Gifted Connections 3

“Let’s get this movie started,” Troy said. “Drake needs to be up early to start making the Thanksgiving meal.”

“I’ll come,” I stated as I turned around in Remy’s lap and snuggled into his arms.

“You have work to do,” Drake smiled at me fondly. “I think you had enough breaks today.” He gave me a knowing smile.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. “I don’t have that much more to do.”

“You do if you want to finish this year earlier,” Noah stated as he looked at me and Drake with consideration.

“I will get my credits early,” I said with determination. “Helping with dinner won’t take too much time. This is my first real Thanksgiving dinner. Ever. Even Thanksgiving with my Dad was spent at a local Chinese food restaurant. He wasn’t the greatest cook, and the Hungry Man dinners weren’t the greatest. I use to always want the traditional family meal. Can I please cook? I know it’s not quite the same as if we were at home, but it’s the closest thing I ever got to it.”

“If you promise to work on your school work and nothing but your school work on Friday,” Remy stated as he caressed my bare arm.

“But Friday, Jemmy wanted to go Black Friday shopping with the girls, get a head-start on Christmas shopping,” I said with a pout. “How about Saturday?”

“Start crying,” Jaxson whispered loudly out of the side of his mouth.

Remy gave Troy a pointed look, and Troy leaned forward to cuff the back of Jaxson’s head.

“Ow,” Jaxson said in mock hurt.

Remy and Troy exchanged grins as Noah, Drake, and Jace laughed.

“Saturday then. We’ll take the kids Christmas shopping, and you’ll have no distractions,” Jace stated firmly.

“Deal,” I said with a sigh as I leaned back into Remy once more.

Chapter 18

I was gently shaken awake and blearily opened my eyes to see Drake standing above me. “Are you sure you want to get up now? You can come down when you get up,” he whispered.

I sat up and gently disengaged Troy’s arm from around me. “I’ll get up now,” I stated firmly. “I want to do this.”

He smiled as he pushed an errant curl off my face. “I’ll have your coffee ready by the time you get dressed.”

I smiled as I stood up. “Thanks.”

He left the room, closing the door softly behind him. I nearly yelped as Troy pulled me down onto his bed. I hadn’t realized that he had woken up.

“Stay with me for a little while,” he said in a persuasive tone as he kissed the back of my neck. “I need to feel you. I need to be with you. I want to be inside you.”

His words turned me on, and I found my body responding to him immediately. The idea of a quick morning romp sounded like a great idea. I could be thirty minutes late. Right?

I sighed and arched back into him. “Let me tell Drake I want a quick shower, and I’ll meet him down there.”

“Hurry back,” he urged me as he ground his hips into my ba

ck.

I leaned down and kissed him quickly. “I’ll be right back.”

A few hours later, I wondered about my sanity in offering to help with the preparation. I thought helping Drake in the past with our breakfast, lunch, and dinners could get tasking, but feeding over three hundred people a home cooked meal, was pure madness.

Drake had elected to cook most of our food instead of ordering the prepackaged meals the ordering company had available. April’s people had brought fresh produce to contribute to the compound.

I was a glorified line cook today. Me and three other people were in charge of peeling potatoes, dicing celery, onions, mincing garlic, and anything short of cooking anything. I was okay with that. My new iPod and speakers were plugged in, and we were all cooking, laughing, and making the best of our hard labor.

“Just a little smaller,” Drake said as he picked up one of my onion pieces before he kissed my cheek.