Page 74 of Worth

“Get the fuck out of my place!” I yell just as the doors slide closed with a ding.

But I know he’s not wrong. I’ve always been too late for Blake, but I’m determined this time to not let her slip through my fingers.

This time when I leave, it won’t be empty handed.

This time, she’ll truly be mine.

Dip one side. Dip the other side. Hold it up. Let the egg drip back into the bowl.

I wait until the egg goop stops dangling so much and set the saturated piece of bread on the griddle like Kitten showed me.

Not too hot. Keep your heat in the middle.

I watch it closely as the French toast cooks, my spatula at the ready.

Now, we flip it. Just like that.

I manage to flip the French toast without fucking up and that makes me grin. Blake taught me how to do that. I feel excited at the thought of getting to learn how to make other things too. Especially now that I know she loves me.

A creak sounds outside the kitchen and Blake tiptoes in, wearing one of Zander’s button-down shirts. Her bare legs are on display and I find myself looking her over just because she’s that damn beautiful.

“Good morning,” she murmurs, her voice raspy and sexy.

Sensing her nerves, I step over and embrace her, holding her tightly. “Good morning, Kitten. Hungry?”

She nods as I let go to check on the food. “Starving,” she admits. “My head hurts a little.”

I chuckle. “A bit hungover, are we?”

Kitten scowls. “Hush.”

I mime zipping my lips and throwing away the key. She settles into a chair at the counter, propping up her head on a hand as she watches me make breakfast.

There’s a comfortable silence between us, even if I can feel some nervous energy coming from her. I know it’s because of what happened with Zander, but I don’t know why she’s worried—I’m not. The silence continues, both of us hardly making a noise, until I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. She jerks straight up, her eyes closing and her mouth sucking in a breath like she’s fortifying herself.

Zander steps into view, pausing in the entryway. He looks at Kitten for a long while, then bounces his gaze to me. I want to laugh at the anxiety in his eyes, but considering what he managed to do last night, I’m going to let it slide for today.

“Morning,” he grumbles, stomping into the kitchen and heading for the coffeemaker that I’ve never used a day in my life.

It’s why my skin is still so dewy and fresh looking.

I glance at Kitten as I pull French toast off the griddle. Her eyes are locked on his back, but there’s no trace of the scorn I’ve grown used to witnessing on her face when it comes to Zander. She breaks her focus when I set a plate of food in front of her, setting out a bottle of syrup next to it.

I look back at Zander, but I don’t have to see his face to feel the electricity pulsing under his skin.

“So,” I say cheerfully. “How was the fucking?”

Zander’s shoulder tense up so hard that they climb around his ears. Blake drops the fork she’d just picked up, staring at me with wide and pleading eyes.

“As long as we’re all cool with it, I’m digging the idea of this whole poly vibe,” I continue. “I would like to propose—”

Glass shatters all around us. Kitten screams as shards rain down on us from the kitchen windows, ducking her head as best she can to avoid being scraped and cut. Zander and I both dive for the sink, ripping one cabinet door off the hinge as we yank it open together.

“Go, go, go!” I shout at her, ripping a gun from where Zander and I have them taped under the sink. “Get yourself a weapon!”

Blake scrambles out of the kitchen as a big motherfucker steps through the smashed sliding glass door. Zander and I jump, rolling behind the island to give us cover.

“Who the fuck is this?” I pant, checking my guns and ensuring the safeties are off.

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