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She rushes out of the kitchen. “Yes, Miss?”
“Is the coffee on?”
“Of course.”
“And lunch? My brothers are all coming. Something…” The words fail me. It’s not a celebration. It’s not one of Mother’s feasts.
“I’ll prepare some traditional dishes. Your favourites.” She smiles at me as I watch her disappear back into the kitchen before spinning around in the hall. How she survived working for my mother, I’ll never know. She’s far too kind.
A wave of grief hits me as I think about what’s happening in this house. Food, family, but it’s broken. And I still can’t bring myself to face the kitchen. “Fuck!” I curse to myself.
A couple of minutes later, she comes out with a tray of coffee, the smell instantly soothing and welcoming. She takes it straight through to the living room, and I follow and slump down onto one of the overstuffed chairs.
I curl my legs under me and try to get comfy and enjoy the strong coffee.
“I hope there’s a cup for me.” Kai comes in and sits on the sectional after dropping a kiss on my head. I nod to the tray, and he pours and picks up his coffee. “I could get used to this.”
“The room service?” I giggle.
“Yeah. And waking up with you. In a bed.”
“What, no more camping out under the stars?”
“That has its place.” He looks at me with his piercing green eyes as he drinks his coffee. “I don’t think I could convince you to do that too often.”
Considering we’ve not known each other for long, and most of our conversations have revolved around arguments, fighting, or pain, he gets me. It’s like it’s a part of him – it’s easy. And I need that more than I need anything. The campfire was something we both needed. I needed to show him this relationship isn’t all about me, even though it feels like the scales are tipped in my direction with the weight of Cortez attached to me.
“I like that you’re here, too.”
“What time is Abel coming?” he asks.
“Later. With him, I never really know.”
At that, the sound of the gate entry bleeps on my phone. I pick it up and see that Abel is, in fact, here already. My eyes roll back in my head as I stand to go and put some clothes on.
“What?” Kai asks.
I grab his hand and pull him up. “We have company.”
“Already?”
“Yep.”
“Is he the fucking devil? Heard us talking about him and so appeared?”
“That’s a very apt description. I’ll let him know you called him that.”
The thwack against my ass sounds louder in the hallway. “Oww!” I turn around to see Kai one step behind me on the stairs.
“Shouldn’t mess about where your brother’s concerned.” He’s smiling and dropping his gaze back to my ass.
“Fine. No teasing my brother about him being the devil.”
~
“I hope I didn’t interrupt anything,” Abel calls as I enter the living room ten minutes later.
“Not at all. It would always be more useful if you could give us a heads-up as to when you might drop in. I seem to remember being chastised for a similar act at your place.”
