14. Oz #3
It was time for me to be vulnerable as well.
Neither of them had asked me what I shifted into, and I had to show them.
I also needed to tell them I was a licensed electrician, because today I planned to track Rafferty down and ask him for a job in his construction business.
I couldn’t play security guard anymore. I needed a regular job with regular hours so I could be available for Manny and Arch.
Ten minutes later I was dressed and walking back to the kitchen. The sweet scent was stronger now. Banana bread? Arch was still sitting at the table, but he turned as I came up to him. “Feeling better?”
I nodded before cupping Arch’s jaw in my hand and leaning down to kiss him. He tasted of black coffee. I pulled back. “Did you already eat? I wanted to make you something, but I smell...” I cocked my head. “Manny has a bread maker?” I hadn’t seen it in the cabinets.
Arch gave me a sheepish smile and ran his hand over his head.
“Uh, it’s mine. I brought it in case, uh, I slept over.
I enjoy having fresh baked bread, though I went with banana bread because it’s faster.
I thought it’d be nice for you.” He clamped his mouth shut like he thought he’d been rambling too long.
I smiled, putting as much warmth and affection into my expression as I could. “It smells wonderful. Thank you.” I gave him another kiss. “I’ll make eggs to go with it.”
“You don’t have to cook for me.” He seemed uncomfortable.
“But I want to. It makes me happy, so stop complaining.” I squeezed his shoulder.
His face went from concerned to defensive. “I'm not... I wasn't...” Grinning at his sputtering, I went into the kitchen and pulled out the frying pan.
The smell of the food must have woken Manny.
Rubbing his face, he wandered into the kitchen in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else.
Arch turned in his chair to greet him, much like he'd done to me.
Manny put his arms around Arch's shoulders and climbed into his lap with his legs dangling on either side of the chair. He tucked his face into Arch’s neck.
“Daddy, I woke up all alone. I wanted morning sex.”
I stifled a laugh at Arch’s revolted expression. He pushed Manny’s shoulders back until he could look him in the eye. “If you call me that again, my dick will never work in your presence.”
Manny snickered, then laughed out loud, his hand over his belly. “Good morning, mi cazador.” He kissed Arch before sliding off his lap and joining me in the kitchen. He wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Morning. Oz, mi corazón, you don’t have to always be the one cooking. I have skills too.”
I shrugged. “You needed the rest. You can cook another day. Besides, Arch made banana bread.” I waved the spatula toward the bread maker on the counter.
After giving Manny a moment to express his appreciation to Arch, I put my spatula down and went over to watch them making out.
Manny opened one eye to look at me before breaking away from Arch, grabbing my hand and giving me a slow, hot kiss.
When it ended, he clung to Arch’s shoulders for balance. I grinned in self-satisfaction, and Arch winked at me, so I gave him another kiss of his own. “Shit, the eggs!” I ran back to the stove, and the others chuckled.
After I tossed the ruined eggs in the trash, I started a new batch, scrambled this time in case I lost my concentration again.
Manny made himself a cup of coffee and, after he’d doctored it to his satisfaction, I shooed him back toward the table.
Arch stared at Manny’s chest, then his arms and legs.
“Your magic is a lot stronger this morning.”
Manny blew on the coffee to cool it. “I didn’t heal anyone Saturday or Sunday.” He winked. “Plus, sex.”
I turned back to the stove, but I just knew Arch was raising one eyebrow. “Oh? Sex replenishes your magic?”
“That’s my working theory. It needs more testing, of course.”
The smirk was strong in Arch’s voice. “Of course.” He got up to check the bread maker, then he asked to borrow a fork, which he stuck into the loaf of banana bread.
Satisfied with the result, he shut off the machine, and, after locating and donning Manny’s potholders, pulled out a golden-brown loaf that smelled heavenly.
He sliced it on a plate and set that in the center of the table with some butter.
I divided the eggs among our plates, which ended up being pretty large portions, but we all needed to make sure our magic was topped up.
Manny batted his eyes at me. “Thank you, gordito. You’re the best.” I ducked my head to hide my smile.
I loved it when Manny called me pet names in Spanish.
Behind me, he told Arch, “Also, Oz has been feeding me up, which helps too.”
Arch smiled, his eyes soft as I returned, sitting across from him with my own plate. “Oz, you’re an amazing cook.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “And an even better lover.”
The line should’ve sounded cheesy, but instead it was sexy as fuck. My face had to be fiery red, and I looked down at my plate to hide it. “Thanks. I, uh, had fun last night.” I poked at my eggs with my fork, glancing up at Manny and Arch from under my lashes.
Manny eyed Arch, and I was betting he was debating whether now was a good time to bring up our relationship going forward. I was happy to let him, but Arch had his own topic to discuss.
He set his fork down on his plate. “I need to tell y’all some things I learned.
” He faced me, and I felt obligated to raise my head to listen.
“I talked to a few of the Wonders who were rescued with you.” My back stiffened, and Manny reached out to grab my hand.
Arch’s expression was grim. “She told me the same thing you had, about the guy in charge and his ‘pet’.”
I swallowed, and Manny squeezed my fingers. Arch put his own hands in his lap, and Manny scowled. “Hold his hand, Arch.”
He looked startled until his eyes fell on Manny and my interlaced fingers.
“Oh. Sure. Sorry, I, uh, don’t always pick up on interpersonal cues.
” Tentatively he put his hand on top of ours.
Manny and I really needed to find out about Arch’s relationship history.
He hesitated, then asked, of all things, “Are you aware I can see ghosts?”
What? I shook my head, but Manny nodded. “Because you’re family with Rory, right?”