Page 64 of Best Served Hot

“She’s developed a passion for helping out with the skills she has. Meaning, throwing parties and events,” Bennett said. “I think it’ll be good for her.”

I smiled to myself. I thought so, too.

“Anyway,” I said, “I’m still totally torn about what to do next.”

“I know exactly what you should do,” he said. “Help me win the Halo of Absolution.”

I rolled my eyes. “Come on, I can’t do that,” I said. He looked disappointed until I said, “I’d have to win the Wings of Destiny and the Staff of Fortitude first, and that’ll take forever.”

Now his face lit up. “You read the first Dark Avengers book!”

“It was surprisingly fun. And dark. Who knew you could cut heads off in so many different ways?” I shook my head in bemusement. “But anyway, no, I am torn of heart, but not literally. What do I do? Go back to the stability of Mr. Decker’s office, where I know exactly what I’m getting—including good benefits, by the way—or take a risk with Alice and Kelsey, which would definitely be fun, but also might lead to me having no time for my own stuff and also having no job in a year if they flame out? Because being real, most start-ups flame out. I don’t know if—”

He silenced me with a kiss on my hand, which let the panicked racing of my heart slow down just a little bit. “Whatever you choose, you’ll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say,” I muttered.

“It’s true, it is a lot easier for me to say that,” he acknowledged. “But either option is a good one. Worst-case scenario if you’re unhappy at Mr. Decker’s, you can still help out Alice and Kelsey. Worst-case scenario if you go with Alice and her company flames out, you have lots of admin experience and a good recommendation. And there’s always temp work.”

My breathing eased up. Deep breath in, deep breath out. “That’s true. But that makes it almost harder, because there’s no wrong choice! It would be so much easier to choose if one was obviously wrong, the way Dark Avengers villains are always obvious from their first introductions, because they have names like Malva the Venomous or Lucifer the Suspicious.”

“I always did think that was unrealistic,” said Bennett.

I bit my lip. “And I promised I would decide by tomorrow end of day. Can’t you just tell me what to do?”

“No,” he said kindly. “But I have faith that you’ll make the right decision, whatever it is.”

I wished I shared that same faith. “Well. I have until tomorrow, at least.”

“Oh yeah? What are you going to do until tomorrow?”

The plates and bowls were empty. I stood to bring them to the kitchen. Bennett followed me with his own. “Oh, I have some things in mind,” I said over my shoulder as I set the plates in the sink. Bennett put his down, too, then stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me back into his chest.

“Like what?” His voice hummed against me, and I could feel it vibrate all the way down into my bones.

“I was thinking . . . dessert.” It didn’t come out as sexy as I wanted, so I grimaced. It was a good thing Bennett couldn’t see me, though, because I felt his reaction poking me in the ass. I ground against it, making him groan deep in his throat.

He flipped me around and bent to kiss me deeply. “I might be ruined for other desserts.”

I didn’t give my decision a single thought for the rest of the night.

• • •

I woke up curled against Bennett, him snoring lightly into my hair. I breathed in deeply as I delicately extricated myself without waking him up. One of my favorite things about sleeping here was how his smell surrounded me totally, scented me like I was his. Weird, maybe, but yeah.

Having successfully made it out, I padded downstairs, phone in hand. Part of me wanted to read the second Dark Avengers book and find out what happened after the radiation that destroyed what was once Chicago mutated the survivors nearby into elves—it seemed unscientific to me, though Bennett assured me they dealt with the science in later installments—but I knew I had to think about job stuff. And my future.

Elves sounded more fun.

I sighed, sinking into the couch. Googled success rates for new start-ups, example résumés for influencers, how much emergency dental surgery costs without insurance.

It took a while. But by the time Bennett shuffled downstairs in his fleecy moccasins, I’d made up my mind. Without even going for his coffee, he sat beside me and took my hands in his. “So? What’s the verdict?”

I took a deep breath. “It might affect what we want to do next year, but—” I stopped short. We. My cheeks heated, my tongue feeling thick in my mouth. “I mean, it might affect what I want to do next—”

“I like ‘we.’ ” Bennett squeezed my hands and smiled at me. “ ‘We’ sounds good.”

He liked my decision, too. “We’re a ‘we’ now, so it’s important I approve of your decisions,” he said seriously, but he ruined the effect with the smile playing on his lips. I whacked him playfully on the chest. “But for real, I’m glad you’re doing this. I think it’s going to be great.”