Page 46 of Eat Slay Love

Before I could think too much about the way his voice sent a pulse of warmth through me, Cosmo clapped his hands. “And finally, we haveAlkahest—the universal solvent. The great dissolver of barriers, the final key in unlocking the philosopher’s stone.”

The waiters set down the last dish, and I almost gasped at the sight of it. An impossibly delicate tower of crisped pastry sat inthe center of the plate, layered with what looked like rich, golden crème.

But the real decadence was thecaviar—mountainsof it, tiny black pearls glistening under the golden light, cascading down the dish like some extravagant luxury only whispered about in secret societies.

Cosmo bowed. “Enjoy, Alchemists.”

Then, he left.

I am absolutely going to enjoy this.

Fabien took the first bite, scooping a perfect portion with the edge of his spoon and bringing it to his lips.

The moment it hit his tongue, he let out alow, deep groanof pleasure.

Damn. That sounded good.

I swallowed hard, my mindimmediatelyspiraling to places it had no business going.

That groan—it was puresin, rich and thick like molten chocolate, like the kind of sound a man makes when his cock is buried deep inside you, losing himself completely.

I clenched my thighs, suddenly hyper-aware of the heat pooling in my belly.

Fabien, oblivious to the war he was waging on my self-control, tilted his head slightly, considering. “Hmmm. Sometimes caviar can be an unnecessary flashy ingredient for a dish, but this?”

He took another bite. “This works. I can taste the magic of the sea.”

I finally gathered myself enough to try a bite, and ohdamn. It was creamy, salty, buttery, the crisped pastry adding the perfect contrast. It melted on my tongue like an erotic promise.

“I amtrulyenjoying this.” I tried the first dish—the black bar that shifted to gold—and tasted succulent lamb. “This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

“I agree.” Fabien nodded, but the way he looked at me, the way his eyes dipped from my lips to my throat, then lower, made it clear he wasn’t just talking about the food.

The moment stretched between us, thick with unspoken words, heavy with the weight of something unnamed. As I took another bite, the rich, buttery layers of pastry dissolved on my tongue, mingling with the salty burst of caviar.

I let my eyes flutter shut for a brief second, just long enough to savor it—to let the pleasure unfurl through me like silk slipping over bare skin.

When I opened my eyes again, Fabien was still watching me, his expression dark and knowing, like he was committing every reaction, every sigh of enjoyment, to memory.

His spoon hovered just above his plate, forgotten, as if he were more interested in my pleasure than his own.

Yeah. . .I just might take him to bed tonight. Fuck. Would that be too soon?

I swallowed hard and glanced around the room, trying to ground myself, to remind myself that we weren’t alone.

Every table shimmered under the golden glow of the Chandlier light.

The air was thick with laughter, hushed voices, and the occasional clink of glasses.

Couples leaned into each other, hands brushing, fingers tracing over bare skin, mouths moving in whispers that I knew carried sexy invitations meant for later.

A woman near the far end of the room lifted her flute of champagne to her lips, her partner watching her with the same kind of intensity Fabien had given me all night.

Another pair sat closer to us, the man’s hand resting on the inside of his date’s thigh beneath the table, her lips parting slightly as he murmured something in her ear.

Every moment in this space felt decadent, intimate, like the entire restaurant existed in its own private universe—separate from the rest of the world.

And here I was, caught in the middle of it, with a man who made me feel like I was the most indulgent course of the evening.

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