Devil's Own (Palm Island Book 6), page 15
Sure. The pot leaf wallpaper on the lock screen didn’t present a huge deductive challenge, but if I give away all my secrets then I’m no better than Mickey Mouse removing his head right in front of all the kiddies at Disneyland.
“Cinnamon and brown sugar muffins this morning,” I announce instead of ruining the ongoing mystery of my psychic powers.
RePeat’s mouth falls open and I give myself a mental pat on the back for successfully blowing all four of their minds this morning without even trying.
“I… was feeling homesick this morning.” He reaches for a muffin and trades a look with his twin, Hennessey.
“Our mom makes an incredible cinnamon and brown sugar coffee cake,” Hen explains.
I smile and set the plate down in the middle of the table for them. Normally I would leave it at that, scurry into the back to finish my tea alone, and revel in having left them all in stunned awe of my intuitive powers this morning. But for some reason, Lark’s insistence last week that I’m not letting anyone in rings in my mind.
“I… was feeling homesick this morning too. I brew Earl Grey and lavender tea most mornings, but I decided to make orange spice tea for myself this morning instead. It was my gran’s favorite, and it also reminds me of the god-awful orange scented body spray my sister practically bathed herself in when we were teenagers.” The small confession and personal detail make my stomach quiver just a little, but also makes me feel surprisingly light.
The four of them stare at me in silent shock for several long seconds, and I send some grumbly thoughts in Lark’s general direction for the ‘I told you so’ dance they would absolutely be doing right now.
“You have a sister?” Goose is the first to break the silence and ask.
I nod. “I have a sister who’s one year younger than me named Robin. And I have a nonbinary sibling named Lark who’s a year and a half older than me.”
“Robin and Lark,” Hennessey echoes. “Wait, does that mean…”
The faint beep of the coffee machine from the kitchen gives me the perfect excuse to answer his unfinished question with a playful smirk before disappearing. A man has got to keep a little mystery about himself, after all.
I manage to keep myself fairly busy for the next couple of hours, with locals coming and going, most staying for a little while to sit and enjoy their coffee or tea. Every time I hear the door open, my heart jolts and I have to shake my head at myself.
It’s not like Angel and Devil come in every day. And even if they did, they probably won’t for at least a little while. Casual avoidance is the polite way to signal to someone that hooking up once was plenty and you won’t be looking for a repeat. Everyone knows that. In fact, I hope they don’t show up today. It’ll be so much easier to just avoid each other for the next couple of months until the tourist season rolls around, and then we won’t even have to actively try, we’ll just effortlessly go all summer without bumping into each other. By the fall, last night will be nothing more than a lovely fantasy to jerk off to from time to time.
The door swings open while I’m setting down coffee in front of Ten and Bambi. I glance over my shoulder immediately, and my whole body jolts like I’ve just been given an electric shock. Hot coffee sloshes over my hands and I hiss a curse.
“Fuck. Sorry.” I spin to grab the damp rag off the table I just finished wiping down, and nearly run headlong into Trick, who’s in the process of standing up.
“Whoa.” He catches my arms to keep me from bowling us both over.
“Sorry. I… um… rag… Excuse me.” I don’t have time for full sentences, dammit.
Trick flicks his attention to who just walked through the door, and I can feel him buzz with knowing amusement. A grin spreads over his lips and he lets go of my arms. I don’t even bother to look behind me, I just bolt straight for the kitchen, doing my best not to knock anyone else over in the process.
DEVIL
“Well, that wasn’t exactly a promising welcome,” Angel murmurs quietly as we watch Raven nearly upend a table in his haste to get away from us.
Boston snickers and Trick rights the chair that toppled when Raven ran into him.
“You think he’s coming back with a rag?” Bambi wonders out loud, looking at the spilled coffee on the table between him and Ten.
“Doubt it,” Trick says, grabbing the rag off the clean table next to theirs and tossing it to Ten, who dutifully mops up the coffee himself.
Irritation and need vibrate inside my chest. I can still taste his moans on my lips, and he’s still playing this same cat and mouse game? No. Nuh-uh. Not happening.
“Should we go?” Angel whispers to me, and I shake my head sharply, then pull out a chair at the nearest empty table with a rough jerk. “Sit.”
“Rawr,” he says with a laugh before plopping his ass down.
“I’ll be right back.”
Stomping around the counter and through the door to the kitchen gives me a sense of Déjà Vu from the other night. Except, this time I know Raven’s back here. I’m half-expecting I’ll have to chase him down in the back storage room, but as soon as I storm through the thin curtain covering the doorway to the kitchen, I find him with his back to me, his hands braced on the counter, and his head ducked. His back is heaving with rapid breaths, and all of my annoyance melts away in an instant.
“Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay, kitten,” I say softly, hurrying over to him but stopping short of actually touching him.
Raven lets out a trembling laugh and looks at me over his shoulder.
“Get caught having a panic attack, and other tips on how to look cool after a casual hookup, in this month’s issue of Awkward Goths.” He uses his thumb to dab at the heavy smudge of eyeliner under his left eye.
My lips tug into an off-kilter smile and I shrug. “I’d subscribe for the pictures alone,” I say, and he barks out a laugh.
With one more big breath, he spins around to face me, leaning against the counter and bracing his hands on it. I rake my gaze over him for just a second, remembering how pretty he looked tied up and screaming for us last night. Honestly though, what’s been playing on a loop in my head for the last twelve hours is the sweet, lingering kiss he gave each of us at the door before he left—one that felt too much like ‘goodbye’ for my comfort.
I risk taking a step closer, gauging his reaction to make sure he’s not going to freak out before I lean in and put my hands on the counter right next to his, bringing our bodies into contact and our faces only inches from each other.
“I’m not a bomb about to detonate, I just didn’t expect to see you guys this morning… or for a while.” His eyes dip to my lips and then flit immediately back to mine.
I raise my eyebrows. “Were you planning to teach me to play the piano through telepathy?”
His lips form into a little O.
“Shit, yeah, I kind of forgot about that.”
I chuckle. “Sorry, but I’m going to have to hold you to this one. And I was kind of hoping you’d be free tonight for our first lesson.”
He stares at me silently for a few seconds, his jaw working the way it always seems to when he’s deep in thought.
“I’m free tonight,” Raven answers eventually. “Assuming none of my pipes burst or anything.”
“I’ve checked your pipes myself, and they’re all in perfect working order,” I murmur, daring to brush the tip of my nose against his.
Raven’s lips part on a sigh and my insides stir with hopeful excitement.
“Angel kind of implied that most of your hookups are one-and-done.” His hand lands tentatively on my chest, his fingers curling into a fist with a handful of my shirt trapped inside of it.
“Did he now?” I quirk just one eyebrow this time.
Raven’s forehead wrinkles. “I… think so.”
I doubt Angel said that, but I stand by my theory that Raven needs to believe it… for now, anyway.
“I told you; we don’t have any rules about stuff like this.” I wait until he’s looking into my eyes again before I go on. “Unless you’re done after last night?”
His brief second of hesitation is almost enough to have me backing off, it’s definitely enough to set my heart racing in the not-so-fun way. Raven gives a jerky shake of his head and I release a breath and smile again.
“Good,” I growl and close the half inch of space between our lips.
He moans around my tongue and presses himself up against me immediately. Sweet little Raven. He knows what he wants, he’s just afraid to want it. Lucky for all of us that Angel and I are equal parts stubborn and sure of ourselves. If he needs to be chased, we’ll buy some running shoes and chase his mysterious, cute, gothy little ass.
Chapter 12
DEVIL
After an afternoon spent pondering fun ways I might punish Raven if he stands me up tonight, I’m almost disappointed to see the light on at the museum as I approach. It would have been fun to march down to his place, throw him over my shoulder, and carry him down the street in plain view of any other residents who happen to be walking by. A primal caveman feeling in my chest surges in agreement, but there’s definitely a different type of satisfaction seeing Raven come into view through the windows, knowing he wants to be here tonight, even if he’s still wrestling with himself over whether he should feel that way or not.
I pause just outside the door, able to hear the muffled sound of the piano as his fingers fly over the keys. He’s still wearing the corset he had on earlier when we stopped by the café, and I can’t quite make myself look away from the expanse of his bare shoulders and the subtle twitches of his muscles as he plays. I could stand out here all night and watch him play, which is a weird fucking realization to have, and I wish it surprised me.
I card my fingers through my beard and fill my lungs with a deep breath before pushing through the door. Unlike most of the shops around here, there’s no bell on the museum door. Just like last time, Raven doesn’t seem to notice right away that I’m here. He starts to croon along with the song he’s playing—the song I asked him to teach me. “At Last” by Etta James was the song Angel and I danced to for our first dance at our wedding. Hearing the soulful words on Raven’s lips makes my heart flip and my insides buzz with electricity. If Angel were here right now, he would swoon so hard I’m not sure I’d even have time to catch him.
I chuckle out loud at the thought, and Raven stops playing abruptly, spinning around on the stool so fast that I see it wobble underneath him, just like last time.
“Holy shit, Dev, I’m going to have to put a bell on you if you keep sneaking up on me like that.” He puts a hand dramatically over his chest, drawing my attention to the way the corset frames his pecs.
I quirk an eyebrow. “A physical bell? Or would this be for my aura so you can psychically sense me coming?” I tease.
He snorts and then stands up. I notice the bench wobble again and I frown.
“It’s seen better days, but it’s the original, so I’m afraid to fuck it up by trying to fix it.” Raven answers my unasked question, glancing down at the stool with the same fondness he seems to have for all the artifacts in this museum, and anything related to the founders of Palm Island, really.
“Do you mind if I take a look?” I stride over and Raven bites his lip, a cautious expression flitting through his eyes before he shrugs. I’m extra careful as I gently lift the stool and set it upside down so I can take a look at the legs. It’s the original alright, and the hardware is pure rust at this point. A stiff breeze could turn the piano bench into nothing but scrap.
“Don’t tell me.” He grimaces and crosses his arms, like a patient bracing himself for terrible news from a doctor.
“I could fix it, but to be honest, it’s never easy to get rusted screws out. And this wood is weaker than I’d like it to be.” I look up at Raven from my kneeling position. “You want my opinion?” He nods solemnly. “I think you should stop using this bench. Leave it with the display, but let me make you a new solid one to sit on when you actually want to play.”
Raven’s worried pout slowly morphs into a grin.
“You’d do that?”
I flip the bench back over gingerly and then clamber back to my feet. I wipe my hands off on my jeans and nod.
“Of course. I can order some wood, or I can scrounge up some driftwood from the beach. The latter will take longer since I’ll have to find it and treat it first, but otherwise it’s just an afternoon project to put something together for you.”
Raven throws his arms around me before I’ve even finished talking, pressing his body up against mine and smiling like I just promised to get him the biggest diamond money can buy. My heart thunders and pride swells in my chest.
“I would love that. And I want driftwood. I don’t care if it takes longer, I want to feel all the energy the wood soaked up lying on the beach.” He sighs dreamily, then seals the request with a kiss. The slightly sticky feeling of his lipstick is already becoming familiar, and the taste of his tongue goes straight to my dick.
I slip my fingers through his hair and kiss him back, sucking his tongue and nibbling at his lips. He breaks the kiss after a minute with a shy smile and a light blush on his cheeks. I use my thumb to wipe away the smear of lipstick that ended up below his bottom lip. I’m sure some of it ended up all over my mouth too, but I don’t feel any urge to try to wipe it away. I love the thought of being marked by him. Raven clears his throat and I let him go.
“Thank you,” he says, in a more polite way this time, smoothing out his unwrinkled clothes and taking half a second to compose himself.
“No problem. If we don’t have a bench tonight though, does that mean we have to postpone our lessons again?” My heart sinks as soon as the thought occurs to me. It’s already iffy whether I’m going to be able to learn to play before our vow renewal in a few months anyway, but if we keep having to delay, there’s no chance.
“I think I’ve got a couple of folding chairs we can use for now. It’s not ideal, but it’ll work.”
“I can grab them. Just point me in the right direction.”
Raven gestures to the door at the back of the small room. While I grab the chairs, he moves the bench out of the way, and we meet back at the piano a minute later. We sit down and it’s interesting to see the immediate shift in him, the way he straightens his back and moves into position.
“Now you’re going to teach me how to play the song?” I crack my knuckles and scoot to the edge of my seat, mirroring his posture.
He barks out a laugh. “Oh no, no, no. First, you need to teach your fingers how to move.”
I curl my lips into a filthy grin. “I thought I already nailed the finger thing, but if you’ve got some new tricks to teach me, I’m game.”
Raven makes a choked sound and shifts in his seat, but I catch the answering smile on his lips before he manages to bite it back.
“You and that husband of yours never quit, do you?”
“Not usually, no. Now, let’s get down to this finger workout.”
RAVEN
After an hour and a half of finger exercises and practicing the scales just to give him a feel for the right movements, I’m not exactly ready to declare myself Piano Teacher of the Year or anything, but I’m definitely more confident than I was when Devil walked in here that I’ll be able to get him playing this Etta James song by May.
“Maybe I should just have you play it for him while he walks down the aisle,” he says with a self-deprecating chuckle after putting the chairs back in the utility closet.
“We’ll call that plan B.” I pat him on the shoulder, letting my hand linger a few extra seconds just to feel the warmth radiating off of him through the thin layer of his shirt. Shameless? Maybe. But he’s the one who stormed into the kitchen this morning and basically told me that he and Angel aren’t done with me. And if they’re not bored yet, I might as well enjoy the ride. I drag my fingers down his arm with a featherlight touch, not breaking contact until the very last second. “But at least give me a chance to make a pianist out of you first.”
Devil chokes back a laugh and his eyes shine with a juvenile twinkle.
“You want to make a pianist-penis joke, don’t you?” I guess in a playfully bland voice.
He clears his throat and schools his expression into something much more serious and fitting for his age, and I press my lips together to keep from laughing at the haughty air he’s doing his best to project.
“Of course not. I was just thinking about the kind of joke someone much less mature than myself would make.”
“Right.” I nod sagely, and we both finally crack and laugh out loud. I sway closer to him without meaning to, like there are a pair of magnets in both of our chests, pulling us together. The shared laughter vibrates in my bones.
The playfulness between us settles to a simmer, and the air all around us takes on that heavy feeling of anticipation, like the earth itself is holding its breath, waiting to see what’s going to happen next. I am too.
“Do you have to get home?” I ask at the same time Devil says, “Are you up for a walk?”
I laugh and glance towards the door, at the quiet street just outside. The last thing I need is to give all of the gossips on this island more to talk about. And after my embarrassing display this morning, I’m sure they all have their theories already.
I chew my lip for a second, imagining the quietly pitying looks everyone will give me when the inevitable happens, because fuck knows they’re smart enough to figure that out too. I pluck at a loose string on the frayed pocket of my black skinny jeans, then nod. Fuck it, let people talk. It’s not like they haven’t all done embarrassing shit. It’s my turn to be reckless for a change.
“Sure, let’s go for a walk,” I say, my voice dipping low and going husky unintentionally. Devil’s eyes heat and a smirk spreads over his lips.
On our way out, I turn off the lights, saying a silent goodbye to Harold and George like I always do when I leave the museum. I wonder what they think of me calling their bluff and diving into this tryst. Maybe it’ll light a fire under their asses to finally bring me my soulmates… er, soulmate. Singular. Just one. I put a hand on my chest to calm my suddenly racing heart.
