deep breath, and finally my brain starts to quiet after all the emotional whiplash.
Exhaling, I release all the tension I’ve been carrying with me for weeks.
Swayze's free hand falls to my bare thigh, exposed by the slit in my dress and grips it possessively.
Tonight’s showdown didn’t go the way I’d planned, but at least the awkward first encounter is over. I’ve got two weeks to put Pete in his place.
Right now, I want to try and enjoy this moment.
Eli and Fur’s “Oceanside" starts playing low on speakers around us, adding to the dreamlike vibe that’s taking over.
Swayze’s thumb traces circles on my inner thigh, drawing me in until I’m nestling further into his broad chest to watch the sunset.
His free arm snakes around my waist, pulling me flush against him, as his lips brush my neck, before trailing down to my bare shoulder.
The move makes me shiver.
Despite everything that’s happened, this isn’t the worst way to end the first day.
If anything, it’s almost a little too close to perfect for something so fake.