Epilogue
RILEY
TWO MONTHS LATER
Ikicked my feet as I sat on the counter, glancing up from my book to watch Grayson move around the kitchen.
I dug inside the bag of candy gummies that sat next to me, pulling out a few and putting them in my mouth.
Grayson had decided that since school was out for Thanksgiving break and after everything we’d been through, he was going to show off his ‘cooking’ skills.
He’d claimed that he’d watched his mom make chicken adobo enough times that he could recreate it with no issues.
The moment I’d walked into the kitchen and saw the raw chicken thighs, garlic, soy sauce and everything else, my mouth started to water. This couldn’t be so bad.
I looked back down to find my place again when I heard a swift fuck and a splat.
I put my book down, looking past my feet to see a chicken thigh laying on the floor, oil splattered around it.
I moved my eyes up to Grayson, who was holding a pair of tongs and saying what I assumed was mumbled curse words in Tagalog under his breath.
The telltale sound of Beau’s paws hit my ears and I knew he was headed to the free food.
Not for you, buddy. I thought to him, I saw him peek around the counter, giving me sad eyes.
He looked away and towards the piece of chicken.
Beau. No. I scolded. He huffed and laid down on the ground, his head between his paws. He was so dramatic.
Grayson reached down and picked up the food, getting supplies from under the sink and cleaning up the mess in record time. He gave me a look over his shoulder. “You say nothing.”
I was about to pick up my book again but stopped. “I haven’t said anything this whole time.”
“I know you’re thinking about it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Okay, give me your best River and tell me what I’m thinking.”
He finished washing his hands and attempted to go back to tending to his browning chicken thighs.
“You are thinking, ‘No Grayson, we should have just ordered in and made our lives easier, but you had to go and try to impress everyone by showing them one of your many skills that also happens to make you incredibly sexy.’”
I giggled, kicking my feet some more. “Oh, yes that was exactly what I was thinking, especially the last part.”
He went over to a cabinet and got a large plate and placed it next to the pot he had the food in. He turned around and wiggled in between my legs, placing his hands on my thighs. His fingertips grazed the bottom of my shorts. “Is that right?”
I held in a smile, nodding. He kissed me, taking my bottom lip between his teeth. I let out a small whimper and his hands squeezed my thighs. I hooked my ankles together behind his back, keeping him close to me. His hands found their way to my waistband and I pulled away a tiny bit.
“I don’t think Asher would be very happy if you had his house smelling like burnt chicken.” I tapped his lips with my index finger.
He groaned, moving away from me. “Not only are your beautiful, aking sinta, but you are also right.”
I picked my book back up. “As per usual.” I plucked another gummy from the bag.
“You’ll ruin your appetite, and you won’t get to know the true deliciousness of chicken adobo. Hand them over.” He pointed to my snacks and held his hand out.
I smirked at him. “No way. You take these away and I’ll tell you what happens at the end of the book.” I waved the book I was reading in his face.
He gave me shocked look. “That is diabolical but fine, you brat.”
“Love you too.” It was odd saying that out loud, but the first time we’d said it to each other was just as natural as this current moment.
Asher was at a late faculty meeting and it had just been me, him and River.
We were all tired and sweaty, but no one was ready to get up and take a shower yet.
River had whispered he loved me in my ear and wrapped his arm around me, but then Grayson cleared his throat and turned my face so that I could look at him.
He’d looked into my eyes and said it. Three words followed by my name and then River grumbled ‘it’s about time’ which caused Grayson to take the pillow behind his head and smack him with it.
A pillow fight that turned into one of the main reasons I’d started stretching every day in the morning.
Grayson started plating the chicken and then adding things to the empty pot. “Did the St. James brothers tell you when they would be back?”
I grabbed my phone from my pocket, checking the time. “Probably in the next thirty minutes or so.”
I was happy to know Asher and River were spending more time together.
I coaxed River into thinking about talking to someone about his dad, after therapy was going so well with me and my mom, but his condition was that he would go if Asher went.
It took us only a week to break him down, but in the end Asher was always going to do what was in River’s best interest…
. not to mention he knew it would make me happy.
They had a session this afternoon and had told me to text them if whatever Grayson ended up making looked suspicious and they should pick something up for dinner. I trusted my shadow wielder, but I’d decided to remain in the kitchen instead of up in River’s room, just in case.
The smell of different seasonings and herbs filled my nostrils and my stomach grumbled.
Grayson winked at me over his shoulder. “Don’t worry. You’ll get fed soon.”
River crushed his napkin and threw it on his plate. “Now that was a meal.”
Asher placed his silverware on his plate and got up. “I have to admit, you did good, shadow wielder.” He placed our empty plates on top of his and went to the sink.
Grayson smiled proudly. “Please let my mom know I did her proud.”
I leaned over his chair and kissed his cheek. I snuck around Asher to the fridge.
“What are you doing, gorgeous?” River asked, coming up behind me.
I pulled out a yellow cake with buttercream icing, the words happy birthday were written on top in black. I tilted the cake so River could see.
Asher raised an eyebrow at us when we both looked at him. “What the fuck are you two looking at?” Grayson sidled up next to him, his shit-eating grin appearing when he realized I was holding the cake.
I rolled my lips together, walking over to Asher.
“Well, you said that you didn’t want us to do anything obnoxious for your birthday, so we stayed in and just really didn’t celebrate last week.
You actually worked most of the day which was highly annoying.
I took it upon myself to get you a belated birthday cake.
” I placed the cake on the counter, popping the plastic top off.
Asher slowly moved his eyes to all of us. “And you two knew about this?”
“Come on, big brother. You only turn thirty-four once and even your stubborn ass deserves a fucking cake.” River pointed to the sugar filled dessert. “Besides, our girl got it for you, so I’m pretty sure you’ll eat it just fine.”
I batted my eyelashes innocently. “You wouldn’t say no to me, would you?”
Asher scoffed. “Yes, I actually would, And I have.”
I cocked my head to the side, eyeing the cake.
“Hmm, okay. Sure.” I stuck my finger into the icing at the top, scooping some of it up.
All of them watched me carefully. “You don’t really deserve this cake now, do you?
” I stuck my tongue out, licking my finger and focusing all my attention on my grumpy professor.
We’d made it through the rest of this semester without getting caught and I was very proud of that.
He was so put together in class, but as tough and stoic as he wanted to be, Asher was always the one texting me to come to his office for a teacher/student meeting.
Meetings that included riding him while he sat in his desk chair or the newest one consisted of making me sit across from him and play with myself while he watched and used his dream magic to make me come so hard I nearly went blind.
Asher’s mouth dropped open as he watched me suck my finger. I removed it with a pop and sighed as if nothing had happened.
“Holy fuck,” Grayson said, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve never been more turned on by icing in my whole life.”
“Well played, gorgeous,” River complimented, placing his hand at my waist and leaning down to nuzzle into my neck. “You know not to rile up Professor St. James unless you intend to be screaming for the rest of the night.”
I looked at Asher, licking my lips to get whatever remnants of the icing was there. “I’m well aware. Isn’t that right, sir?”
Asher stalked over to me, gripping my chin. “You didn’t get me a birthday present this year.”
“You said you didn’t want any,” I said, trying not to rub my thighs together.
“I changed my mind.” He let go of my chin and went down to my waist band, unbuttoning my shorts and yanking them, along with my panties, down my legs. He never took his eyes off me when he spoke to River. “Keep her steady.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about until he got down on his knees, grabbing my legs and putting them over his shoulders. River pressed his body to my back and held my middle, keeping me balanced. Grayson came up to next to me, looking down along with me as Asher buried his face in my pussy.
I let out a moan, squirming and tensing my thighs. River held onto me, leaning into my face. “Stay still, gorgeous. We got you.”