Page 129 of Beautiful Ascension

“I swear I’m going to need to buy better noise-cancellation earphones,” Shay giggles, making Ariah flush scarlet.

“Oh, hush. You’re all the way at the end of the hallway,” Ariah retorts.

Shay arches her brow. “Exactly, not nearly far enough away to drown out the many.” She pauses, eyeing each of us. “Many orgasms you’ll be having.”

Ariah’s mouth drops open as the blush spreads from her cheeks to the remainder of her face and down her throat. “Shay,” she admonishes, and I have to bite my cheek to prevent myself from laughing.

“Okay. All clear,” Fernando announces, saving Shay’s and my life.

Wyatt steps beside her as we enter the dining hall and head for our table. “I mean, where’s the lie, Riri? We have every intention of making the neighbors know our names,” he states, winking before he spins out of her reach.

“Don’t be surprised when I make you sleep outside, Grant,” Ariah declares, and Wyatt covers his heart.

“You wound me, lass. Would you treat your love with such an extreme punishment?”

We all burst into laughter as we set our bags in the chairs. Wes claps Wyatt on the shoulder, “You did this to yourself. Have fun in the hall tonight.”

Ariah works hard to hide her amusement when Wyatt kneels before her, thou’ing and doth’ing until she bursts into giggles. She and Shay are both clutching their sides as they sit, coughing and trying to breathe.

Clearing her throat, Ariah begins to stand, “I’m going to grab some lunch.”

“You sit. I’ve got you, Angel. Southwestern salad with feta and Oreo brownie milkshake,” I confirm, kissing the top of her head as she sits back down.

She beams. “No. I’ve been craving birria tacos. Nando bought them the other day, and I had some.”

“Some? Girl, you ate his whole order,” Shay teases, and Ariah shrugs, pointing to her stomach.

“These two are very demanding. Nando was happy to part with his food, weren’t you?”

Ariah’s gaze falls on her guard. “Of course. I didn’t want the only tacos from the only place in town where I can get birria done correctly on the one day of the month they make them.”

“Idiot,” Reign mumbles, then quickly covers up his ridicule with a cough.

Usually, I’d enjoy seeing the shithead squirm under Ariah’s scrutiny, but feeding her is more important. “We can work on the tacos after we get home. For now, tell me what you’d like instead.”

Ariah cuts her eye at Fernando once more before peering at me. Her shoulders slump. “I guess I’ll have the salad, but I want a cookies ’n cream milkshake with bananas and strawberries.”

Nodding, I stride across the dining hall and over to the salad station. I order Ariah’s chopped southwest salad with chicken, extra feta, and olives. While the chef prepares her food, I head to the dessert bar and have them start her milkshake.

Fifteen minutes later, I have Ariah’s food. I’m nearly back at the table when a familiar nasally squawk makes my skin crawl. “Oh look, it’s the trash whore and her merry band of rejects.”

I’ve never met a girl who was so purposefully dense in my life. Samantha Davenport has more audacity than sense.

Outside of Reign, Elias, and Fernando, who all have their hands in varying states of readiness, everyone at the table ignores Samantha.

“I’d state the obvious, but I don’t think you have enough brain cells to rub together and figure it out,” Elias spits. “So, why don’t you do yourself a favor before we ignore the order not to kill you.”

Does she heed his warning? Of course not. Have you met the cunt?

Samantha babbles on as I creep closer. I meet Fernando’s eye, and he imperceptibly dips his chin.

“There’s nothing you bitch made assholes can do to me. I’m a Senator’s wife, and your soon-to-be first l?—”

I don’t allow her to finish babbling. Instead, I remove the lid, then dump the milkshake over her head, cackling when the banshee shrieks. I step back before any of the drink can get on me as she attempts to spin around.

Standing back, I watch my handy work in action. Heels and spilled liquid may make for a terrible time for Samantha, but they make for an extremely entertaining and satisfying time for everyone else—me, most specifically.

“That’s always been your problem, Davenport. You never know when to shut the fuck up,” I growl.

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