Page 56 of I Accidentally Summoned A Demon
Bernice winked. “Everyone should have one in the house.”
Nex gripped the mistletoe. The next time this human needed something, he wouldn’t mind helping her.
Chapter 22
Point of No Return
Coveredinflourandsplatters of the many dishes she was making, Kat rushed around the kitchen. Aromas of turkey, cranberry sauce, and cinnamon wafted through the house, mixing in a mouthwatering combination. She slid pumpkin pies into the oven and turned to finish the cranberries.
The loud music she’d been playing shut off, and Nex crossed his arms. “Kitten, this is ridiculously unnecessary.”
“You and the guys have never had a real Thanksgiving dinner,” Kat said. “Of course it’s necessary. Thanksgiving food is thebestfood.”
“You’re missing Thanksgiving with your church friends. That doesn’t bother you?”
“I already talked to them, and they’re fine.” Kat pouted. “Why don’t you want my Thanksgiving dinner?”
“Don’t fucking pou—” Nex groaned. “Fuck. I don’t not want it. It just seems like an awful amount of trouble to feed four people.”
Kat stirred orange zest into the cranberries. “I don’t mind. Mom, Dad, and I used to do it for the three of us, so there’s one more than I’m used to.”
Nex frowned and leaned over the kitchen island. One of the things he’d learned was she avoided subjects that upset her rather than talking about them. Trying to bring them up was dangerous.
“You all right, kitten? Trying to distract yourself?”
“I’m fine.” Kat’s gaze stayed on the cranberries. “Holidays are hard. I miss them more at holidays, and this is my first Thanksgiving without them. I would . . . like to not think about it too hard.”
“Will having us here help?”
Kat moved the pan of cranberry sauce to an unused burner, avoiding his gaze. “Maybe.”
“Then I’ll stop asking. How can I help?”
“You want to help?”
“Might as well. I can’t watch TV with your loud music anyway.”
“You’ve fallen right into my plans.” Kat giggled. “You’re so easy to trap.”
A growl rumbled in his chest and made her heart flutter. “Watch it. Don’t make me make you pay for that.”
“What does that mean? Paying for it?”
“Test me and find out.”
Kat stilled, peeking at him from under her lashes. “Seems like a dangerous idea to get into anything with you without knowing what the possibilities are.”
“There are lots of possibilities. One being I bend you over where you stand. Want to know what I’d do after that?”
Kat’s eyes widened. She tried to ignore the way her body responded, the slight clenching. Clearing her throat, she gestured to the veggies. “They need to be chopped and arranged on a platter.”
Nex would’ve retorted that it didn’t matter how the vegetables were arranged, but he could sense her reaction and redirected his energy into the veggie tray, so he wouldn’t act on it. He’d restrain himself while she healed. Something that grew more difficult after their mistletoe kiss.
Working close to her didn’t help. In the small kitchen, they continuously bumped into or brushed against each other. Each time they came into the smallest amount of contact, Kat blushed and looked away. The tension increased by the second, to the point Nex went outside to breathe.
Lucian and Marcus’s arrival was a relief for Kat. Being alone with Nex hadn’t been easy since their kiss, and his comment didn’t help. Between the warmth from the heater and the oven, Kat changed to a dress, not bothering with leggings. She made the table nice with a fall-colored centerpiece and cloth placemats, keeping space between her and Nex lest she bump into him again and risk the friction throwing her body into a fit of neediness.
Getting them all to sit and eat together without the TV on was a victory for Kat. Lucian and Marcus didn’t get why they were doing it, but they wouldn’t turn down good food. They both had a soft spot for the human who fed them, gave them sugar, and was always kind to them in a way no one ever had been.
