Chapter Ten #2
“Anyone home?” Dusty bounced through the door. While I was pretty sure he’d been wearing a shirt and a jacket earlier, he was now shirtless, but he had on one of those hats with the puffball and hanging tassels.
Oh, the jacket was in his arms. He hung it up by Saoirse’s. I paused the movie.
“Put on a fucking shirt.” Saoirse threw a cinnamon stick at him.
Catching it, he grinned. “Fucking shirt, CiCi? Would that be made of silk or satin?”
“I vote for linen," Carlos nodded.
“Silk. A fucking shirt is made of silk,” I agreed.
“You are all ridiculous.” She rubbed her temples.
“Yes.” Dusty put a hand to his heart. “But that is why you love us.”
A laugh escaped my lips as Carlos went to the kitchen. He gave me a sly look.
Yes. That was why I loved Carlos. As for Saoirse? Maybe that’s what drew her to Dusty.
“Carlos, did you make champurrado?” Dusty eyed Carlos as he added some milk to the pot on the stove and began to whisk it.
“Yes.”
“I have tequila.” Dusty went over to his jacket and pulled out a bottle. “It was a gift from one of the execs at my label.”
Tequila hot chocolate? Yes please.
“Oh good, everyone’s here.” Hale came in, tracking in snow, holding a bag of something. “It’s snack time. Oooh, it smells like chocolate. Is someone making cake?”
“Champurrado. Does anyone else want some more?” Carlos asked.
“Please.” I held up my cup.
Saoirse nodded. “Me, too.” Standing, she brought him our cups.
Hale went into the kitchen and put the bag on the counter. He got close to Carlos, peering over his shoulder at the pot Carlos was still stirring.
Come on. How hard would it be to slip your arm around his waist? Why was I shipping them so hard?
Dusty plopped next to Saoirse on the giant couch and put his cold hands on her face.
“Shite.” In one smooth motion, Saoirse had Dusty pinned to the hardwood floor of the villa. “Don’t do that,” she snapped.
Hat askew, his eyes danced. “But if I get you on top of me, isn’t that a good thing?”
Saoirse let out an aggravated noise. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t end you?”
The tension between them sizzled. I wrapped a blanket around me and watched them. This was better than a telenovela.
“Because I need you to sing that song for me. The one you were humming on the lift.” Dusty didn’t try to get up from her grasp. He didn’t look afraid either.
Saoirse could end him. Though I’d make sure she didn’t. After all, he still had to perform.
“I was humming?” Her head tilted, wisps escaping from her bun.
She hummed all the time, but didn’t notice.
“Yeah.” Dusty started humming a lively Irish tune.
“Oh.” Still on top of him, she started to sing in Irish.
I knew this one. It was called Reel for a Nice Day or some shit like that. My toes tapped. Saoirse would take me country dancing, which was a far cry from what Hale probably did in his cowboy boots.
Dusty stared at her, intently.
“Stop looking at me like that.” She pushed herself up, using his chest.
“Your voice is incredible,” he breathed. “And that song. I don’t even know what language that is. It’s like riding a horse through an old oak forest while being chased by elves with crossbows.”
“I think I’ve seen that movie.” Carlos put two mugs on the table–mine and Saoirse’s.
“Irish. It’s just an old song.” She shrugged and grabbed the bottle of tequila and held it up.
“I’ll open it.” Dusty popped up off the floor.
“Saoirse does have a nice voice. She plays instruments, too,” I added.
“Fiddle?” Dusty opened the bottle and handed it to Saoirse.
She took it with a glare. “I’m perfectly capable of opening it. I was asking permission.”
“I know.” He winked.
“Bodhrán,” I replied. “It’s a round traditional drum.” Traditional instruments, songs, and dancing were part of my curriculum at the academy, but I wasn’t really good at any of them.
Saoirse added a generous glug of tequila to both our cups. Carlos returned with two more mugs.
Dusty added some to his. “Hale-i-o-burrito, you should try it first without booze.”
Hale came over. “Which one is mine?”
“It has your name on it,” Carlos said from the kitchen.
Grabbing his mug, he took a sip. “I like it. Thanks.”
Carlos had a mug in his hand. Putting it down, he picked up the bottle of tequila and added some to his mug,
“I’ll try some of that.” Hale added some to his.
Dusty looked deep in thought as he drank his.
“I’m going to make us a snack.” Hale took his mug and moved into the kitchen.
More people cooking for me? My inner omega preened–and kept doing so as Saoirse and Carlos sat back down on both sides of me. Carlos carefully tucked the blankets around me.
I restarted the movie. But my attention was on Hale. When he said snack I was thinking of a bowl of chips, maybe even popcorn.
No. He was cutting cheese and bread. Wait, was he blending something? I wasn’t sure what was more impressive–the fact the villa had an immersion blender or that he could use one.
But maybe he’d attended one of those fancy alpha summer camps where they taught them to make their omegas gourmet meals and how to massage them.
Hale came back in with two plates. Each one had a grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup. He handed them to me and Saoirse.
“Thank you.” I took mine from him.
“Thanks,” Saoirse replied.
“You’re welcome. They were closing up a market by one of the snowboard parks and they had fresh bread and cheese and stuff, and it sounded perfect. Especially since according to my sisters, European butter is better.” Hale looked so proud of himself.
“It is,” Saoirse agreed.
Carlos looked at my plate then to Hale. “You can cook?”
“Yeah. Us older kids all took turns cooking. I can clean and fix shit, too.” Hale went back to the kitchen.
I took a bite of toasty bread, fancy melted cheese oozing into my mouth. My shoulders shimmied in happiness.
Coming back to us, Hale gave Carlos and Dusty plates. Then he grabbed his own and sat on the ottoman.
“This is delicious, thank you,” Saoirse told him.
Hale grinned at her as he dipped his sandwich in his soup. “I’ve seen this movie a million times. But I never thought to watch it in another language.”
“Right? This is perfect, thanks,” Carlos beamed.
Hale lit up like the sun coming from behind the clouds. “I’m so glad you liked it. I know how much you love cheese.”
My body hummed with contentment as the five of us ate our food, drank our hot chocolate, and watched the movie. This was absolutely perfect, though Dusty seemed a little preoccupied.
Finally, the movie ended.
Carlos yawned. “I’m exhausted. What time are we hitting the slopes?”
Hale started cleaning up. “Did you find a trail for us?”
“I did.” Saoirse nodded.
“Bailey’s in, so I have head cameras. Also signal boosters,” Dusty added as he grabbed everyone’s empty cups.
Peeling myself up off the couch, I started folding the blankets.
“We’re not heading out too early, I hope?” I grumbled.
Saoirse kissed my head. “You can always stay here and join us when you’re ready.”
“I do have a sound check in the morning. I want to check out the stage anyway. We could hit the slopes before or after that?” Dusty suggested.
“I’d like to see the skijoring exhibition,” Hale added. “I was introduced to it last year in Rockland by my sister’s pack and it’s the craziest shit.”
Leaving the guys to do the dishes, I kissed Carlos and followed Saoirse upstairs.
“I’m going to take a shower. Can I use this one?” Saoirse asked.
“Yes, let’s just make this one the girls’ bathroom and the guys can use the other,” I told her. I got comfortable under the covers. The bed was soft, the room cute and rustic, done in shades of blue.
“I laid out your jammies.” I grinned at her.
“Only you.” She kissed me and went into the bathroom.
I crawled into bed, exhausted. Today was fun. But tomorrow… that would be incredible.