Chapter 14 ~ #2
Helen doesn't tell anyone her recipes but apparently Rory is an exception.
We sit down at the table. Rory takes a seat between Mase and I. Seeing her empty glass, I get up and retrieve the bottle of wine for her. When I’m finished pouring her a glass, I hand the bottle to Jace.
It seems he still doesn't trust himself because he puts the bottle down on the table, out of his reach before sitting down. It’s probably for the best.
He’s managed to restrain himself for six months now. Rory’s here now, but I think we’d all rather not risk it. Jace would hate if he went of the rails around Rory.
“Thanks,” Rory murmurs, giving me a soft smile. I resist the urge to capture those sinfully sweet lips as she gazes across at me in adoration.
“Oh!” Mase exclaims. “Did Helen teach you her chocolate cake recipe?”
Rory looks at Jace before grinning. “Yeah.”
Jace throws his hands up in mock outrage.
“Can you make it for us?” I beg. Helen’s chocolate cake is a masterpiece.
“Tomorrow’s her birthday,” Luc reminds us.
Mirth sparkes in her mismatched eyes when my brother and I pout silently.
“You can help me make it,” Rory tells us. Mase punches the air.
“I need to talk to my mother,” Jace shakes his head.
“Devon taught you his famous rib sauce recipe,” Rory shoots back. “Helen doesn’t even know it.”
“That’s different,” Jace argues.
“How?” Alec chimes in, laughing.
"I don't know!" Jace groans. I snicker at his expression.
"Dude, we don't have to go without Helen's food. I'd stop complaining," Dom tells him between laughs.
We finish eating and I snag Rory before she can attempt to help clean up. She puts up a half-hearted fight before following me and Mase as we back out of the room.
I lay down on the couch, stretching myself out with a groan. Rory sits at my feet and I decide this won't do.
I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her on top of me, careful not to gostle her ribs too much. She makes a quiet 'ooft' sound.
Mase objects loudly, causing Luc to pop his head in the door.
"I figured you'd sneak away."
He grins at Rory who's awkwardly laying on top of me. She soon relaxes, laying her head on my chest.
Luc and Mase start setting up a game on the TV.
Rory shifts, drawing my attention back to her.
"It's not hurting you, is it?" I ask her, concerned.
"No,'' she tells me, lifting her head to meet my eyes.
Unable to help myself, I lean up to kiss her forehead. A peaceful look crosses her face before she lays her head back on my chest. She smells like lavender and honey, it's intoxicating.
My last girlfriend wouldn't have done this. Then again, she's nothing like Rory. She didn't like physical affection other than sex and she was always hitting on Mason. My brother and I have shared girls before but Mase hated her.
She was nice to begin with, that's why I started dating her but she ended up being cruel and cold. It took me longer than I'd like to admit to break ties with her.
Rory shifts, her arms resting on either side of me. I hug her to me, breathing in her flowery scent.
She sighs contently, her eyes closed. I smile at her like an idiot.
"You playin', dude?" Mase asks, a knowing grin on his face. I shake my head.
Jace, Dom and Alec eventually come in.
"Is she asleep?" Jace gestures to Rory.
"No," she mumbles into my chest. A few minutes later, her breathing levels out.
The guys cue up a game and turn down the volume so they don't wake our sleeping beauty.
She shifts in her sleep, moving her head to rest on my shoulder, breathing into my neck.
I lift my hand, running my fingers through her long brown hair. It's incredibly soft.
She makes a mewling noise in the back of her throat. Her head rests just under my chin. Pleased with her reaction, I continue playing with her luscious strands.
It's not long until I'm drifting off, my hand still tangled in Rory's hair.
. . .
I wake to a weight lifting off me.
The living room's dark and silent other than the shuffling of feet.
I sit up, struggling to clear the cobwebs. Jace holds out a hand to pull me off the couch.
"Thanks, J," I murmur and he nods.
Dominic holds Rory in his arms, still fast asleep. I lean down and kiss Rory's forehead. Her lips curl up, her eyes still closed as she snuggles into Dom.
I look up and Dom gives me a knowing look. We chuckle silently.
We all bid goodbye to each other, going our separate ways. I look longingly after Rory as Dom carries her down the hall.
I'm almost jealous that my brother and Luc get to sleep in her room. They need it though. Hell, Jace, Alec and Dom probably feel the same as I do.
I use the bathroom, almost running into Alec coming in.
"Teeth, Maverick," Alec reminds me, shoving a toothbrush my way.
Fucking hell. Why the fuck do you need to brush your teeth twice in one day?
I grumble before accepting I need to spend two minutes standing before I can go back to sleep.
I slept like shit last night. I've never woken up so much with nothing to wake me. I couldn't even blame Mase for dropping his pencils and shit when he accidently nods off at two in the morning.
We're short on bedrooms so Mase and I drew the short straw in sharing a room. Even at Jace’s, we have separate rooms but often choose to share one because we feel safer together. It's weird—him not being right beside me.
When Jace adopted us, we officially moved in with him, Helen and Devon. We’d been spending our nights going between the guy’s places but it’s nice to all be together here.
I spit and wash my toothbrush before bidding Alec goodnight.
Dropping my jeans on my bedroom floor and ripping off my shirt, I crawl into bed for another restless night.