I start moving boxes out of my way looking for pancake mix and syrup when an arm slides around my waist. “Mornin’,” he grits all throaty and deep. Tears burn in my eyes at his touch. The back of my throat stings.
I step out of his hold and grab a boiling bag of rice. I throw the bag at him, and he catches it watching me cautiously. “For your phone.”
“Thank you.” I shove past him, and he goes to hook a finger through a belt loop on my jeans. “Wanna tell me what crawled up your ass?”
“Nope.” I slap his hand away and he lets me go. I know he won’t want me to make a scene with my father in the next room.
“Want to tell me why you won’t even look at me?”
“Nope.”
“You know any other words?”
“Asshole. Fuck face.”
“I take it I did something to set you off, but I don’t think it’s fair you’re not sharing what that something is so I can make it right.”
“You can’t. Just stay away from me. You got what you wanted and so did I so thanks for the orgasms.”
“Right,” he clips.
I grab a plastic bowl and throw it at him. It bounces off the floor and rolls under the prep table. I watch with a hand on my hip as he bends to fetch it. He slaps it on the table and dumps the rice in followed by his phone without another word.
“Is the road clear now?”
“Yup, but no power in town as far as I know.”
“I’ll take my chances. The sooner I can get home the better.” Maybe I can drive up to Nan’s in time to have dinner with Yara and her hellions.
The corner of his mouth twitches like he thinks something is funny.
“What?” I huff.
“Nothing. I think I’ll wait till you get that stick out of your ass before I try to hold a conversation with you.”
“Don’t hold your breath. Whatever I got in my ass now or in the future is none of your business.”
“So you admit there’s a stick in it.” He grins and my insides thaw a teeny bit, but not enough to return a smile.
“I would say see you later, but I’d rather not see your face at all.”
His smile falters and I almost feel bad for how cold I’m being, but I’m so disgusted by him. Maybe I should become a lesbian. I just gotta get past the whole eating pussy part first.
“Freezing me out, but I’ll thaw that ice around your heart.”
He starts toward me when the kitchen door swings open. “Why don’t I smell pancakes?” My father enters the room.
“I couldn’t find any and I changed my mind about going to Nan’s.”
“Give me ten to grab a shower and we’ll drive together. You don’t mind giving Margo a lift, do you, man?”
“I’m sure he’d be delighted.” I give them both an overexaggerated smile.
“No problem.” His gaze cuts to me with what appears to be pain laced behind his eyes. It hurts me to see him looking at me like that, but he can’t undo what’s been done between us. I never should have fucked him. Maybe one day I’ll learn. Just not today.
“I’m going to put my makeup on.”
My father stalks off, but Death hangs back.