Page 52 of Finding Embers and Stars (Twin Flames Duet #1)

Chapter fifty-two

W hen Sage starts to stir next to me, I crack a single eye open. Wincing at the bright light coming in the window, I turn away and see Maverick is awake on Sage’s other side.

I’ve discovered that sleeping with Sage is like sleeping with an octopus. You would think she has eight legs with the way she sprawls across the bed. It’s no wonder the octopus is her favorite animal.

Turning on my side, I slide my arm under her neck and pull her into my chest. Maybe if I’m lucky I can drift back to sleep. I might as well enjoy the perks of setting my own schedule.

Just as I let my eyes drift shut again, Sage pushes her hips back, wiggling the lush globes of her ass against my cock.

Well then, it seems like my mate is awake and wants to play. I run my hand over her hip, attempting to hold her still. Her body shakes with silent laughter just before she presses back again.

Maverick is propped up on one elbow watching us. His eyes shine with amusement, and a strong case of lust. He’s no more able to resist our mates than I am.

Pressing my lips to the back of her neck, I revel in the goosebumps that appear along her neck. “You’re playing with fire, stars. If you keep grinding your delicious ass on my cock, you’re going to get one hell of a wake-up call.”

A soft whimper slips past her lips as she presses into me once more. Groaning, I curl the arm that's under her neck around so I can pluck her nipple while I pull her top leg back over my hip.

A shiver shakes her body in my arms, and I wonder if being held this way, nearly restrained in my arms, is turning her on as much as it is me.

Reaching for her clit, I flick her piercing before settling into a slow circle around her clit. Never touching it, just teasing her entrance and moving in circles around it.

Her whimper of pleasure turns to a moan when I finally slide my finger inside her. The way her walls clench around me has my cock giving an answering throb.

Her hand shoots out, tugging at Mav’s shirt until he rips it and his boxers off. Moving closer on his knees, he cups her jaw as she takes his cock to the back of her throat.

Fuck, that’s hot.

Pulling my fingers out, I line up my cock and sink into Sage’s warm, wet pussy. I love that she crawled into bed naked last night. My slow strokes drive her crazy, but when she starts to squeeze around my shaft, I give up on trying to be patient.

Pulling out, I roll to my knees, lifting her onto all fours between Mav and me. He gathers her hair up into a ponytail and guides her lips back to his cock.

We set a brutal pace that has all of us racing towards the finish line. He reaches down to tweak her nipple, and I twist her clit piercing at the same time. Her muffled shout is music to my ears as her whole body seizes. The way her pussy clamps down on my cock has me coming hard. I lean forward and bite her shoulder to muffle my shout.

Maverick finishes a moment behind us, and we all fall back into the nest of blankets, panting.

“Shit. I’m sorry, stars. I didn’t mean to be so rough.” I lightly run my finger across the teeth marks I left on her shoulder. There’s something primal about seeing my mark on her, but I hate that I may have caused her pain.

Sage looks over her shoulder at me, a pleased and slightly blissed out look on her face. “Did I say it was too rough?”

Maverick chuckles. “Haven’t you noticed that our mate likes things a little rough, Liam? Besides, she’s outspoken enough to tell you if she doesn’t like something.”

Sage snorts. “Damn straight. Piper is the one you gotta watch with that shit.”

“What do you mean?” The thought of Piper not liking something one of us does and just going along with it doesn’t sit right with me. Or with Mav, judging by the look on his face.

Sage sighs, scooting back against the headboard so she can see us both. “Piper was rejected for the majority of her life. No matter what she did, it was wrong or wasn’t good enough. Even today, years away from the Alpha Dick, she’s scared to tell me when she doesn’t like one of the characters in our books. I have to watch for this nose wrinkle thing she does because half the time she won’t say anything. She’s so scared of being rejected that she won’t make waves unless it’s to protect me. That’s the only time she goes mama bear.”

Maverick looks fit to be tied, but he’s nodding in agreement. I think we’ve all noticed her tendency to go along with things. I just thought she was easygoing, not that she was scared to have an opinion.

“So, she only fights for others, never for herself?”

Sage nods sadly.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing she has five mates, a bad ass brother, and you to protect her.”

Shaking her head, I can see Sage trying to push away the sad thoughts that have invaded our moment. “I would normally require coffee before any kind of shenanigans, however,” she pauses dramatically to wink at us. “I find I am totally okay with a wake-up railing.”

Mav and I both burst out laughing at her. This woman, I can’t get enough of her sass. She crawls to the edge of the bed, and I slap her ass as she climbs to her feet.

She yelps in surprise and sprints towards the bathroom. Just before she shuts the door, she calls out, “You two better shower in your rooms or we will never make it down to breakfast.”

Chuckling, I pull on my boxers before heading back to my room. It still floors me that the girls designed both their houses with rooms specifically for us. Years ago, before they even met us, they were thinking of our comfort.

We’re blessed to have such wonderful and caring mates.

My timing proves perfect as I step into the hallway at the same time Sage does. I don’t pause on my way downstairs, I just lean down and throw her over my shoulder. The whole way down the stairs, she’s cackling like a deranged witch, which fits her perfectly.

She starts slapping my ass as I walk, turning my butt cheeks into bongos as she tries to keep the beat. Right as I walk into the kitchen, I smack her ass so hard it echoes through the room.

A muffled snort of laughter and a deeper masculine cough clues me into Piper and Jasper sitting at the breakfast table. I feel the heat rush to my face, and it only gets worse when I see them fighting the urge to laugh as they watch us.

I quickly set Sage on her feet and kiss the top of her head. She’s laughing hysterically, no doubt enjoying my obvious embarrassment.

Doing my best to ignore how red my face feels, I move over to Piper, placing a kiss on her forehead with a mumbled, “Good morning, embers.”

I nod at Jasper and quickly retreat into the kitchen to get coffee going for Sage and myself.

When I hear the herd of elephants, otherwise known as my brothers, stumbling down the stairs, I pull out extra mugs, lining them up on the counter so everyone can get their fix.

I flip the electric kettle on for Milo’s tea and turn back to my mate and my father-in-law. “Piper, Jasper, do either of you need a refill?”

Jasper gets up, bringing both of their mugs over to me. “Hot chocolate for both of us, please.”

Smiling, I take their cups and head to the stove to make the hot chocolate. I add whip cream to the top of each cup and then bring the mugs back.

Milo walks in carrying a huge bakery box and sits it down in the center of the table. He heads for the cupboard to grab plates while Mav grabs silverware and napkins on his way to the table.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jasper watching us. He’s taking everything in, not a detail getting past him, as we all move around each other like a coordinated ballet.

The small smile of approval on his face gives me hope that we passed muster. I don’t think Piper would let his opinion affect our relationship, but I know it will be easier on all of us if we can get along with her long-lost father. She needs a positive family connection in her life. I know she has Sage and her parents, but I think it will heal something inside Piper to have an actual blood relative in her corner.

Once everyone has a seat, Milo opens the box and dishes up a giant cinnamon roll that he passes to Piper. She squeals in delight, licking the drips of frosting off the edge of the plate before they fall.

“Milo, did you go see Mama Rose this morning?”

He smiles at her and shakes his head. “These are her recipe, but Archer made them. He was up most of the night baking since the babies are teething. Once Raph and Luc showed up for their scheduled baby time, Archer started making door-to-door deliveries to the whole family before he headed home to sleep.”

Jasper has a perplexed look on his face as his gaze moves around the table. “I know that was in English, but I am so confused.”

We all start laughing. The girls had told us enough stories about their strange family before we arrived that we had a decent handle on everyone when we got here.

Trying to keep track of this many people would be damn near impossible for someone just joining the family.

When Sage gets her giggles shut down, she dives into the complicated explanation. “We have a ton of family members, so I get that it’s hard to keep track of everyone. Cliff notes version. Archer is mated to Ashley, along with Felix and Rory. They are the rulers of Hell, along with Audrey and her mate Rowan, who is Felix’s brother. “

She pauses for another bite of a croissant that looks as if it’s stuffed with strawberry jam. I need one of those.

Jasper is looking back and forth from Sage to Piper. “So, the entire royal family of Hell is part of your adopted family?”

Piper snickers. “Yup, and it gets better.”

I’m not sure how much more Jasper can take, but he gestures for them to continue.

Sage grins as she continues the family breakdown. “So Raph is actually Raphael, one of the original angels, and Ashley’s dad. Luc, or Lucifer, is Felix and Rowan’s dad. They, along with their wives, are completely baby obsessed. To the point that Rory had to make baby charts to ensure that someone besides those four would get a chance to hold the kiddos. This applies to all babies, but currently there is a single mom with twins that are about six months old staying at the shelter. The mom has been recovering from injuries, so Ash and her mates have been taking the babies a few nights a week to give her a break.”

I finish my croissant and mourn the fact that the large bakery box is now empty. I’m sure Archer would make more for us, but we can’t feed his ego any further, we would never hear the end of it.

I wrap my arm around Piper’s shoulders and tug her back into my chest. “What’s everyone’s plans for the day?”

Mav stands up and starts clearing the empty plates from the table. “Wyatt, Walker, and I are going to Rhoda’s to talk with her, Teague, and Silas about the orphanages. Wyatt and I are on call for the fire department as well. If we get a call, then I think Walker is going to work with Jack on one of his projects.”

Milo is loading the silverware into the dishwasher. “I’m going to the shelter to work with Ben on controlling my powers. We’re going to link my parents so they can help too. Sage is coming so she can start learning about her gifts. After that, I think the plan was to meet at Maggie’s so she and I can take some pictures together.”

Milo looks positively giddy at the thought. It’s so cool to see our shy brother coming out of his shell and I know it means the world to him that through the girls, he got to meet one of his idols. He saved for months to buy one of Maggie’s prints when we were still in high school.

Piper looks over at Jasper, a shy smile on her face. “Jasper and I are going for a run. Atlas wants a chance to spend some time with him. I think we are going to head towards Maggie’s to see if Hunter or Finn want to come play with us. What about you, Liam?”

When she says my name, a shiver rolls through me. This time it has nothing to do with lust and everything to do with the way she makes me feel seen.

I’ve always felt like the less glamorous one of the group. Mav and Wyatt are fire fighters, Walker runs his own boating business, Milo travels to fun locations to photograph wildlife. I play with numbers.

A useful skill to be sure, but not the sexiest. Yet the girls have never looked down on me for my job. They go out of their way to build me up, to build all of us up.

“I’m going to meet with Sam for a bit, then I’m supposed to go to Maggie’s to help Shad with the horses.”

Sage and Piper exchange a look and a nod. The evil grins on their faces making me slightly nervous.

“Hot springs night!” The way they say it in unison earns raised eyebrows around the table.

Sage pulls out her phone and when the call picks up, Sage explains the plan. “Okay, Maggie, we will bring the pizza and beer, and you can make the margaritas. I’ll throw a message in our group chat for the other girls. I just wanted to run it by you first.”

After Sage hangs up, she fires off a text and Piper pulls her phone out when it dings. Looking over her shoulder, I can’t help but snort. “’Dicks by the Dozen?’ Really?”

Piper blushes slightly but grins good-naturedly. “Well, most of us are in harems, so it seemed fitting.”

Chuckling, I give her a kiss before heading back to my room to get my keys and wallet. Every day I thank the Goddess for blessing me with my brothers and my mates. Today I think I’ll add this weird extended family to the list. I couldn’t be happier with the chaos I’m now a part of.