Page 133 of Love Me in the Dark

Everything she says after that is pure noise, like a fan running in the background, muffling everything. I make out enough to keep the conversation going and add some insight here and there. Mainly it’s her, though. Devouring this project as if she were doing it alone. Which she kind of is. Because damn if I’ll really put forth an effort.

“I’m home,” Jensen calls as he enters the door with bags of burgers and a tray of sodas.

I look down at my watch, checking the time. Five-thirty. Fuck, I must’ve really zoned out. Hope she didn’t fucking notice.

“We got a lot done today. We should be finished in no time.” She clears her throat. “Thank you for inviting me to dinner, but I should really go.” Hilary closes her notebook, sticking her pen into a little pencil bag.

Hell, she really is a nerd.

“Nope.” I take her books out of her hand, sitting them on the floor beside the couch. “You’re eating and then we’re getting to know each other.” I angle my body toward her, letting my fingers slide up her arms.

Jensen steps over Hals’ legs and sits beside Hilary, making us all feel like sardines in a can. Reaching into the bag, he pulls out the containers of burgers and fries, passing them out.

“I got Pepsi for the drink. Hope that’s okay?” he asks Hilary, who nods her head.

“So, where’s your family from?” Hals asks her, cramming a fry into his mouth.

“Um, I don’t know. I don’t really have one, I guess.”

We know she doesn’t, but she has no clue we know that.

“How can you guess you don’t have a family?” Jensen asks around a mouth full of burger.

“I’m a foster kid. Bounced from home to home until I aged out.” She hasn’t taken a bite of her food yet. Instead, it sits untouched in her lap.

“So, you have no one?” I question.

She shakes her head in response, her fingers trembling as she opens the container holding her food.

“Well, now you have us.” I wink.

We spend the next thirty minutes eating and asking questions, making Hilary think we’re truly invested in her. But the only thing we care about is her part in our plan.

“I can’t eat another bite. That was the best burger I ever had.” She closes the container, half her fries and a quarter of her burger left. “I should be going now.”

“Beats the socks off cafeteria food, doesn’t it?” Hals reaches over, takes her discarded container, and pulls the rest of the burger out, stuffing it in his mouth.

She laughs, her hand immediately going to her mouth to cover it.

“Nah, you can’t leave yet.” I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into me, her head resting against my chest as my arms graze along hers. Now that I have a hold of her, I can tell she has an ample chest. Good to know.

She tries to pull away, but that’s not happening. We have plans.

“She looks good in your arms, Jonas, but she’d look better in mine.” Jensen leans closer to her, his tongue jutting out, licking up the side of her face. But he doesn’t stop there. No, he covers her mouth with his, kissing her deeply. She resists at first, but then her muffled moans fill the room.

“You hear that, Jonas? She’s loving what Jensen’s doing. Do her lips taste good, man?”

I lower my hands, letting them slide around her waist underneath her baggy ass shirt. The first touch of her smooth skin hits me as I angle her more toward Jensen, so her back’s against me.

“They’re delicious.” He releases her, sitting back as his fingertips trace down her arm.

“What are you doing?” she moans breathlessly.

“Just having some fun. Exploring. Making sure you feel good. Can Hals have a taste?”

“A what?” she gasps.

“A taste, baby. We want to make you feel good.”