Page 77 of Burning Embers

“Oh.” I try not to let my disappointment show on my face.

“But Izzy here loves games. Why don’t you play with her?” He flashes my girl a winning smile, which she returns with a scowl.

But then Izzy turns towards me, and her expression turns warmer, the glower transforming into a timid smile. “Yeah, we can play games, if you want.”

I probably look just a little bit desperate when I return her smile with a huge one of my own. “Yeah. That’d be awesome!”

I all but run towards the couch, as if a part of me is worried that she’s going to change her mind and send me away as soon as Jake leaves.

Jake snorts. “How can a man as hot as you be such a fucking nerd?”

Both of us turn to stare at him incredulously, but he merely laughs louder.

“What?” He holds his hands up in a pacifying manner. “I’m confident enough in my sexuality to admit to myself that Ethan’s smoking.”

He fans himself with his hand. Izzy snorts and rolls her eyes, but I feel my cheeks turn bright red with embarrassment.

“Errr…thanks?”

“Anytime, man.” Jake slaps me on the shoulder and then curses. “I actually do have to run. Will you guys be okay on your own?”

He directs the last question at Izzy, and for once, his tone is devoid of his usual humor. He looks completely serious.

“Yeah, we’ll be fine.” Izzy offers him a tiny smile.

“All right. Good.” Jake grabs his phone off the coffee table and jumps to his feet.

He works at a local theater owned by a werewolf named Silas. Silas is a little intimidating, if I’m being completely honest, but Reid assured me that he’s a good boss, even if he is a hard ass.

“Behave yourselves, kids.” Jake waggles his eyebrows suggestively then races towards the door.

Just before he leaves, he fiddles with the fancy light controls on the wall. Almost instantly, the room dims, and “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon bursts through the speakers.

Izzy’s cheeks turn almost as bright red as mine while Jake begins to laugh uproariously.

“You little shit!” Izzy screams, attempting to toss a pillow at his face.

But he stealthily dodges it and disappears down the hall, still snickering like a crazy person.

Oh. My. God. I think this… This is how I’m going to die.

Death by embarrassment. What a way to go.

Twenty-Five

IZZY

Iam going tomurderJake.

No, that’s too easy for the little shit-stirrer. He deserves to suffer. Perhaps I’ll rip out all of his internal organs and use them as tinsel next Christmas to decorate the tree. Or maybe I’ll strangle him with his own intestines…

Ethan releases a strangled sound from beside me and then rushes towards the light controller—a tiny box mounted to the wall that allows you to control the lights and speakers in the room.

He incessantly begins to press buttons on the screen, and the lights finally turn back on.

Only to immediately dim even further, providing a salacious type of ambiance to the game room.

My cheeks feel as if they’re on fire, and I’m just grateful that the darkness shrouds my red face.

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