Page 141 of Mayhem
Paetyn chuckled as he placed his hand on Erin’s thigh, Cruz’s hand occupying the other. “I can assure you that this is far from a game to us. We’re in it for the long haul. We love Erin, and we don’t plan on going anywhere unless she gets sick of us,” Paetyn stated.
“But if for some reason you feel the need to use that impeccable aim, we’d probably deserve it, so feel free,” Cruz permitted.
Erin brought her glass to her lips. “What if I do get sick of you?”
Paetyn could see the mischievous glint in her eyes and the smirk the glass didn’t hide.
“They make medicine for that,” Cruz responded.
“They do?” Erin asked, shifting her eyes to him.
Paetyn placed his lips to his ear. “An abundant supply. We might give you a dose tonight,” he whispered.
“Morris,” Julia paused to take a drink of her wine. “I get the distinct feeling they aren’t talking about medicine in the conventional sense but are, in fact, being nasty,” she said teasingly, but Paetyn was sure she hadn’t heard him.
Morris shook his head at her words but did not respond, and Paetyn felt this was a common occurrence between the two.
“Speaking of, when the two of you are…giving doses of medicine simultaneously, does it feel like a competition?”
“Grams!” Erin stated. “Don’t answer her.”
“What?” Julia innocently asked.
“So, Julia,” Paetyn decided to change the topic. “Erin said you’re retired, living in warmer weather. Are you enjoying the easier pace?”
“I did. I put down my dental tools some time ago, and several friends and I decided we wanted to retire somewhere warm. After going back and forth, we decided on the Dominican Republic. The dollar goes a long way, and we can travel.”
They continued their conversation until their server returned. When Erin’s plate was put in front of her, she slid her eyes to Paetyn but waited until their server was gone.
“This is the dish.”
“It is,” Paetyn confirmed.
“I told you there was no need for them to go out of their way,” Erin protested.
“You also told me to order for you, which I did, and they didn’t have to go out of their way. The ingredients are used for other dishes. They didn’t have to take out anything special.” He squeezed her thigh and kissed her temple.
The conversation shifted to Thanksgiving, and Erin gave Julia and Morris a rundown. Everyone was inviting a familymember or two except for Remy and Lawrence since their parents wouldn’t be in town for a visit. Caroline and Emberly were coming since Naidlyn had to work.
Paetyn hadn’t been sure having Nik’s mom there was a good idea with Talia, Lena, and Erin being there since the three women had all had a bit of an altercation with her. However, she was on her medication and had been taking it without fail for the past year.
Chayse had spoken to Talia about it, and she didn’t seem to hold any ill will toward Caroline. Lena hadn’t cared as long as Caroline kept her hands to herself, and when they’d spoken with Erin, her answer had been similar to Lena’s, stating, “I don’t care if she comes, but if she puts her hands on either one of you for whatever reason, I’m going to put my hands on her.”
After dinner, the five exited the restaurant, and Paetyn and Cruz walked them to Erin’s car. They’d volunteered to drive everyone, but Erin had insisted it would be easier for her to pick them up since she was already in the city for work.
“I’m going to drop them off, grab my tablet from the shop, and then come home.”
Paetyn wasn’t sure she realized what hearing her say that did to them. They were in their second two weeks of her staying with them, and she had fallen into calling it home so easily. She kissed them both, and they watched her pull out of the parking lot before going to his car.
When they were headed home, Paetyn made a mental note to change the sheets on the guest beds if anyone needed to stay over on Thanksgiving.
40
Erin leaned against the island as she watched Paetyn cut some celery while Cruz set up another table to ensure they had enough room for everyone coming for Thanksgiving. She’d volunteered to help him set it up, but he’d declined, telling her it would only take a few minutes. So, she sat at the island to watch Paetyn chop vegetables. She had long ago discovered her obsession with both of their hands. So it did not shock her the first time she’d watched him chop something or Cruz install a prototype for a new monitor on their garage door, that watching them work with their hands sent a little tingle through her.
When he finished the celery, Erin helpfully passed him the potatoes and continued to admire his hands as he worked. There was just something about it—the way he deftly maneuvered the knife and the precision it took to do so without cutting himself.
After the potatoes were finished, Erin slid him the carrots, her eyes still trained on his hands as she shifted from one foot to another, squeezed her thighs, and momentarily wondered if something was wrong with her. This shouldn’t have always turned her on, but it did, and she didn’t care. Mildly, she wondered if she should try to remove one of the security panels so Cruz would have to fix it. That way, she could watch and get a double fix.
