Khan (Bowen Boys, #2)(26)
~~~
Khan reached for her and felt a cold sheet. Rolling over to see if he missed her, he saw that she was gone. Smiling, he remembered the four or five times he’d reached for her last night, and she’d responded to him willingly each time.
He got up and went to the shower to get cleaned up and go find her. He wanted to tell her that he wanted to wake with her beside him from now on. He stopped brushing his teeth for a second and reworded it in his mind. He’d prefer that she was there when he woke, so he could make love to her first thing in the morning. Smiling, he took a quick shower and dressed.
She was standing over the stove, cooking something. He looked over at Sebastian and raised his brow when his brother shook his head. Something was going on and it didn’t seem like it was a good thing. He walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder at…he wasn’t sure what.
“Want some help?” She turned slightly, and he could see that her eyes were filled with unshed tears. He nearly took the pan from her when Reed spoke up from behind him.
“She said she knew how to cook at one time, but it’s been awhile. We told her we’d be her lab rats.” Reed was trying to sound cheerful, but he sounded like he was upset too.
“I was a really good cook a long time ago. And I could make a really good omelet. I think I’ve forgotten how.” She looked ready to toss the pan in the sink. He wanted to tell her to go sit down, he’d take care of it, but he only got more eggs out of refrigerator.
“I like western omelets myself.” He looked at his brothers. “Reed, why don’t you chop up the peppers, and Sebastian, can you make some potatoes? How do Obrien’s sound?”
He moved around her, took the pan with the mess in it, and handed her a fresh one. He said something about the incorrect cooking pans, and why were there so many, when she sprayed it with the oil. Handing her the bowl of beaten eggs, he watched her pour them in the pan and stir them around the edges so they could cook quicker. She seemed to be getting the hang of it when he turned to Sebastian.
He’d cut up some of the leftover baked potatoes they’d had last night for dinner and had some onions on the same cutting board. Sliding them in another pan, he tossed them around until they were hot and browned. Keeping an eye on Monica, who was making the second pan full of eggs, he asked for and received four plates.
By the time they were ready to eat, she was making jokes about confidence, and his brothers were laughing with her. He was just glad they’d kept their mouths shut about the mess she’d first made.
“How is your link working? Have you figured out how to speak to all of us yet?” Sebastian looked at Khan when he spoke. “I still have trouble with Caitlynne at times; she tends to block when she’s stressed.”
“What link thing?” She took another bite of eggs and looked at him. “I would think that Caitlynne was good with computers.”
He laughed and reached to her mind. “He means speaking like this. We have our own line of private communication, and we’ll have one with all of them, my family, as well.”
He watched her face when she didn’t respond back to him. When she put down her fork and looked at Sebastian, he burst out laughing.
“She got me. Reed?”
He nodded too, grinning at her like she was a prize he’d just won at the fair. When she turned to Khan, he watched her face and knew she was trying. He connected with her again. “Follow it back to me. You should be able to send me thoughts anytime you want.” He was nearly ready to tell her not to try so hard when he was flooded with warmth and love. “That’s it, baby. Perfect. Can you speak to me?”
“I don’t know, it makes my head hurt. I can…I can speak to Walker too. He’s with the president and Marshall. He said to tell you he wants omelets tomorrow.” She grinned at him.
“Tell Walker he can make his own—” She cut him off verbally and for now he was fine with that. He was more concerned with her speaking to Walker.
“Not Walker, the president. He wants the omelets. Walker said he has his wife cook for him.”
Khan didn’t move. “You mean Walker told you the president wanted omelets. You mean he relayed the information to you.” She shook her head. “Monica, honey, you can’t talk to other species. Only panthers.”
“I don’t know what you mean. I’m talking to the president, and his aide, Marshall, said that you should believe him. Warren said he’s going to call you right now.”
Khan’s phone rang and he nearly had a heart attack. When he answered, he was surprised by the laughter.
“She most certainly talked to me, both of us. How the hell is she able to do that?” Khan told him he didn’t know. “Well I got to tell you, it’ll be damned helpful to me if I could borrow her for special occasions. Could help me work out a great many deals with others, if you know what I mean.”
Khan nodded. “I guess it would. I had no idea that anyone could do that.” Khan took her hand and realized how cold it was. He kissed it and smiled at her, but in truth, he was afraid for her. People would kill her for what she could do.
After ending the call with Warren, they all cleaned up the kitchen. Monica was quiet, but the boys more than made up for the lack of responses from her. He knew they had heard what had happened, but they’d not said anything. When they left the kitchen, thanking her for cooking for them, she sat down.