Page 23 of Plaything

He turned, resting his hands behind him on the edge of the counter, making his biceps look amazing. “A few weeks ago, we invited some friends of ours over. I forgot about it until this morning.”

I couldn’t tell if that was a ‘hint hint’ to stay away while their friends were over. I didn’t blame them if they wanted me to stay out of sight. It would be hard to explain my living here, and I didn’t expect them to introduce me to their (probably much older and mature) friends.

“It sounds like you have a busy morning full of baking.” I gestured to the ingredients with a smile. “I have a lot of homework, so I won’t bother you when your friends are here,” I added.

I took my water and started to walk out of the kitchen.

“Odette,” Aiden said sternly.

Stopping, I turned on my heel and raised my eyebrows at him in question.

His eyes pinned me to my spot, and my heart skipped a beat for a second. “This is just as much your house as it is ours. We don’t expect or want you to avoid our guests,” he said sternly, leaving no room for argument. “Now, come back here and help me make these damn things... please.”

My eyes were wide as saucers, disbelief filling my whole being. That didn’t make sense to me. When my father would have his friends over, I would say a quick hello and then go to my bedroom, where I was expected to stay for the remainder of the evening.

It was strange that he wanted me to be present or, at the very least, introduce myself to their guests. Once again, I felt very welcome when I shouldn’t. First, it was Wyatt, with his helpfulness and kindness. Then Niko, offering to give me a ride home and making sure I was okay last night. Now, Aiden unexpectedly requested that I socialize with their friends and help him bake.

Suddenly, I got very emotional, as if I was just screamed at. I couldn’t explain it, but my brain was at war with itself. This wasn’t normal for me, and I didn’t know how to respond to it. I wasn’t used to kindness, caring, or being wanted.

Aiden stared at me from the other side of the counter, his eyes like lasers that blasted right through me. I’d known since I first met him, but now I could feel it more than ever; Aiden could read me like a book.

Trying to push that sudden outburst of emotion away, I blinked my eyes a few times and hugged my cardigan around my body. “Okay,” I muttered, still unsure of myself. I shuffled towards him, keeping my eyes pointed at the floor.

Part of me was pleased that he wanted me around, but I couldn’t get over how strange it was. Blending into the background was something I’d gotten exceptionally good at. Now, these men—my professors wanted to spend time with me.

Standing beside him, I slowly looked up, meeting his concerned, confused expression. His features were much softer now than I’d ever seen before. He turned his body to me. “What did I say?” He asked, gesturing to my slightly red eyes.

I was glad I could stop myself before the tears came, but unfortunately, my eyes and cheeks turned red when I was about to cry. I shrugged. “Nothing,” I quickly defended, not wanting him to feel guilty. “I just wasn’t expecting you to say that,” I explained.

“Did you expect us to ask you to stay in your room the entire day?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes, actually,” I said honestly.

He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t allow that.”

He turned away, grabbing measuring cups and baking tools. My stomach filled with butterflies as I watched him. Something about the way he said allow had my stomach in knots.

Not wanting to get the sleeves dirty or accidentally dip them in batter, I took off my cardigan. “I should warn you, I have no idea how to make cupcakes,” I warned, just in case he actually expected me to bring anything to the table besides blindly following his instructions.

Aiden turned, words catching in his throat for a second as his gaze quickly fell. It was swift, yet not at all subtle. His eyes did a once over of my body, lingering on my torso before he tensed and made an effort to meet my eyes.

“I just need you to taste them; I don’t like chocolate,” he explained, his thoughts elsewhere.

He checked me out. Aiden totally checked me out. I wasn’t expecting him to have any reaction at all, but I was strangely happy that he did. I wasn’t working with much; I was built like a noodle—a limp noodle. I blushed, looking away from him, then back again. “It’s your lucky day because I love chocolate,” I smiled.

Aiden pulled something from a reusable grocery bag on the counter and handed it to me. “I thought you would,” he said absentmindedly as he started adding flour and sugar to the egg mixture.

I smiled down at the dairy-free frosting mixture he bought. “You didn’t have to go out of your way to get this. Thank you.”

Dominic walked into the kitchen, looking tired, his hair messy from sleep, sweatpants hanging low on his hips, and a black t-shirt that he must have messily thrown on before coming down here. One side clung to his waist, a few inches above where his waistband sat.

My gaze instantly fell on the V-shaped outline on his torso, and my breathing hitched.

God bless.

He glanced at Aiden before his tired eyes landed on me as he walked. He quickly looked away, rubbing his big hand through his hair, further messing it up.

He didn’t say anything as he stopped right in front of me, his intense eyes looking down on me with something I was unfamiliar with, but it made my skin prick with goosebumps.

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