Standing there is Nolan, his face like a thundercloud, and he’s on fire. Orange and blue flames, licking up and down his body.
Rubbing at my eyes, wondering if I am still dreaming, I give myself a pinch. Nope, definitely awake. I stare at him in surprise. “How did you find me? What are you doing here?” My tired brain is having trouble understanding what is happening.
“You left!” he growls. “I have been on fire since I realized you left without me. Without talking to us. You just left.”
Anger rises inside my chest. “Fuck you, Nolan. You and Louis seemed to be awfully busy trying to talk Carter down to give a fuck about me. So I left. I don’t answer to you or him or anyone.”
“You told us to go.”
I throw my hands up in frustration. “I didn’t expect you to stay gone!”
His eyes widen through the flames, and they start to glow yellow. Looking down at where his gaze is, I realize that when I threw my hands up, I also lost my blanket, and my girls are saying good morning to Nolan. Apparently, his morning is starting to look up. Huffing, I get up and grab a robe from behind my bathroom door.
“I thought you would talk him down and return to me. Two hours, I waited. Excuse me for being petty, but I thought becoming mated would go way different than it actually did. I thought Bella wasn’t the only one who was going to get her brains banged out last night. My mom always made being mated seem so magical. But you know what, she lied. Big fat lie.”
Tying the robe closed, I slide past Nolan and walk out into the kitchen. For some reason, he doesn’t seem to be setting the floor on fire, but it seems like a smart idea to be standing on a tiled floor just in case.
I grab a cup and stick it under the coffee machine, then hit the start button. The machine’s loud grinding drowns out any possible chance to talk. Pity I can’t just keep pressing the button all day. Once it’s finished its cycle, I add a teaspoon of sugar, and then take it to the fridge for milk. All the while Nolan stands there, flickering with flames. I am rolling in laughter on the inside, absolute stitches. Let the bastard suffer. I splash a bit of milk in and take a long, needed gulp. A low growl sounds out,
“Glory, please.” he pleads, “I haven't slept. I’m exhausted. The girls need me.”
Whoa...low blow, using the girls.
“Oh, boo-hoo, you big baby,” Serena says, entering the kitchen.
Rolling my eyes, I put my cup down on the bench. I hold my hands out to him and gesture for him to hold them. He grabs on like they're a life preserver, and he’s a drowning sailor. Taking a few deep breaths as one, the flames slowly flicker before disappearing altogether. He sinks down onto another stool.
“Thank you.” He does sound grateful, but I couldn't give a shit. I pick my coffee back up and head back to my room.
“You can leave now,” I hear Serena tell him before I close my bedroom door and lock it behind me.
Running the shower at Satan’s big toe temperatures, I wait for the steam to fill the room before climbing in. Wrapped in a cloudy, foggy shroud, I pretend the world doesn’t exist. Or I try to, but some fucker is banging on my door again. Arggghhh.
Slamming open the shower and reaching for a towel, I wrap it around me before wrenching open the bathroom door. “What do you want, Nolan? I think we’ve established I’m pissed at you.”
Growling, he pulls me, wet and dripping, towards his hard body. “You are mine!” His eyes are glowing yellow, his greed demon in full control. “Pack up your shit. You’re coming home with me. Now.”
Whoa! Greedy Nolan is fucking hot. I feel a flood of desire in my lower regions. Not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I want to throw myself at his feet and tell him to take me any way he wants. On the other hand, I was really hurt by what happened last night.
His eyes shift back to their normal green, and he takes a deep breath. “Please, Glory. We have a lot to talk about. And the girls would love to see you again. Zoe cried herself to sleep last night, and Aria wouldn’t speak to us at all.”
The desire evaporates, and my anger explodes.
“Don’t you try and use emotional blackmail against me,” I grind out as I poke him in the chest. “That was all your fault, douchebag. I was fully prepared to go home with you last night. So that's all on you, buddy.”
Slamming the door in his face, I finish my shower. Drying myself, I dress in some yoga pants and a hoodie I had in the bathroom. There’s no underwear, unfortunately, but I don’t really care at this stage. When I return to my bedroom, I lose my shit. Nolan is standing by the bed with my suitcase open on top. My room looks like a tornado has been through it, and there is stuff from one end of the room to the other.
“What in Satan’s underpants are you doing?” I ask him.
He ignores me and keeps throwing things in the suitcase.
“No, seriously, what are you doing?” I demand, my hands on my hips. Again, he ignores me, zips the suitcase shut, and disappears out the door with it. Speechless, I walk out to the kitchen.
Serena’s sitting there drinking a cup of coffee, her laptop open. She looks up. “What’s up with that?” She nods toward the front door where Nolan has just gone, taking my suitcase with him.
“No fucking idea. I haven’t eaten, and he interrupted my sleep, coffee, and shower. At the moment, he is bloody lucky I don’t own a gun.” Opening the fridge to see what we have for breakfast, a screech leaves my mouth as my feet leave the ground, and I’m being carried through the door like a football. I’m folded in half like a fucking pretzel. Profanities fly from my mouth in a flow of fury as I struggle in vain.
“I told you - you are mine, and I’m not leaving without what’s mine,” he growls at me as he shoves me in his car. Serena is laughing from the front door, so I flip her off.
“Fuck you, bitch!” I continue trying to escape, but Nolan flips the child lock and I can’t get the door open.
Serena doubles over laughing and waves back. “You might want to feed her Nolan; otherwise, she’ll continue to be a rabid dog!”
“I know where you fucking live!” I shout back as he drives off.
I sit sullen, arms crossed, ignoring him. I’m like a toddler who hasn’t got their own way. He doesn’t seem to mind, though. He turns on the radio and starts to sing along. I’m silently plotting his murder and where I'm going to hide his body when he starts talking.
“We didn’t mean to hurt you, Glory. Once we realized you left, we recognized how our actions could have been interpreted. Bella reamed us both out. Her wrath demon was in its element, feeding deeply. I bet Felix got a workout last night.” He screws his face up. “Gross! Can’t believe I said that.”
This elicits a smile from me, but I quickly wipe it off as he continues.
“Anyway, we’re sorry. Louis has been cooking all morning for you. He thought some good food would go a long way to making things up to you. Especially since you’re struggling with your energy.”
My attention is piqued. I turn to look at his handsome profile and I can just see an upturn on one side of his mouth. “Back the truck up, buddy,” I tell him. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. You’re not out of the doghouse yet.”
A smile crosses his whole face, and he turns and winks at me.
“I’m pretty sure I know a way I can make it up to you fully.” He starts to whistle as we continue to drive.
Sometime later, we pull into a neighborhood with huge houses. The yards are pristine, lawns like golf greens, hedges trimmed, garden beds weeded immaculately. Many are surrounded by large, wrought iron fences with elaborate, gated entries. We get to the end of a dead-end street with another gated entrance. This gate is wide open, and Nolan drives through. My mouth drops open in surprise as we pass down the leafy, tree-lined driveway. There are cute little old-fashioned street lamps scattered between the trees that must light up the driveway at night. As we approach the house, my mouth snaps closed. The house is enormous, with lots of large glass windows that must let in a considerable
amount of natural light.
I shake my head. “I hope you know I don’t do windows.”
He just smiles as he brings the car to a stop. “I have someone come and do the windows,” he reassures me before jumping out and coming around to my side to open the door for me.
Hopping out, I stare wide-eyed at the house before me. It's like someone took my Pinterest page and made it real. I walk to the balustrade of the stone steps and run my hands against the smooth wood. Not a catch or splinter in sight even though the wood is exposed to the elements.
Nolan walks past with my suitcase and pushes open the front door shouting, “We’re home!”
I follow him up and into the house. Noise breaks out as two little girls come running down a circular staircase to the right side of the entry. Zoe jumps from the last step, throwing her arms around me. Grunting, I catch her little body, and the smell of apples surrounds me in a cloud. Aria is not quite as enthusiastic but does give me a shy smile and grabs one of my hands.
“I missed you so very much, Glory,” Zoe whispers in my ear. “Daddy has been a real poofberry since last night.”
Aria nods. I smother a smile at the description
“He kept burning things. He had to stay outside once we got home because Uncle Louis didn't want him to burn the house down. But he did burn down four pool lounges, and the backyard smells like burning plastic.” She wrinkles her nose in disgust.
“Yeah,” chimes in Zoe. “Uncle Carter says we’re getting wooden chairs next time... they won't stink if they burn up.”
I look awkwardly at Nolan at the mention of Carter.
He gestures for us to follow him. “Come on, let's go see what Uncle Louis is doing in the kitchen.”
Zoe whoops and jumps down from my arms, disappearing in the same direction as Nolan.
Aria keeps hold of my hand and tugs me forward. “I'll show you where the kitchen is.”
I must look like a tourist, mouth wide open as I take in the house. Aria lets me look my fill but must get impatient as she drags me towards another doorway. Walking into the kitchen, I see a sight that fills my heart with love and joy and makes all my dreams come true.
Chapter Nine
ARIA LEAVES ME AND moves away. The kitchen is a chef's delight. The kitchen island, though, is what draws my attention. From one end to the other, it’s covered in macarons. Shiny colorful little pieces of joy. Like sparkly precious jewels in a pirate’s treasure. My heart sings, my stomach rumbles, and my head puts on the brakes skidding the emotions to a halt. Looking up, I see Nolan and Louis staring at me with hopeful faces.
I put my hands on my hips and adopt an expression of disdain. “Damn you and your macarons of mass seduction. It’s a shame I cannot be bought.” When I see their faces drop, I let them off the hook slightly. “But it's a start.”
Their faces lift again as I walk over and sit down at the island with the girls. Looking over the array, I tap my finger on my chin. I just don’t know where to start. As the girls point out their favorites, Zoe tugs on my hoodie.
“Look at these, Glory. I picked these. They're unicorn macarons,” she says excitedly.
“Wow, Zoe, they look awesome! I can't wait to try one.” I smile at her joy. Aria tugs on my hand and gestures to a pale green one, filled with what looks like chocolate.
“These are my favorite, Glory, mint chocolate chip. And those are Dad’s, and those are Uncle Carter’s.” She points out an all yellow macaron and a dark pink one that has chocolate filling. “They’re lemon curd and raspberry chocolate.”
My stomach rumbles again. So many delicious flavors! I can’t wait to get started. I look up at Louis. “And which is your favorite?”
A small smile crosses his lips. He walks over to me and leans over, his chest brushing against my shoulder. A tingle runs through me that isn’t related to hunger. He pulls over a plate of pale cream-colored macarons.
“These. They're vanilla bean and caramelized white chocolate with chili buttercream. They may look innocent, but on the inside, they pack a punch,” he whispers in my ear.
I wiggle on my seat. Damn it. I regret not putting underwear on now. He straightens back up.
“But you can't eat the macarons yet,” he tells me as he walks over to the oven. My stomach roars its disappointment, and everyone looks at me in silent shock.
“I’m ravenous!” I tell them, shrugging sheepishly. The girls dissolve into giggles, and Nolan chuckles, while Louis grabs an oven mitt and pulls a plate out of the oven.
“Breakfast first,” he says, depositing it in front of me with a flourish.
Oh, my heart melts a little further. In front of me is a plate that would make a weight watcher have a heart attack. Sunshine-golden eggs benedict, with what looks like smoked ham and crusty bread. Next to it are sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and a couple of hash browns. He sets another plate in front of me piled high with fluffy pancakes with bananas slices and syrup dribbling on top. The last dish is what looks like a breakfast burrito. While Louis has been handling the food, Nolan has made me a cup of coffee.
“Go on, Glory, eat!” shouts Zoe.
So I do. The girls keep me entertained the whole time with stories about their school friends, what sport they play, what their favorite food is, and their favorite TV program. My taste buds are exploding. Louis truly is a master chef. I stop eating and shoot a little prayer up, then turn and shoot one down. I’m not sure who is responsible, but I wouldn't want to thank the wrong deity.
Louis and Nolan have disappeared, and it’s like the girls were asked to distract me. They chatter nonstop. I finally finish my feast and decide to grab another cup of coffee. Walking over to the coffee machine, I stick my cup under and press a button. I wait while the coffee is made.
Turning around, I’m tackled by a huge, hairy monster. It takes me to the ground; its enormous teeth are snarling, its furry body has me pinned, and I see my life flash before my eyes. I’m struggling to get it off me, but it's almost as big as I am.
“Help, help, it's going to eat me!” I feebly cry, spitting fur out of my mouth. The girls are laughing and have got hold of the monster by a collar and are trying to pull it off.
Collar?
Looking again, I see two odd eyes looking at me, one blue and one brown. Then, before I can do anything else, it licks me, from one side of my cheek to the other. A huge tongue covered in slobber, its warm breath, taking away my own with its smell.
“He licked you, does that mean he owns you?” a deep husky voice asks from somewhere behind the monster.
Giggling, the girls manage to pull the monster off me and make him sit. Struggling back to my feet, I see what I now know is a big dog. A fluffy, wolf-colored creature. A husky maybe? It's pretty big, so perhaps an Alaskan malamute. Standing behind him, shirtless and glistening, wearing nothing but jogging shorts and shoes, is Carter.
“Girls, your dad is looking for you. Your friend is here to take you to the park for a couple of hours.”
The girls let go of the monster/wolf/dog that wanders over to a dog bowl and takes vast gulps of water. They wave goodbye, telling me they’ll be back later and disappear out the door. I wave goodbye but keep an eye on the monster/wolf/dog. He flops down on the floor, closing his eyes, panting softly.
Is this real, or is it trying to lull me into a false sense of security?
Tiptoeing just in case, I grab my cup of coffee from the machine, putting it on the counter. I turn to get milk and just about smack into Carter, who has moved closer. I look up at him. He’s so much taller than me. My eyes drift to his broad shoulders and bulging biceps. Going lower, his pecs are well defined and lead down to washboard abs that I would have once loved to run my tongue over. He has a small trail of hair leading from his belly button down into his shorts, but apart from that, his chest is hair-free. His running shorts don't leave much to the imagination and my eyes quickly skim past out of respect for my mates.
“Are you finished eye-fucking me, or a
re two mates not enough for you?”
My eyes shoot back to his face in shock. So does my hand as it cracks across his cheek with a force that leaves a red mark on both him and my hand.
“Fuck you,” I shout at him, “Can’t you just be happy for them, you jealous prick?” Shaking out my hand, I realize that he's staring at me in shock. I then recognize the pain in my hand is not from slapping him but from another colored ring forming around my demon mark.
“No! Oh, no.” I look at him. He is looking down at his hand. His demon mark is now dark blue. So is the ring around mine. Our eyes meet. Where they were icy and cruel seconds earlier, they’re now burning with heat and fire.
“Well, fuck me,” I mutter quietly.
“Oh, baby, when I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk straight for a week.”
“Hold your horses and calm the farm, Romeo.” I hold up my hand. “Do you really think that after that little performance, I’m going to drop my panties for you?”
Running his hand through his hair, a sheepish look crosses his face. “Can you forgive a jealous fool? Please!”
Of course, I can, but I’m going to make him sweat. I pretend to think about it, and a worried look crosses his face. After counting to one-hundred and watching a range of emotions cross his face, I can’t leave him hanging.
“Okay, but you need to cut that shit out now. With four of us in this relationship, talking is how we’re going to solve our issues. Alright?”
He nods. I think he would have agreed to anything.
Before I can say anything else, he bends down and throws me over his shoulder. In shock, I just hang there like a sack of sugar. He heads towards a staircase and makes his way up, not even puffing heavily, even though he’s carrying my less-than-skinny body. I worry about him hurting himself, so I pound on his back.
Glorious Gluttony Page 6