Uncomfortable being the center of attention, I glance down at the food in front of me. Not wanting to throw up again by eating something that doesn’t agree with me, I lean forward and take a hesitant sniff. The delicious smells have my stomach gurgling, and I realize just how much I miss food.
As a human, I mostly ate to keep my body functioning. I didn’t have much money to splurge on extras, but I loved a good salad and medium-rare steak. And crisp vegetables. Not to mention mouthwatering, gooey desserts.
If given a choice, I would totally be a food junkie and make myself seven-course meals every day. I honestly can’t remember the last meal that I ate.
It’s enough to make me weep.
I must have been staring at the food too long, because the table around me has gone silent. Castle leans closer, wrapping me up in the comfort of his arms. Obviously impatient, Tobias reaches for my fork and viciously stabs a chunk of meat from my plate and brings it up to my mouth.
A slight furrow appears between his brows as he concentrates on his task, and my heart turns to mush. I dutifully open my mouth, and flavors explode on my tongue. I moan and chew slowly, wanting to extract every ounce of pleasure from it, before I reluctantly to swallow.
I adore food, and I don’t want to discover that this will be my last bite.
A tiny smile dances around Milo’s face, his green eyes glimmering with some emotion I can’t name as he watches me eat. I would almost say that he looks smitten. It should feel awkward, but it’s different with Milo. I kind of like being the center of his attention.
I swallow carefully, holding my breath, waiting with a sinking heart for my stomach to rebel. With the blood, it happened almost instantly. My attention is unwittingly drawn toward Stanton, and something inside me settles under his steady gaze.
I’m distracted when a fork full of delicious steamed vegetables hovers just inches from my lips. I turn to see Tobias holding the fork aloft with an insistent expression, and I dutifully open my mouth. Now that I know I’m not going to be sick, I chew faster and snatch the fork from him.
We play tug-of-war for a few seconds before he finally relinquishes it. A cute little scowl darkens his face as he pouts before he gives a defeated sigh and digs into his own meal. Even as I shovel in my food, I can’t take my eyes away from the way he devours his meal.
His hunger is so visceral that it reminds me of a different type of appetite, and I shift in my seat.
Only to have Castle’s hand slip from my hip to my thigh. I pause chewing, not even sure I’m breathing, practically quivering when he tightens his grip, then leans down and speaks with a gruff voice. “Be a good girl and finish your plate, and maybe I’ll finish what I started.”
I suck in a startled breath, nearly choking on my food before I can swallow it. I twist, glancing at him over my shoulder, purposely grinding my ass against his cock as I do. A groan rumbles in his chest, and goose bumps pebble my skin at the husky sound. I cock an eyebrow at him and warn, “Just remember, two people can play that game.”
He blinks twice, as if trying to process my words, then a slow, roguish grin takes over his expression, while heat gives his green eyes a wicked gleam. “I can’t wait.”
My heart goespitter-patterat his sudden change, switching from earnest and serious to a sexy as fuck appearance so potent that it incinerates my panties with one look.
Well, if I were wearing panties.
The sharp screech of silverware on a plate jolts me back to the present, tearing me away from the impulse to swing my legs over his lap and straddle him to take what he’s offering.
I wilt, suppressing a disappointed sigh as I twist to face the table again. I avoid looking at anyone, knowing they’ve heard everything.
Stupid supernatural hearing.
“As much as I like the new seating arrangement, if you don’t want me to be distracted and choke on my food, I should go back to my own seat.” At Castle’s crestfallen expression, I lean up and kiss his cheek.
He takes advantage of my nearness and wraps his arms around me so tightly that my breath leaves my lungs. Instead of struggling, I rest my head against his shoulder. A shudder goes through him, as if I’m asking him to pull off his own skin. Just as I’m about to cave and tell him to forget it, he lifts me up and gently deposits me back in my own seat.
My ass barely hits the seat before he drags my chair closer, the discordant screech loud in the silence, and everyone winces. He studiously avoids my gaze, adjusting my chair until he’s satisfied, then he fusses with my plate next. He twists it this way and that, eyeing the distance from the plate to the edge of the table, then the distance I sit from them both, and starts the process all over again.
That continues for another minute before he grabs a napkin, shaking it out so hard that it snaps in the air before settling it on my lap. It’s like he doesn’t know what to do with himself, unable to settle now that I’m no longer within his grasp.
I catch his hand to stop his obsessing, and he stills dramatically, almost like he’s expecting to be smacked. When his eyes reluctantly flash up to mine, I give his hand a squeeze, then place it on my knee. He inhales sharply, his chest expanding with a rumble, his pupils dilating until it eats away the green of his eyes. Then his attention drops to his hand on my leg, and something in him eases at the touch. His grip tightens, his hold turning possessive, then he relaxes back in his chair.
Crisis averted.
It doesn’t take me long to clear my plate, and it has nothing to do with the incentive.
Okay, not much.
The food was fucking delicious, and I’m giddy that I’m able to still eat without getting sick. When I set down my fork, Castle notes the movement. His eyes take on a particular gleam, and his hand slowly skims up my thigh like he’s ready to reward me here and now.
And I can’t help but squirm in my seat.
