She opened her mouth and then closed it again. “Thank you.” Turning on her heel, she sprinted back upstairs.
Daniel watched her go, then headed into the kitchen. Thoralf and Adam were already at the kitchen table.
“Ah, there he is. Daniel, come join us!” Thoralf waved him over and pointed to the extra-large pie on the table. “This pizza is delicious. And young Adam here was telling me about his journey. I must admit, he is quite crafty and cunning. Imagine, he was able to come here purely by his own wiles.”
“Can I sit here?” he asked, nodding at the empty chair next to Adam.
Adam looked at him suspiciously, but shrugged. “It’s your house.”
Sitting on the chair, he helped himself to two slices of pizza. “Listen, Adam,” he began. “I know you’re probably angry at Sarah. And I get that.” He took a bite, chewed, and swallowed. “Our family was so … different, and the other kids at school teased me for it. I got mad a lot at my parents when I was your age. But my dad always said that words can be more powerful than any weapon. And when you say something, you can never, ever take it back, so you have to be careful how and when you use them.”
Adam didn’t say anything, but just kept eating his pizza.
“You don’t have to talk to Sarah tonight. Or to any of us. In fact, I don’t recommend it. Cool off, get a shower, have a good night’s sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning, I promise you that.”
His head snapped up. “I can sleep here?”
“Of course. There’s a room next to Thoralf’s that you can use. I think you’ll like it. You can open the glass door and sit out on the patio. We have a pool too, and you can swim in the morning if you want.”
Adam polished off the last of his slice. “Okay.”
“I have more food if you’re hungry. How about juice? Or soda?” He nodded at the fridge. “They’re in there, help yourself. Maybe you can grab some for us, too?”
Thoralf made a move to stand, but Daniel looked at him meaningfully, so he relaxed. Adam wheeled himself toward the fridge, opened the door, and grabbed three cans of soda. “Thanks, man,” he said, taking one of the cans the teen offered.
“How about I grab one of those beers too?” Adam asked slyly.
“Now you’re pushing it, kid,” Daniel retorted, but chuckled after, bringing a wide smile to the young man’s face.
“Hey.”
All three of them turned toward Sarah, who stood in the doorway. Adam then looked to Daniel. “I think I’d like to get cleaned up now.”
He nodded. “Thoralf will show you the room.”
The dragon shifter got to his feet. “Of course. Come with me, young man.”
Sarah moved aside as Thoralf headed toward her, Adam rolling behind him. She looked distraught, but as Adam passed by her, he slowed down. “’Night, Sarah,” he whispered.
“’Night, Adam,” she called, her lower lip trembling as she watched her brother leave the kitchen.
“Are you all right?” Daniel asked when they were alone.
Her breath hitched, but she nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Have a seat. And a slice.”
“I—No, it’s okay. I’m not hungry.”
“But—”
“Really, I’m exhausted. I just want to crawl into bed and sleep.”
Daniel desperately wanted her to stay and sit with him, and more important—talk about what happened in the bathroom—but he could see she really was tired. Her body slumped forward like a deflated balloon. “All right, I’ll clean up and leave the slices in the fridge in case you get hungry.”
“Thanks.” Pivoting on her heel, she shuffled out of the kitchen.
Once he heard her rush up the stairs and the door of the bedroom close, he let out a breath and buried his head in his hands. This was going to be a long night
The next day when he opened his eyes, Daniel immediately sat up so he could get ready for work, then remembered it was Saturday, his day off. He was hoping to have some time alone with Sarah today, but he guessed that wouldn’t be happening, not with Thoralf and Adam around. He didn’t resent the kid for coming here, but now that he understood their situation more, he knew that there were more important things. Yes, even more important than getting laid. Even more important than seeing Sarah in—and out of—that sinful outfit again.
God, his cock got so hard when he remembered what happened in the shower, it was almost painful. He supposed he could take care of himself, but it seemed weird, having all those people in the house, plus, it would only satisfy him temporarily. His body craved for the real thing.
After a very long, cold shower, he got dressed and bounded downstairs. He could smell bacon frying all the way from the hallway, so he followed his nose to the kitchen. The sight that greeted him made his heart leap out of his chest. Sarah was by the stove, her hair pulled up into a messy bun, wearing an apron over some kind of pajama top and shorts, humming to herself as she leaned over a frying pan. This was something he wanted to see every morning for the rest of his life—her, looking so relaxed and at home in his house. He watched her for a few more seconds before clearing his throat.
“Oh.” She turned to him. “I hope you don’t mind. I made breakfast.” She nodded to the table that was already heaped with food—a pile of toast, a mountain of eggs, and a platter of bacon.
“Not at all, thank you for making it.” He slid up next to her and leaned over, pretending he was looking into the pan, but really, he wanted a whiff of her scent. “Smells amazing.”
“It’s the last of the bacon,” she said.
“How are you feeling?”
Her shoulders slumped. “I couldn’t sleep,” she confessed. “I just kept thinking about Adam. What I’m going to
