Reese

ChapterTwelve

Ilie on the bed staring up at the ceiling as the rain batters the windows and the wind howls like it’s auditioning for a Stephen King movie.

After three solid weeks of nothing but sunshine, Mother Nature has decided to give us a display of her awesome powers. The initial awkwardness had worn off, and things had returned to normal with Vega and Blink. Neither gave me a chance to get lost in my head. They were upfront about what they wanted, and not once did they hide it from me.

It both soothes my nerves and frays them because once this case is over, I’m not sure what will happen.

A tap at the door has me turning toward it as Graves pokes his head around to find me. “Hey, you want to watch a movie or something?”

I sit up and swing my legs off the bed. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”

He shrugs. “I’m not picky.” He looks out my window and chews his lip. “Think they’ll deliver in this?”

I turn to look too and shake my head. “Maybe, but I’d never forgive myself if they ended up wrapping their car around a tree. Come on. I can rustle something up as long as you don’t mind something vegetarian.”

“I’ll eat whatever you make as long as there is no zucchini in it.” He grimaces.

“Not a fan, huh?”

“It tastes like ass.”

“And you know this how?”

“Good imagination. Now come on, hurry up. I’m wasting away here.”

I walk toward him, and he lifts his T-shirt to emphasize how he’s wasting away. I lose my footing. I was not prepared for that. With abs for days and nothing hiding the outline of his cock beneath his sweatpants, my clit starts throbbing in time with my pulse.

I might be a vegetarian, but there is some meat I’m more than happy to eat.

Oh God, think pure thoughts. Kittens, puppies, clouds…eh…fucking hell. Why is this so hard? No, dammit, don’t think of hard things.

“Are you okay?”

“What? Oh yeah, I’m totally fine. Awesome, actually.” I grin while I’m slowly dying inside.

Totally fine? Awesome?

Clearly, I have been body-snatched.

“Hey, if you’re not feeling up to it, we can do it another night.”

The concern on his face throws a bucket of ice on my burning libido, thank god.

“No, it’s all good. Just a weird day, and sitting around doing nothing turns my brain to mush.”

“I get that. If I’m not doing something, I go a little stir crazy.” He winces a little at his choice of wording, but I shrug it off.

“I was supposed to be doing a class at the gym, but with the weather warning in place, we canceled. It’s just too dangerous with all the flash flooding for people to be out in it unless they have to be.”

He nods as he leads the way down the stairs toward the kitchen. “I was going to work a little more on a project I have due, but I can’t hear myself think out there, what with the workshop having a tin roof and all.”

I laugh. I can only imagine.

I’d been in his workshop and seen the beautiful blown glass objects he has made. The man has some serious skill, but with this rain and a tin roof, the noise would drive anyone nuts.

“So, what are you making?” he asks with the excitement of a toddler.

Still chuckling, I pull open the fridge door and see what we have. “Pasta? That’s probably the quickest thing. I can make something a little fancier tomorrow.”