Page 202 of Detectives in Love

“Was the food delivered?” I ask, because I’m so hungry, I’m pretty sure I’ve been dreaming about sushi this whole time. Right on cue, my stomach growls.

“Yeah,” Xavier says, his lips twitching. “Want me to bring it in here? Eat in bed?”

I laugh, shaking my head. “Let’s eat in the living room. I don’t want to spill soy sauce all over your bedsheets.”

Xavier smirks, the twist of his mouth blatantly dirty. “Good point. I’ve still got plans for these sheets tonight—before I toss them in the washer.”

I blink, my face heating. He just watches me, gaze dark and amused, making my heart race.

“Cool,” I say, aiming for casual.

“Let’s go eat,” he says with a chuckle, clearly entertained by how flustered I am.

“I need to shower first,” I add. “And check my thigh—change the bandages, just in case we, uh, stressed it.”

The memory alone makes me flush hotter. Fuck, just remembering how Xavier fucked me is enough to make my cock stir again. I’m already halfway to imagining round two before dinner—

Until I see his face. The second I mention my leg, his expression turns serious.

“Do you need help?” he asks.

“No,” I say, grinning. “I’ll be super fast. I’m starving.”

“Okay,” he says, but I can tell he’s still itching to fuss.

So yeah—guess sex is officially rainchecked until after we eat.

I head into the shower and spend twenty blissful minutes under the hot water, washing up and rebandaging my leg.

When I step out, dressed and clean, hair still damp, my whole body feels loose and warm. A little sore, yeah—but I feel amazing. I head back into Xavier’s room, looking for him—but he’s not there. I pass through the empty kitchen and into the living room.

Xavier’s standing by the couch, but it’s the table that grabs my attention first. My brows shoot up. It’s completely buried under sushi—platter after platter, enough to feed us for a week.

I laugh, staring. “Xavier, what the hell did you do?”

He shrugs, clearly pleased with himself. “We’ve got guests anyway.”

I frown, turning toward the door—and freeze.

There are Monica and Ernest, just slipping off their coats.

“Hi,” Monica says brightly. “How are you?”

“Hi,” I echo, caught off guard but genuinely happy to see her. To see both of them, actually. “I’m great.” I shake off the surprise and cross the room to hug her.

“You look great,” Monica says, a hint of surprise in her voice. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I feel amazing,” I say, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek before turning to Ernest. I reach out to shake his hand—except he skips the handshake and pulls me into a hug instead.

Stunned, I glance over his shoulder at Xavier. Xavier just rolls his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching.

When Ernest lets go, I clear my throat, suddenly awkward. I gesture toward the table. “Come on, join us—we’ve got enough sushi to feed the whole block.”

Monica follows my gaze and her eyes go wide. “Wow. Were you expecting company?”

“Nope,” I say, grinning. “Xavier just got a little carried away.”

Xavier snorts, rolling his eyes again. “You said you wanted sushi.”