I want to ask him more, but it’s none of my business and I get the feeling he doesn’t want to elaborate.
“What about you? Tell me about your family,” he asks, looking at me.
“Yes. Mom and I are very close.” I pause to take a bite of my sandwich. “She’s a nurse and works most evenings and Dad is in the army and is away so much that I’m left alone a lot of the time to fend for myself.”
“I thought you lived alone?” he looks confused, and my heart starts pounding.
“No, Mom likes the company so I moved back in with her,” I quickly say, fumbling over my words. He nods, accepting my explanation, my but heart is still racing.
That’s the thing about lying: you need to remember what you’ve said.
“Don’t you miss the freedom of living alone?” he asks curiously.
I shrug. “I practically do—Mom and my schedules are so different, I feel like I barely get to see her. I’m used to being independent and doing my own thing and I don’t mind it. I hated it when I was younger. Being an only child meant that most of my time was spent with the nanny rather than either of my parents. But now that I’m older, I enjoy the freedom it gives me.”
We spend a good part of the next hour kissing and exploring each other. Unfortunately, Eli has made literally no attempt to take it further than that. Frustrated, I confront him.
“Are you trying to be a gentleman or do you not find me attractive?” I growl. Okay, that came out slightly more aggressive than I intended.
He laughs and pulls me closer to him. “I’m holding back because I know the minute I touch you intimately, I won’t be able to stop.” He pauses, his eyes not leaving mine as his fingers brush over my breasts. “I never lose control, but if anything’s going to make me do it, it’s you.”
I sigh and kiss him. How can I argue with that?
“Come back to my hotel with me tonight?” he whispers, his hands cradling my neck.
“I’d love that,” I grin.
Thank god Mom is working a night shift.
***
“The Hilton?” I observe as he drives into the valet. “Classy.”
He laughs. “Not so much classy, more the most convenient hotel.”
“Why are you staying in a hotel?” I ask him, confused. Why wouldn’t he stay with his dad? How bad can their issues be if he’d come home to help out while he’s sick?
“Until I’ve figured out what I’m doing here and how long I’ll be here for, I don’t want to lock myself into an apartment. And I don’t want to stay with Dad because my sisters are there.” He pauses before adding, “And I don’t trust myself not to start an argument. Seeing him at work all the time will be hard enough.”
I nod. That makes sense.
We take the elevator up to his room and walk inside. Neither of us can be bothered showering, so we decide to order room service. I have a few ‘what the hell am I doing’ moments, including one that has me searching the room for hidden cameras, on the off chance that he is a psychopath who just wants to sleep with me and put it on the internet.
“Help yourself to a drink,” he offers. “I know you’re not legal, but there is wine in the fridge.” I know his comment is a tease about my not being old enough to drink, but it hits a nerve.
What is he going to think when he finds out my age?
Is it even legal for me to sleep with him? Not something I want to Google with him in the room, but curiosity gets the better of me and I pull out my phone and do just that.
Seventeen. Thank Christ.
God, I need that drink. I pour two glasses of wine and take a big mouthful of mine. He chuckles and leads me to the sofa, turning on the television. I set my handbag down beside me and try unsuccessfully to relax.
“We can watch a movie…or something…” He raises his eyebrows.
I blush, knowing exactly what that ‘something’ is.
There’s a knock at the door, and while Eli sorts out our dinner I send Mom a text letting her know that I’m staying at a friend’s house overnight and I’ll be back early in the morning to get ready for school. I’m becoming good at this whole lying jig.
Maybe I should go into real estate after college.
After dinner we settle on the couch to watch the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie. Eli lies along the whole length of the couch and I in front of him with my back to his front. It’s hard to watch the movie with his hand roaming up and down my arm. Not that I care about Johnny Depp; I’d take Eli any day of the week.
An hour into the movie, his hand is hiked up my dress and he’s tickling my stomach. I sigh as his fingers slide over my soft skin. I can feel his excitement digging into me and I press back against him, hoping he’ll go further.