Without hesitation, I fist his sweatshirt and pull him toward me until our mouths collide.
He tilts my head back as he deepens the kiss. My arms wrap around his shoulders, and he quickly slides his hands down until he grabs my ass and lifts me off my feet. My legs go around his waist as he sets me on the island counter and settles between my thighs.
The last time we had a heated moment was on the couch, and the damn doorbell rang, interrupting what I had hoped would turn into more, but knowing he doesn’t have a condom has me wondering how far we’ll go.
“I still don’t—”
“I know,” I say, breathing heavily. “It doesn’t matter. I want you.”
Eli releases a deep moan, moving his mouth lower to my neck. “I agree, but not yet.”
My arms drop to my sides, and I groan in frustration. “We’ve waited long enough,” I argue. “If you add in all the years we pined over each other, it’s overdue at this point.”
He pulls back slightly with a mischievous grin. “When I imagined being inside you for the first time, it’s not like this. Not when I’ve been sweating and chopping wood all morning. I want to wine and dine you first.”
“Seriously? You’re worried about that?”
“It should be romantic,” he states. “And I’ll try my best, considering…”
“Okay, so how much time do you need? I can be shaved and showered in an hour.”
He snickers, shaking his head. “Gimme a few days.”
My eyes widen in horror. “Days?”
“Anything worth having is worth waiting for.”
“Don’t get poetic on me.”
He leans in and softly brushes his lips against mine. “You’re even more adorable when you’re sexually frustrated.”
“Imagine when I’m sexually satisfied,” I counter.
His whole body shakes with laughter. “The longer we wait, the better it’ll be. I promise.”
“I’m willing to prove that theory wrong.”
“Don’t challenge me, Cami. Resisting you is something I’ve perfected over the years. You’re at level one while I’m at level fifty. You really wanna play this game?”
“Sure, let’s gamble,” I say confidently. “You have to resist me while I seduce the shit out of you. If you crack, and we end up in bed together, I win.”
“Technically, if I give in, we both win.”
I bite my lip, grinning. “But I’ll have bragging rights for life.”
Chapter Fourteen
ELIJAH
I’m either a genius or the biggest fucking idiot in the world for telling Cami I wanted to wait a little while longer.
Now, it’s a game to her. She wants me as badly as I want her, and she’s ready to do whatever it takes to make me crack.
As much as I want to give in to what I’ve fantasized about since we were teenagers, I’m determined to resist her.
Cami saunters around the kitchen and prepares her smoothie. I watch carefully as she puts fruit, yogurt, and milk into a blender, and when she looks over her shoulder and winks, I know it’s game on. She’s not gonna make this easy, no matter what I do or say.
I help clean up the counters and wipe everything down while she pours her drink into a glass. Walking into the kitchen to find her cooking for me was a nice surprise, but I actually enjoy making her food. It’s the one thing I can offer that isn’t about money or status.
“You have a lot of schoolwork to do today?” I ask casually with her back to me.
“Nope. Planned to take the day off, but now it looks like I’ll have nothing to do.” She shrugs, then takes a sip of her drink. “Any ideas what I could do?”
Fuck, she’s cute when she wants something. Who knew someday it’d be me?
Walking up behind her, I wrap my arms around her waist and bury my head in the crook of her neck. She instantly freezes at my touch, then melts her body against mine. “You could relax for a change and watch a movie with me,” I whisper. “Cuddle, you know, that sorta thing.”
“Cuddle? You cuddle, huh?” She turns and faces me, and I quickly give her a peck. She sinks into me, but I stop it before things get too heated. I’m determined to keep the willpower I’ve controlled around her for years.
“I’m a great cuddler. You should see for yourself,” I offer with a smirk. “I’ll start the fire, and we can watch something together.”
“Is this your way of forcing me into another weird as fuck train wreck about gay throples and tigers?”
I push back slightly until I’m leaning against the opposite corner. “Nope. I’ll even let you pick. Lady’s choice.”
She gives me a skeptical look, sliding her straw between her plump lips, then eyes me curiously. “Anything?”
I wave out a hand. “Anything.”
She ponders and then her mouth sweeps up into an evil grin. “Alright, deal. Bring the vodka and meet me in the living room.”