Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Bash

Cash was right. Dark mafia romance is clearly a blueprint for success.

I wake up when Sage extricates herself from the bed and gives me one last kiss on the temple. "I'm going to shower in my bathroom. See you in the kitchen?"

"Mm-hmm." I stretch out one arm to brush my fingers along her exposed shoulder. "Take your time. I'll make breakfast."

I wish I'd asked her to stay for a shower, but I don't want to push too hard. After all, I don't know exactly what last night meant to her. I gather my thoughts and roll out of bed a minute later, still feeling relaxed and languid after everything we did.

By the time I finish getting dressed and head down to the kitchen, Sage has made a cappuccino for each of us.

"I know you said you'd make breakfast, but I had this brilliant idea. Hear me out…" She holds up both hands and spreads them over her head for a dramatic reveal. " Breakfast poutine. Picture it."

"I'm picturing it. What makes it different from normal poutine?"

"Thick-cut bacon, sausage gravy. With cheese curds, obviously. And… a poached egg?"

"Some would call it blasphemy. I would call it genius." I pull her into my arms for a lingering kiss. When we break apart, Sage's eyes are bright. I don't think she regrets last night in the slightest.

I certainly don't.

"Tag team?" she pants. "I'll do gravy, you do potatoes?"

" Oui. But first, there's something else I want even more. I literally can't get enough of you."

I lift Sage up onto the cool kitchen counter, her laughter ringing through the room. The morning sunlight streams in through the window, casting a warm glow over her flushed cheeks and damp hair.

Her eyes are alight with mischief as she leans back, propping herself up on her elbows. "See something you like?"

As I settle between her legs, the scent of coffee lingering in the air, I feel a surge of desire pulse through me. I trail kisses along her inner thighs, savoring the soft gasps that escape her parted lips. Her fingers thread through my hair, urging me closer.

"I will never get tired of tasting you, ma belle ."

Sage's sweetness is intoxicating. I lose myself in the rhythm of her breathing, the way her body arches toward mine in silent invitation. Every flick of my tongue elicits a shudder, a moan that spurs me on.

Her hands clutch at the edge of the counter, fingers curling into fists as pleasure builds within her. I revel in the way she writhes beneath me, lost in the sensations that consume us both. Time seems to stand still as we exist in this shared moment of pure bliss.

And when she finally tumbles over the edge, a symphony of sighs and whispered words filling the space between us, I know there is nowhere else in the world I would rather be than here with Sage, our connection unfolding like a perfect melody.

Her essence lingers on my lips as I take a deep breath, savoring the aftermath of our passionate encounter. I brush a stray strand of hair from her face, kissing her gently as her eyes flutter open, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Wow," she murmurs, her voice still hoarse from our lovemaking. "That was better than sausage gravy."

Aflame with a renewed sense of urgency, I pull myself up from the counter, eager to sink inside her again. I rummage in my pocket for a condom. As I slip it on, I feel a rush of anticipation and excitement.

Sliding inside Sage, I'm met with a warm, wet heat that sends shivers down my spine. Our bodies synchronize perfectly as if we've been coming together for a lifetime. Each thrust, each grazing of skin against skin, feels like a melody we've practiced countless times before.

She wraps her legs around me, pulling me closer, and I find myself lost in the rhythm. The sensation of her hips moving in harmony with mine is intoxicating, and I can't help but be swept away by the intensity of our connection.

Reaching between us, I strum her clit until her pussy spasms around me. As we reach our peak, our bodies trembling in unison, I can't help but think about how perfect this moment is. The smell of her, the feel of our bodies entwined—it's all too much to bear, and yet I wouldn't change a single moment of it.

When we finally collapse into each other, a giggle bubbles up inside Sage, becoming an outright laugh. I love the sound of it.

"We still need to get breakfast made," she says, pressing a kiss to my lips. "No more distracting me."

Over the next hour, we dance around each other in the kitchen, pausing to steal kisses or feed each other pieces of bacon. Although poached eggs were her idea, Sage admits that she's no expert at cooking them, so I show her my mother's technique. We plate everything together and sit down, side by side, at the dining room table.

One bite in and Sage is already groaning. "No offense to normal poutine, but this is to die for."

"It is very good," I admit. "You are brilliant."

Sage flushes and takes another bite.

"If you're free today, maybe we can do something together?" I don't have anything particular in mind, but it would be nice to spend more time with her while she's here. Every moment in her presence feels like borrowed time.

Sage's smile wilts. "Sorry. I wasn't expecting you to be around today, so I made plans with Molly. I hope that's okay."

"Of course. Have fun." I take another bite of poutine while I consider my options. "Will you be around for dinner?"

"Sure. Want to do something together?"

"Very much."

"Like a… date?"

"...yes?"

She reaches over to squeeze my hand. "Bash, I would love to go on a date with you tonight."

"Excellent." Which means I need to plan a date worthy of her. What that might be, I don't yet know, but it will have to be special. Even if she ends up leaving here—leaving me—I want her to remember . To feel my memory so deep inside her that it becomes a part of her very essence.

Sage leaves for Molly's place as soon as we're finished eating while I stay to wash the dishes. Annie comes out to visit me while I work, although she gives me the cold shoulder whenever I try to pet her.

"Are you jealous?" I tease. "Am I stealing Sage's attention away from you?"

Annie chirps and stalks off.

Once everything is tidied up, I head down the street to visit Cash. He is a man of wisdom, and after his brainwave with mafia romance, I'm convinced he has all the answers.

Cash is already outside, watering the planted parts of his lawn. When he sees me, he hits me with a spray of water right in the middle of my chest.

"Stop right there," he warns. "I'll spritz again."

I fan my soaked t-shirt away from my chest. "But I need advice."

Cash rolls his eyes. "You got your dipstick wet last night. What could you possibly need advice about?"

"How do you know that?" I counter.

Cash goes back to watering. "The group chat."

I didn't think to bring my phone, and I'm curious who spilled those beans. And how they knew. Was it that obvious that we were circling each other? Or did Sage say something to Molly where Noah could overhear? God, I hope it was flattering.

The question of who's sharing gossip is far less urgent than my real concern, however. "How do I keep her?"

Cash lowers the hose nozzle and raises his voice to top volume. " Kingsley! " he bellows.

A moment later, the front door opens to reveal not only Kingsley, but Layla and Delilah as well.

"Oh, come on," I mutter.

Cash ignores me. "Take the kid. He's all yours."

"Maybe I should just go—" I begin.

Cash menaces me with the nozzle, and rather than getting squirted again, I submit to being frog-marched through the house to the pool area out back. I'm deposited in one of the deck chairs while the ladies circle up. I feel like I've been taken in by the feds for questioning.

"I know that look," Delilah says at once. "You like her."

I know when I'm playing a losing game. There's no point in deflecting, so I nod. "I do."

"So, what's the problem?" Layla asks.

I pick at my thumbnail. "She's leaving when the van is ready. I'm running out of time. I was hoping Cash would have a magic solution to make her stay."

Kingsley shakes her head. "No way. I love that man, but he knows his limits. If you want real help, you need to talk to us."

Delilah already has her phone out. "The Venom Vixens are on the way… minus Stella, who refused to waddle over here, and Molly, who's busy with Sage. And Mona's at the bookstore, but she's done enough already. Seriously, the book recs? Ten out of ten."

"But why would you want to help me?" I look around at them. "I don't know any of you that well. I mean, we're friends, but not…" I make one of the hand gestures that makes sense in my head but not in real life.

"We're family, dummy." Delilah flicks my shoulder. "Also, we've been totally pushing you two together, so now we've all got skin in the game. We want our happy ending."

Soon Toni, Scarlett, and Madison show up. They cluster around the table, catching each other up to speed on my predicament.

"Sex is a good start," Madison says, "as long as she's into it. But it's not enough. Have you tried giving her lots of compliments and being body-positive? Marco made sure I felt like the most beautiful, desirable woman in the world. Plus, he joined in on my crazy quests. So… have fun together."

"We have fun," I assure her.

"Do you?" Madison arches one perfect eyebrow. "Or has she stepped into your life and made it totally convenient for you to be together with minimal effort on your part?"

"Ah." I drum my fingers on the edge of the table. "Understood."

Layla nods. "She probably wants to go home to be with her family. Family is everything. And the cool thing is she can have that here, with you, and all of us."

This, I can agree with. "I know. You're all like sisters from another mother. It helps me not miss my sisters so much."

Delilah pretends to wipe away a tear. "Ugh. He has sisters. He knows all this stuff. This is why we love him. Bash, you just need to be yourself."

Toni plays idly with her necklace, dangling the charms between her fingers. "It's funny how Uncle Dante gave you a leg up, just like he did for me and Coop. Trust the process. And take her to dinner."

"And find out what she likes," Kingsley urges. "Madison makes a good point about convenience. If you're just hooking up while she's here, that's one thing, but if you want her to stay, she needs to know that she'll be able to be happy here. That you have what it takes to be a good partner, not just a one-hit wonder. That you can wake up every morning and still choose her."

"Right." This is basic stuff. Why didn't I think of it before? Now I see why Cash is so smart: because he listens, rather than running at the mouth. "I'll start with dinner. Maybe I can take her to the Mona Lisa?"

"On it." Toni snaps up her phone. "I'll tell Uncle Dante to reserve the wine cellar."