Surviving Stirling

Chapter twenty six

His lips were an irresistible distraction, so were those little sensual moans he kept making whenever he took a bite out of something.

I pressed my thighs together beneath the table, willing myself to gain some control and self respect.

"Mmm god, I love food." He cooed in such a sated way.

He licked whipped cream off of a cherry and I squirmed in my seat, regretting my decision to come here. It was like being trapped in my dreams, frustration building without a release in sight. He was making me want him but I was forced to keep that yearning strictly to myself.

"You've barely touched your pie."

I pushed it away, "I'm not hungry."

"Don't waste good pie." He dragged my plate closer to him and loaded a chunk up onto his fork. "Mmmm." He appreciated, "food is so fucking amazing."

"God, what did they feed you in that prison?"

"Rice, mostly."

"Rice, with?"

"More rice. And water."

I looked around the room, we were the only ones in here except for three members of staff who were all hunched over an iPhone watching some football game.

Stirling had cleverly walked in with his head lowered, hood up and a baseball cap on. He snuck into one of the dimly lit booths at the back while I approached the counter and ordered our food.

It was a little nerve wracking because it felt sketchy, like we were doing something wrong, like I was hiding a runaway criminal or something. I imagine if they knew who was dining here tonight they'd all be on high alert in case he pulled out a gun.

"Was that your boyfriend tonight?" He asked, pretending to be all casual and uncaring.

My lively eyes glinted with mischief, "yes."

"What's his name?"

Shit.

Paul, was it? Peter? Pete?

I hesitated and he narrowed his eyes on me. "You don't know your boyfriend's name?" His mouth pulled into a smile. "Guessing he's not your boyfriend then."

"He's the barista at my college."

"Yikes." He winced.

"Hey!" I flicked his hand, "Let's hear how you've done better?"

"I've been busy."

"Oh sure you've been busy, busy with what?"

"Oh you know... jail." I burst out laughing, then he too joined me with the laughter. "Shh, those guys over there will notice me."

He took a bite out of a burger. There was no method to his eating, he didn't start with an appetiser and end on a dessert, he just went to town on whatever was in front of him.

"So, why did you even go?"

"To jail?" He chuckled a little, "didn't really have much choice Anderson."

I raised my brows at him suspiciously, "didn't you?" My question came out with implied meaning and he caught on because he stopped eating and wiped his mouth on a napkin.

"Be careful what you say to me." He warned, a voice laced with seriousness and maybe a little threat.

I pointed my chin, gesturing towards the men across the room, "it's not like they can hear us."

"Anderson—"

"How about this, I'm going to lay my theories out on the table and you tell me which one is correct."