Page 76 of Forbidden Game

She takes them from my hand and sinks down on the carpet beside me, crossing her legs. She twists the container around and smiles when she sees the sharpie-written words on the side indicating the vegan broth. I don’t tell her, but it’s not even the same restaurant the others went to. That one didn’t have any vegan options, so I ended up leaving them to rideshare to another restaurant that had a broth she could eat before coming back here.

“You didn’t have to do this for me.”

“Who said it was for you?” I grin, breaking my chopsticks apart. “It was entirely selfish. I just wanted to spend some time with you while the kids are distracted.”

Her cheeks flush and she averts her gaze, pouring her hot soup over her noodles carefully before blowing on it and taking a bite. Her eyes light up as she hums with pleasure.

“Wow, this is good,” she says between slurps, the tension leaving her shoulders as she becomes distracted by the taste.

“Better than room service, no?” I pick up a generous heaping of noodles and shovel them into my mouth.

“Maybe.” She gives me a cute smile. “Thank you.”

“Of course.”

The silky robe she’s wearing has started to come loose now that she isn’t holding it in a death grip. I lean over and kiss her shoulder briefly.

She sucks in a breath and freezes, the carrot poised between her chopsticks falling back into her soup. She swallows a gulp before quickly picking the carrot back up and popping it into her mouth.

Her nerves are radiating off her body like little sparks.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like this before.

The normally calm and collected Sydney Lake is a fumbling mess.

I lean against the coffee table and watch her. The way her clear gray eyes focus pointedly down on the strands of rice noodles she scoops up, instead of flicking up to me. Her toes tap back and forth against her legs—a habit she doesn’t even notice.

Eventually, she lets out a huff and glares at me. Although she looks more like a cub than a lioness.

“Would you quit it?”

“Quit what?” I pop a piece of pork in my mouth and chew it innocently.

“Staring at me.”

“Nope. Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?” I grin.

“No,” she scoffs. “Why would it make me uncomfortable?” Her chopsticks swirl idly in the remaining broth.

“Dunno. Maybe cause you’re picturing my tongue in your mouth?”

She gapes at me, her eyes flicking to my lips.

“Or maybe.” I slide closer to her and lower my voice. “You’re imagining something else entirely. What a dirty mind you have, Miss Lake. I had no idea.”

“Stop messing with me.” Lust-fueled panic dances across her eyes, and she shoves me away. Her nudge is a little too strong, though, and my elbow bumps against my soup, sending splatters across my sleeve. Her panic turns to embarrassment before she feigns frustration. “That’s your own fault,” she mumbles through pursed lips.

“Guess so.” I reach up and swiftly undo the buttons of my shirt before stripping it off and tossing it behind us. I stretch my arms behind my head and give my neck a quick crack.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me right now.”

“See something you like?” I smirk.

“You play dirty, Parker Covington.” She points a finger at me, and I shoot forward, nipping at it before she squeals and reels away.

“I have to play dirty, love. You’ve been ignoring me all day.”

“Because we were around people.”

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