Molly let out a dramatic, dreamy sigh, but stayed otherwise silent, watching the exchange with a smirk playing on her lips.
She tossed the pancake, swearing at the burnt underside. “Quit distracting me, Darcy.”
“Oh no.” Molly waved a piece of bacon between Cleo and Linc. “Please continue distracting her. This is hot as fuck. Totally here for it.”
Cleo giggled. Molly was unrelenting, but Linc wasn’t fazed, and the fact he’d both borrowed her pajama pants, and walked into the kitchen as though he owned the place somehow drew her to him all the more. He was comfortable in her space.
Linc sat next to Molly at the table, untangling some bacon from the pile on the table in front of him. Molly mouthed “Oh my god” and Cleo nodded, pinching her lips between her teeth again, afraid if she opened her mouth, words might come out. Staring at the hot, shirtless blond guy sitting at her breakfast table like he’d been part of their routine forever, she wasn’t sure she had any sensible words.
Throwing a lazy half-smile across the table at her, his heated gaze told her in no uncertain terms he’d rather be eating her for breakfast.
Was it getting hotter? Was it considered rude to fan yourself, to stick your head in the freezer, or disappear for a cold shower because you thought you might spontaneously combust from nothing but a stare?
He smirked as he chewed. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Lizzy. I can recommend the pancakes, they’re delicious.”
They were doing this, then. Pretending as though it was normal for him to be half naked around her, in her space, and it was not at all as though she might swallow her tongue if her eyes lingered on his six pack for one more second.
Cool. She could do that, right?
“Cleo?” Molly was snickering behind the rim of her mug.
“Mmm?”
“I asked what your plans are today. I asked twice in fact. Seems you’re a tad distracted, though I can’t, for the life of me, imagine by what.”
Lincoln turned to Molly and shook his head. “At the risk of getting a black eye, you’re very like your brother.”
It was Cleo’s turn to snicker as she sat, slicing into her fluffy pancakes with a satisfied nod. “She gets that a lot, and as you can see, she loves to hear it.”
Molly folded her arms, and a deep-set scowl crept onto her face. “And for a moment there, I was cheering for you, Linc. Why d’ya gotta disrespect me like that?”
Linc’s chuckle was warm and melodic. “You are a most individual, badass goddess who doesn’t need her brother’s stinkin’ shadow anyway.”
Molly’s face softened and a smile ghosted her lips, threatening to overpower her resting bitch face. “That’s more like it. I’m back to ‘you can keep him’.”
“Thanks, Mol. You know I can’t function without your approval on every area of my life.”
“It’s a heavy burden, but someone must carry it.”
Lincoln watched the exchange with mirth in his eyes as he finished his food and reached for a second glass of orange juice. “So whatareyou doing today, Cleo?”
She swallowed a mouthful before answering. “Class, and work at the coffee shop later.” She’d gotten the job and was already a few shifts into her training. It wasn’t something that stoked a fire in her belly by any means, but it was decent hours, decent pay, and kept the parentals off her back – which was worth every dirty mug and crappy tip.
“So… You have some time before class?”
She was on fire. Molly raised an eyebrow and widened her eyes. The look said ‘answer the man, you dumb shit.’
“I do.” Cleo’s mouth was dry and her tongue heavy. She dropped her fork onto her plate with a shrill clang.
“Then I’ll get started on the dishes, so we don’t waste any time when you’re done eating.”
“Next you’ll be telling us you cook as well as do dishes, Linc!” Molly finished the last two sips of her orange juice, got up from the table and placed her glass next to the sink. “I’ll do the dishes. Y’all go… do… each other.”
Lincoln didn’t even blush at Molly’s words, which probably made her all the more eager to cause him embarrassment. It would come back at some point to bite him in his perfect butt. Cleo stuffed the last forkful of bacon into her mouth, handed her dishes to Molly who gave her an exaggerated wink, and followed Linc back to her room.
He stripped off the pj pants he’d borrowed, along with his boxers, and tossed them aside before climbing back into bed. “Thanks for breakfast, it was delicious.”
He expects me to talk about breakfast when he just flashed me his perfect, naked body? Speak. He’s doing that smiling like he knows what you’re thinking thing.
