Liar

Daniel choked on his water, not even bothering to hide his laughter.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Sir.”

“God, Kent, don’t make it weird and call me Sir. I’ve known you for years.”

I nudged Kent with my shoulder. “Yeah, Kent. Way to make it awkward.”

He glared softly at me. To everyone else, it was a cute stare, but to me, I saw the promise of what was to come tonight.

And I couldn’t wait.

But first, I needed to sit at our family dinner with my boyfriend and enjoy never hiding my love for him again.

A few months later

“Can you not cook anything?”

“Olivia. What about me living out of a hotel and eating at my parents says I’m a hidden culinary artist?” Kent deadpanned.

“It’s pasta, Kent,” she said like it explained everything. “Pasta.”

“It’s not, you can do it.”

She scoffed and stuttered over her words. “I—I’m still young. I have years to learn how to cook.”

She was so sexy when she put on the haughty, snobby, rich girl look. It made me all the more excited to dig underneath it and make her beg for me.

“You know what I’m good at,” I asked, tossing the pan of burnt noodles into the sink.

“We don’t have time for this,” she said, trying to glare, but I saw the spark of need flickering.

I stalked over, loving that she didn’t back away. By the time I reached her, her chest was heaving under her silky top. Wrapping my arm around her waist, I tugged her to me hard and leaned down to her ear, stroking my fingers along her thigh. “I do this thing with my fingers…”

“Uh-huh,” she breathed when I left her hanging.

“It’s called ordering in. I dial the number, and they make me what I want.”

She jerked back as far as I’d let her go and glared at me, slapping my chest when she saw me laughing.

“It’s our first dinner party together. I didn’t want to order in. And you’re a tease.”

“Says the girl in tight leather pants and some silky top with no bra.”

She shoved away from my chest and looked down at her chest like she’d find her shirt see-through. “I don’t need a bra.”

“It’s still a tease.” We glared at each other, cocking a brow, waiting for the other to break.

“Ugh,” she groaned when she blinked.

“Now, tell me where you want to order from.”

“If we order from that Italian place now, it can get here quick, and we can put it in dishes like we made it.”

“On it.”

Everything arrived with just enough time for us to stuff the aluminum tins into the trash. I’d moved into her apartment two weeks ago. I’d waited until the sale could go through before I officially called this place home. I wasn’t going to live with my girlfriend in the apartment her father paid for. Not that it’d stopped me from staying here almost every night since we announced our relationship.

A couple nights ago, we’d been watching the Food Network, and she’d had this grand plan to have everyone over for a dinner party to celebrate. Who was I to deny her? Frankly, it wasn’t like I could if I tried.

The doorbell rang, and it was like everyone arrived at once.

“Did you all take a cab together?”

“Not with these two burly men,” Carina groaned, gesturing to her baby-daddy, Ian, and Oaklyn’s boyfriend, Callum.

“Whatever,” Ian scoffed. “Little Miss Audrey takes up all the room with her car seat and awesome personality. Isn’t that right, baby?”

“Here we go with the baby talk,” Hanna said with a roll of her eyes.

Carina had called earlier and asked if she could bring Hanna along, and of course, Olivia said the more, the merrier. Hanna was Ian’s business partner’s little sister, and Carina had taken to her after a rough start.

Frankly, I was happy to see her there because she made Daniel squirm. He’d met the girl only a handful of times, and each one he’d been unable to take his eyes off her. She, of course, stuttered and blushed each time he got too close.

It was cute.

“Knock, knock.”

Speak of the devil. Daniel stepped through the open door behind everyone else.

“Welcome,” Olivia greeted everyone.

“Hey, kiddo.” Daniel pulled her in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.

“Dinner is all ready, so let’s take a seat.”

Daniel raised his fist, and I bumped my knuckles with his. “Daniel, you can sit next to Hanna.”

He jerked a glare my way, and I just smirked in return.

This would be fun.