Page 46 of Reaper and Ruin

I wrinkled my nose at them. “They smell disgusting.”

X waved a hand around dismissively. “You just have an untrained palate.” He nudged them at Whip. “Eat up.”

Whip leaned around me, picking up a shell with a slimy oyster sitting in the middle of it, and tossed it back like he was doing shots at the bar.

X eyed him with a raised brow. “Good?”

He nodded. “What did you put on them? Some sort of sauce?”

“A combination of soy and Worcestershire sauce and a few other things. A recipe my mom taught me.”

Whip reached for another. “It’s delicious.” He nudged one toward me. “Try it. You’ll like it. Barely tastes like oyster at all.”

But X quickly shook his head. “Can’t waste good oysters on their poor taste buds. Enjoy, friend.” He clapped his hand on Whip’s shoulder and went back to the kitchen. Pots and pansclattered about, and more ingredients appeared from the depths of the fridge.

X frowned at them. “Shit, I need garlic.”

Levi glanced over. “Just leave it out.”

“Wash your mouth out. I will do no such thing. Garlic is life.” He grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter. “I’m just going to run down to the store and grab some. Sit. Enjoy. More beers in the fridge.” He eyed Whip. “Eat all those oysters.”

Whip picked up another and swallowed it down. “Not gonna be a problem. Want me to save you some though?”

“Nope, they’re all for you!”

X waved as he walked out, and I settled back with my beer.

Happiness washed over me, and I kissed Whip, because he was the closest one to me, knowing that Levi wouldn’t mind.

He kissed me back. He tasted of whatever sauce combination X had created in the kitchen, and it was delicious. “Mmm,” I murmured on his lips. “You taste good.”

He stole another kiss but kept it short and offered me the tray of oysters. “Two left. Go on. Try one. Just because you didn’t like the way the restaurant prepared them doesn’t mean you actually don’t like them. These are really good. The sauce makes them.”

Just from the lingering taste on his tongue, I was a whole lot more interested than I had been a few minutes earlier.

I picked one up and downed it in the same way Whip had.

It slid over my tongue, slimy, but the sauce masked any other flavor it might have had. I swallowed it whole, like I knew you were supposed to, and shrugged. “Not awful.”

Whip offered the last one to Levi. “Everyone should try them once in their life.”

Levi wrinkled his nose but took the last one anyway. “So I’m not supposed to chew it?”

Whip shook his head. “No. Just tip the shell up and let it slide right down your throat.” He glanced around the room. “Huh.X isn’t here to make an inappropriate blow job joke. What a shame.”

I stifled a laugh, both me and Whip watching Levi.

He caved and took the last one, swallowing it down.

We both waited for his reaction.

“Well?” Whip asked.

“I think I like it.”

I snuggled down onto Whip’s lap farther, loving that I was no longer worried about whether I was cutting the circulation off to his legs. He’d made it abundantly clear for weeks now that my weight was not a problem for him, and because he’d assured me time and time again with such conviction, I was finally believing him. It felt nice to be comfortable with them. To be relaxed and casual, not worrying whether the way I was sitting was giving me fat rolls. Or if they were judging me for eating.

Whip’s fingers traced idly over my arm, creating patterns.