Page 102 of Chasing Sarah

I snatch her wrist, yanking her down so she is forces to bend at the waist. “Touch him again and I will kill you,” I snarl quietly in her ear.

Her entire body turns rigid. Eyes bugging out, she nods rapidly. “I-I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

Her wrist is bright red when I release it. She scurries away with her tail tucked between her legs.

When I turn to face Rhys, his eyes are hooded. The heat in them sears my skin.

He leans close and nips at my earlobe before whispering, “I’m going to fuck every one of your holes tonight until the only word you can say is my name.”

A quiet whimper falls from my lips.

Someone clears their throat, reminding me that we are in factnotalone. The table is silent. Everyone’s eyes are on us.

“Well, that was a good show,” Paige teases, knocking her shoulder against mine. Emily lets out a snort.

“I was waiting for you to strangle her right in front of everyone,” Liam snickers.

“Still tempted to,” I mutter, causing everyone at the table to laugh.

The waitress never comes back, instead being replaced with an older woman who radiates a maternal energy toward Rhys.

He speaks with such warmth that it’s clear this is the woman he’s told me about.

“You must be Sarah. Rhys has told me so much about you.” Her brown almond shaped eyes are soft and warm. Faint, thin lines frame her smile, showing the years of happiness along her barely aged face.

I stand and hold out my hand.

“Pffh.” She pushes my hand away then pulls me into her arms. Our heights difference is comical; she barely reaches my chin.The delicate fragrance of jasmine tea mixed with something floral drifts into my nose.

I relax into her embrace. Tears prick the edges of my eyes. It’s been years since I’ve been hugged by a maternal figure, and I’m overwhelmed by how much I’ve missed it.

“Hi, Mrs. Chang. Rhys has also told me so much about you,” I say when we step out of each other’s arms.

“Please call me Mei.”

An older gentleman steps up beside her. She turns to face him, and I immediately know this is her husband. The love in her eyes is unmistakable.

They exchange a few words in their native tongue, then Mei gestures toward me.

“This is Rhys’ Sarah,” she says to Mr. Chang. I feel my cheeks heat at the way she introduces me.

I blink away more tears when he pulls me into his arms and squeezes tightly. He lets go and hold onto my shoulders. “You’re more beautiful than he described.” He looks pointedly at Rhys, then returns his gaze to mine. “I’m Henry. It’s so lovely to meet the woman who has finally captured Rhys’ attention.”

Rhys stands, greeting them both with a hug of his own. They spend a couple of minutes talking about the changes made to their restaurant after cleaning up the vandalism.

A sense of pride rises within me. He loves this couple and has sworn to protect them with his life from the moment they helped him in the street.

The depth in Rhys’ character continues to catch me off guard. My heart and soul fall more in love with him and I struggle to remember why I don’t let him in.

Mei and Henry ask how we’re enjoying our dinner. I’ve nearly inhaled my entire plate that’s piled with dim sum, spicy chicken, steamed veggies, and an embarrassing amount of fried rice.

My stomach is already protesting at the amount of food I’ve eaten, but I can’t stop myself from stuffing my face with more.

After Mei and Henry leave to check on their other guests, we sit to enjoy the remainder of our dinner.

* * *

“I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much food in my life.”

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