Page 14

Miri grabbed a muffin and sat down at the kitchen island.

Peeling back the wrapper she raised it to her mouth and froze.

Eyes locked on the sliding patio door, she watched as Kaz powered through a series of burpees.

Shirtless and drenched in sweat, he jumped up and down.

Strands of his purple hair escaped the messy knot on top of his head and stuck to his face with each burpee.

Sweat glistened on his muscles and her muffin sat forgotten in her hand. Breakfast who? Was she staring? Miri definitely felt like she was staring. Was she even blinking? Did she remember how?

As if he could feel her slack-jawed gaping, Kaz turned his head and grinned. Oh god. Miri crammed half the muffin into her mouth and looked down at the counter. A heavy blush burned her cheeks, scorching all the way down her neck and chest.

The glass door slid open. Soft footsteps padded toward her. Catching her chin, Kaz turned her red, blazing face up to his. Lips slanted across her own in a quick kiss. Tongue flicking out, he licked a crumb off her lip as he stepped back.

Miri’s stomach did a somersault. Was his tongue… forked? Oh, my fucking fuck . How the hell had she missed that last night? He’d had that tongue in some rather delicate places and she still hadn’t noticed?

“Good morning.”

Yep. It was a good morning. A very good morning that wasn’t making her introvert soul feel like it was having a heart attack in slow motion. Nope, not all.

It wasn’t bad enough that four demons who intimately knew exactly what sounds she made when she was coming over and over again were hanging out in her house, but did he have to catch her ogling him first thing too?

Ignoring her bright, embarrassed blush, Kaz leaned forward and bit into the remaining half of Miri’s muffin. He groaned. Miri crossed her legs and did her best to ignore the way it sent shivers down her spine.

“Did you bake these?”

She nodded, at a loss for words. Did she? Yes. No. Yes, she definitely had.

Miri was finding it really hard to focus on the words coming out of Kaz’s mouth when he looked like a glistening Greek god lounging in her kitchen. And that wasn’t even taking into consideration that every hungry groan coming from his mouth was making her worn out pussy scream for attention.

“I fucking love banana and chocolate. I’ve already had three.” Taking another nibble from her muffin, his eyes fluttered closed. “If you keep baking like this, I’m going to have to do more burpees.”

His clawed hand slapped his abs. Miri stared. Hopefully he wasn’t expecting some kind of answer, because she was pretty sure she’d just swallowed her own tongue.

Her phone buzzed on the counter. Sending a silent thank you to the universe and the notification gods for the interference, she focused on the screen.

Taylor

Hey cutie. I wouldn’t mind getting a tentacle on those curves

Ew. Her nose wrinkled. Okay, maybe that thank you was a little premature.

A claw hooked the edge of her phone and flipped it around. Raising his eyebrows, Kaz swiped open the message.

“Get a tentacle on those curves?” He full body shuddered. “Whatever happened to ‘good morning’ or ‘hello?’”

The demon grabbed the phone off the counter and started to type. Alarms sounded in Miri’s skull as his thumbs flew across the keyboard.

“What are you doing?”

“Just letting him know you’re taken now.”

That was bold of him.

“What makes you think I’m taken?” Miri asked innocently. Turning away from him, she picked a chocolate chunk from her muffin and tossed it into her mouth.

Golden eyes flashed. Ignoring his hot gaze, she nibbled at her breakfast.

“I’m pretty sure you were thoroughly taken last night… several times, in fact.”

A spray of crumbs landed on the counter as Miri choked.

“Annnnnd send.”

“You did not just?—“

“Oh, I did.” Smiling brightly, Kaz held the phone out of arms’ reach. “In fact, I think I’ll just delete the app while I’m at it.”

“You will not!”

“Will not what?” Ace asked. Striding into the room, he balanced her new coffee cabinet on his shoulder.

“I’m deleting Miri’s profile on MONSTR.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s a good idea.”

Miri glared at him. Was she completely invisible or something? Did they need her to grab some pom poms and do a whole cheer routine to get through their thick skulls?

“This isn’t completely overbearing or anything,” she growled.

Fishing in the pocket of his worn jeans, Ace pulled out his phone and tossed it on the counter beside hers.

“Delete mine too.”

Moving from one phone to the next, Kaz made a point to delete the app from all three of their phones. Miri grabbed another muffin and did her best to glare a hole through his head. It’s not like she couldn’t re-download it as soon as they left.

Hell, she’d do it as soon as he left the room just to be petty.

“And done.” Grinning brightly, Kaz bent down to steal a bite of her pastry.

Miri jerked her breakfast out of his reach and glowered. “You’re both ridiculous.”

“That’s not a very nice thing to say to your boyfriends.” Ace chuckled as he lowered the coffee cabinet into place. “What are you thinking, baby doll? Coffee maker? Decorative containers with coffee beans? I think a mug tower could really tie it together. Maybe some cute tins for sugar packets?”

She gritted her teeth. That little boyfriend comment was really coming back to bite her in the ass. It was too early to deal with this. She needed a clear head, calm vibes, and shit load of caffeine to figure out how to oust the chiseled demonic parasites from her house.

Or to decide if she even wanted to.

Ignoring Ace’s jabbering, Miri walked out of the kitchen and gathered her gym bag. She tucked her yoga mat under her arm and shoved her feet into her favorite pair of sandals. Turning, she ran smack into Kaz’s chest.

Strong hands gripped her arms and steadied her. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“Yoga,” Miri snapped. Some nice, quiet, demon-free yoga. Perfect for getting her head on straight.

Ace poked his head around the corner. “Did you say yoga? I could go for some namaste.”

“Oh, please no. You don’t have to?—”

Kaz nodded. “I could do with stretching my back out after last night.”

“BOYS!” Ace turned to bellow up the stairs. “GET YOUR SHIT! WE’RE TAKING MIRI TO YOGA!”

Jamming his feet into his tennis shoes, he shot her a devious smile. “This is going to be fun.”

Miri stared at him. They had to be fucking with her. There was no way four smoking hot, muscle bound demons were going to spend the night banging every rational thought out of her curly head and then cheerfully drive her to a yoga class.

This was supposed to be the part where they all took off with a wink and an “I’ll call you,” only to ghost her two days later. Gorgeous monsters with six pack abs did not set up camp in her house and eat muffins, and they certainly did not willingly join her for sun salutations.

The universe did not work like that. She had thirty-two years of evidence to prove otherwise.

“You don’t even have yoga mats,” Miri muttered.