Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Asmoday
Despite us living in the same residence and me making meals for her every day, Daruka managed to avoid me for the next three days.
It was late Thursday evening before we were in the same vicinity for more than the thirty seconds it took her to grab a bite, mumble a thank you without making eye contact, and flee again.
Imagine my surprise when she didn’t rush away this time.
“What are you doing?”
I glanced over my shoulder to where she lounged against the kitchen doorframe, dressed in yoga pants that were more loosely fitted than her typical leggings, and a dark purple tank that emphasized her fantastic boobs way more than I needed to notice.
I’d been fantasizing a lot about those boobs since I inadvertently got a glimpse when she decided to take a dip in the moat that was supposed to encourage people to stay away, not go for a swim.
Of course, when the townsfolk had built it, they hadn’t taken into account the potential for a mermaid to move into their midst.
I turned back to the ceramic counter in my outdoor kitchen, where I’d just finished trimming the fat off four large briskets. The smokers were already on, belching smoke into the air and letting the entire town know that I had begun preparations for the annual Valentine’s weekend festival.
Yes, I too was shocked that a bunch of misfit monsters enjoyed a holiday like Valentine’s Day so damn much that they’d created a festival around it.
But, like all the rest of us, I leaned into it, contributing my culinary skills to the volunteer signup sheet that the vampire posted in the coffee shop every January first.
(By the way, wait until you see how this town celebrates Halloween.)
Daruka took a step outside and let her gaze wander around my setup. “This is nice.”
Hell, yeah, it was. When I bought the historic building, I’d replaced the hundred-year-old crumbling brick patio under the covered porch with smooth stone pavers.
I’d then enlisted River and the yeti to help to build the long ceramic countertop, install the sink and grill, and swap out the old ceiling fans that had probably been installed back when electricity was first invented.
Next step was to hit up the genie who owned the mercantile store. I had to use up one of my wishes to get him to install the vent fan over the outdoor cooktop, because I wanted it to be done flawlessly. No accidental fires with this setup.
Last, I’d ventured out into the wild—a.k.a.
the human world—to purchase the four smokers lined up right on the edge of the porch, mostly protected from the elements but positioned so their smoke went outside rather than into my building.
I liked the smell of smoking meat, but I didn’t want my entire life to be permeated with it.
“Thanks,” I responded. “And to answer your question, I’m smoking brisket for the festival this weekend.”
She squinted at the smokers, and I answered her next question before she could ask.
“Brisket, when done right, takes around twelve hours to cook, and that’s after all the prep.” I waved at the slabs of meat lying on the counter. “And then it needs to rest for a few hours before it’s ready to eat.”
She frowned. “I don’t know much about cooking.”
I quickly wiped my hands on a rag and snagged a second apron. “Want to learn?” I sounded desperate.
I didn’t care.
She hesitated. Was she about to turn around and continue hiding from me, from her attraction to me?
With her gaze deliberately fixed over my shoulder, she accepted the apron and slipped it over her head, then tied the ribbons behind her back.
Not going to lie, I struggled not to pump my fist in the air The Breakfast Club style.
“Come over here.” I patted the countertop. She moved next to me, but with a significant enough gap between us to make it clear she was still trying to keep her distance.
Her issue was definitely the fated mates thing, which sucked, but we’d figure it out.
I hoped.
Probably not tonight, though. Tonight, I just wanted to figure out how to become friends.
Because not talking to Daruka at all was damn near killing me.
After a brief explanation of the next steps before the meat went into the smokers, I asked, “Do you want to spread the mustard or the spices?” I nodded at the jars I’d lined up along the edge of the counter and the bowls of spices I’d already mixed together and placed between each slab of meat.
Daruka eyed the display. “Which do you prefer?”
“Whichever you don’t.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“It’s the truth.”
She glared at me. I blew out a breath. “Look, it really doesn’t matter. Either way, we’re both going to be sloppy when we’re done.”
And no, that shouldn’t have sounded sexy at all, but I was a desperate man, and anything having to do with Daruka was sexy at this point.
“Fine,” she said, nudging the closest jar of mustard toward me.
“Okay, follow along behind me,” I instructed. “Make sure you coat every bit of the meat. Don’t be shy. It takes far more spice than you think it does.”
Now I was imagining slathering something sweet on her body—honey, maybe—but if she noticed, she did a damn good job of pretending not to.
We worked silently for a time. She caught on quickly, probably because she wanted to stop brushing against my hands every time she tried to spread the herbs.
“Sorry,” she muttered after we’d worked in silence for several not uncomfortable moments.
I stopped massaging mustard onto the nearest brisket. “What?”
“I said I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
She waved her salt- and herb-encrusted hand in my direction. “If I hadn’t decided to go for a swim in the moat, you never would have dived in after me—although I’d like to point out that I didn’t need your help.”
“Are you serious right now? You’re apologizing and then immediately pointing out how dumb I was for trying to help you?”
“Not for trying. I appreciate the consideration. It just wasn’t needed is all I’m saying.”
“What about Krishna? Was his help needed?”
There it was. The tell. She lowered her gaze and refocused her efforts on spreading the herbs over a section of the meat that was already plenty coated.
“Is there something going on between you two?”
“He’s my friend.” She lifted her gaze to glare at me. “And for your information, yes, he did help me. But that’s beside the point. He’s just a kind person. And frankly, it’s nice to hang around someone who has no ulterior motives.”
Well, hell.
I quickly slathered mustard on the last chunk of meat and left her to add the dry rub while I slid each slab of brisket into its respective smoker. Without a word of acknowledgment, I headed to the outdoor sink to wash my hands and shed my apron.
Daruka joined me. “So what’s next?”
“That’s it,” I said, drying my hands. “You’re free to go.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the row of smokers while tossing her apron onto the counter. “Don’t we have to, I don’t know, pour barbeque sauce on them or something?”
I snorted. “We’re smoking them. You just let the smoke and heat do their job. I’ll check the temperature in a few hours, make sure they still have plenty of wood chips, but that’s it. So go on, go back to your room. Or wherever you were before you wandered out here.”
“Why are you so defensive all of a sudden?”
“Because I got your hint about ulterior motives, Daruka. And it pisses me off because you’re right. I do have ulterior motives. I want you. I want you underneath me. I want you on top of me. I want you in the shower, and I’m pretty sure that can’t even happen.”
“It can’t.” Her voice was breathy. “When we’re in mermaid form, we don’t have sex organs. Well, besides our breasts.”
I threw my head back and closed my eyes. “Fuck. You have the most magnificent breasts I’ve ever seen. I can’t get them out of my head.”
“It’s been three days since you’ve seen them.”
“Yeah, and it’s only gotten worse. This stupid obsession I have for you.” I opened my eyes, caught her gaze, held it. “I have never felt like this, ever. And it sucks. I just want it to go away.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She continued to stare into my eyes. “Never? Seriously? I’m not even—”
“Do not say you aren’t attractive,” I warned. “Because one, that’s bullshit. And two, that isn’t even it, although you are hot as fuck. It’s all of you. Not just”—I waved at her breasts—“them.”
She glanced down at her boobs. “They are pretty hot though.”
I panted.
She cupped them and pushed them out. Her nipples pressed against her thin ribbed tank top like they were trying to cut their way to freedom.
I swallowed, my gaze now fixed on her breasts instead of her eyes.
“What would you do with them if I let you touch them?”
Underworld help me. “Everything I possibly could.”
Her thumbs dragged across those taut nipples. Holy hell, I’d never been seduced before. I’ve only ever been the seducer.
It was hot as fuck.
“Tell me,” she said, rubbing her nipples again. “I want details.”
Oh Lilith save me, my cock was going to burst through my pants at this rate. Swallowing thickly, I said, “First, I’d hold them, just like you are now. Massage them a little. Really get a feel for them. Figure out which parts make you moan when I touch them.”
She gasped. Close, but not a moan. Not yet.
“And then I’d cup one of them just so”—I reached out, covered her hand on her right breast with my own—“and I’d lean in”—she sucked in a breath, watching me—“and I’d wrap my lips around that beautiful blue nipple…” I pressed my lips to her breast, over her shirt, and sucked. Hard.
She moaned.
Yes!
But then she pushed me away. Damn it, did I carry this too far? I thought I was reading her signals right. I mean, it’s pretty hard to misinterpret “tell me more” while she’s holding her breasts in her hands.
She flipped her shirt over her head.
I was clearly not misreading her signals.
“Keep going,” she demanded.
My pleasure.
Truly.