I nodded. “Muchas gracias.”
Maria darted off. The second her back was to us, Hero practically broke his neck, turning toward me.
“Roja, holy hell,mi vida. Hearing you roll your Rs just gave me a boner.” He growled, attacking my neck and slipping his hand between my thighs.
“Oh my God,” I gasped.
“Let’s hurry the fuck up and eat so we can leave.” He sucked on my neck and rubbed his fingers against my pussy with enough friction to make me almost come. Nobody could see what he was doing to me in this corner booth unless they wandered back here.
Regretfully, despite my enjoyment, I stopped his hand. “Please. You’ll make me moan,” I told him in a soft tone. I’d be mortified if I came inside a restaurant. I darted my eyes around the room. There were at least four people I recognized—small-town living at its finest.
His teeth nipped the sensitive skin on my neck. “As you wish, baby.” He dug into his food.
I exhaled a relieved breath. “So, do you and the guys eat here a lot?” I changed the subject more for me than him. I wanted him the second he entered my classroom. We should’ve gone straight to my place.
“Every week for lunch. Storm loves this place. We all do.”
I dipped a chip into my guacamole. “I guess that’s why you have your own booth.” I munched my food.
“Mhm.” He shoveled a huge bite into his mouth. “For privacy.”
I loved watching him. It didn’t matter what he was doing: sleeping, eating, fucking me hard. He was gorgeous and captivating. His dark hair and beard were kept short. His nose was perfect, lips addictive. He had a scar on the corner of his eye. This morning in the shower, he told me that it was from a fight with another drug dealer when he was twenty.
In fact, he had a lot of scars on his body. Some were from bullets. Others from knives. Some people might’ve found it strange that they didn’t bother me, but I had plenty of scarring on my body too.
“Are you excited to see Ryder tomorrow?” We hadn’t talked a lot about what happened in the slammer, only about Ryder, Hero’s cellmate. I wished I could meet him, but Hero didn’t want me going near the building again. It was too hard to remember what happened between us there.
I scooped some rice and beans onto my fork and shoved it into my mouth.
“Can’t make it tomorrow.” He slurped his margarita.
My eyes locked on his Adam’s apple. “Why not?” That didn’t make sense. He lived for Tuesdays when he could visit Ryder and make sure he was doing all right. I couldn’t think of a day when he hadn’t gone there for visitation.
He turned serious. “We’ll talk about it at your place.”
My heart stopped. Not this again. The last time he said we’d talk at my place he was leaving for the night on a run and had learned my dad had been in prison. I’d been on edge at the clubhouse while he was gone. Doing my best to appear okay while hanging out with the girls. But the whole time Hero occupied my every thought. Stupid, ridiculous thoughts ofwhat ifhad tried to knock me back into the darkness, but I didn’t let them then and I wouldn’t let them control me now.
I steeled myself, straightening my spine for the next boom I felt coming.You can do this.
“Seriously, big guy? Just tell me.”
Hero lowered his gaze at his plate, then at mine. He forked a bite of enchilada and put it to my lips. “Open.”
“I can feed myself.” I brushed my spoon through the rice. “Stop deflecting.”
“But you’re not eating. Open.”
I obeyed, letting him feed me.
He hadn’t given me crap about the weight I’d lost while he was gone. But I could tell it bothered him. “Do you not like me the way I am?”
He squeezed my thigh. “I like all of you,mi vida. But you need nourishment.” He forked another bite and fed it to me. “We already discussed this. You’re perfect, baby.”
I sipped my drink, taking his hand. “When I’m sad, I don’t eat. But I’m happy now. I’ve gained back three pounds already.” I still looked too skinny, though. And my jeans hung on my hips, so I only wore leggings.
“I’ll make sure you’re never sad.” He kissed me softly.
“So why aren’t you seeing Ryder?”