“He avoids it when possible.” Elliot stepped around me.
I spun to ask him where he was going, until I saw him grab my suitcase, and drop it to its wheels.
“I can apologize in the car, if you prefer,” Elliot said when he joined me again.
Did he mean… In the airport parking lot? Why did that make me hot? “I don’t. Not today, anyway.”
“My loss.” He shrugged, and gestured toward the exits. “Regardless, your chariot awaits.”
This was right and not at the same time. I walked with Elliot toward the garage, and heading to his familiar SUV was a new kind of anticipation. I was really here. And I had no idea what to do or say. He stuck my luggage in the back and closed the hatch.
When he faced me, he managed to box me against the side of the Bentley. Not that I minded.
“I’m going to be serious for a minute.” Elliot trailed his fingers lightly up my arm.
Even through my coat, the playful touch lit up my senses. I could tease him aboutare you sure you can handle that, but I needed to hear what he had to say.
He loosely cupped my neck, and held my gaze with his. “I really am sorry about what I said.” Sincerity bled from his words. “I’m glad you’re here, and I’ll do whatever it takes to not lose you again.” He dragged a thumb along my bottom lip.
Sparks flooded me. Whispers and shouts of need.
When he pressed his mouth to the corner of mine—our first kiss—the rest of the world vanished. He moved in with tiny nips along my lips, until he’d claimed them completely, and then he tightened his fingers in my hair. Somehow he managed to tug back and push me into him at the same time.
I could melt into this kind of security and control for eons. Nothing existed except Elliot’s hard body pressing into mine. His demanding tongue. His grip and taste and hypnotic grunts.
A horn echoed over concrete, and I jumped at the abrupt reminder of where we were. I was giggling as he pulled away. “Sorry.” I couldn’t stop.
“Not the way I thought that would end, but far better than I imagined it beginning.” He kissed me again, lightly this time. “And I’ve imagined doing that a lot.”
“Kissing me?”
“Of course.”
My face was probably hot enough to melt all the snow in the valley at this point. “I’m glad I’m here too.” So very happy. Maybe I didn’t quite know who I was, but it was going to be easier to figure it out with these two men in my life.
In fact, my future looked far less terrifying with Link and Elliot in it. I might even say enticing. Alluring. Incredible.
Maybe my taste in men wasn’t so bad after all.
35/
link
Ithought it was odd that Elliot was such a stickler about only working a few hours on his first day back, but I also understood that he was trying to follow the rules at least a little. What surprised me more was finding out my phone hadn’t buzzed all day, because someone had set it to silent. The text from Fallyn that saidThank youwas a little perplexing as well.
When I got back to my condo, Elliot’s SUV was in visitor parking. My day was full of surprises apparently, and that was one I didn’t mind. As I headed inside, I was looking forward to seeing him, and hoping Fallyn would take our call tonight.
The front door was already unlocked, no big surprise. “I didn’t know you were coming over,” I said as I pushed inside. My brain stalled when I saw Fallyn sitting on the couch, next to Elliot. “What are you…?”
Her answer didn’t matter. I was already crossing the room, pulling her to her feet, and lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck, and I held her tightly as I crushed my mouth to hers. She tasted so good it ached, and she felt incredible wrapped around me. I didn’t ever want to let her go.
“I thought you bought me a ticket to come visit,” she murmured against my kiss. “Turns out it wasn’t you.”
Gee, I wonder who it could’ve been. I set her on her feet, gave her another kiss, this time on the forehead, and looked at Elliot.
“Thank you,” I said to him.
“It wasn’t completely altruistic.”