“You didn’t! Oh my god, that is fucking hilarious,” she gasps between fits of laughter. “You’re such a dork.”
“Yeah, laugh it up,” I say gritting my teeth. My eyes widen as I remember what else I’d said. “Alice! I even told him how wet he had me!” I cover my face with my hand, absolutely mortified. I’m so embarrassed I can’t even think straight. “I gotta go.” I hang up and toss the phone on the bed.
What am I going to do? Standing up, I pace the room again, glancing intermittently back at my phone. I feel nauseous. I can’t possibly see him ever again. That’s it. Our friendship is over. How am I supposed to face him after that?
A message pings on my phone and I launch onto the bed to grab it, my hands shaking. I want to read it, but at the same time, the thought of his response makes me want to hurl.
Eli: I’m assuming that text wasn’t for me? I won’t lie though. I loved reading it. Maybe you better change those panties, huh?
I crawl into my bed and turn my phone off. I don’t trust myself to text anyone else after what just happened. That’s what I get for texting while tired. There should be a warning about that, like drunk texting, or texting while driving.
Texting while delirious from lack of sleep may lead to extremely embarrassing consequences.
Chapter Four
I’m in the middle of moving some boxes from the garage to the living room when my phone rings. I squeal and do a little dance before answering Eli’s call.
“Hey,” I say in my coolest voice. After the ‘incident’ my aim is to get through one day without making an idiot out of myself.
“Morning, Jill. How did you sleep?”
“Good, thank you.” I say briskly. “After the text incident, I was out like a light.”
“Ah, it’s an incident now, is it?” he chuckles. “Well, would it help if you knew that I was awake all night thinking about you?”
I smile and do a little dance around the room again. Hell yes, that helps!
Jesus, calm the fuck down.
“So, what are your plans for today?” he asks.
“Nothing, apart from unpacking some of my things. Why?” I ask.
“You’re still unpacking?” he laughs. “You’ve been in your new place for weeks.”
“So? I’m a slow un-packer,” I respond defensively. Or lazy.
“Would you like to accompany this gorgeous, funny, sexy-as-fuck guy on a little road trip this morning?”
“Ooh, he sounds great. Where will I find him?” I tease.
He laughs. “Funny. Guess I deserve that.”
“Yeah, you do.” I pause and smile. “But it does sound good.”
“Great—what’s your address, and I’ll swing by in about an hour.”
“Pick me up on the corner of North and Peake Road.”
I could have given him my address but I didn’t want to risk the chance of him meeting Mom, even though she’ll be asleep from her late shift last night. God knows she’ll ask how old he is and then ask him what he’s doing with someone eight years his junior.
We meet around the corner from my parents’ house at the address I gave him. I smile and climb in the passenger side, buckling up my seatbelt. His car smells like him: sweet and musky. I glance at him and blush, that message fleeting through my thoughts. Am I ever going to live that down? Probably not.
“Hey,” he smiles.
My heart pounds as I take in those sexy dimples and his lopsided grin. Oh my god, so hot…
“Hey,” I repeat.
He leans over and presses his lips against mine and I feel like I’m about to explode with emotion. This guy is incredible.
“Since I know how wet my kisses make you,” he chuckles.
He ducks as I reach out to whack him, my face red. I take it back: he’s an ass. A cute ass…
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” He holds his hand up in surrender, but the gleam in his eyes tells me he’s not done. “Can I just say by the end of today I’m going to have you so wet. I mean that, Jill,” he says earnestly.
I glower at him and stick my tongue out.
Fucking cocky bastard.
***
Eli drives forty-five minutes out of Denver and we arrive at a National Park. As I notice him taking a picnic basket and blanket out of the trunk, I see the sign giving away the waterfall. Now I get the ‘making me wet’ reference. My heart swoons.
Who’d have thought he could be so romantic?
This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me—not that it was hard to top the runner up: ten-year-old Tommy Lomal taking me to the beach and then managing to run away with my bikini top.
The half-mile hike down the path is so peaceful. I breathe in the fresh air as we walk side by side, not saying a word. It’s not awkward at all. He holds my hand as we take in nature as it was intended to be.