“Not joking. Say the word, sweetheart.”
Oh, that red blush was so fucking sexy, he nearly licked his lips, aching to taste the warmth, but he acted like a normal guy and not one with the most deviant thoughts floating in front of his eyes. He took the tall stool opposite her.
After the first bite of food, Lisa groaned. And instead of the compliment he thought she’d give him, she said, “I have a bone to pick with you, Ryan Gold.”
“What did I do? Whatever it is, I’m probably innocent; I just have a guilty-looking face.”
“Your face looks guilty because you did it.” Another forkful of food went into her mouth, and something stirred through Splice’s gray matter. He could not be jealous of a fork. That was a new low for him, but his eyes were glued to her mouth, watching the delicate morsels she directed through her pink lips.
“I had to tell Nina how we knew each other today, in the hospital, of all places, because of how you were staring at me. She noticed and wanted to know what it was about.”
A smirk twitched up his lips. Putting an elbow on the island, he leaned closer. “Did you tell her all the scandalous details?”
Fuck him, she had! Look at that hot blush lighting up her face. He’d bet his house Nina knew exactly how close he and Lisa had gotten.
“Of course not,” she denied, avoiding his eyes.
“I don’t mind if you do.”
“You shouldn’t have been staring at me at all.” She gave a sexy little huff, pretending she was mad at him. Was she? He could go along with that.
“It was staring at you or Axel. And you’re prettier.”
Lisa snorted, setting the fork aside now that she’d finished eating. “Hardly.”
Jealousy came swiftly without an invitation, punching him square in the torso. Did she find Axel attractive?
Splice’s list now included firebombing Primo’s apartment and kicking Axel in his pretty fucking face.
Great.Terrific. He’d have no brothers-in-arms left at this rate.
Splice decided the only course was to never have Lisa around any of his club brothers again.
Lisa didn’t know Splice had eavesdropped on her and Nina that night, so he was in a privileged position to tease her about the details. “Was Nina surprised about how you seduced me out of my jeans?”
Lisa’s head whipped up, and her almond-shaped eyes enlarged so comically he swallowed his laughter.
“I think you’re rewriting history. And I didn’t disclose the details to Nina.”
Not today, Splice added silently. But that drunken night, Lisa had spilled it all about her younger fling.
“I can fill her in. I don’t mind.” He dared to say, and her eyes flared across the marble island at him. Splice was practically licking the inside of his teeth because of how gorgeous she was.
“You dare, Ryan!”
Oh, she was right in his hands now. He loved it. Drumming his fingers deliberately in front of her, so her eyes dropped to watch, because she used to love playing with his veiny hands and arms, he wanted to remind her of that.
“I think I need some incentive not to run my mouth with all the filthy details about when you’d tie me to...”
“Ryan!” She hurled a cloth napkin at him, and he caught it easily.
“I’m easily bought, sweetheart. Try me.”
“Fine,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ll buy you a coffee next time I see you.”
“No deal.”
She blinked. “Why the hell not?”
