I’m not ready to leave Laucala Island. I’m not ready to leave him.
I catch Elijah’s eyes as we clink our glasses together and I see the same sort of pain ricocheting across his face as well. Today really has been an emotional roller coaster, and now I’m on a downwards spiral all over again. This is not good.
“Come on everyone, lighten up,” Olivia chuckles, carefree and excited. There doesn’t seem to be any worry on her face that she’s about to leave Benji behind too. She must be much more emotionally stable than I am. “We’ve had a good time, haven’t we?”
We have, even though I was supposed to get a lot more work done. Not that I’m going to worry about that any longer. I will catch up when I get home. I’m pretty sure I’m going to need a distraction anyway so I don’t lie around worried about Elijah and what we could have been, and what he might be up to now.
“I’m going to order us some more drinks,” Benji declares, just as happy as Olivia. “Does everyone want another cocktail? I think we all need some cocktails.”
All of a sudden, I can hardly hear Benji. Elijah’s foot has started to trail along mine, turning my sadness into a deep thrill all over again. This is wrong, so wrong. Footsie shouldn’t even happen when we’re around Olivia, we really need to keep the hell away from one another, but I can sense Elijah needing to connect with me. The reality is something that neither of us wants. I can’t help bolting up a little straighter as I play right back.
“Thanks, Benji!” Olivia calls back as he heads to the bar. She doesn’t seem to be able to notice that anything is going on between me and Elijah.
“Isn’t he great? He has been so much fun. A great way to forget about everything else, honestly.”
See? She really does have it all together. She’s nothing like the mess I’m becoming. If Olivia can handle a holiday fling when she’s in the middle of Leon based heartbreak, then I should be able to handle this as well.
No matter how far things go with us…
“You know, once we’re done here, we should definitely check out that nightclub.”
Huh?I stare at my friend. I didn’t know we were planning on a night out dancing. Actually, I kinda like that idea, but only if Elijah comes along too. I don’t want a repeat of the beach rave where I was the third wheel. I would rather head home with Elijah. But actually, he’s looking like this is something he wants to do as well.
Okay so I guess once we’ve finished up here, we’re going clubbing.
“Aww, look at Benji,” Olivia coos delightedly. “He has got us all ice cream as well. I was just going to say that I want some dessert. He knows me so well.”
I narrow my eyes at my friend, trying to check that she really is okay. I’m a little panicked that while she seems fine now, she might not be when we get home. Although since she’s still staying with me, I will be able to help her recover if I need to.
The same can’t be said for the other way around because she can’t know anything about my sordid love life.
It’ll kill her and our friendship if she ever finds out.
But anyway I don’t want to think about being at home right now. I don’t want to think about anything, I just want to eat my ice cream, drink my cocktail, and head out dancing. That sounds much more fun than thinking about heartache and what will happen next…
* * *
Okay, this is actually quite intense. More than I thought it was going to be. For a private island, the nightclub is packed with hordes of people. Sweaty happy people writhing and grinding on the dance floor, with the smell of booze flooding the room.
But I don’t feel as anxious about this as maybe I should, because I’m clinging to Elijah’s hand and he weaves me through the crowd. Olivia can’t see us right now, but even if she caught the hand holding we could play it off as innocent. We just don’t want to lose one another, that’s all. I have been through a lot today, and the whole time that we’ve been on the island actually, so I don’t want to be left by myself…
Yeah, the excuse is perfect. We don’t need to worry about a thing.
I think it must be Benji that sorts out the drinks for us because I don’t get anywhere near the bar. The drinks are much more sour here, not really for me. As soon as I find a flat surface to rest it on, I leave it behind. I don’t really need the booze anyway, I’m high on the fact that I have been holding on to Elijah for a while now, and before that there was the under the table teasing. This night has been leading somewhere all evening long, and I have a feeling that I won’t be able to hold myself back for too long…
“Come on, let’s go dance,” Elijah growls right into my ear. “Looks like fun, right?”
Really? I don’t express my concerns aloud because it isn’t like Olivia is looking our way. Her tongue is deep in Benji’s throat. She’s all consumed by him. Elijah has started to drag me along with him anyway, so I guess I’m heading to the dance floor…
A hot and sweaty air surrounds us as we get ourselves right into the middle of the dance floor, finding a secret little spot for us to hide away in. Even though we couldn’t be more surrounded if we tried, it kinda feels like there isn’t anyone else in the whole world. Especially when Elijah locks his eyes on me and starts moving in time with the music.
We don’t have any choice but to dance up close, even if I didn’t want to feel his body pressed up against mine, I wouldn’t have any choice in the matter. Luckily, it’s all I want and I lean in closer to him, pressing myself up against him as I throw my hands in the air and shake my hips too. I grind myself against him, growing bolder with every passing moment. My heart thunders against my rib cage as I rise up onto my tiptoes and edge my lips closer to him.
I won't let them touch though; I can’t take things that far.
It doesn’t seem to matter. The near kiss is more than enough. The feel of my breath all over his face electrifies him just as much as it does me. I spin around and start grinding my ass into him, giving in to the urge to rile him up as much as I possibly can.
Elijah grabs my hips possessively and yanks me back to him. Now I’m just another sweaty writing person on the dance floor, but I am on fire. I feel like a fucking sex goddess who can’t get enough. The butterflies at my core have increased to the size of birds. I want him so badly. How the fuck am I supposed to keep my hands to myself when he’s turning me on this bad? I bite down on my bottom lip, trying my hardest to control myself, but Elijah’s chosen a different path. He grabs a fistful of my hair and tugs me closer to him.