Halo (Fallen Angel, #1)(14)

If he was anything like he’d been this afternoon, he’d have them eating out of his hand.

“Your orders,” Li said as he stopped alongside our table and placed my almond chicken in front of me, a small steamer basket in front of Halo, and a basket of white rice between us. When he added another bottle of Baijui, I immediately reached for it, and after thanking him, I gestured to Halo’s glass.

“Another?”

Halo picked up his glass and held it out. “You really are trying to get me drunk, aren’t you?”

“Nah. We’re celebrating.” When his glass was full, I refilled mine and then picked up my chopsticks. “It’s a momentous occasion. You got the job with TBD, and I no longer have to listen to people butcher my songs until my ears fucking bleed. That right there is reason enough to drink up.”

Halo grinned as he took the lid off his meal, and when he put it on the table beside the basket, I leaned over to peer inside.

“What’s that again?”

Halo raised his eyes to mine. “The Pork Siu Mai.”

I rolled my eyes as I sat back in my seat. “And that tells me exactly nothing. What’s in it?”

Halo chuckled as he spooned some rice onto his plate. “Ground pork and shrimp. Why?”

Damn, that sounded really good. But who knew how it’d taste? At least I knew my almond chicken wasn’t money wasted. “No reason.”

Halo picked up his chopsticks and grabbed the dumpling closest to him as I shoveled some rice and chicken into my mouth. When he swallowed his food and made this sexy groan in the back of his throat, my hand paused where it was holding my second helping.

“I take it it’s good?” I said, and waited for Halo’s eyes to focus on me.

“Huh?”

I pointed to his food with my chopsticks. “Your food. You just groaned like someone sucked your dick. I’m guessing you’re enjoying what you just put in your mouth.”

Halo’s lips parted. I’d shocked him, which, admittedly, I’d been trying to do. But then his eyes narrowed a fraction as though he realized what I was up to, and he nodded.

“You were right. Their food is really good. Bet you wish you’d been a little more adventurous now, don’t you?”

I licked over my bottom lip and wondered what he’d do if he realized exactly how adventurous I wanted to get with him. But, not wanting to run off the frontman the same night we’d offered him the job, I settled for something a little less…in your face.

I reached over with my chopsticks and plucked the half-eaten dumpling from his basket. Halo’s eyes widened as I popped it in my mouth and chewed—and fuck if he wasn’t right. That was some good shit, and when I was done, I flashed him a grin.

“You don’t mind sharing, do you?”

I could see the guy’s mind working overtime, as he probably tried to decide if I meant that in any way other than his meal.

Halo let out a snort of laughter. “Sure, why not. What’s mine is yours.”

With the Baijui coursing through my veins, and the adrenaline still pumping from the first successful day of rehearsing that we’d had in months, nothing could’ve stopped what left my mouth then. I was in a mood, and while the alcohol and the good day were half the reason for it, it was the hot fucker sitting across from me that had me feeling overly…stimulated.

“You know, you should really be more specific with what you’re offering, Angel. I doubt we’re thinkin’ the same thing right now.”

Halo seemed to ponder that for a moment before he reached for his glass and quickly swallowed a gulp of his drink. Then he began piling some rice onto his chopsticks again. “So is this your thing?”

I watched him closely as he brought the utensils to his lips, fucking obsessing over the way they closed around them and then slid down off the sticks drawing the food into his mouth. “My thing?”

“Yeah,” Halo said, nodding. “The player? The bad boy? Come on, you know the reputation you have. You flirt with everyone?”

Well, would you look at that. The alcohol was making the angel bold now, wasn’t it? “The lucky ones.”

Halo let out a bark of laughter. “Fucking hell.”

“What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone as—”

“Hot as me before? It’s okay, I get that a lot.” I aimed a wink Halo’s way as I chewed a mouthful of my dinner, and he shook his head.

“I was going to say arrogant.”

I shrugged, unaffected. I’d been called a whole lot worse over the years, that was for sure. “Hey, you gotta work with what you got. It’s not my fault people see me and think of sex.”

Halo coughed a little, and then looked around us. “Are you for real?”

I sat back and crossed my legs at the ankles under the table, and when my foot bumped up against Halo’s leg, he startled a little, making me chuckle. “Yeah. You’re thinking about sex right now. Aren’t you?”

“Only because you keep talking about it.”

“That’s because I’m thinking about it too.” That drew Halo up quick fucking smart, and I decided to keep right on going while the angel was feeling chatty. “Speaking of sex…”

“You were speaking of sex. I was trying to eat my dinner.”