Page 255 of The Bonus

“Relax, it’s just a kiss.” His lips dust mine.

Jeez…

“Dad,” Lucia yells from her bedroom.

His tongue swipes through my lips as he lingers. “Later…” He turns and walks out of the bathroom as if unfazed.

Oh…

My heart pounds hard in my chest as I stare after him.

Just a kiss…it wasn’t just a kiss; my whole body is thumping.

Half an hour later, we sit in the kitchen and the morning rush is well underway.

Gabriel is making sandwiches and rushing around in his suit while I sit on the couch. We’ve had some progress today, my brace finally fits on my foot, so I can get around on my own now.

“Lucia,” he calls. “Are you dressed?”

No answer…

He keeps making the sandwiches, and Dominic comes around the corner. “Eww…”

“What’s eww?” Gabriel frowns.

“We don’t eat lettuce.”

“Why not?” he mutters dryly. “Lucia, are you ready?” he calls again. “We’re going to be late.

“My teacher wasn’t happy that we were late yesterday.”

“Yeah, well, tell your teacher to call me if she has a problem,” Gabriel fires back.

I smirk into my coffee as I listen to the theatrics.

“Are you taking the lettuce off the sandwich?” Dominic asks.

“Not a chance.”

“If we don’t like it, we don’t like it.”

“Sometimes you have to do things that you don’t like; exhibit A…do you think I like being heckled while I make your lunch? The answer is no. I do not.”

“Lucia,” he bellows through the house and I turn my head away so that he can’t see me laugh.

“For god’s sake, go and check on your sister, what is she doing up there?”

Dominic skips up the stairs while I continue to sit on the couch like a queen.

“Having a nice relaxing morning out there, are you?” Gabriel grumbles.

“I am, actually.”

Dom calls from upstairs. “We’ve got a real problem up here.”

“What now?” Gabriel calls back. “I don’t have time for this shit,” he mutters under his breath.

Lucia walks down the stairs and my eyes widen. Her hair is one big knot, and a round hairbrush is sticking out of it.

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