Page 14 of Can't Always Get What You Want

I hum in satisfaction, stepping ahead of him into the restaurant, where plastic vines dangle from the ceiling and animatronic monkeys silently judge our life choices. The whole place smells like fried food and fake plants.

It’s loud—kids shrieking, the distantroarof an animal that’s probably supposed to be a lion, and the occasional clap of thunder, mixed with the sound of rain and exotic birds chirping.

I barely register any of it.

Because Luca is trailing behind me and I feel it. I feel him.

The weight of his gaze on my backside as I make for the bar, which is shaped like a gigantic freaking mushroom, and hop up onto a glossy toadstool.

I slap the stool next to me—a rhinoceros’s ass—so he’ll sit down.

“You want me to sit on a rhino’s ass?” His brows lift.

I flutter my lashes innocently. “It’s a premium seating experience.”

With a deep sigh, Luca plants himself down. “You sure know how to show a dude a good time.”

I giggle.

“Hey guys, I’m Ranger Mike. Welcome to the Rainforest.” The bartender suddenly appears, introducing himself, leaning against the bar top. Slaps down two coasters and two menus. “I’ll be back in a second to take your order.”

Luca immediately picks up a menu, squinting at the laminated page. “Why is every drink named after a wild animal?”

I roll my eyes, snatching his menu because he doesn’t deserve to hold it if he’s going to mock our options. “Because everybody loves a theme,obviously.Do you want the Python Punch? Or maybe the Tiger’s Tonic?” I gasp. “Oh! The Giraffe Guzzle!”

He laughs. “That sounds obscene.”

I nod, closing the menu. “It does. We’re ordering it.”

“Are we sharing already?”

My heart flutters. “Sure, why not. They’re twelve dollars.”

His eyes get wide. “Twelve dollars?” He grabs the menu again, scanning the page. “Why is it so fucking expensive?”

“The cup glows,” I inform him. “And we get to keep it! Think of it this way; you can hand it down to your future kids one day. It’s afamily heirloom.”

“Do you mean OUR future kids one day?” he quips back and I look down at my menu, not wanting to let him see how much that affected me.

Thankfully Ranger Mike reappears to save me from THAT statement, and we order the Giraffe Guzzle and a side of his favorite—dinosaur chicken nuggets with a side of ranch for dipping.

Satisfied, Luca stretches his long legs out. The oversized bar is dimly lit, glowing jungle lanterns casting weirdly dramatic shadows over his sharp features.

God, he’s hot.

Too hot, honestly. The kind of hot that makes a girl do stupidthings, like stare too long at his mouth or wonder what it would feel like to tug on the hoodie strings currently dangling near his chest.

But I’m cool. Completely unfazed.

So, naturally, I blurt out, “You’re really big.”

Luca’s brows lift, and my brain immediately malfunctions. “Big?”

Oh my God, I didn’t mean it like that! I wasn’t implying that he has a big dick!

That was not an innuendo.

And yes, he’s attractive—annoyingly so. Built like a goddamn wall, broad shoulders stretching the fabric of his hoodie, long legs sprawled out because they have nowhere else to go. I’m not just checking him out, I’m noticing everything about him.

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