Page 28 of Bound By Flames

“As he should,” growls Ares, his hand turning into a fist on the table.

Cavemen.

“I’dloooveto go with you, Mia. Since I’m working withNessa, I’ll be there too,” Caroline says with a dripping honey voice that makes me want to slap her in the face. Her eyes say it all.

No, she does not give a damn about coming to a club with me.

All she wants is a bit of private time with Ares to work her charms.

I want to roll my eyes so bad it hurts. This girl is feral. Anyone with eyes can see her game is crystal clear.

“Veal stew with young vegetables from the garden fried in pork grease, as you requested, sir,” declares Maria as she serves the plate to each of us.

HE requested this?

“Thank you,” says Ares, his jaw ticking twice.

I look down at my plate with a frozen smile, my fingers already starting to tingle.

Take your time, Mia. It’s just food.

It’s just a plate with different colors and textures. Don’t focus on the calories. Don’t focus on the freshness. It’s healthy. It was homemade here. You’re not going to poison yourself. You’ll eat clean tomorrow, and it will make it up for all this sauce and oil.

It's just food.

It's just food.

It's just food.

It's just f-

“Earth to Mia.” Vanessa chuckles. "You okay, hun?”

“Yeah, I got distracted.” I shake my head, then place my fake smile back on. “What were you saying ?”

“That you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She smiles at me with a genuine soft look while Ares' gaze is snipping at me from my left side.

He knows something’s up.

And just like that, I know instantly that the sexy brunette in front of me won't be the reason my night will be ruined. It's the brown mixture staring at me, the oily vegetables and the wine being poured in my glass that will. I shake my head in response, like it’s no big deal I’m about to take a bite of what looks like the end of the world to me.

“Forgot to tell you I got myself a new ride,” tells Scott to Ares, making me glad for the change of topic.

“Nice, which one? Kawasaki? Harley?” asks Ares. The guys keep talking about motorcycles as I stare at my plate. Their conversation is still going strong while wine gets poured once again into our glasses, my stomach making a double spin at the idea of drinking even a drop of alcohol. I keep a light smile on my face. Unbothered, at peace, when I’m in fact anything but. The waves of the storm are approaching me faster than a lightning bolt. A warm hand drifts to my thigh before squeezing it once like a reassuring gesture.

Ares.

His attention and words are still angled toward Scott, but I sense his body is focused solely on me. As if he is aware of my every thought and feeling. As if he can read me like a book.

This time, I don’t push him away.

Instead, I embrace his grip, holding me firm to the earth, temporarily pushing the waves away from the shores of my broken mind. I bet any other woman would interpret this touch as a sensual attempt to bring me into his net, but somehow, I know this has nothing to do with seduction and everything to do with rescuing me from the desperation he reads on my face.

A light chuckle cuts through my thoughts as Carolina stares at me with a wicked grin. “You don’t like veal, honey?” Her voice is dripping with disdain while she takes a bite of meat and licks the brown sauce of her lower lips like a lollipop. I don’t miss the fact that Ares doesn’t give her any attention, even if she’s barely hiding the fact that she just licked her lips in front of him.

Stay above it, Mia.

“I do, but it’s not my favorite. I’m more of a sushi kind of gal,” I answer dryly. Scott and Ares have stopped their banter, the whole table focused on Carolina and I. My husband's hand is still holding the silk above my skin, creating goosebumps all over me.