That made me pause and take it in. She had paid that close of attention to me that night she remembered what I ate? How did I process that? Was it simply because she was sizing me up back then being her brother’s fiancée’s best friend and a male? Or was it because she wanted to look at me?
“Don’t go thinking into that so much,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “I people watch.”
I smirked then. If she felt the need to cover for the fact she remembered a small detail like that about me, then she’d been studying me for more than just people watching.
“Then tell me what someone else ate that night,” I challenged. “If you were people watching, I couldn’t have been the only one you watched.”
The pink that instantly colored her cheeks said more than anything else she could say at this point. Was it possible the Eli I was before the shit I’d lived through changed me had been attractive to Ophelia? Could it be something about me other than my appearance and hardening that drew her to me?
Motherfucker. It was pulling me. That invisible string that was slowly thickening into a more solid structure. Making her more important. More required. More wanted by me than was safe. For either of us.
“Fine,” she said, regaining her air of confidence she held so well. “I was watching only you. I was intrigued.”
I felt like she was going to say more but didn’t. I wanted to push, but I refrained. She’d admitted enough. Her flushed cheeks told me she felt vulnerable about me knowing it. I didn’t want her to regret opening up to me that way.
I walked toward her and only stopped when we were an inch apart. “You were impossible not to watch. Every single man in the room was looking at you. The ribs you ate not giving one shit that your dress was white or that the sauce was on your face while you enjoyed them was fucking sexy.” I had many memories of her. Admitting them all would be a mistake. But this I would give her so that she felt as if we were on equal footing.
The wide-eyed reaction I got from my admitting my memory as she stared up at me with surprise was so damn adorable, I lowered my head and kissed her. The more I gave her of myself, the more I knew I’d regret. Where Ophelia was sunlight and positivity, I was darkness and pain. This feeling she gave me couldn’t last forever. My demons would eventually be stronger as I grew accustomed to her. Time would expose how unsuitable I was for someone like her.
If only the man I’d been before I left had known she was looking. Would it have made me stay? I had never regretted leaving until now. Her hands ran up my arms as she kissed me back just as passionately. If I didn’t step back, she’d end up hungry still and back at work. My desire to be inside her couldn’t be the only thing I focused on.
I ended the kiss, stepped back from her and nodded toward the door behind her. “We need to feed you.”
She gave a soft laugh then. “Probably should get out of this loft before I forget I’m hungry.”
“Lead the way,” I replied in agreement, staying alone with her one more second was going to be too much. If we were going to eat, we needed to escape before the passion beating hot just under the surface broke free again.
“I have more fruit and I think some peanut butter. I could eat here,” she said without moving.
That was fucking tempting. “Go, now, before I change my mind. You need more than that to eat.”
I saw the indecision in her eyes.
“Sweet Jesus you’re gonna kill me, GO,” I said the last as a demand.
The saucy grin she flashed me before turning and walking back out the door eased the sexual tension enough to make me chuckle.
JUNE 15 / 5:37 PM
Ophelia Finlay
I HAD EXPECTED the Saturday afternoon traffic to be worse than it was along the coast. My drive from Rosemary Beach to Sea Breeze had only taken two hours exactly. Once the dance camp ended today, I’d already had my bags in the car to come this way.
Eli had left to come back here Thursday after we had gone to lunch. While eating, he got a call from his dad about his grandmother not doing well after her chemo treatment that morning. Eli had felt like he should go back and check on her.
Watching him drive away had been hard, but the reason why made me love him more. He hadn’t even gotten back to Sea Breeze when he texted me that he’d be back this weekend if all was well. I’d immediately told him that after work today I’d come to him.