She reminded them of the barbecue the next day, then she hurried into her house and went straight to her room and changed into her pajamas. Then she walked around and double checked that every window was locked. No surprise visits that night!
She was about to lay down when she realized the pool was reflecting light into her room. Casting memories onto her walls. So she went around and lowered all the blinds.
Then she laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. Her new favorite past time. She tried to distract herself, going over outfit choices for the next day in her mind, but her thoughts eventually wandered back to the last time she'd visited home. When she'd been in bed, feeling antsy and disturbed. When someone had crawled through a window and fulfilled a long standing sexual fantasy. She was squirming around under the blankets, recalling the way Wulf had touched her and talked to her, remembering that kiss from the dance floor, when her phone dinged.
When she picked it up, she saw that it was almost one in the morning, and that it was Wulf who'd texted her. She grimaced, and debated whether or not to open it. Figuring it was probably some excuse to get out of the party the next day, she finally slid her thumb across the screen, reading the message.
I know exactly what you've been thinking about, and yes, it makes you a very, very bad girl.
She didn't fall asleep for a long time.
16
“This is actually fun.”
“See? You just need practice.”
“Let's not get out of control, angel cake.”
Katya laughed and wiped at her forehead with the back of her wrist, glancing over at him. They were making crescent rolls together. His looked a little … unique, but she didn't mind. She appreciated the help, and he was right, it was actually a lot of fun.
He'd turned up early in the morning, shocking both her and her mother. She'd been in her pajamas and her mother had been in a housecoat – it was only seven, after all. While Mrs. Tocci scampered off to make herself descent, Liam had asked about what they were doing so early. When Katya explained that they were prepping stuff for the party, he'd rolled up his sleeves and joined them.
She was impressed, Liam peeled potatoes, helped set up tables and chairs, and received a lesson in table setting from her mother – who was, as predicted, completely in love with him already. He teased her and flirted harmlessly with her, making her blush and giggle. It cracked Katya up, seeing her mother all red and fidgety.
I really do take after her.
Most of the food was prepared and ready by the time guests started showing up, but her mother had nearly had a breakdown over the fact that she'd forgotten crescent rolls. Why the simple baked good was a necessity, Katya wasn't sure, but there had been crescent rolls in Mrs. Tocci's vision for the barbecue, so goddammit, there was going to be crescent rolls!
“It's been a good party,” she commented, wiping her hands down the front of her apron and glancing out the kitchen door out to the back yard.
“It has. Your parents are awesome, Katya,” he told her, sliding the last rack into the oven. He spun the timer, then they both trooped into the pantry, where there was a large utility sink.
“Thanks, they're pretty okay,” she laughed while they washed the flour and dough out from under their fingernails.
“I honestly thought this weekend was going to be awful,” he said, grabbing a towel and drying off his hands. “But the beach was fun, and then today has been nice. I guess I haven't taken a weekend off in a long time.”
“Liam, your entire life is a weekend,” she teased him. The towel was thrown in her face.
“Shut up,” he laughed. “I work, and you know it. That club doesn't run itself.”
“I know, I know, I just like to give you a hard time,” she snickered while she wiped off her own hands.
“You like it too much,” he said, then walked past her. He stopped at the end of the counter by the door. “What is this?”
She turned and watched as he picked up a large mixing bowl. He lifted the large towel that was covering it, then let out a moan.
“Oh, I made that earlier, but then my mom decided she wanted something more 'exotic' – that's why I made those rosewater shortbread cookies,” she explained, standing next to him and looking down into the huge batch of chocolate chip cookie dough that was inside the bowl.
“So what, you're going to just let this go bad!?” he asked, sounding offended at the very idea. She shook her head.
“No, I was going to bake them after everyone left – I know how you are about your cookies, I figured we could take them home with us,” she assured him.
“Good girl, solid plan.”
She gasped when he stuck his finger into the bowl, swiping up a chunk of the batter. Then she swatted him in the arm when he shoved the finger into his mouth.
“Stop it! That's so bad for you,” she hissed. He glanced at her, then put his finger back in the bowl.
“Are you kidding? If eating cookie batter meant certain death, then I would go with a smile on my face.”
“You're an idiot.”
“You cannot tell me you don't sample cookie dough as you make it,” he said, eating more chocolate chips and dough.
“No.”
“Honestly?”
“Well … not when I'm at work,” she was honest. “And I try not to when I'm at home – it really is bad for you. You could get E. coli, or any number of other – stop it!”
She cut herself off when he started shoving a dough coated finger into her face. She pressed her lips hard together and grabbed at his wrist, trying to hold it away from her face.
“Oh, c'mon, it's delicious. Eat it,” he urged, laughing as they tripped around the room.
“No! That finger was just in your mouth! I don't want it in mine!”
“Uh, angel cake, you've had way more interesting parts of my body in your mouth before – a finger isn't that bad, in comparison.”
Katya burst out laughing and he used it to his advantage, shoving the dough into her mouth. He was right, of course – she loved eating cookie dough, if truth was told, and she moaned as she curled her tongue around his finger.
“Okay, okay,” she mumbled when he'd pulled his hand away from his face. “It's good.”
“Sooooo, good,” he sighed, moving to pull the towel back over the bowl.
“Oh, you're done now? You sure you don't want anymore?” she asked, jumping forward and swiping up her own fingerful of the uncooked dessert. “C'mon, it's good! Totally not gross!”
She laughed while she turned the tables, jumping to try and force her finger into his mouth. He shook his head and backed away from her, easily swatting her hand away.
“No way, I don't know where your finger has been.”
“My finger!?”
“Yeah. I mean, you did date Wulfric,” he pointed out, then made gagging noise.
The struggle became real after that, with Katya digging her hand into the bowl and trying to shove a whole hand's worth of dough into his face. He laughed and held onto her wrist, twisting her around and away from him. Her back connected with the door, knocking it closed, and then he shoved her up against it.