Page 53 of Risk It All
“Do you want steak, beans, or both on your tacos, Trouble? And how many?”
“Trouble?” Ray asked Eliza, elbowing her in the side. He whispered something else that I couldn’t make out, which had Eliza playfully rolling her eyes and elbowing him in return before turning to me.
“I’ll do two with both, please.”
I assembled her tacos and passed the plate over to her. Then I stepped aside so Ray could get through to make his plate.
“Not going to assemble my plate, chef?” Ray asked with a throaty chuckle, just as Louise, Wes, and a few other members of staff came into the kitchen.
“What are you laughing about?” Louise asked Ray, gently grabbing his arm and her smile softening. The two fell into a familiar conversation, with Ray making a plate and passing it to Louise first before grabbing one for himself.
Eliza and I had stepped off to the side. I’d grab my food after everyone had a chance.
“Oh my god,” Eliza moaned.
When I looked over at her, she was chewing with her eyes closed and head slightly tipped back. She was simply enjoying the food, but that moan went straight to my cock. Her eyes fluttered open, and the thin column of her throat bobbed as she came back to reality.
“Jesus, Eliza.” I ran a hand over my face.
She shrugged. “Hey, it’s your fault. You shouldn’t be making such good food if you don’t want me moaning.”
“Maybe my issue is that Iwantyou moaning,” I murmured, ensuring to keep my voice low so no one would over hear.
Eliza’s breath hitched and her spine stiffened, but she played it off by taking another bite of food—quieter this time. She reached for a napkin, wiping her lips. “Well, maybe I can send you a voice recording. Would that solve your problem?” She blinked at me, peering up through her dark lashes, but the smirk on her face was anything but innocent. “I’m joking, of course,” she added, that smirk turning into a sly smile.
My mouth fell open, and I wasn’t sure whether to laugh, beg, or deny that was what I wanted. It was impossible to predict what would come out of Eliza’s mouth, and that was perhaps one of the things I enjoyed most about her.
I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning my back against the edge of the counter. Most of the staff had taken their food into the main area of the bar, but Louise and Ray stayed in the kitchen, chatting on the other side of the room.
I nodded in their direction. “Is there anything going on between Louise and Ray?” I asked Eliza. Not that it was any of my business or mattered, but maybe that small town nosiness never left.
“Louise and Ray?” Eliza asked with raised brows. Shequickly shook her head. “No way. They’ve been friends for years, but that’s it.”
“Huh.” I wasn’t entirely convinced, but Eliza knew them better than I did.
“Are you going to eat?” Eliza asked, wiping her mouth again and setting her empty plate off to the side.
“In a moment, yeah. Did you want another one?” I nodded toward her plate.
She shook her head, a soft smile on her lips. “No, I’m good. That’ll get me through the night. Thanks.” She grinned. “Much better than the granola bar I was planning to eat.”
“And your salad,” I reminded her.
Eliza tipped her head back with a laugh. “Right. My salad.”
She reached for her plate, but I grabbed it first to set in the pile of dishes to be washed. “I should get back to it.”
I nodded. “See you around, Trouble.”
The little food that was left was enough for me to make two tacos for myself, and then I cleaned up the kitchen to get ready for the evening.
Fridays and Saturdays had, unsurprisingly, been our busiest nights, so my full attention needed to be on the food and customers. Not the dark-haired, beautiful bartender who was in my thoughts even more than she’d been four years ago.
19
ELIZA
“Okay,it’s killing me. What’s the sex curse update?” Jules asked while grabbing a sour gummy worm.
