Page 10 of Feast

“I’m looking forward to the four a.m. heartburn. Text me this guy’s hotel room number when you get up there.”

“I can do that. In fact…” She tilted the phone away from her mouth when 3A approached the table. “What’s your room number?”

“2214. Why?”

“I’m telling my sister so she knows where I’m going to be tonight. Hold still.”

She aimed, snapped a picture, and brought the phone back to her ear. “You get that?”

“2214. Sexy voice. Does the rest of him match?”

“I took a picture, you can see for yourself.”

“Don’t send it to me, it’ll just make me jealous. Just put it in the cloud so I can find it if you end up kidnapped, assaulted and/or murdered. And be back by ten so we can go shopping before lunch.”

“For what?” Maddie asked as 3A sat in the chair across from her and took a big bite of eclair. She frowned at him. “Is that my eclair?”

“Is that my picture you just took?” he countered, and bit into the eclair again.

“We need to get Heather a present,” Halley said.

“Why?” Maddie asked and pointed a finger at 3A in warning.

“To be nice?” Halley ventured.

“If you say so,” Maddie decided. “My food’s here. Go to sleep.”

“Easier said than done. Have fun.”

“Planning on it.” Maddie clicked off and scowled at 3A. “Quit eating my eclair, you thief.”

He plucked one of the little meringue kisses off the top and popped it into his mouth. “Why did you take my picture?”

She reached over and snatched the pastry away. “So someone knows what you look like if you kidnap, assault, and/or murder me.”

He seemed to consider that as he picked up his sandwich. “What if you kidnap, assault and/or murder me?”

She bit into her pastry, savoring the chocolate. “Want to take my picture?”

“No.”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to take your chances. How’s your sandwich?”

He paused to scowl at her. “It’s good.”

“Can I have a bite?”

“No.”

“You ate half my éclair,” she pointed out.

He stared at her, scowling of course, then held out his sandwich.

“Thank you,” she said sweetly, but instead of taking it from him, leaned over the table to take a bite.

She kept her eyes on his as she bit into the layers of meat and bread, humming with pleasure as the flavor hit her tongue. His gaze flickered when she did that, and again when she licked at the horseradish sauce clinging to her lower lip.

Pleased with the reaction, she leaned back in her chair. “Yummy.”

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