“You didn’t text back,” she says, blinking too fast. “And now I see why.”
She finally looks at me.
And freezes.
“Lila?”
I blink, recognition catching up slower than it should. “Sabrina Hayes?”
She laughs once. “Wow. I didn’t expect to seeyouagain. Ever. This is…different.”
“Isn’t it,” I say flatly.
Her eyes drop to my chest, then to my stomach, then she tilts her head with fake sympathy. “You’ve filled out.”
“Yeah,” I say, picking up my wine again. “Turns out when you stop starving yourself for a dance team that doesn’t pay and a boyfriend who cheats with your roommate, you actually grow hips. You should try it.”
Ethan’s fork is down. His voice is dry as stone. “You have thirty seconds to walk away.”
She ignores him. “Just surprised, is all. You always seemed so—small. And now you’re, well. Comfortable. Everywhere.”
I smile. “And yet somehow I still look better than you.”
Her mouth opens, but Ethan’s already motioning. Security materializes beside her like they were just waiting for the signal.
“Escort Ms. Hayes out,” Ethan says, calmly. “She’s not welcome here again.”
Sabrina gapes. “You’re serious?”
“You interrupted my date, insulted my guest, and embarrassed yourself. I’d say you did all the heavy lifting.”
She sputters something about knowing the owner, but the guards are already moving. She’s gone before I can finish another sip.
Ethan looks at me.
“You okay?”
“I’m great,” I say, with a shrug. “You gonna turn that thing back on or do I have to beg again?”
His eyes darken. “You’re unbelievable.”
“You started it.”
He leans in, voice low. “And I’m going to finish it. But not until dessert.”
Once we’ve finished the mains, dessert comes out—chocolate cake with a side of berry compote and Hokkaido milk ice cream. The cake melts on my tongue, dense and rich, and I barely register the fork until the buzz starts again.
My gasp is immediate. Ethan watches me like he’s memorizing every twitch, every breath.
“Breathe through it,” he murmurs silkily, between spoonfuls of ice cream.
I grip the table with one hand, the dessert fork in the other, and try to keep my spine straight as my thighs shake. The vibration pulses on. I bring another bite to my mouth, but my hand falters just as the pressure spikes. I moan into the cake, cheeks flushed, eyes wide. He doesn’t look away, and I’m almost afraid thediners at the table beside us are going to hear me, but I can’t stop myself.
I come hard, shaking silently, the taste of chocolate still coating my tongue as the pleasure crashes through me like a wave I never saw coming.
Ethan finally lowers the dial. “Good girl.”
I blink twice, trying to remember where we are. My body’s boneless. My brain scrambled. He signals for the check like we didn’t just cross a very specific line in public.
