Page 43 of The Burnt Heart

“Do you like Thai?” He wet his lips with a drink of water, smacking them nervously. “I probably should have checked before I booked this place.”

“I love it spicy.” Carl’s gaze dipped to my cleavage.

Good boy. This was what I wanted, wasn’t it? My mouth filled with a sour taste, and I took a sip of water to wash it away. I was out with a good-looking, nice guy and I was going to enjoy myself. That was the plan. Until Carl opened his mouth again.

“Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes?” He winked. Any chance of us hooking up erupted in flames. His perfect pearly white teeth flashed like he’d won a prize.

“What was that?” I asked, hoping that cheesy line was a one off.

“If you and I were socks, we’d make a magnificent pair,” he countered, chest puffing up. A chorus of low groans sounded from behind me.

“Please god, tell me you didn’t just use that line on the absolute goddess sitting in front of you?”

My mouth fell open as Jesse, Logan and Briar circled the table, glares pinned on my date. They loomed behind him in silent threat. Carl shrunk under their perusal, casting me a look of confusion. My heart fluttered, traitorous bitch.

“What are you doing here?” I looked over my shoulder to glare at Jonah. I specifically asked him to keep these three away from me. He had the nerve to shrug, not seeing them as a threat, obviously. Or he was still put out from how I’d spoken to him earlier. Either way, he wasn’t doing his job, but he didn’t react to my frown.

“Rescuing you from this dismal date.” Briar shook his head as he appraised Carl. His cheeks flushed under the intense scrutiny, and he swallowed audibly. Logan leaned over and whispered.

“Scram.” Logan’s lip curled in a snarl. Coming from such a large man, it would have been intimidating.

I rolled my eyes, swallowing an indignant noise as Carl didn’t hesitate. He snatched his wallet off the table and raced away with his gaze scraping the floor. I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms as Logan slid into the vacant seat and the other two pulled up chairs. The intimate table was now overcrowded, and I bit down on my lip as Jesse’s leg pressed against mine. He was moving stiffly, and he had bags under his eyes.

“Make yourselves comfortable, why don’t you?” I drawled, waving down a server to order a drink. It couldn’t upset my stomach more than it already was, and I needed something to help me get through this ambush. Now Briar’s leg was pressing against my thigh. Damn manspreading assholes. They boxed me in and the warmth from their contact bled into me. I didn’t like it.I didn’t.

“You didn’t come to see me at the hospital again. The arm is healing well. In case you were wondering.” Jesse pouted, and I pursed my lips. The server took my order, unperturbed by the change in the seating arrangements.

“I wasn’t,” my voice was sharp-edged with frustration. I’d gone on a date to forget about these three. How had I ended up infront of them? “I’d appreciate if you left. I was in the middle of something.”

Logan leaned back, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe me. Briar’s hand twitched toward mine, as if he still had the right. They were the ones crashing into my life and making my heart thump until my pulse echoed in my ear.

“Oh siren,thatwas nothing but a red flag to a bull. Three of them, in fact. We accepted the dates with Ray because we all knew they weren’t real. But that guy? You would chew him up and spit him out in seconds. Just look at how he ran the second someone used a tone on him. No, you need more than a clean-cut gentleman. You need three men who can take everything you throw at them and give it back double. If we have to scare off every date who tries to take what’s ours, we will.”

Their gaze was hot enough to blister my insides, and heat pooled in my stomach. The way they were looking at me, like I was theirs to devour whole? It had been so long since I’d been fucked and damn if it wasn’t seductive. My pussy perked up, pleased with the idea. Nope, bad kitty.

“You stalking me now?” I feigned indifference. Jesse let out a guffaw, kicking his legs long.

“Princess, I never stopped. I watched every single time you went out with that slimy Donato heir and each time I sent you a do-over date, remember? Well, you might not recall, but this restaurant was on my list of dates I promised you. Isn’t that fortuitous? So here we are, guarantee you’ll enjoy it more than your cheesy date.”

My lungs burned as I fumed silently. This wouldn’t end here. I had been hoping space would ruin them for me, but what if it wasn’t possible? How easily I could get up and leave. I should. But we’d be right back to the beginning again. Them chasing and me fleeing. Maybe I needed a different approach. No one could ever say Adelaide Orazio was a coward. I was also hungry and,if I was honest, a little curious. I lifted my eyebrows, a silent invitation for him to continue. Which Jesse did, tripping over his tongue in surprise. I didn’t miss the sharp inhale Briar made either.

“T-this place does a degustation, but with a twist. All the dishes are Thai street food favorites.”

I perked up, rubbing my stomach reflexively. Briar gave me a wide smile.

“Knew you’d love that. We already ordered it when we walked in.”

“Presumptuous of you,” I murmured, distracted by the first dish being placed in front of me.Poh Pia Todwith a chili sauce that had Logan’s eyes widening. I smiled internally, tilting my head at the dish.

“Try some of the sauce,” I urged, as Logan looked at the other two for backup. “Don’t look at them. You wanted to crash my date, so you better try it.”

Logan had zero tolerance for anything chili related. Even the mildest of spice would have him sucking down water. He dipped one in the sticky sauce and took a huge bite, cheeks puffing out. Even though he chewed quickly, the heat still affected him. His cheeks flushed red, and I couldn’t help but laugh. They all froze, even Logan, choking on his fist.

“I’ve missed that sound,” Jesse said wistfully.

The food rolled in. The scent of spicy, delicious meals whirled around me. It was more than we could eat. The awkwardness fizzled as I gave in to the demands of my stomach. The beer I’d ordered loosened my shoulders. I leaned back in the chair and listened to the boys as they bickered.

“I don’t remember that,” Briar sniffed, his leg knocking into mine under the table. Jesse tossed a balled-up napkin at him with a scowl.

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