28
We all dig in to another incredible meal from one of the sisters, and when I’m done, I check if the coast is clear and dash into the kitchen. I manage to booty bump Lila out of my way and make it to the sink.
I can only manage to turn the water on before Lila starts to tickle me. I screech and try to scramble away, and Lila easily plucks my dishes from my laugh-weakened hands. She’s already scrubbing them before I can get a hold of myself to retaliate.
“This isn’t over Lila. Your washing days are numbered,” I declare with exaggerated authority.
She giggles and blows soap suds in my direction. I glare at her trying not to smile, and I turn around to find the guys smiling and laughing at me.
“What was that about?” Bastien asks me through his laughter.
“They won’t let me wash my own dishes,” I tell him incredulously. “That’s me battling for my right.” I raise my voice making sure Lila can hear me over the running water. She giggles.
“That was hilarious,” Knox declares breaking into a fit of laughter.
“I never thought I’d see Vinna bested, but alas, the day has arrived," Sabin winks at me, passing me and handing Lila his plate. He gives her a quick peck on the cheek and thanks her for dinner.
“Ah, so food is the key to your affection,” I tease him, and he shakes his head at me chuckling.
All the guys line up and hand their plates to Lila, like good little boys. She even shoots me a look that says,see that wasn’t so hard now was it?
To which I reply, “You’re all sheep. Will none of you join my revolution?” I’m trying to channel my innerBraveheart,but I sound more drunk Jamaican than Scottish. The guys roar with laughter, and I concede my loss. Valen throws me over his shoulder and starts to take me back downstairs.
I lean up on his back and yell, “You haven’t seen the last of me, Lila,” and proceed to cackle an evil laugh that would make the wickedest of TV villains proud. A slap to my butt turns my evil cackle into a startled squeak, and that sets the guys off even more. They’re bent over and crying with laughter. Even Sabin’s cracking up and that’s saying a lot.
I hang over Valen’s shoulder, happy to pretend I’m the sack of potatoes he’s carrying me like. He makes his way to the theater room then pulls me from his shoulder and sets me back on my feet.
I take a minute to let all the blood rush from my head back into the rest of my body and then race Valen tomy spot.He muscles ahead—damn shorter legs--so I leap at him spider monkey style trying to keep him from winning.
We both fall back into the spot at the same time, and Valen isn’t the slightest bit phased by my efforts to push him out of the corner. He simply repositions me against him, the way I was when we woke up from our first movie night.
This time I’m not as confused or hesitant, and I make myself comfortable against him shoving my hand up his shirt and resting it against his warm chest. He doesn’t seem to mind and grabs my knee pulling it up, and over his hips. He leaves his hand tucked in the crook of my knee and the other rubs small circles over my lower back.
The other guys chuckle at our antics and settle in. Sabin puts on a movie, and I can’t help but sneak glances around the room at the others. I wonder what they think about all of this. I kissed Bastien and Ryker less than twenty-four hours apart. Now I’m sprawled across Valen like it’s no big deal, thinking about how I’d like to make out withhim.
I know this is how things are supposed to work for casters, but how is none of this weird for them? Better yet, why is this not weirder for me? Maybe Mave was right, and I am a closet freak. The fact that my libido currently has her engines shamelessly set tofull steam aheaddoes support thattheory.
So far I’m only kissing these guys, but what happens when it goes beyond that--which if I’m being honest could be any moment now, with the way these boys kiss and how incredibly attracted I am to them. If I decide to have sex with one, will it piss off the others?
What if I have sex with one before I even kissed all the others? Do they talk to each other about this stuff?Fuck.Does it bother Ryker that I made out with him earlier, but now I’m cuddled up with Valen and not him?
I glance over at Ryker, but he’s focused on the screen. My quick peek causes me to rub my cheek against Valen’s chest lightly, and he kisses the top of my head. I’m not focused on whatever movie is playing, but it must be funny because Valen’s vibrating with laughter.
An endless amount of questions rapidly fire through my gray matter, but the vibrations of Valen’s laughter and his hands sliding through my hair are enough to quiet my frenzied thoughts and before I know it I’m soothed to sleep.
* * *
Soft lips on my forehead rouse me from my sleep. The soft, steady touch of fingertips across the runes on the back of my thigh turns me on, and my magic starts to wake up alongside me. There must be something with these guys touching my runes; I ponder sleepily.
That’d be the only thing that would explain the magical current and heat I suddenly feel building in my chest. It happens every time I’m intimate with these guys, and the only overlap is them touching or kissing my runes.
An intense crackle of magic moves over my skin, and I sit up quickly and scramble off of Valen.
“Vinna, it’s just me," Valen tries to comfort, but another crackle of magic lights up my skin, and I look at him with panic in my eyes. He reaches for me concerned, and I scramble even further away.
“Vinna it’s okay you’re safe," he reassures me.
“I know it’s you, that’s not the problem. I just don’t know what the fuck is going on with my magic.”
