“She gave me her recipe when I was staying in the apartment between her and Lyrica,” she admitted,
a little self-consciously, as Chaya continued to stare at her. “I like to cook.”
“Ms. Tully won’t even give her sister that recipe,” Chaya stated, attempting to smile. “She must have really liked you.”
Was it so hard for her to believe someone liked her?
“I guess,” she answered faintly, returning to the bowls, trying not to believe that was hope she saw in Chaya’s eyes. “Anyway. Everything’s finished.”
“You’re lucky Natches didn’t catch you frying the bacon,” Chaya teased her—and why she was teasing her Angel couldn’t figure out. “He would have eaten it before you had a chance to put it in the soup.”
The look Natches sent his wife was decidedly sensual. “Now, baby, you know I love your burned bacon,” he murmured.
Chaya blushed. The look was so rife with love and lust Angel thought she might have blushed herself.
Mackay males were dangerous.
“I did most of it earlier while everyone was outside.” She cleared her throat. “It’s easier to cook when no one else is around.”
She’d learned that young.
After handing out the bowls, she quickly ate, then excused herself when Chaya and Bliss insisted on cleaning up. She needed some time away from Natches and Chaya. Some time to think, to figure out how the hell she was going to handle it if she was there much longer.
The longer she stayed around them, the harder it was not to demand answers, to demand explanations.
“She’s waited all day for a few minutes to talk to you,” Duke said quietly as he entered the bedroom. “This thing between the two of you is going to have to be discussed.”
She inhaled slowly. She didn’t want to fight with him, not tonight.
“Duke, the best thing you can do is stay out of this ‘thing,’ as you call it, between Chaya and me,” Angel warned him, facing him as she tried to make certain he understood the fact that this had nothing to do with him. “Becoming involved in it any further is only going to drive a wedge deeper between you and me. When this is over, I want at least a chance to figure out for myself what was between us without this situation shadowing it.”
“Was?” he questioned, his expression tightening with the anger flickering in his eyes. “You mean what is between us.”
She had to laugh, she couldn’t help herself; the only problem, it wasn’t amusement, it was sheer incredulity.
“You really are such a Mackay,” she told him wearily. “More so than I ever imagined.” And it was actually more of an accusation.
“I actually expected you to figure that out years ago, baby,” he assured her, and though she tried to hide it, he could see the pleasure she felt at the endearment.
Ethan called her silly girl names and he’d seen the secret enjoyment she derived from it, but the endearments filled her with emotion, with pleasure.
“I should have.” The slightest tremble of her voice spoiled her mocking tone as he pulled her into his thighs, the hard wedge of his cock pressing against her lower belly through his clothes and her sleep shirt. “Dammit, Duke, this won’t solve anything.”
“Except your fear? Your certainty nothing lasts forever?” He smiled down at her chidingly. “Or are you just too scared to fight for it?”
“Maybe I just don’t believe in fairy tales.” But she wanted to. That hunger filled her voice, darkened the soft gray of her eyes.
Pushing his fingers through her hair, he tugged her head back, loving the silken feel of the soft waves and that little flush of pleasure that filled her face as the tugging motion created a sensation he knew she loved. For years he’d dreamed of how damned good it would be to touch her, take her.
With the other hand, he began to slowly unbutton the shirt she’d borrowed from him.
He had to have her again. Now. The explosive pleasure of hours before hadn’t nearly sated his need for her. It had only burrowed deeper inside his balls, made him thicker, harder than ever before. He had to touch her, taste the sweetness of his need, and feel her taking her pleasure of him as well.
“Duke, this is insane. You know it is,” she whispered as he pushed the shirt from her shoulders, leaving her warm and bare against him.
“Insane? Oh, baby, I’ve been insane for you for years. This is just going to make it better.”
Maybe.