Page 204 of Rising Heat

“He watched for a second,” I say. “Then told everyone to do it that way instead.”

Darcy looks back and forth between us.

“So, you were right?”

Tyler sighs like he’s carried this burden his entire life.

“Unfortunately.”

“You’re welcome.”

Before I can answer, Darcy reaches for her drink without looking and takes a sip of my beer instead. She doesn’t realize it until she’s already swallowed. Her eyes flick down to the bottle, then back to me, and instead of apologizing, she sets it back in front of me exactly where she’d found it, like that had been the plan all along.

Tyler catches the whole thing.

“You just steal whatever you want now, Trouble?”

“I grabbed the wrong drink.”

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have taken it anyway.”

“Don’t pretend you wouldn’t have given it to me.”

“With you there is no pretending,” I say before dropping my voice lower. “Besides, I’ve had my tongue in your ass. What’s left to pretend about, baby?”

Darcy’s eyes bounce between me and Tyler, who’s just grinning back at her now too. She’s completely composed except for the color riding up her throat that she absolutely cannot control, and I hold her gaze and let her have the composure because she’s earned it and it’s more fun this way anyway.

The food arrives before she can think of a comeback. Her sushi lands in front of her, my burger in front of me, Tyler’s steak on the other side of the table, and then the server sets down another basket of fries between Darcy and me.

She looks from the fries to Tyler.

“We didn’t order these.”

“I did.”

“When?”

“When you were deciding between the spicy tuna and the salmon.”

She furrows her brow.

“Why?”

Tyler cuts into his steak like this conversation was over before it started.

“Because you always steal ours.”

“I do not.”

She reaches into the new basket before she’s even finished denying it. Tyler catches my eye over the table for half a second and smirks.

Darcy finally tries the sushi.

The first bite makes her eyes close.

She leans back against the booth with the smallest little hum under her breath, like she’d forgotten we were sitting across from her for a second. The sound goes right through my chest.

“You think that’s good?” I shake my head. “Wait until⁠—”