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“For the band?” I inquire, watching the staff shove about a dozen different desserts into a paper bag.
“Hell no. They can buy their own stuff.”
I fumble for my card, but he pushes it back into the slot in my wallet before I can fully remove it. Then he takes my wallet and reaches around to tuck it into my back pocket.
“My treat.”
It’s a quick move—he’s a breath away, and then we’re apart again—but I can’t help the rush of warmth to my cheeks and neck at the thought of his hands on my body. Is he rough or gentle in bed, I wonder? How many lovers has he had? Probably more than I can count.
I clamp my teeth together. Okay, where in the good god fuck did those thoughts come from? Who’s gatekeeping in my head right now?
My silence and awkward movements have to be an embarrassment for him as we gather up our drinks and treats. He guides us over to a corner table by the front windows in view of the car. When he sits across from me, he’s wearing a comfortable smile, oblivious to the chaos I embody emotionally and physically.
Damn, he has such an addictive smile. It’s worn in like he never travels without it.
He begins rifling through the bag with enthusiasm, setting out each dessert with a gleam of hunger in those stunning amber irises. “I’ve been wanting to hit up some cafes here. I swear this tour is going to be the death of me. Hope you don’t mind that I ordered for us. I got a bit carried away.”
“Um…” I shake my head. His gaze holds me, a flash of worry there. What does he see reflected back at him? Can he see the hole where my soul used to be? The splinters of my fractured heart?
Nothing he sees could be of worth.
I am nobody.
Panic starts to creep in, and my brain fumbles for an exit strategy. But then he reaches out to brush his calloused thumb over the back of my hand. My eyes shoot wide open, electricity sparking from the point of contact.
This time, Hail is the one to blush as he pulls his hand away, and my heart springs into action, bouncing around in my chest. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. Your skin looks so soft. Is that a weird thing to say?” His hand raises to tug at his longer patch of hair, lifting it enough for me to glimpse the black and silver rings and delicate chains adorning his ear. “Don’t answer that. It’s weird as hell.”
A soft laugh escapes me and we both relax into our chairs. “S’okay. I don’t mind.”
Boundaries, Z. Why are you not enforcing them?
His brilliant smile embraces me like a warm summer day. Drinking him in is better than sugar melting on my tongue. He’s bliss personified. He’s off fucking limits.
“So, was today a coincidence?” he asks, slouching in his chair as he bites into a mini bakewell tart.
I shift in my seat, tearing my gaze from his slightly pointed canines before twisted fantasies take over all brain function and cause me to erupt into flames.
Do I admit the truth? He’s definitely caught me admiring him more than once now.
“Not exactly,” I say, fingertips pressing into the tender spots beneath my kneecaps.
His head tilts in question, and he waits patiently for me to continue as he chews through a piece of sponge cake next. No way he can eat his way through all these desserts.
“I was… curious. Your skills are impressive.”
“But.” His tone is suddenly sharp.
Turning my attention fully back on him, I lift my hands in mock surrender. “Just stating a fact.”
“But my lyrics are nothing like yours.” He leans back in his chair once more, sucking each finger into his mouth to clean them. God, does he even realise what he’s doing to me? How effortlessly sexy he is?
“I didn’t say that.” I shake my head a bit frantically. Did I offend him somehow? My brain cycles back through all of our interactions, seeking an answer and finding none. I’ve never been good at conversations, one of many reasons I usually try to avoid them.
“No. I am,” Hail clarifies. “My lyrics are nothing like what you create. Liam agrees. You are raw talent. You’re on another level, Z.”
Nerves buzzing, I reach for the double chocolate cupcake as a distraction. His eyes dip to my mouth and linger there as I take a bite. My heart rate spikes as he reaches out to swipe his thumb over my bottom lip. He pulls it back, smeared in chocolate, and sucks this into his mouth, too.
I freeze.Okay, dick. I can’t be mad at you this time.
