how that sounds. What are you doing tonight?” He played with her hair.
“I hadn’t made plans.” Anya didn’t mean to sound breathless, but she was.
“It’s game night in Club Inferno.”
She swallowed hard. “What type of games?”
“Monopoly. Parcheesi. Stuff like that.”
“Board games, huh?” Anya stepped in closer and put her hand on the small of his back. “Sounds boring.”
“If you be my date, I’ll bring the blindfold and handcuffs.”
Anya’s heart was pounding so loud she would have sworn he could hear it. “Looking forward to it.”
“Not as much as I am.”
“Are you going to cancel at the last minute again?” she asked.
“Not a chance.”
Chapter Five
They managed to get to Shira’s in time, but it was no surprise that Istvahn was waiting for them. What was surprising was the way Nefertiti and he ignored each other. Anya was able to pass on the pita bread while she ate her salad—no oil or dressing—with a vengeance. No one else seemed to notice she was coveting their couscous. It wasn’t the intimate affair she had planned, with Nefertiti picking at her baba ghanoush and Max shoveling maklouta in his pie hole like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Clint seemed happy to nosh on the hummus and shish kebob while holding her hand under the table. His thumb smoothed over her knuckles.
When Nefertiti finished her lunch, she excused herself quietly and left. Istvahn followed a few moments later.
“I’m going to bang their heads together,” Anya said to Clint, whom she caught staring at her neckline. “I should go too. My class is at four.” She surreptitiously undid a button and made sure to lean into him. “I’ll see you later.” Anya pressed a kiss on his forehead.
“You’ll pay for that tonight,” he said to her, grabbing the back of her head to kiss her fast on the mouth.
“Thanks, both of you,” she said, turning to include Max, who was still chewing.
“Anytime,” Clint said.
“I hope not.” Anya shuddered and practically danced to her class. She had a date tonight. Well, she had an invitation to watch Clint strip and then whatever games night in the dungeon was. That was kind of a date. It was the kind that made her all wiggly in the knees when she thought of it.
The class was a riot and she had a good time with the role-play. There were some very quicker learners in class.
“Just remember,” Anya said to them as they were filing out. “If you don’t know what to say, a sexy giggle works, or a deep-throated ‘oh yeah.’ ”
“ ‘Oh yeah’?”
Anya looked up at the door. She knew that voice. It was Satan. Actually, it was Rita Lewis. She did a double take as Rita preened and strutted into the classroom.
“How?” Anya was seething with violence and jealousy. Rita had gone from a size fourteen to a size four. She had natural red hair that she used like a weapon. It was long and curly and hung to her ass—which was considerably smaller than it had been the last time Anya had seen her.
“Diet and exercise.”
Anya bit down and swallowed the “bullshit” that almost leapt out of her throat to smack Rita between her beady blue eyes.
“You know it’s all about burning more calories than you take in.”
“Really?” Anya smiled like she was an imbecile. “Why haven’t I thought of that? You don’t mind if I write that down, do you?”
Rita waved her hand. “Go ahead. I’ll give you the name of my CrossFit instructor. It’s changed my life.”
“Oh, yank the other one, Rita. It plays ‘Jingle Bells.’ ” Anya lifted her left breast at her.
Rita laughed. “Okay. I had the surgery. But then it really was diet and exercise.”
“Wow,” Anya said, feeling grudging respect for her archnemesis. It was brave and something she never could bring herself to do. Food was just too much a part of her life.
“You’re looking…well,” Rita said with false sincerity.
“Yeah, I’m happy. Want to grab a pizza? They’ve got a
“I hadn’t made plans.” Anya didn’t mean to sound breathless, but she was.
“It’s game night in Club Inferno.”
She swallowed hard. “What type of games?”
“Monopoly. Parcheesi. Stuff like that.”
“Board games, huh?” Anya stepped in closer and put her hand on the small of his back. “Sounds boring.”
“If you be my date, I’ll bring the blindfold and handcuffs.”
Anya’s heart was pounding so loud she would have sworn he could hear it. “Looking forward to it.”
“Not as much as I am.”
“Are you going to cancel at the last minute again?” she asked.
“Not a chance.”
Chapter Five
They managed to get to Shira’s in time, but it was no surprise that Istvahn was waiting for them. What was surprising was the way Nefertiti and he ignored each other. Anya was able to pass on the pita bread while she ate her salad—no oil or dressing—with a vengeance. No one else seemed to notice she was coveting their couscous. It wasn’t the intimate affair she had planned, with Nefertiti picking at her baba ghanoush and Max shoveling maklouta in his pie hole like he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Clint seemed happy to nosh on the hummus and shish kebob while holding her hand under the table. His thumb smoothed over her knuckles.
When Nefertiti finished her lunch, she excused herself quietly and left. Istvahn followed a few moments later.
“I’m going to bang their heads together,” Anya said to Clint, whom she caught staring at her neckline. “I should go too. My class is at four.” She surreptitiously undid a button and made sure to lean into him. “I’ll see you later.” Anya pressed a kiss on his forehead.
“You’ll pay for that tonight,” he said to her, grabbing the back of her head to kiss her fast on the mouth.
“Thanks, both of you,” she said, turning to include Max, who was still chewing.
“Anytime,” Clint said.
“I hope not.” Anya shuddered and practically danced to her class. She had a date tonight. Well, she had an invitation to watch Clint strip and then whatever games night in the dungeon was. That was kind of a date. It was the kind that made her all wiggly in the knees when she thought of it.
The class was a riot and she had a good time with the role-play. There were some very quicker learners in class.
“Just remember,” Anya said to them as they were filing out. “If you don’t know what to say, a sexy giggle works, or a deep-throated ‘oh yeah.’ ”
“ ‘Oh yeah’?”
Anya looked up at the door. She knew that voice. It was Satan. Actually, it was Rita Lewis. She did a double take as Rita preened and strutted into the classroom.
“How?” Anya was seething with violence and jealousy. Rita had gone from a size fourteen to a size four. She had natural red hair that she used like a weapon. It was long and curly and hung to her ass—which was considerably smaller than it had been the last time Anya had seen her.
“Diet and exercise.”
Anya bit down and swallowed the “bullshit” that almost leapt out of her throat to smack Rita between her beady blue eyes.
“You know it’s all about burning more calories than you take in.”
“Really?” Anya smiled like she was an imbecile. “Why haven’t I thought of that? You don’t mind if I write that down, do you?”
Rita waved her hand. “Go ahead. I’ll give you the name of my CrossFit instructor. It’s changed my life.”
“Oh, yank the other one, Rita. It plays ‘Jingle Bells.’ ” Anya lifted her left breast at her.
Rita laughed. “Okay. I had the surgery. But then it really was diet and exercise.”
“Wow,” Anya said, feeling grudging respect for her archnemesis. It was brave and something she never could bring herself to do. Food was just too much a part of her life.
“You’re looking…well,” Rita said with false sincerity.
“Yeah, I’m happy. Want to grab a pizza? They’ve got a
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