Page 51 of Mending Mayhem
When the pizza arrived, Ash paused the movie, and she and Chaos went downstairs to retrieve it. Ember inhaled deeply, sliding from my grasp before rising and heading to the kitchen. I immediately missed the sensation of her body nestled against mine.
She gathered plates and napkins and filled four glasses with water, setting them on the coffee table before pausing and looking at me. “I’m going to move to the couch. My butt’s getting sore from the hardwood.”
She sat down and moved to the middle seat. When she settled in, she glanced at me and looked at the empty space next to her.
She did not have to ask me twice. I moved from the chair to the couch before she could change her mind, sitting close enough that our knees touched as I turned toward her.
“You are the High Priestess, yet you’re allowing Miles to make the decisions about this important quest. Why?”
She shrugged. “I know my limits. My way would be to bust in, knock everyone unconscious, and take it, but I know that’s not the best way to do it.”
It would have been my first choice as well, though I wasn’t sure I could restrain myself enough to simply make the guards unconscious. “It would be efficient.”
“Or we could end up in jail…or dead. I trust Miles. If he says he can get us inside without violence, I believe him.”
“And that is the sign of a good leader,” Ash said as she set the pizza boxes on the counter. “Relying on your team and working with their strengths is the best way to get things done.”
Ember laughed. “Yeah, I’m still learning that.”
“You’re doing great.” Ash filled our plates and sat next to Ember before starting the movie again.
We ate the glorious concoction they called pizza as we listened intently to the characters in the movie. The flavors of melted cheese, three different meats, and tomato sauce melded perfectly atop the floppy slices of bread, making my tastebuds rejoice.
When the movie ended, Ash turned off the television. “Okay, guys. Let’s see who can do a better accent. Say ‘I’d like to see the ruby amulet y’all have in the vault.’”
Chaos sat up straight. “I would like to see the ruby amulet you…yah…yawl have in the vault.”
“Uh-uh. That was terrible.” Ember wrinkled her nose. “Let’s hear yours, Mayhem.”
The sound of my name on her lips sent a warm shiver up my spine. I cleared my throat and leaned back casually, resting my arm on the back of the couch. Texans seemed to speak slowly, in a relaxed manner, and I did my best to emulate the character Miles had specified.
“Ah’d lahke ta see the ruby amulet y’all have in the vault.”
Ember blinked, surprise lifting her brow. “That was an almost perfect Matthew McConaughey impression.”
Ash nodded her appreciation. “It was fecking fabulous. Say ‘alright, alright, alright.’”
I repeated the phrase in the actor’s accent, trying my best to imitate his mannerisms.
Ember patted my thigh, my stomach clenching with her touch. “I think we’ve found our Boyd Anderson. But you’ll have to behave yourself. No using your mind-melting magic, okay?”
I leveled my gaze on hers. “I will do anything you want, give you anything you desire. I am here to serve you, my feisty fire witch.”
Her lips parted, the lower one trembling before she pressed them together and swallowed hard. “Well, then… I think we should call it a night.”
17
EMBER
I know, I know. I had just told Mayhem I needed time to process all the new emotions flooding my system, but I couldn’t lie… Hearing this powerful man, this Prince of Hell, say he was here to serve me turned me on to no end.
That was one emotion I didn’t need to process.
He had a cocky attitude and anger issues, yet he’d been so gentle massaging my shoulders. I’d been on the receiving end of a back rub from a man a few times, but Mayhem was the only one who paid attention to the task, actually feeling the tightness in my muscles and working out the sore spots. Everyone else just squeezed a few times, hoping it would be enough to get them into my pants.
Mayhem seemed to care about more than my vagina, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and that was an emotion I needed time to process. Warm and fuzzy I was not.
At least, I didn’t used to be.