Page 69 of Sergei

“Tingly?”

“It’s a good thing. Trust me.” She let out a long, deep breath. “I’ve never had tingly before.”

I ran my fingers through her hair as I whispered, “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll do my best to keep tingly on the table.”

“That would be good. Very, very good.”

I chuckled, then eased the blanket back and got up. “I’m going to make us something to eat.”

Lina’s brows furrowed. “You’re going to cook?”

“I cook all the time,” I scoffed. “Or are you forgetting all the times I made you toast and eggs for breakfast?”

“So, you’re making us toast?” she teased.

“I was thinking of something more along the line of pancakes, but if toast is what you want…”

“Oh, pancakes sound amazing.”

“I thought so, too.” I pulled on my boxers, then started for the bedroom. “Just give me ten minutes.”

“Let me know if you need a hand.”

“I won’t.”

I slipped on some pajama pants and ran my fingers through my hair before making my way into the kitchen. After a quick glance in the pantry, I started gathering everything I needed to make Lina the best damn pancakes she’d ever had. I had to dig around for a bit to find the mix, but I found it and some syrup behind the soup cans. I might’ve had to read the directions a time or two, but after some trial and error, I managed to get the right consistency.

The first round hit the pan and immediately started to burn. I had it too hot, so I turned down the temp and flipped them, hoping for a miracle. No such luck. They were black on one side and gooey in the middle.

“Shit.”

I dumped them in the trash and tried again. The second batch wasn’t pretty, but they weren’t burnt to a crisp either. By the third, I’d found my rhythm, and I had a full stack by the timeLina came trailing into the kitchen. She was wearing my dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up and buttons low, and she looked incredible.

When she saw the stack of pancakes, she smiled and sassed, “Wow. I’m impressed.”

“And to think you doubted me.”

“Never again.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

I made her a plate and even added butter and syrup before putting it in front of her. She grabbed her fork, and, after a big bite, she smiled and said, “Oh, my. These are really good.”

“Don’t get used to it. I peaked at pancakes.”

She glanced over at the burnt remains in the trash and gave me a grin that hit harder than any compliment she could give. She continued to eat while I made a plate of my own. I was just about to sit down next to her when my phone started to ring. At first, I ignored it, but then it rang again and again. Frustrated, I picked it up from the counter and answered, “Yeah.”

“Hey, Boss. You need to get down here,” Jenson replied with urgency. “Now.”

“What’s going on?”

“We’ve got visitors.”

“We get visitors all the time. What’s the urgency?”

“They’ve been here before.” There was something in his tone that made my chest tighten. “But tonight, they’re not just snooping around… They’re asking for you, and they aren’t leaving until they see you.”

“I’m on my way.” I ended the call and started for the bedroom. “I have to go.”