Chapter 10 #3
“Suspicious or thrilling? The devoted Keeper secretly consorting with the enemy. It has a certain forbidden appeal.”
“It has a certain ‘get me fired’ appeal,” I muttered, though without much conviction.
“Your risotto will be here in approximately three minutes,” Cipher said. “Plenty of time to decide if you want me to leave. Or stay.”
The way he said “stay” made it sound like so much more than sharing a meal.
I studied him across the table, suddenly suspicious. “Are you actually giving me a choice? Because that would be a first.”
“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t do everything through coercion and intimidation.” Cipher’s voice carried that hint of amusement that always made me question whether I was in on the joke or the butt of it. “If you want me to leave, I’ll go.”
I sighed. I knew he was probably only giving me the illusion of choice. “Fine. You can stay. Against my better judgment, which seems to be my default setting lately.”
“Your better judgment is overrated.”
“My better judgment keeps me employed.”
The waiter appeared with my risotto, setting it down with a flourish before retreating again. The rich aroma of mushrooms and truffle oil made my stomach growl.
“Eat,” Cipher said, gesturing toward my plate. “Before your stomach stages a full rebellion.”
I didn’t need to be told twice. I took a bite and nearly moaned at the explosion of flavors.
The waiter returned with Cipher’s wagyu. The steak was a work of art. Perfectly seared, resting on a bed of something colorful.
Cipher didn’t even glance at it. His attention remained fixed on me as I savored another bite of risotto.
“You didn’t wear blue,” he said.
“Observant as always.”
“I specifically requested blue.”
“And I specifically decided not to care.” I took another bite, letting the earthy flavors of wild mushroom coat my tongue.
He tilted his head slightly. “The red suits you.”
I snorted. “Valor disagrees. According to him, this dress is too tight across my hips and this shade of red makes me look like I’m recovering from the flu.”
“He said that to you?” his voice was full of ice.
“In the elevator on the way up.” I shrugged, aiming for casual despite the sting that lingered from Valor’s critique. “Apparently I’m also hunching, my hair is a disaster, and I fidget too much with my hands.”
“Your hands are perfect,” Cipher said immediately. He paused, and I felt the weight of his assessment, tracing the curves the red fabric hugged.
“Valor wouldn’t know beauty if it slapped him across his photogenic face.”
I felt heat rise to my cheeks. “You haven’t even touched your food.”
“I’m enjoying something far more appetizing.”
I rolled my eyes to cover my flustered reaction. “That line actually work on women?”
“I don’t use lines.” The certainty in his voice was infuriating. “And I’m not trying to seduce you with empty flattery. The dress is stunning. You’re stunning in it. End of observation.”
I stabbed another mushroom. “You’re impossible.”
“So I’ve been told.” He finally cut into his steak, the knife slicing through with minimal resistance. “Repeatedly. Usually by you.”
I took another sip of wine to hide my smile. Despite everything, the fake date, Valor’s wandering hands, the absolute inappropriateness of dining with my ex who was also my boss’s Nemesis, I felt myself relaxing.
“I’m surprised you didn’t hack the kitchen too,” I said, gesturing toward his steak. “Make sure they prepared it to your exacting specifications.”
“Bold of you to assume I didn’t.” Cipher cut another perfect slice but didn’t bring it to his mouth. “The chef received very specific instructions regarding temperature and seasoning.”
“Of course he did. Heaven forbid anything in your life isn’t precisely controlled.”
“Not everything. You’ve always been wonderfully unpredictable.”
“Is that what we’re calling my disastrous decision-making these days? Unpredictable?”
“I find it refreshing. Most people are tediously predictable.”
Without warning, Cipher reached across the table and took my wine glass. The movement was casual. He turned the glass slowly, examining the rim where my red lipstick had left a perfect imprint.
My breath caught as he raised the glass to his lips, deliberately placing his mouth exactly where mine had been. He took a slow sip, his throat working as he swallowed.
It shouldn’t be hot. Why was that hot?
“Do you like it?” he asked, his voice lower than before.
I blinked. “What?”
“The wine.” He set the glass back in front of me, his fingers lingering on the stem. “Do you like it?”
“Oh. Yes.” My voice came out embarrassingly breathless. “It’s good.”
I stared at the lipstick mark on the glass, now joined by the invisible imprint of his mouth. Something about that shared point of contact felt absurdly intimate.
I took another sip, hyperaware of placing my lips exactly where his had been moments before. The wine tasted different somehow, richer, more complex.
God, get it together, Bishop. It’s just a glass of wine.
I scraped the last bits of risotto from my plate, savoring the final bite. Despite the astronomical price tag, the portion had been roughly the size of a hockey puck. My stomach rumbled in quiet protest.
Cipher pushed his plate across the tablecloth until it rested directly in front of me.
“Eat,” he said.
I eyed the perfectly seared wagyu. The meat glistened, pink in the center and crusted with herbs along the edges. “You ordered a two-hundred-dollar steak and you aren’t going to touch it?”
“I ordered it because your Hero spent forty-five minutes feeding his own ego while ignoring your basic needs.” Cipher leaned forward.
“Your breathing hitched at the twenty-minute mark. You started doing that subtle tapping motion against your chair leg, a clear indicator your blood sugar was dropping. When your appetizer finally arrived, you chewed those pathetic pieces of burrata far longer than necessary just to trick your stomach into feeling full.”
I froze. The volume of data he collected about my physical state while sitting across a crowded dining room was terrifying.
“Valor didn’t notice a single goddamn thing,” Cipher continued. “He touched you like he had a right to, and then he let you starve. I don’t let what’s mine go hungry. Pick up your fork, Bishop.”
“You need to eat too,” I insisted, pushing the plate back toward him. “When was the last time you had an actual meal?”
“I’m not hungry. I’d rather watch you eat.”
“Fine.” I pulled the plate toward me and noted the perfectly cut pieces.
I took a bite and couldn’t suppress a small sound of appreciation. The meat practically melted on my tongue, rich and buttery.
“Good?” he asked, his voice rougher than before.
“Yes, it is.”
“I like watching you take what I give you,” he said quietly. “Always have.”
Christ. I took another bite to hide my flustered reaction, wondering how eating a steak had suddenly become the most erotic activity of my week.
I needed to develop better immunity to villainous charm. Or any immunity, really.
“You’re staring,” I said between bites.
“Yes.”
“It’s distracting.”
“Good. I want you distracted. I want you thinking about me instead of him.”
I snorted. “Trust me, I don’t think about Valor at all unless I’m contractually obligated to.”
“Then what are you thinking about right now?”
“The mountain of paperwork waiting for me tomorrow.” I took another bite of steak, avoiding his gaze. “Havoc’s schedule for next week. Whether my dry cleaning will be ready on time.”
“Liar.” The word was soft but absolute. “Your pulse is elevated. Your pupils are dilated. And you’re gripping that fork like it’s the only thing keeping you anchored to this table.”
I swallowed hard. Damn him and his observational skills.
“You’re thinking about my mouth.” His voice was matter-of-fact. “About where else I might put it besides that wine glass. You’re remembering how it felt against your neck, your breasts. How I made you come with just my tongue while you begged for more.”
Heat flooded my face, my body betraying me with a sharp intake of breath.
“That’s what I thought.” Cipher sat back. “Paperwork, Bishop? You’ll have to lie better than that.”
Before I could think of a response, the sound of shattering glass and screaming pierced through our private bubble as two dark figures plummeted through an opening in the ceiling, their impact with the floor sending tables flying.
The screams intensified, punctuated by the distinctive sound of an energy weapon powering up.
Oh crap.