Page 11 of Taste of Addiction

But I really amnothungry. “You are being extreme,” I whisper, trying to calm him down.

“Let me try this again. What would you like me to get you for lunch?” he asks for the second time.

“Umm,” I mumble, knowing that I cannot win against the tyrant food police. “Fruit?”

“And?” he probes.

“Pico de gallo.”

“And?”

“Pistachios.” There, that should make him happy.

“What the hell? Those are like toppings or garnishes or I don’t even the hell know,” he snaps. “I’m ordering you those stupid-ass items and a steak. And some carbs, dammit. And if you keep this up, I’ll send Dr. Saber over to you to monitor the situation.”

“No, please,” I beg. This is so embarrassing. “I’ll eat.”

“Good.”

I end the call and hop to the bathroom for a quick shower and hygiene tuning. I take extra time to put leave-in conditioner into my hair, brushing through it with a wide-toothed comb. With a careful twist and a hair tie, I have it lifted up off my neck to continue drying in a well-contained heap. It is the most effort I have made with my hair since arriving here. That has to count for something.

I pull out my drawer with my stash of pajamas and find the “I Heart Chocolate” long-sleeve set. The pants have adorable chocolate bars printed all over the fabric. I slip them on and then search for a matching pair of socks.

It does feel weird putting on pajamas in the afternoon, but my days and nights are getting mixed up. And having nowhere to go has made it easier not to care.

I answer the knock at the door and find Collins holding a huge takeout bag of food.

“Mr. Hoffman wants you to video call him when you get everything situated.”

My teeth itch with the need to make a snarky comment. But I resist.

My iPad is already ringing with an incoming call before I even get a chance to open all of the boxes in the bag. Graham can be so impatient. I answer the call and see him relaxing behind his desk with his Property of Angela McFee shirt on. It looks good on him.

“Nice shirt.”

“My sizzling hot girlfriend made it for me.”

“She must be super talented.”

“Oh, she is,” he says with a beaming smile. “Ready for our lunch date?”

I look down at all of the individual takeout containers, feeling a bit overwhelmed. “Umm, I think so. But there has to be a mistake. This seems like way more food than just for me.” I open up the biggest container and reveal a huge porterhouse steak. My eyes grow wide at the size of it and quickly move the box to the side. No way in hell can I eat all of that.

“I’m going to enjoy watching you eat every bite of that meat.”Oh, he can’t be serious!?“Decide to go twenty-four hours without eating again, and I’ll bring the whole fucking cow to your door.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. He is so unbelievable with his demands. I prop my iPad up on the nightstand to give myself extra room on the bed to spread out the food.

I line up the mixed fruit bowl, a bag of pistachios, and a container of pico de gallo with fresh tortilla chips.

“You have very unusual food requests, sweetheart. But I hope that it meets your needs.” His smug smirk makes me want to scream as I eye the makeshift buffet with shock. “Dig in.”

I scan over all of the piles and select the fruit first. I remove the wrapper from the plastic fork and spear a piece of watermelon into my mouth. It is delicious. I glance up at the screen and see Graham leaning back in his office chair, his hands folded over his chest, just watching me. I swallow my bite and feel the lump in my throat doubling in size. Is he going to just sit there and watch me eat the entire time? If so, I am going to make it worth his while.

I crack open a pistachio and place it on my tongue. I chew and then lick the salt off my finger, moaning over the taste. I glance up at the video screen between my eyelashes to catch his eyes darken to a deeper shade of blue. A smirk is barely playing on his lips. But I see it.

I grab a strawberry from the bowl and place the juicy fruit between my lips and take a small bite. I try to go as slow as I can, constantly stealing glances at his reaction while I do so.

He clears his throat. “Don’t forget about the main course. I know how you love your meat.”

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