I put on my tights and leotard, because what else could I do? Right now, all I had was ballet.
“Kitty Kat!” Kingston’s voice called from behind the door. “We have food!”
I frowned and looked at the door. What did those two want from me? They were nice enough when we were heading here, but that was when they knew they would get evidence that they needed from Ryan.
Kingston knocked again. “We got you some grilled chicken and veggies!”
Something tugged at my heart, but I tried not to be affected by it. I needed to remember that Kingston and Maverik weren’t friends or family, and I couldn’t be tempted to rely on them for anything. They might play nice to get what they wanted, but they’d toss me aside the moment it suited them. Well, the moment Maverik decided it suited them.
I opened the door to see Kingston with his usual grin, but with worry in his eyes.
“Come have dinner with us,” he said as he reached for my arm.
I reluctantly agreed and let him tug me into the living room of our suite. I avoided Maverik’s eyes, but he didn’t make any of the snarky comments I expected. Instead, he handed me a plate of food.
My mouth watered at the delicious scents, and I took a seat on the couch. It was a little awkward to cut the meat as I balanced the plate on my lap, but I didn’t mind. Maybe it was because of the emotional rollercoaster, but I was suddenly starving. I ate every last bite on my plate in record time and it down on the coffee table in front of us.
With my belly full of warm food, I laid back on the couch. Kingston sat on the floor so he could put his plate on the coffee table, but Maverik was picking at his food on the other couch, his eyes still on me.
“What?” I asked him defensively.
Kingston glanced up at me. “Are you still hungry? Mav got you a piece of chocolate cake – just in case you needed it.”
My eyebrows rose, and Maverik shrugged with one shoulder. “You had a rough day.” I saw a brief flicker of something vulnerable and maybe even compassionate on Maverik’s face, but it was gone before I could examine it closer.
I wasn’t sure what to say. They ordered me a meal they thought I would like, Maverik asked for chocolate cake ‘in case I needed it,’ and it almost felt like they cared. I tried to be more cautious than optimistic, but this trip had shown me a side of both guys that I would have never believed existed.
“Thanks,” I said with a hesitant smile. “Do you want to split it?”
While the cake looked delicious, the slice was huge. I wouldn’t be able to eat more than a couple of bites.
“Nah,” Kingston said. “That’s all you and Mav.”
Maverik picked up the cake and came to sit next to me on the couch. I picked up my fork and met his eyes as he held up the plate for me to take a bite. His smokey grey eyes smoldered as I brought the fork to my mouth and tasted the decadent dark chocolate. I closed my eyes to savor the chocolatey goodness. I could probably only afford the calories in one or two bites, so I wanted to make every second count.
I opened my eyes to see Maverik watching me and my face flushed. “You don’t want any?” I asked as I pointed to the cake with my fork.
“I want you to get what you need first,” he said in a husky voice.
Heat rushed through my body again, but this time it went straight between my thighs. I jerked away from Maverik, uncomfortable with him knowing how he affected me.
“It’s too quiet in here,” Kingston complained without looking in our direction. “I’m turning the TV on. What do you guys want to watch?”
I took the opportunity to scoot further away from Maverik and his brow furrowed. “Anything but Tiger King. I can’t handle that shit.”
Kingston laughed out loud. “Bro, sometimes it’s fun to be stupid. You think too much.”
Maverik rolled his eyes and held the plate out to me. “One more bite?”
I gave a casual shrug, but used my fork to spear another bite. I cupped my hand beneath the fork to keep crumbs from falling, but scooted away from Maverik before biting into it. I needed to put some space between the two of us.
Maverik finished the cake after I told him I’d had enough, and I curled up on the couch. I was feeling sleepy after my emotional outburst and a full meal. Oddly enough, my urge to hit the studio had faded away.
Maverik tossed a throw blanket in my direction, and Kingston lounged on the couch opposite from us. The scene felt almost…homey. It didn’t feel like enemies sharing a room out of necessity; it felt comfortable and relaxed.
I cleared my throat. “About Alex, um, how long was he spying on me?”
Maverik raised an eyebrow. “Are you afraid he might have seen something you want hidden?”
I scoffed. “Even if he followed me every day for the past year, he would have been bored out of his mind.”
Kingston
