Page 80 of The Devils Melody
I force a little laugh, but the sound that comes out has me cringing internally.
Shit, get it together.
“Pinned between two massive guys? I slept fantastic. Apparently that’s the cure to insomnia.”
He hums low in his throat, clearly amused. “Well good. We’ll have to make it a habit.”
His words make my stomach tie in knots, but not like how they did last night. Now there’s a sick pit of doubt swirling inside me, and I can’t tell if it’s from fear of what is going to happen or guilt from being such a burden.
Forcing another brittle smile, my voice somehow manages to sound playful even when I feel like I’m about to come apart. “Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
Nox snorts behind me. There’s something odd in hisgaze when I look his way. It feels like he’s dissecting every inch of me.
“I’ll get you a plate,” he says as he moves towards the cabinet.
Kage brushes his lips against my temple, giving me a feather light kiss. It should make me melt, and it almost does, but this feeling in my chest is overpowering.
“You seem…off, little bird. Seriously, what’s wrong? Was that too much for you last night?” he asks, and I feel the moment my heart plummets to the bottom of my stomach.
Lie, Wren. Lie like your life depends on it.
“Nothing’s wrong. Seriously Kage, I’m just starving and a little sore, that’s all.”
He seems to believe me. At least, I think he does, because my answer earns me a dangerously sexy smirk as his eyes glint with lust. I can’t help the way the sensitive space between my thighs begin to throb at the way he looks at me. There’s so much hunger in his eyes, and I have a desperate need to satiate him.
Heat floods my cheeks and I have to rip my gaze away before I do something stupid, like beg him to take me right here on the damn kitchen counter. That could be fun.
No. Focus, damnit. Food. Coffee. Pretend everything is normal.
“Sit,” Kage orders smoothly, his hand guiding me toward one of the barstools tucked beneath the island. His touch is firm, possessive, and despite the chill that runs down my spine, I obey. My legs cross automatically as I sink onto the stool, tugging the hem of Nox’s oversized t-shirt lower over my thighs.
Nox sets a steaming mug of coffee in front of me, followed by a plate loaded with pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs.
“Eat, phoenix,” he pushes, his tone much softer than usual. “You’re shaking.”
I glance down, startled to see that my hands are trembling as I reach for the fork. “Oh, uh, it’s just…low blood sugar,” I lie with a shrug.
Kage walks around the island and takes a seat directly next to me, so close his thigh brushes against mine. The rough texture of his pajama bottoms scrape against my skin, and it’s not bad, I just feel like my senses are heightened right now. He doesn’t sit like a normal person, either. He sits like he owns the place, which technically he does, and me right along with it. His arm drapes across the back of my chair, effectively caging me in.
“You don’t need to worry about anything,” he murmurs. “We’ll take care of you.”
What the hell does that mean?
I force down a bite of my pancakes, the sweetness catching in my throat. My appetite is gone, replaced by the strong need to know what they were talking about before I walked in. Their so called mission, not thinking straight, and losing me. The ache in my chest tightens until it feels like I might actually choke.
“When you’re done, we’re going to head out for a while,” Nox says casually, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’ll be safe here. Keep the doors locked and don’t answer for anyone, alright?”
My head jerks up, alarms flaring in my head. “Wait. You’re leaving?”
The question comes out way too panicked, and I curse myself internally. So much for acting normal.
“Just for a bit,” Kage says beside me, his thumb brushing soothing circles on my shoulder. “We’ve got business to take care of.”
Ah, business. Their mission. All those sketchy ass words they think I’m too dumb to notice. My smile wavers but I plaster it back into place, pretending I’m cool with it even as my mind screams.
“Right,” I say quietly, shoving another bite into my mouth just to keep from blurting out something stupid. “Go do your…business thing.”
Kage smirks like he can sense my bullshit, but he doesn’t call me out on it. Instead, he presses another lingering kiss to my temple before standing.
