"Hey," I said, giving him a smile.
"You look beautiful," he told me as soon as my eyes found his, making my belly do an altogether too delicious flip-flop.
"Thank you. You--"
"Look like her ride later. We get it," Peyton said from behind her book. "You are both sexy beasts who will be doing it soon. Coop can not stand Mommy and Daddy being all gross in front of him," she informed us, making us both smile before Eli leaned in to give me a quick kiss.
"We should get going," he agreed, reaching down to take my hand, and lead me to the door.
All I could think for the drive two towns over was God I hope I don't screw this up. Please don't let me screw this up.
Eli pulled up and led me into an upscale sushi restaurant I had heard amazing things about, but couldn't quite bring myself to go to since I could get decent enough rolls closer to home for a third the price.
There was a bit of awkwardness as I tried to relax, tried to be in the moment and enjoy a date I had been so looking forward to. By the time I had a glass of wine in my hand, though, things had seemed to fall into an easy rhythm, talking about the restaurant, then others, then just life and futures and hopes and all that.
And he wasn't post-prison-Eli. He was just Eli - sweet, open, joking, easy with a smile, interesting.
The guards, for those two hours, were completely gone.
And as we got in his car and drove back to my place, there was no way to stop the swirling discomfort in my stomach, the way my body was tense.
"Autumn," Eli said as we stopped outside my door so I could fish out my key, his hand at my lower back. When I looked up, his brows were drawn together. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing, I just can't find... there they are," I said, ducking my head so he couldn't see my face. I wasn't a good liar and I knew it.
"Sweetheart," he tried again just as I got the door unlocked, and pushed inside.
Peyton, having anticipated us coming home, had taken off to bed with Coop, leaving the apartment quiet except the hum of her music on.
"Autumn," he tried again, voice a little more firm thanks to my attempts to ignore him.
And, well, I couldn't keep doing that.
So, it was time for the relaxing part of the evening.
"I have something I want to show you," I told him as he closed and locked the door.
"Oh yeah?" he asked, watching me like puzzle pieces that were the last two in a giant piece, but somehow still didn't fit together.
"Mhmm," I murmured, not having to fake the heaviness in my eyelids because, well, the idea of having his hands on me was already making my panties stick to me in desire.
I reached for the side zipper, pulling it all the way down before standing straight again, then letting the material drop.
There was a quiet slam as Eli leaned back on the closed door with a groan.
My smile went wicked as he raked his eyes over me.
Once his eyes were on my face again, I turned slowly, looking over my shoulder, wanting to gauge his reaction to the panties.
"Trying to fucking kill me over here, woman," he said, shaking his head.
He pushed off the door, moving toward me, and sliding his hands up my belly to cup my breasts, pressing his hard cock into my ass.
"That was the plan," I agreed, grinding my ass against him, wondering how long it would be before he claimed that as well.
"Bedroom," he growled.
With a smile - and a shiver of anticipation - I reached for his hand, and pulled him with me to the hall, opening my bedroom door, and flicking on the light.
I still hadn't finished renovating it. But I did have the gray wood floors laid to match the dove gray walls. The bed was my old white metal bar Victorian-looking one that I wanted to replace with a charcoal gray tufted one I had sitting on an idea board for the better part of three months. Soon. I was close to getting it. The bedspread was a simple, clean white one that cost a small fortune and was a pain in the ass to keep clean, but was a favorite of mine.
Eli looked around for a second, but moved toward the side of the bed, kicking out of his shoes, then sitting off the side of it. "Come here," he demanded, holding an arm out.
And when you were naked, wet, and ready, and a hot man 'come hither'd' you, you hithered, damnit.
But if he had plans to torture me, he was mistaken. As soon as I got between his spread legs, I lowered myself down onto my knees, looking up at him with my heavy eyes as I reached to free the buttons of his shirt.