Chapter Fourteen
She heard the door close with a thunderous thump but knew it was probably just a click. When she turned to Eli, her eyes widened as he stalked toward her.
She took a step back and then another one until her back hit a wall. She held her hands out. “Wait, Eli, you’re not mad at me, are you?”
He bit his lip and nodded. “Yeah, maybe just a bit.”
“But why?”
“You know why.”
Her breath snagged in her chest when he stopped inches from her and set his hands on the wall on either side of her head.
“No, I … I don’t. We barely know each other.”
“Oh, I think we’ve moved past the just meeting stage, don’t you? For God’s sake, I’ve seen you naked and bathed you, held you when you cried, and saved you from a horrible situation. We’ve also had several meals together, gone shopping for hours, and we live together in the office.”
Hell, when he said it like that, it made her feel stupid.
“We agreed that we are in a relationship. Correct?”
She sighed and nodded. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean I should take advantage of you.”
“What else did we agree to, baby. Do you remember?”
The thick authority in his tone made her body tighten as a wave of arousal sailed through her, making her cream her panties and her breasts ache.
“I … we said that you were the boss.”
He nodded, smiled, and then nuzzled her neck. “That’s right, baby. What else?”
Her eyelids slid closed, and she tilted her head to the side. Oh, God, that felt good.
“Kinley, answer me.”
“Oh, um, let me think.” Hell, how did he expect her to talk with him nipping and sucking on her neck? “You said that you’re the boss?”
He chuckled. “Yes, that was part of our discussion.”
Her hands went to his torso. She got distracted by the hard, hot muscular chest under her fingertips.
Eli sighed and placed his hand over hers as they slid across his chest. It felt too damn good, and his control was already wavering.
“Kinley, you gave me the power to protect you, and by that, I get to make decisions for you. Remember?”
She tried to concentrate, but her senses were fixed on his masculine scent and the feel of his body heat seeping into every pore on her body. “Um … I think so.”
He chuckled. “I remember it because I was so elated that I finally have you. You’re not going to take that away from me, are you?”
Her eyes widened. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint him. “No, I want to make you happy.”
“You make me happy. I want … no, I need to have you with me, or I don’t feel whole if I can’t see you.”
“But we hardly know each other.”
“Don’t think about the hours since we met and think about what we’ve done in that time. We’ve had numerous meals, set up our office, been through an emotional wringer, and kissed several times.”
The way he said it made it sound like they’d been together for weeks.
“I see what you’re trying to say. What do you want me to do?”
“First off, if you need something, come to me. I know this will be hard for you, but just remember it will make me happy.”
“Okay, I’ll try.”
“Now, the next thing is probably going to freak you out, but I don’t see any other way.”
She swallowed. “For what?”
“I want you to move in with me.”
The shock made her speechless for a moment. “Oh, I don’t know.”
He took a step back and gripped her shoulders. “I won’t allow you to have an apartment by yourself.”
“Why?”
“Tell me this, have you ever lived alone?”
“Well, no, but—”