Page 25 of Mercy (The Sins Trilogy 3)
“Dude. I’m not your personal food delivery minion…and you couldn’t afford me if I were.”
“Not enough food to feed all five adults, right?”
“Five?” Ryder looks around.
“Bobbi’s upstairs,” I explain.
“Not anymore,” Bobbi says, coming down the stairs.
She’s slightly pale, and I catch a small wince as she rolls one shoulder. Hope it’s not too bad.
“Want some ice?” I say.
“I’m good. Just had some Advil.”
Ryder taps his chin. “Mark packed a huge portion. And André made it. You know it’s going to be awesome.”
“Who’s that?” I ask. If the food tastes half as good as the way it smells, it’s more than awesome.
“The chef at Éternité,” Harry says, while Tony and Ryder bicker.
I watch them, surprised Ryder’s acting like he hasn’t had a gourmet meal in…forever. Doesn’t he get invited to all sorts of fancy restaurants? Not to mention he’s filthy rich, so he can totally afford everything he wants.
Then, as he keeps ribbing Tony, I realize this isn’t about the food. It’s him being worried about Tony. And I’m grateful.
“You know what? I’m hungry, and I want to eat before it gets cold. And I don’t think we should kick out the mule who brought the food,” I say with a smirk at Ryder.
“You wish you had a mule this handsome you could ride.”
Said in a slightly different way, the line could be a come-on. But Ryder is in control of his delivery. His chin is up, his eyes have a slightly lazy look, and somehow his body language is calling attention to his ridiculous outfit. He’s just having fun.
“Want me to create a mule fan club for you?” Tony says.
“All the girl donkeys would totally join,” says Harry.
“Let’s just keep him for ourselves. And we can all share the food. If we need more, there’s plenty in the fridge,” I say.
“Your fiancée is wise.” Ryder raises his arms dramatically. “All hail Ivy!”
I laugh. “Stop being silly and divvy up the food before I change my mind.”
