Forsaken (The Protectors 4)

Eli let out a sigh of relief. “That’s Jack and my mom’s house. That’s good, right?”

I nodded absent mindedly as my mind worked. The kid’s voice in the message hadn’t just been upset – he’d been terrified. “You have a picture of Caleb on your phone?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Eli said, “Um yeah.” He got his phone back out and scrolled through it until he found what he was looking for. When he handed me the phone, I scanned the family picture in which Eli was conspicuously absent. My gaze settled on the younger of the two boys. He looked like the all-American boy next door with streaky, styled blond hair and bright blue eyes, but something about his wide smile wasn’t quite right. I glanced at the older boy who looked a lot like his brother. But unlike Caleb, Nick was doing nothing to hide his disdain. For what, I wasn’t sure.

I sent the picture to myself and then went a step further and programmed my number into Eli’s phone. I left it on the contact screen when I handed it back to him and when he saw my name, he sent me a slight smile that made my insides jump.

“I’ll have someone check this out,” I murmured as I motioned to the picture on my phone.

Eli nodded. “Thank you.”

We both fell silent for a moment and when I finally got up the nerve to tell him it was time for him to go, Eli shifted so he was sitting on the edge of the couch and said, “Mav, do you think we could try dinner again sometime?”

The hopeful tone in his voice had me cursing myself. “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea,” I hedged, hoping he’d get the hint.

He didn’t.

Eli’s face fell and he started twisting his hands around the water bottle he had yet to even open. “Is it because of what I said?” I flinched when Eli’s pretty brown eyes held mine. “Because I didn’t mean it. I do…I do want you.”

Fuck. We were exactly where I’d been afraid we’d end up after I’d kissed him the first time. I dropped my hands and ran my fingers through my hair. I hadn’t even noticed how loose it had gotten from the rubber band I used to tie it back. I pulled the band free and dropped it on the table. “We want different things, Eli,” I finally said, hoping it would be enough to get my message across.

Eli bobbed his head slightly as he got what I was saying and I felt like a complete shit.

“You only want to fuck me,” he whispered.

I waited for the many reactions I deserved. Outrage, hurt, disappointment. But Eli didn’t say anything as he got up and carefully put the water bottle down on table. Except he didn’t leave.

“If that was all you wanted, why didn’t you do it when you had the chance?” Eli asked and I held my breath as he moved until he was standing in front of me.

Over me.

“On the table,” he murmured as he placed his knee on the cushion between my slightly splayed legs. I was forced to lean my head back as he put his hands on either side of my head to brace himself. “I wanted you to,” he said huskily as he lowered his body until he was straddling my groin and his mouth was just inches from mine.

“Wanted me to what?” I asked stupidly as I struggled to keep track of the conversation.

“Fuck me,” Eli breathed against my mouth. “It never felt so good before.”

“What didn’t?”

“Having someone touch me like that. Like all you cared about was making me feel good.”

I let my hands slide up Eli’s jean-covered thighs and felt him tremble in response. But his lips stayed where they were and as much as I wanted to lift my mouth to meet his, I was desperate to hear what he had to say next.

“Can I touch you like that, Mav?”

Fuck, I wasn’t going to survive this. Even now it felt like the impression of the zipper of my pants would be permanently imprinted on my dick.

I think I managed a nod, but I wasn’t actually sure until Eli let go of the chair with one of his hands and skimmed his fingers over my lips. He teased my flesh for several seconds before trailing his hand down my chin and along my throat. He let the pad of his finger press against my pulse and another smile drifted across his mouth. “Your heart’s racing.”

If he only knew. My entire body felt like it was on fucking fire.

Eli’s hand eventually left my throat and I both saw and felt him thread his fingers through my long hair. I nearly came on the spot when he grabbed my hair and twisted his hand enough so my hair was wrapped around it twice. The idea of him doing the same thing to me while he was fucking me had me bucking my hips up against him and I had no doubt he knew my train of thought because, just like that, his eyes glazed over with lust.