Page 61 of Hot Zone

“Yep, he and Roxy will be here at seven. Which means I need to get that roast in the oven, so I need to run to the store and get a few things.”

A couple hours later, I was back home with everything I needed. Samuel joined me in the kitchen and helped me unpack all the groceries.

“Okay, what can I do to help?” he asked.

“You can chop up the carrots, onions, and celery while I sear the roast if you want.” I’d never had anyone help me in the kitchen before. I mean, we’d worked together a couple times to get breakfast ready or whatever, but when I was actually cooking a full dinner, it had always been on me to do it all. I loved that he wanted to help instead of just waiting to eat.

“I can do that. Just tell me how big you want the chunks.”

A few minutes later, I slid the roast into the oven and closed the door. “Wow, that didn’t take anywhere near as long to get the roast in the oven with you helping me.”

He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a hug. “We’re partners, Kitten. This is what partners do. They help each other.”

“That hasn’t been my experience in the past. But I like it.”

“Good. Now, how much time do we have before Steven and Roxy arrive?”

“A couple of hours. Why, what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking there’s something else partners do together that you like.” He waggled his eyebrows, and I laughed.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, really.” I braced myself to get ready to run before adding. “I’ll beat you to the bedroom.”

I rounded the corner into the hall that led to the bedroom with him on my heels, but I was the first one through the door, so I considered that a win.

He caught up with me in the bedroom and tackled me on the bed. “I beat you,” I said, laughing.

“You did. So what do you want as your prize?”

“I want to suck your cock.”

“Oh really? Well then, I guess we both win.”

Samuel

A couple of orgasms and a nap later, I nudged Mars. “We need to get up and take a shower. The last thing we need is for Steven to show up and find us in bed in the middle of the day.”

He snorted. “I know you’re right, but I would pay money to see his face if it happened.”

“I don’t think we should push our luck. I’m surprised he even agreed to come. I thought it would take him a lot longer to be okay with everything.”

I was thrilled that Steven had accepted Mars’s invite, but I was a little nervous about how things would go. Steven had been pretty insistent that he didn’t approve of me and Mars being together.

I didn’t know what Mars told him when he went over there. I’d asked how it went, and Mars just said he’d taken care of it and everything was fine. Danni was right, and Steven was a lot like me. I’d never dealt with change well, and neither did he. My plan had been to give him some time and space to come around, but now it was just a week later, and he and Roxy were coming for dinner.

Mars rolled over on his back and sighed. “Why did I invite people over? I want to stay right here in bed for the rest of the day.”

“It was your idea, Kitten.”

“I know, and like you said, we need to get up. I need to get the potatoes on if they’re going to be ready at the same time as the roast.”

Thirty minutes later, Steven knocked on the door, which was odd because he never knocked. My first thought was that it was a bad sign because it meant he didn’t feel at home here now that Mars and I were together, but before either of us had time to go open it for them, both he and Roxy came in.

Steven shot me that same smart-ass smirk he used to use when he was a teenager. “Just wanted to give you two a warning before we came in. Cause there are some things I just never want to see.”

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