Page 101 of The Chase
I know I’ll mess up. I’ll revert. There are times I can feel the temptation inside myself. It’ll be worse when I get back into the office.
“About …” Elias trails off.
I put down my knife and give him my full attention. He’s standing at the end of the island counter. His fingers are gripping the edge of it. He’s about to drop something on me, I can tell.
And he does.
“I think you should sell the hotel,” he says. “Or at least step back from it.”
I stare at him, stunned.
He doesn’t list off any reasons or make an argument. He doesn’t need to. All the reasons are obvious.
“And what exactly would I do instead?” I ask.
“Well … you could run an animal rescue. With me.”
I snort. “I have approximately 45 minutes of pet ownership experience.”
Elias shrugs that off. “I feel like it would work.”
“It’s awildfantasy.”
He smiles slyly. “That is kind of my specialty, you know. And yours is making them real.”
I go back to chopping. “Don’t be like that.”
“Like what?”
“Playful,” I tell him. “Sweet.”
“Why not?” he asks.
I refuse to look at him. “Because it’s really hard to resist you like that.”
Elias sidles around the corner of the island, and I can tell he knowsexactlywhat he’s doing. “It’s just a thought.”
“It’s more than a thought. You’re making plans in your head, and you’re includingmein them.”
“Yeah,” he says as he slips an arm around my waist. “I am.”
My breath catches. I set down my knife and turn to him. I tug at him until he jumps up into my arms, wrapping his arms and legs around me.
“You can have everything you want,” I promise wildly as I look up at his beautiful, delighted face.
Elias smiles down at me with soft, loving eyes and says, “I already do.”
