Page 27 of Enraged

“You put fire out. You extinguish the fire. I’m not doubting your capabilities in that perspective. Clearly, you’ve got a handle on it because my nipples are so hard, they could cut glass right now.”

He huffed. “Fine, let’s do it your way!” He dragged the long match up the side of the brick fireplace, a spark erupting immediately.

“Well, whaddaya know?” I teased sarcastically.

Shaking his head, he tossed the match into the oversized fireplace, the seasoned fatlighter helping to bring the logs to life.

“Ok, so you were right, and I was wrong,” he admitted. “Thanks.”

“Anytime, partner. You’re used to puttin’ out the fires, not startin’ them.”

Nodding, he rose to his feet. “Let’s go to bed, Loo.”

Wordlessly, I crawled in on the right side and he crawled in on the left, the smooth execution of muscle memory from climbing into bed with Jace and Cassie for all these years.

He must be used to sleeping on the left.

The room was completely silent except for the fire cracking and the wind roaring outside.

The companionable silence from earlier is suffocating now.

Rolling over to face him, I called out his name.

“Yes?”

Deep breaths

“About earlier… I shouldn’t have…encouraged that. Started it, rather. I should have left well enough alone and stopped drinkin’ when the room became swirly and I shouldn’t have taunted you into doing something you didn’t want to do,” I rambled. “I’m sorry and I’d love it if we could forget it ever happened.”

He stared at me, his blue eyes twinkling from the light of the fire.

“It wasn’t just you. I know you felt how hard I was in the hot tub. Not braggin’ but it had to be hard to ignore when I was pressing into you.”

Oh yeah… he was hard. How had I forgotten?

“Yeah, what was that about?” I asked, doing my best to sound nonchalant.

“I’d like to be the guy that blames the liquor, but you know I’m more of a truth guy. You’re sexy as fuck and you were naked in my hot tub because you went and bought some damn dissolvable drawstrings to wear on your ass.”

Dissolvable drawstring is diabolical.

“You did not just say I’m sexy. That should be the absolute last way you see me. Remember that time I clogged the toilet at the party because y’all motherfuckers insisted we have taco bell before we went, and you took the blame for me?”

He wrinkled his nose. “That was absolutely in the top ten worst things my nostrils ever had to endure… and I’m a first responder.”

I whacked him with a pillow.

“Just because we are close, it doesn’t mean I’m too stupid to see that you’re attractive, Lena. You’ve always been beautiful. I’ve never thought or said anything different. Just because I never thought of takin’ you to bed before, it doesn’t equate to blindness.”

Just because he never thought of takin’ me to bed…before.

“You said you never thought of taking me to bed before. Does that mean you’re thinkin’ about it now?”

“I’m in bed with you now,” he pointed out.

I whacked him again.

“You know what I mean.”

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