Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Travis fiddles with the radio, putting on an old tune that my dad used to play in his car when I was growing up. "Are you seriously listening to this? This is old man music."
"Errr…" Celine puts her hand up. "Don't even think about criticizing, Dornan Walsh. Music from this era is the best. Nothing new comes close."
Travis chuckles. "She's got good taste. I'll give her that."
Their back-and-forth breaks the ice and we spend the rest of the car journey joking about how Travis listens to dad-music and how Celine is deluded not to appreciate newer bands. Even Elias joins in the jokes, shrugging off his usual surly attitude. I start to dread tonight a little less.
We find a parking spot near Eclet and gather around Celine like she's a celebrity client, and we're her security detail.
"Ready?" Travis holds out the crook of his arm, and Celine eyes it for a couple of seconds before sliding her hand through. We're greeted inside by an impeccably dressed server who escorts us to a table in the middle of the restaurant. I take a furtive look around for Eddie but don't see him. Travis drags Celine's chair out from under the table and helps her to take a seat. He's really pulling out all the stops tonight.
Elias and I take seats on either side of her, and Travis opposite. We each take the menu offered and begin to work our way down the long list of food with difficult-to-pronounce names. "What is this stuff?" Elias fixes me with a panicked look over the top of the menu he's clutching tightly with both hands. I'm glad I'm not the only one out of my depth.
"Mostly French food." Travis runs his finger down the menu and nods. "If you don't know what something is, I can try to work it out."
"Not just a pretty face," Elias says sarcastically.
Celine doesn't seem overwhelmed by the menu. She's already folded it neatly and is arranging a crisp white serviette in her lap.
"What are you getting?"
She smiles at me sweetly. "The duck."
"Duck?" Elias gasps.
"It's delicious. The lamb also looks good."
"There's lamb?" He looks down to search, then puts the menu down in frustration. "Travis, can you order me the lamb?"
"Sure."
"I'll take that too."
"All right. And drinks?"
"Beer." Elias blurts the word as though he's parched.
"We should have red wine."
"We should?"
"We should," Travis agrees. He opens the drinks menu and looks down at the list. "Here's a good one."
I swear the guy is only a few years older than us, but he's making me feel like a preteen. When my eyes meet Elias's, I can sense he has the same feelings.
Before we have a chance to order, Celine stiffens in her chair. I turn to find Eddie sauntering into the restaurant, holding the hand of a girl I assume is his date, Abbey. Beneath the table, I rest my hand on Celine's thigh. "Take it easy."
Her leg is rigid, and her jaw is tight, precisely the kind of expression Eddie would love to gloat over. I lean over, sliding my hand into her nape, and pull her face to mine so I can kiss her. She seems surprised at first but then softens into the kiss. I don't let her go until I hear the server asking Eddie and Abbey if they would like to order drinks immediately or take a look at the menu first.
Celine's eyes are dazed when she lifts her lids, and they brush over each of us. When they reach Elias, he wastes no time in doing the same as me. Watching him kiss Celine when my mouth still tastes of her is strange. A pang of jealousy is immediately swamped by heat that swells my cock. Jesus. The way Elias grips Celine's hair and controls her kiss is hot.
Across the restaurant, my eyes meet Eddie's, and the fury in his expression is like iced water down the back of my neck.
I don't fear the guy. Not at all. He's all talk and minimal action. We play on the same team but manage to avoid ever having to speak to each other except when Coach demands it.
Celine and Elias separate, and I mutter, "Eddie's not looking happy."
For the first time since we saw them arrive, Celine smiles.
"Well, this is just going perfectly."
The server returns to take our order, which Travis relays perfectly in a French accent that sounds native. I thought he worked in Germany, but maybe I'm mistaken, and it was actually France.
Eddie's concentration is focused on Abbey, but his shoulders are tense, and he's angled himself, so I can only glimpse his side profile.
"I feel sorry for the girl," Travis says, sipping the wine poured into our tall bell-shaped glasses.
"I do, too." Celine licks the blood-red stain from her lips, stirring my cock again. "She doesn't know what she's letting herself in for."