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He watched me get dressed, then said, “We can go after breakfast.”
“Cool,” I said as I grabbed my phone, shoving it into the waistband of my shorts instead of my pockets. “Ready?”
I immediately started to shove my feet into the closest pair of shoes.
And, seeing as they were my Chucks, it required me to sit down to do it after I realized how futile it was to attempt while standing up.
“I take that as a yes,” he rumbled.
I looked up at him with a smile. “It’s nearly ten o’clock. When you said that you were starting ‘late morning’ I thought like nine, or even eight. But not ten.”
“Sorry,” he chuckled. “But I had some things to do this morning. Sorry for the miscommunication.”
I got my shoes tied and I was standing, heading for the door.
He followed me but stopped before my door closed and said, “Do you have your key card? I forgot to grab mine.”
I twisted and grabbed it off the little minibar that was right behind the door, getting perilously close to his body as I did.
Seven years ago, when things with Benji had gotten so bad, I’d thought that I’d never feel attraction ever again.
But then I’d seen Hannibal for the first time, and I realized that maybe that part of me wasn’t dead.
That maybe, just maybe, I might be able to be a normal person again one day.
Sure, I’d worked past the part of me that couldn’t stand human touch.
I’d also managed to have sex again.
What I hadn’t managed to do was find someone I liked having sex with.
With Benji, sex was just a necessary evil.
With Hannibal, I felt like it probably wouldn’t be that way.
And based on how it felt to rub up against him, I knew that it was highly likely.
“Got it,” I said slightly breathless.
He moved until I was directly behind him, then we walked down to the elevator. The elevator was a short ride to the bottom floor, and just as the doors opened, his phone rang. I slowed down so he could continue his conversation as we walked into the hotel dining area. He finished his call as the hostess told us to sit wherever we’d like.
We were one of four people, and two of them were already eating at a table across the room.
Once in the room, we both went different directions.
Him to the healthy side, and me to the carb side.
When we both were seated at the table he’d chosen, I laughed at seeing his plate full of fruits and oatmeal. “Health freak much?”
He eyed my state-shaped waffle and cup of Froot Loops. “Diabetes much?”
I shrugged. “I have a great metabolism. I’ll keep eating like this as long as my body keeps allowing me to.”
“Hmm,” he murmured as he picked up his fork and went to town on his fruit.
It looked good, I’d give him that. But not nearly as good as the waffle shaped like Missouri.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” I asked.
He finished up a handful of blueberries before saying, “We’ll go back to Crew’s place. Talk to him. Figure out where you’ll fit best. Then we’ll get you started this evening, bringing you back in when the place opens.”
We talked about logistics, then discussed how we’d act tonight.
When I’d continued with another bite of Missouri, I placed the fork down and groaned, patting my belly. I wasn’t giving up, but I needed a breather.
“I hope you know that every single outfit that’s worn at Vegas Royale is freakin’ skimpy.” He eyed the belly I was patting. “And unforgiving.”
I snorted. “The one good thing in my life is food, bro. I don’t care if I walk out there with a gut. I’m not gonna stop eating.”
“I’m glad for that,” he said as he watched me eat, amused. “Now, let’s talk about your role and my role in this. I was giving it a lot of thought last night, and I think I have a good solution.”
I shoved a huge bite of waffle into my mouth and waited for him to explain.
He didn’t disappoint.
“I’m thinking this,” he said as he eyed me up and down. “We act like we’re boyfriend and girlfriend.”
My eyes widened as I quickly cleaned the syrup off my chin.
“You want to act like what kind of boyfriend and girlfriend?” I asked. “New relationship? Old?”
“Established enough that it wouldn’t be weird that I’m following you to your job, and also, I want you to ask in front of the others once Crew ‘hires you’ for him to find me a job, too. I’ll suggest something menial like janitorial services. That way I have a reason to be everywhere. And if I’m not doing my ‘job,’ oh well.”
I cut my waffle bite into a smaller piece this time, shoved it into my mouth, chewed and swallowed before saying, “I could probably make that work. Just know that I’m not performing any acts naked. That’s a very hard limit for me. Also, a hard limit is wearing anything that is less than what I had on when you saw me first thing this morning.”
