“So are you,” I whisper, and he half-smiles.
He releases me and slips into a new pair of boxers, and I pick up my wadded-up thong, wishing for a change of clothes.
I sigh. “I really don’t feel like putting these back on. Or getting back into that dress. Do you have anything I can wear?”
He thinks about it for a moment, then opens his bottom dresser drawer, pulling out a blue cotton T-shirt from the back.
“Here,” he says, handing it to me. “This is too small for me, but you’ll probably swim in it.”
I pull the shirt over my head, and it drapes just a few inches past my derriere. I peer down at the shirt and notice our school mascot presented boldly on the front, then look up at him.
“Very appropriate,” I say dryly.
“Go Wildcats,” he says with a smirk. “Do you need some shorts or something? Because honestly, I’d rather you just wear that, if you’re comfortable,” he says, stepping into a pair of jeans.
“Whatever you say, Mr. Slate.”
He gives me a reprimanding look before leading me out to the kitchen. When he notices I’m cold, he grabs the blanket from the couch, wrapping me in it before pulling out a chair for me. We sit at the kitchen island, devouring the cold, yet delicious, takeout. I swear, no food has ever tasted so good. My phone rings, and I glance at the screen, realizing it’s pretty late. I press my finger up to my lips to warn Elijah before answering.
“Hi, Mom,” I say with my mouth full.
“Hi sweetheart, what are you doing?”
“Just eating a late dinner,” I say, keeping my voice casual.
“Okay,” she says. “I just wanted to know where you were and when you plan on coming home. Are you still with Elijah?”
“Um, yeah, but he’s about to take me to Emily’s house. I felt bad for ditching her tonight, and we were supposed to have a sleepover. If that’s okay with you.”
I peek at Elijah, and he winks at me.
“That sounds great. Do you need me to bring you a bag of clothes or anything?”
“No!” I say, panicked. She’s really going above and beyond to repair our relationship lately. “Uh, no, don’t worry about it. Emily will have clothes for me.”
“Okay honey, have fun tonight. I’m so proud of you. And you’ll have to tell me how your date went when you get home tomorrow.” A shadow of guilt drapes over me, but as I look over at the sexy man next to me, I realize some lies are worth it.
“Thanks, Mom, I will,” I say.
“And don’t forget we need to discuss him more—our conversation isn’t finished, Kay. I’m serious about that.”
“I know, Mom, we will. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I hang up the phone and Elijah’s mouth is on mine, tasting of sweet and sour sauce.
“I can make a space for you in my closet if you’d like,” he offers. “You know, in case of . . .” He pauses.
“In case of sexual emergencies such as this one?” I say, grinning.
He laughs. “Something like that.”
His gesture warms my heart. Part of me is scared about moving too fast, but it would only be for convenience, right? Anything to help me get away with spending the night at a moment’s notice is good with me, I decide.
After we finish our meal and put away the leftovers, I stroll over to the couch, but he pulls my arm back. “I don’t feel like sitting out here.”
“Okay,” I say, confused. “Where do you want to be?”
He pulls the blanket off me, tossing it on the couch, and nods toward the bedroom.
Well, I’m not going to argue with that.
He has me lead the way down the hall and back to his room, and I climb on top of his big comfy bed—no doubt flashing him in my revealing attire. I let out a scream as he jumps toward me, tackling me onto the mattress. I giggle as he turns and grabs me, pulling me on top of him. I sit up straight, straddling his hips.
“This just might be the best outfit I’ve ever seen you in,” he says, grinning, sliding his hands up my thighs.
“Seriously?” I say, pressing my hands to my hips. “I go to great lengths to look sexy for you, and this is what you like?”
“I like it all, baby, but this is so damn sexy,” he says with bated breath.
I catch his tone and slip the shirt over my head. “What about this?”
His grin fades, and he bites his lip as he reaches out for me, cupping my breasts. He sits up, sweeping his warm, dexterous mouth against my chest, and my blood boils. I lower my lips to his, kissing him hard. He grabs a fistful of my hair, and I push him down onto the bed. He groans in surprise as I claw at his jeans, pulling them down with aggression, along with his boxers. I lean forward, kissing him with urgency, and he gasps as I take hold of him, easing him into me. I clench my teeth through the brief shot of pain, then settle onto him. He clutches onto my hips, guiding me, teaching me, and I soon find a tempo that makes us both quiver.
We continue to explore each other into the early hours of the morning, until our bodies eventually force us to rest. I fall asleep with my head on his chest, listening to the steady beats of his heart, feeling entirely content for the first time in my life.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
I SLIDE MY HAND ACROSS the mattress, only to find an empty space beside me. I stretch my arm farther across the bed, feeling nothing but soft, smooth sheets, and I crack open my eyes.
I’m alone.
I lift my head and notice light shining from the bathroom, and I reach for my phone, squinting at the time.
6:17 a.m.
I’ve only been asleep for three hours.
Ew.
I toss my phone aside and drop my head against the pillow just as Elijah steps out of the bathroom and into his closet.
“Why on earth are you awake right now, Slate?” I groan.
He pokes his head out of the closet, fastening his tie.
“And if you say you went out for a run, I just might kill you,” I grumble.
He chuckles, walking to the side of the bed where I lay and leans down, whispering in my ear, “Go back to sleep, baby.”
I clutch onto his neck before he can pull away. “Mmm . . . you smell so good.”
He kisses my neck. “I have to go to work. Just go back to sleep. I’ll be back around three.”
I spring into a sitting position, wincing slightly at the soreness of my abs, and hold the sheet against my bare chest. “Oh, crap! I forgot you had to work today. You’re going to be so exhausted.”
He rests his hand on my shoulder, easing me back down on the bed.
“It was worth it,” he says in a low voice. “Now go back to sleep; I’ll be back soon.” He nibbles on my ear, and my body melts into the mattress. “Thank you for the best night of my life,” he whispers. He breaks away, and I try to grab hold of him, but he slips out of my reach as he heads back to his closet.
“How do you expect me to sleep after you say something like that to me?” I whine. I imagine waiting all day in agony . . . then I remember I don’t have any of my stuff here—not even a toothbrush. I need a shower and fresh clothes. I sit back up. “Do you have time to drop me off at my house?”
He hesitates. “Yeah, if you really need me to.”
“Are you sure?” I ask. “I don’t want to make you late or anything. I could call Emily.”
“No, I can take you. But I won’t exactly be in your mom’s good graces if she sees me dropping you off the morning after our date.”
“She doesn’t work until noon today; I doubt she’ll even be awake.”
He sits on the side of the bed, slipping into his stylish leather dress shoes. “Will you meet me here when I’m off?”
I smile. “If you want me to.”
“I’d really like that.” He kisses me on the forehead. “I’ll meet you out there, okay?”
After he leaves the room, I jump off the bed.
“Ow,” I groan.
Every muscle in my body aches as I rush to get dressed—muscles I didn’t even know I had. They complain as I slip into my strapless bra and reach around to zip up my dress. I step into my heels and shove my underwear into my clutch. I hope I don’t see anyone I know this morning—I have “walk of shame” written all over me. When I enter the bathroom, I see that he left a toothbrush out for me. God bless this man. I open the package and brush in a hurry, then tie my hair into a disorderly bun and rush out to the garage.
“MAN, THE JUNIORS and sophomores are going to have a rude awakening today, aren’t they,” I say, laughing, as we drive down the road.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“You’re on like three hours of sleep. They’re going to be at the mercy of your wrath.”
He smiles at me. “Actually, two hours and twenty-seven minutes.”
I roll my eyes at his perfect math.
“And honestly, I’m in the best mood of my life,” he says with a wink. “I just might hand out A’s like an Oprah giveaway.”
We break into laughter just as he pulls into my driveway. He gives me a quick kiss good-bye, and as I grab the door handle, I notice an unfamiliar truck parked in the driveway.
He notices my hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
“I have no idea whose truck that is.”
He glances at it. “You don’t?” He pauses, pursing his lips. “You don’t have to go home right now, you know. You can stay at my place.”