Dante takes a hold of my shoulders and takes a step back from me. I look up at him through my lashes, I can’t stop the pout from forming on my lips. I don’t want him to go. I don’t want either of them to go. “Don’t look at me like that Laura,” Dante chides, and he sounds almost as pained as I am at the thought of not seeing him for days.
I clench my jaw and pull my lips out of the sullen pout. I force my mouth into a smile, but we both knowit’s fake. “We’ll be in touch, okay?” Dante bends his knees so he’s eye level with me. He searches back and forth between my eyes, looking for something. I nod and blink several times so the pricking behind my eyes doesn’t turn into tears.
Satisfied with what he sees, Dante looks over my shoulder. I know Milo and Ollie are back there. They’re giving us space to say goodbye, but Dante jerks his head back, his chin going into the air. Refocusing on me, he says, “Anything happens, Ares will be right back.” Dante straightens, his hands smoothing down my arms to catch my fingers.
“I can’t shadow walk with him, but I’ll be right behind him if you need me.” Again, I nod, unwilling to open my mouth. I’m afraid I’ll beg him to stay if I do. Ares already told me this morning that he can be back here quickly if he needs to be, so I already know what Dante is telling me.
I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I look over and seeOllie. He isn’t smiling, which makes my sadness even more real for some reason. “Be safe, keep us updated,” he tells Dante in an uncharacteristically serious voice. Dante releases my hands and I fall, more than lean, into Ollie. He takes me without complaint and holds me up as Dante gives me one last, soft peck on my lips. I lean up on my toes to press my mouth to his, but he pulls away too fast, turning away and jogging over to the car where Ares is already waiting.
Meeting his eyes in the driver’s seat, Ares gives me a wink. I let out a small a chuckle. Milo steps up next to me, and he raises one hand in a wave while shielding his eyes with the other. I wrap my arm around Ollie’s waist, pulling myself even closer to him as Ares makes a turn and the car drives down the lane, leading to the main road.
Briefly, I think back to my stolen moments with Ares in the kitchen this morning. He surprised me by being the first one to wake up this morning.In turn, he woke me with a light caress over my cheek. As soon as I opened my eyes, he held one arm outto meand put a finger against his lips to let me know to stay quiet. I crawled from the bed and into his waiting arms, with Dante and the others still sleeping soundly in bed.
Already showered and dressed, Ares carried me from the room with ease. I dropped my head to his chest and inhaled his fresh scent into my lungs as I relaxed against him. He made a stop at one of the many bathrooms where Iwas able to handle my morning business and rinse my mouth out a few times,sans toothbrush.
Hand in hand, he guided me to the kitchen where he searched through a few cupboards and handed me a protein bar and a banana with a sheepish grin on his face. “Sorry about breakfast, or lack thereof.”
Reaching forward, I pulled himto meover the counter by the sleeve of his black button-down shirt. “Thank you, but I’d rather have coffee.” I planted a sweet kiss on the corner of his lips and released him, falling back into my chair.
“That, I can manage,” he purred, before leaning forward and sealing his lips to mine. His palm landed on the back of my neck, holding me to him. Grateful that I took the time to rinse my mouth, I returned his kiss with just as much passion. If that stupid counter wasn’t between us, I’d have been in his arms.
He pulled awayfirst, and I placed my fingers over my swollen lips, still feeling the slight sting from the light nips he gave them.Ares’s eyes are full black, the whites havingbeen completely swallowed by the darkness. He smoothed his hand down his fitted charcoal gray vest, his hand going south of his waist and disappearing under the counter. My eyes tracked the movement, and I leaned forward, intending to see exactly where that hand went, but noise in the distance had my eyes jumping to meet his.
Ares’s breaths were still heavy when he turned to face the coffee maker. Dropping his head as he grasped the counter, he took in several deep inhales, and I watched as his back rose and fell. Settling myself on the stool, I crossed my legs and brushed away imaginary lint from my leggings. I really wished I could get this attraction thing under control.
Dante shuffled into the kitchen and he bumped his head against mine before dropping into the seat beside me. “You should have woken me up.” His voice was gravely and deep.
With my elbow on the countertop, I dropped my head to my palm, and a sigh left me before I could rein it in. Dante’s voice did magical things to my insides.
Ollie’s voice cuts into my musings, snapping me back to the present. “Well, we only have a few hours before work, what kind of trouble can we find before then?” Ollie announces before the taillights disappear. I glance over at Milo, he’s still staring out into the distance. I think it’s more in avoidance than anything else.
“What would you like to do Milo?”
“Me?” His eyes meet mine for a split second. “Uh… I have—”
“Nothing.” Ollie interrupts firmly. “You have nothing to do but hang out with us for a little while.” There’s no lightness in his tone.His eyes are narrowed on his best friend as I look between thetwo of them.
Milo breaks the eye contact first, shoving his hands into the pockets of his gray joggers. “Sure, that works.” He doesn’t even answer my question, just ignores it altogether.
“Food first. I’m starving.”
“When aren’t you?” I forcelightness into my tone as I reply to Ollie.
“Growing boy,” he adds without missing a beat. “Then we’ll see what trouble finds us.” With a mischievous little grin, he slings his arm over my shoulder and mine wraps around his waist, and then we begin walking. Ollie takes a large step with his right leg overlapping my left. Keeping up the game I do the same to him, so we walk in tandem to the side door off the kitchen. I know Milo is following behind us, but he doesn’ttry toinclude himself in our game. Thisis going to be a long few days if I can’t figure out what’s going on with him.
We eat a proper breakfast of eggs and toast. Milo perks upa bit, even joining in to help butter the bread as we prepare the food.
Rosa and the guys have been conveniently absent all morning, giving us privacy.
* * *
Instead of seekingoutthe trouble Ollie alluded to, we head back to Ares’s room when we’re done. Being in here when I know he won’t be coming through the door and shaking his head at the mess Ollie made of the bed, or the game controllers lying on the floor where Milo left them, makes my heart ache a little. Instead of dwelling on those thoughts, I pull his pillow into my lap and bring it up to my nose when I know the guys are deep into their game.
His scent still lingers enough so I catch a whiff of him as I squeeze it tight. Dropping it, I finger the thick leather strap on my wrist, which Dante fastened there after removing it from his own. They aren’t close, but I still feel their nearness anyway.
Finally deciding the pity party is too much, I fling the pillow off my lap and scoot to the end of the bed to sit with the guys.
Milo’s dark blue eyes meet mine. “Want to play?” he asks tentatively.
