Page 78 of Tears of Ink

“And Tabitha? Jeez, Elijah, I don’t know anything about teenagers. You don’t seem to be understanding this.”

“Tabitha doesn’t think so. She broke house rules following you out yesterday.”

“Pfft. House rules… this place seems more like a prison than anything else.”

Elijah grins and my God does it do crazy things to my stomach. “As you can imagine, my new guest was not well received.”

It’s almost impossible not to roll my eyes. “You surprise me.” My fingers pick at the duvet cover while I think. “Really, you and Tabitha, you don’t get to make any choices for yourself? What if you wanted to date someone? Someone not chosen by your mother?”

The lengthy silence that spreads between us as Elijah watches my face is at least five seconds too long for my liking. “Then I get cut off.”

“And is the money that important?” There’s an undeniable sting to my words.

“No. Tabitha is. I won’t leave her, not for anyone.”

We watch one another, time slowly ticking past.

His words hurt even though I don’t want them to. Even if I wanted something with him, it’s impossible. That’s what he’s saying, and he’s saying it pretty damn plainly.

So isn’t this ironic. The one time I’m interested in someone, the one time I can feel my determination to never let anyone close, begin to crumble. It’s an impossible situation. It’s like I’ve sought it out as a self-preservation system.

Then he grins. “Was it my spooning? It’s made you want more, right?”

I chuckle and get up from the bed. “I already told you, I don’t do relationships.”

“Then we are all good.”

He catches my hand and wheels me around, pulling me off balance until I land back on the bed, falling into his chest. His hands slide up my back, running under the material of my vest. His lips graze my mouth and I catch my breath. “I’m available for spooning weekends and every other weeknight.”

I lean back and stare into his face. What is he saying? That he wants this to be, but I won’t be his girlfriend? Isn’t that my perfect situation? I get to be obsessed. I get to taste and enjoy, but it doesn’t mean anything.

“Every other weeknight? But what would I do the nights you aren’t available?”

He kisses me, his lips hungry and demanding. “I’ve been thinking about kissing you for hours.”

“Are you a rampant teenager?”

He chuckles into my neck. “I think you’re making me one.”

“Really?” His words light sparks with excitement. Am I having the same effect on him as he has on me? I can’t believe that? Does he really want me?

“Have you changed your mind about your onetime only rule?”

Using his body as a lever, I edge myself out of his grasp. “No. I can’t.”

He sighs, his insistent hands tugging me back to his broad chest. I want to undo the buttons on his shirt and discover the skin underneath. I want to explore all of him. “We will have to make out like teenagers then.”

Uncontrollable giggles wrack my body. “Don’t you want to see what we did today?”

“Later. First, I want to forget about a really long, really shit day.”

He grabs me and stops any further talk with his lips, and I allow myself to fall into the dream Elijah Fairclough is able to spin with his hands and lips alone.

“So, this ball? Why didn’t you tell me?”

His fingers trail up and down my spine. We really have made out like teenagers. There was possibly some dry humping going on, and I’m grinning so hard my cheeks might split.

“I’m working out with you it’s best to drip feed information. That way there’s less chance of you bolting.”