He carefully places the frame back on the table, then grabs my waist and pulls me down on his lap, sweeping his hands through my hair. “Let me stay tonight. Sleep next toyou.”
Closing my eyes, I suck in a breath. I want to soak up every damn minute I can with this man, but every second only tightens the noose around my heart. Squeezing and choking. I’m right at the gallows’edge.
Furrowing my brow, I trail my fingertips over the stubble covering his jaw, then over his full bottom lip. “If this is just casual,” I whisper, “what are wedoing?”
His hazel eyes seem to search mine, deep and hard. “Living in themoment.”
I almost believe he’s just as lost in this as I am. And then his lips touch mine in such a feather-light caress. This is not the greedy and desperate kiss I’ve grown used to with him. This is different. This one tightens my chest and steals my breath. This is the kind that will break my heart if followed with the wordgoodbye.
“What is it about you?” he breathes against my mouth, conviction lacing hiswords.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing aboutyou.”
“Let me stay.” His palm glides over my cheek. “Please.”
I pause. I hesitate. I bite at my lip, tasting the remnants of our kiss. “Okay.”
Elijah loops one arm beneath my knees and swoops me up when he stands. “Where’s yourroom?”
I nod toward the hall. “First door on theleft.”
Our eyes lock. Turmoil twists inside me as he carries me toward the bedroom. I know better than this. I know better than him, but my heart evidently doesn’t care. I tell myself tonight will be the last night. Tomorrow I’ll wake up and tell them this has to end—whateverthisis.
With a kiss, he lays me on the bed. “All I want to do is kiss you tonight. And hold you.” He tugs his shirt over his head before crawling onto the mattress and caging me in with his arms. “That’s all I want.” His nose sweeps along my cheek. “Just to holdyou.”
If I allowed it to happen, I’d lose myself in this man. Actually, I fear I may havealready.…
_____
I sleptlike a rock last night, even though I was full ofworry.
Elijah lies sprawled out like a starfish. His dark brown hair messy and unkempt. The sight of him in my bed is one I wish I could get used to, because that means he’d always be here.Shit.I throw the covers off and get up, scolding myself on the way to the bathroom. I wash my hands and comb my fingers through my hair before padding down the hall toward thekitchen.
Maybe I’m being ridiculous, I think as I take the carton of eggs from thefridge.
I grab a skillet and turn the dial to the gas stove. The burner ticks followed by the whoosh of the flame. I feel like a woman gone mad. I can’t make up my mind about what to do, and really, there’s not much to decide. I crack the egg, watching the yolk sizzle and pop in the skillet. Maybe I should just embrace these last few days and let him leave. It wouldn’t be the first time a man that meant the world to me had walkedaway.
It won’t be the last; I’msure.
Perhaps that’s why I’m so hell-bent on ending this before he takes off. I don’t want Elijah to be another man that left. I need him to be different. I want to look at the stars and truly believe that one man I wasenough.
I finish cooking breakfast, accepting the fact that I’m actually mentally fucked up. Elijah steps into the kitchen with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair damp from a shower just as I place the plates on the counter. There’s a deep crease in his brow, like something’s pressing on his mind. For a fleeting moment, I allow myself to imagine that he doesn’t go to London, that he changes his mind. But even he couldn’t fulfill a fantasy as reckless asthat.
I go to step around him and grab the forks, but he stops me. Blowing a hard breath through his nose, his face softens, and he sweeps his hand over my cheek. “There’s a party tonight, and I’d like you to go to withme.”
An uneasy feeling settles in my stomach. That’s right. He’s not just my fantasy, he’s every other woman’s. And we made a bet that by the time this party rolled around, I’d be begging for him to “free” me. I guess, deep down, I wanted to believe that his being a fantasy fulfiller was all talk, the same as me pretending I wouldn’t fall for him evidentlywas.
I brush an imaginary piece of lint from my shoulder. “I’ve got plans with Steph tonight.” And if Maury were here right now, his lie detector test would determine: That is alie.
“Cancelthem.”
“No.” I don’t want to see him with other women. I don’t want any ofthat.
His jaw ticks and his eyes flash. “I’m a businessman, Demi. No is not in myvocabulary.”
“Then I suggest you add it,” I say before flipping my hair behind my shoulder and moving away from hishold.
“Ineedyou to go to this party withme.”
