Page 142 of Bend

“I slept fine.”

“Good.”

The word comes out quieter than everything else.

Then, before I can think too hard about that, his hand settles lightly at the back of my neck and he leans down, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

It’s quick and easy. Like he’s done it a hundred times and its completely normal. My brain, unfortunately, reacts like he just dropped a live grenade into the kitchen. I stare at his chest for half a second before looking up at him.

“You’re getting bold.”

His thumb brushes once behind my ear before he lets me go. “You didn’t seem to mind bold last night.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.”

From somewhere behind me, somebody chokes.

I turn.

Revel has one hand over his mouth and Cece is staring at him like she’s deciding whether she can kill him with a spoon.

“What?” he says around a laugh. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Uh huh, sure,” I tell him.

Cece snorts.

Draygon chuckles, and just walks back toward the stove like he hasn’t done anything, while I take my plate to the table and drop into an empty chair.

“Morning.”

A mug gets set down beside my plate.

I look up and find Wolfe standing there with his own coffee in one hand.

I glance at the mug. Then at him.

“You made me coffee?”

“Yeah.”

I take a sip and its exactly perfect. I look back toward Draygon, then back to Wolfe slowly.

“Okay, this is starting to feel coordinated.”

Wolfe laughs. “What is?”

“You people feeding me and bringing me coffee like I’m some kind of stray you found outside.”

“You kind of were.” Talon adds, standing up from the table with his plate and empty glass in hand.

“Fuck you.”

“I mean, if we’re being technical, you did show up half-feral and living in a motel.”

I point at him with my fork. “You’re one sentence away from wearing these eggs.”

“That’d be a waste. Draygon actually knows what he’s doing.”