Page 109 of The Devil's Chaos

I was just about to jump his bones when we were interrupted.

The spell was broken by Archer bursting into the room, a plate piled high with slightly charred pancakes in hand. “Breakfast is served!” he announced proudly.

Mila followed close behind, carrying a tray laden with fruit and what appeared to be mimosas. “We—I may have gotten a little carried away,” she admitted sheepishly.

I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Here we were, nursing hangovers and eating questionable pancakes, and yet, I was so happy to be living in the moment.

“Mila, you outdid yourself,” I praised. “Everything was really yummy.”

Mila beamed at my compliment, her cheeks flushed with pride. “Thanks! Considering my track record in the kitchen, I wasn't sure how they'd turn out.” She elbowed Archer playfully. “I couldn't have done it without my trusty sous chef though.”

Archer snorted, reaching for another pancake. “Don’t let her fool you,” he said around a mouthful of food. “She nearly burned the house down trying to make those pancakes.”

Mila swatted at him playfully, rolling her eyes. “Excuse me, but I seem to recall someone else setting off the smoke alarm while attempting to make bacon.”

“That’s because I was distracted,” he winked at her.

I blushed when I realized what he was talking about.

“Archer!” she gasped in embarrassment.

Kai chuckled, leaning back and sipping his mimosa. “Face it, Mila, you’re just as hopeless in the kitchen as me. Good thing I have a chef to make me pancakes with extra maple syrup on the side.”

Now, it was my turn to blush as Kai caught my eye, a hungry look in his eyes—and not for food.

Mila clutched her chest in mock offense. “I’ll have you know I make a mean bowl of cereal.”

We all burst out laughing.

Mila, ever the observant one, cleared her throat. “Well, as much as I’d love to sit here and tell you all about the virtues of my cereal-making skills, we should probably start cleaning up.”

Archer groaned but dutifully began gathering up the empty plates and cups. “For the record, baby, your cereal skills are unparalleled.”

I stood up to help with the cleanup, my head still slightly fuzzy from the mimosas. As I reached for a stack of dishes, my hand brushed against Kai's which sent a jolt of electricity through my body. Our eyes met, and for a moment, the air between us crackled with unspoken tension.

Mila interjected, “Archer, why don't you help me with the dishes in the kitchen?” Her tone left no room for argument.

Archer, catching on quickly, nodded. “Right, yeah. The dishes. In the kitchen. Let's go.” He grabbed a handful of plates and practically dragged Mila out of the room.

And then it was just Kai and me, standing in the middle of the living room, surrounded by the remnants of our breakfast feast.

“So,” I started, my voice sounded unnaturally loud in the sudden quiet. “That was some breakfast.”

Kai chuckled as he took a step closer to me. “It was. Though I have to admit, I was a bit distracted.”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding in my chest. “Distracted? By what?”

He reached out, his fingers ghosting along my jaw. “By you, little lamb. Always by you.”

I leaned into his touch, my eyes fluttered closed. “Kai...”

And then his lips were on mine, soft and insistent. I melted into the kiss, my hands came up to tangle in his hair. He pulled me closer and wrapped his arms around my waist as he deepened the kiss.

We broke apart, both of us breathing heavily. Kai rested his forehead against mine, a small smile playing on his lips. “I've been wanting to do that all morning.”

I grinned, my fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “What took you so long?”

He laughed then pressed a quick kiss to my nose. “Well, I didn't want to scandalize poor Archer and Mila.”

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