Page 19 of UnWholly Angels
I look forward to seeing how my taste buds react to such sweet, sweet nectar.
Maya
Whatever you say.
Chloe looks lonely, so I have to fix that.
Have fun with stalking your rock.
Fuck Nugget
Go ahead, play this game, but you’ll lose.
By the way…
Who the fuck eats chicken wings with ranch?
Don’t worry, I'll teach you the right way.
I froze, reading his last messages multiple times, as if I looked again, they would disappear. Everyone I knew ate chicken wings and ranch, but how could he know I was eating them right now? The hair on the back of my neck prickled as I subtly glanced over my shoulder. I had to be overthinking it; Riley had no idea we were at the mall, let alone in this bar. He must just really like the idea of my lips on chicken wings. I couldn’t help the small amount of creamy goodness that dribbled down my chin as my small laugh rattled my body.
The look on Chloe’s face was priceless as she sat in confusion, wanting to ask but probably thinking against it. Her curiosity won in the end.
“So... want to share with the class who you’re texting?” she asked with a smirk.
I leaned closer to her and quickly shared the text exchange. She could barely keep her mouth from falling open as her cheeks turned bright pink. I gave her a minute to digest this conversation before asking, “Any ideas for my next move?”
She thought for a moment before a wicked, Grinch-like smirk curled up her lips. “Riley wants to play games? He seems to forget how competitive we are,” she drawled, sipping her martini. “We still need to circle back to how he knows where we are and basically everything we’re currently doing, but I’m too focused on kicking his ass at his own stupid game now.”
I grinned, looking up to find the perfect opportunity heading our way. “You know what? You’re right. It's his turn to lose. And I know exactly how to make that happen,” I murmured.
Chloe glanced over her shoulder and spotted the server approaching. She squealed and shimmied in her seat while I wrapped my slender fingers around my martini glass. Raising it to my lips, I took a small sip and licked the remnants away before smiling seductively at him. Our server gave me a small smile in return before clearing his throat and waiting awkwardly.
I quirked my head in his direction. “Can we help you?” I asked, lacing my voice in false sweetness. The poor thing was nervous; sweat was beading on his forehead. He must not have been confident in this department, and a part of me felt bad for turning him into a pawn.
“Will this be on separate checks?” he asked quickly.
I couldn’t have given myself a better setup. Riley could somehow see us, obviously, and wanted to play. He must have forgotten I like to bite.
“You mean our meal isn’t on you?” The words slipped easily from my lips, but my cheeks still flushed with slight embarrassment. Would I have been this bold if there weren’tother things, orother people,on my mind? Probably not, but I couldn’t take it back now.
Chloe gave an awkward giggle as the server’s eyes tripled in size. “Sorry about my friend. Just one check, please,” she said quickly, and I pinched my eyebrows together in a glare, wondering why her demeanor changed so quickly.
The server paused for just a second before leaning into my space, his mouth practically resting against my ear. It was so inappropriate to make this kind of contact with a customer, and I was caught off guard by his sudden move. His warm breath caressed my neck as he murmured, “It wouldn’t be very fair if I paid for your dinner and got nothing out of it.” My cheeks flushed as he stepped back, smirking as he ran his gaze over my body. “I’ll be right back with that, ladies,” he offered before turning and walking away.
Chloe and I were dumbstruck and unable to form a coherent thought. We stifled our giggles and waited less than two minutes for our server to return. He placed the check on the table, and confusion marred my expression when he took my hand and flattened it, facing my palm upward. A newfound confidence radiated from him as he took a marker from his pocket and began to write something across my skin. It tickled my sweaty palm, and I fought the urge to laugh.
"What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly.
He pulled back, flashing a set of teeth that appeared too perfect to be real. “Giving you my number, in case you actually want to pay me back.”
I laughed again and tilted my head to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. As I moved to face our server again, I heard a loud ‘thwack’ ring out from the bar. Startled, I quickly searched for the source of the noise, only to freeze seconds later.
Oh no.
Oh, fuck no.
There was Riley, seated at the corner of the bar with the menu clenched in his hand. He had a black baseball hat pulled low enough to shadow his face, and his broad shoulders were hidden beneath a well-worn hoodie. My eyes widened, and jaw dropped open as we stared each other down. Even from a distance, his eyes radiated a jealousy so sharp, it took my breath away. The way he looked right now was almost scary; I had no idea what his next move would be, but I was not prepared to find out.
