Chapter 24 #2
I hadn’t mentioned it to anyone because it seemed so silly, but my bed was closest to the window in my shared room with Skye, and our window looked out over the back patio and pool area.
So sometimes the glow of pool lights filtered through the curtains and cast a blue haze, which made me think of that night.
“Will you, though?” Ace challenged, folding his arms across his chest and all but blocking the doorway.
I screwed up my face and echoed his pose—-mostly to hide any hint of boobs under the huge sweater I wore. “Will I what?”
“Go to bed,” he snapped. “Go to sleep.”
I gave a short laugh, shaking my head. “Probably not,” I muttered, lacking the energy to lie about it. “Did you want me for something, Z?”
“Uh, yes, but it’s not urgent.” He glanced from me, to Ace, then to Torin and back. “I feel like I’m interrupting something. Are we good here?”
“We’re alive,” I replied without activating my internal filter, “which is as good as it gets right now. What did you guys have for dinner? I’m starving.”
Not making eye contact with anyone—-because I simply wasn’t in the mood to explain my insomnia—-I brushed past Ace and headed for the stairs, waving a hand dismissively when our team leader called my name.
They could stay and gossip if they wanted, but I didn’t need to participate.
I was doubly glad for that decision when I got to the kitchen and found Minho sitting at the island with a whole cheesecake in front of him and a fork in hand.
He stiffened and froze when I approached, then instantly relaxed when I got closer, smiling guiltily. “Hey, Chicken,” he murmured, licking his fork seductively. “Did you have a nice nap?”
“How’d you know?” I asked, leaning my hip against the counter to take a better look at his dessert. “What flavor?”
“I came looking for you earlier, but you were so peaceful, I left Torin to keep an eye on you. His drawing of you is going to be gorgeous when it’s finished, too.
” He glanced around to check if we were alone, then wrapped a hand around my waist to pull me closer, dropping a quick kiss on the bend of my neck.
“I miss you.” He whispered the words, but they echoed through my whole body like a caress.
I knew what he meant. We lived in the same house, but trying to find five minutes alone was proving a whole lot harder than either of us could have anticipated. The whole shared--bedroom situation was a real problem in that regard.
“What flavor?” I asked again, nodding to his cheesecake in an attempt to cover for the fact I was suddenly debating whether it was worth getting caught just to kiss him right now.
Minho drew a deep breath, like he was also thinking about anything other than cheesecake. “Uh, lemon ricotta, I believe? It’s definitely not my favorite, but it’s not bad. Want to try?”
I nodded and took the fork from him, biting my lip when our fingers lingered against one another. “If it’s not your favorite,” I murmured, taking a scoop of the cake, “why are you eating the whole thing?”
Minnie gave a sexy chuckle, his hand finding my bare waist between my pants and Torin’s loose sweatshirt. “Because it’s Augie’s favorite, and he ordered it in from some fancy patisserie in Rainburst Springs earlier today. And he’s going to blame Tor when he finds it half--eaten in the morning.”
I’d just taken a bite of cake and nearly choked when he admitted his evil plan. “Minnie! That’s diabolical. Oh, that’s really good, actually.” The tart and sweet flavors rolled over my tongue, and I gave a little moan of appreciation.
Okay, sure, I did that on purpose to tease Minho. Sue me.
“You know what else is good?” he asked in a husky whisper, dessert forgotten as his fingers caressed my bare ribs beneath the sweatshirt. “Knowing you’re not wearing that awful chest binder right now. The way I want to throw you up onto this counter and—-”
I silenced him with a kiss, unable to stop myself from doing more if he kept talking because I wanted that too. The only way I’d made it through the days since Camp Beaver had been to literally avoid him, which was also a crappy idea because I liked him.
A lot.
A whole lot.
So much.
“Seriously?” someone hissed, and it took me a moment to click that it was Torin, not Minho, and we were no longer alone in the kitchen.
Whoops, maybe that kiss got more carried away than I originally intended because Minho’s hand was fully cupping my boob beneath my sweatshirt and I was somehow pinned between him and the counter with the cheesecake behind me.
Minho hummed, licking his lips as he reluctantly released me. “You’re right, maybe this is my favorite flavor after all, Chicken.”
“Guys, come on,” Torin growled, coming farther into the kitchen and glancing over his shoulder. “What would you have done if Ace had walked in just now? Or Xavier for that matter, hmm?”
“Tell him to mind his own fucking business and give zero fucks about the whole thing,” I replied quickly, already dick--drunk without even getting to the dick part.
Torin’s brows shot up in surprise as he came closer still, glancing behind me at the half--eaten cheesecake. “Oh shit! You guys are in so much trouble when Augie finds out.”
“Nah, he will think it was you again,” Minho replied with a smirk as I shifted away from temptation—-him and the cake both.
“Again?” I repeated. “You’ve framed Torin for this crime before?”
Tor rolled his eyes. “Several times, because he wants to see if Augie will actually get mad at me or let it slide. With anyone else on the team, this is a declaration of war.”
That was kind of adorable. “Well, if you’re taking the blame anyway, you may as well have some.” I offered the fork in his direction, encouraging him to join us, but Torin had something else in mind.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he replied with a sly grin, taking my wrist in his grip but totally ignoring the fork as he pulled me against him, his other hand cupping the back of my head and his lips crushing to mine in a kiss that definitely couldn’t be easily explained away if anyone else on the team walked in.
Panic lit up inside me at the fact Minho was sitting right fucking there, but I guessed it wasn’t any different from Torin walking in on us kissing a minute ago.
Right? But what if he was only okay with me and Torin when he didn’t have to see it and this was forcing a confrontation I wasn’t ready for?
It was hard to think because Torin was kissing all the logic clear out of my head and I wanted to take things so much further, consequences be damned.
A warm hand stroked my bare waist again, and I nearly climaxed when I realized it was Minnie.
He was caressing my side, as if to reassure me that he wasn’t about to start throwing punches or break up with me, but all I could think about was what it’d be like if we were alone.
All three of us, alone, without fear of discovery—-and naked. Would they—-
“…just saying, we can’t just ignore the problem and hope it goes away.” Z’s voice echoed from what sounded like the stairs, and I sprang away from both men so fast I smacked my hip on the counter and nearly fell on my ass. Smooth. Very sexy.
“Fuck,” I hissed, pressing a hand to my stinging hip as I put some respectable space between me and them before we actually got caught.
“I wasn’t suggesting that, dipshit,” August answered Z, and my eyes shot to the cheesecake on the counter. Then to Minho.
“Quick!” I hissed gesturing to the cake, but it was too late to put it away.
August and Z entered the kitchen a moment later and instantly spotted the crime scene.
“What the fuck?” August exclaimed, mouth ajar as he stared in horror. His accusing gaze snapped to Minho, then to me, but Torin quickly picked up the whole plate and fork and took a big bite.
“This is really good, Augie,” he mumbled with his cheeks full of cheesecake. “Have you tried some yet?”
For a moment, August just stared at Torin in outrage, and I thought maybe this was the moment Minho had been waiting for…but then he sighed and smiled. “Not yet. Can you save me some?”
Minho gave a vexed sound, sliding off his barstool with frustration. “Well, fuck.”
I turned away, pulling open the fridge to hide my laughter as I pretended to search for food that wasn’t Augie’s stolen cheesecake, but also because I didn’t have my binder on and all the food I’d been eating since joining the team had added some noticeable weight to my boobs.
“Did you guys want any of these leftovers?” I asked, keeping my body buried in the fridge, away from Augie and Z, but they both declined and, to my relief, left the kitchen a moment later. I breathed a sigh of relief but made a mental note to be more careful in the future. That was too damn close.