Page 25 of Elijah’s Whim

My dad’s voice had gotten increasingly louder as we walked into the kitchen, where my mom was setting the last serving dish on the table. My youngest sister, Clemson, was filling everyone’s water glasses from a large pitcher.

“Daddy, don’t get upset. Please.” I rubbed up and down on his forearm. “You know it’s not good for you. I can handle Shep. Seriously, please don’t give it another thought.” A redirect was in order, and the steaming dishes on the table were the perfect relief.

“Mom, everything looks delicious as usual. And hello, favorite youngest sister.” I intercepted Clemson before she could walk past and kissed her fresh-faced cheek. “How was practice?”

“Epic,” she said, grinning widely. “Shaved an entire second off my backstroke split.”

“Good job, you! Here, you have first crack at the meat and potatoes for that achievement,” I said enthusiastically and thrust the bowl of mashed potatoes toward her. “You must be starving.”

I watched in awe as she piled her plate full of my mom’s homemade meatloaf and then smothered it with the rich gravy she made from the greasy pan drippings.

“Mom, I was thinking about this meal the entire practice,” Clemson said around a bite of protein.

“Well, in that case, next time you text me after school, I’m going to tell you it’s a surprise so you aren’t tortured for three hours.”

Clemmy put her hands over the center of her chest and gasped. “You wouldn’t.”

We all chuckled at her antics. Then I asked, “Do you have a meet this weekend? I haven’t been able to catch one lately.”

“Yeah, on Saturday. That would be great if you’d come, Hannibal. And you haven’t seen the new aquatics center since they finished it. You won’t believe how different it looks from the old pool you used to swim in.”

“I’d really like that. Text me the details, and I’ll do my best to get down there.”

“Absolutely.”

As we finished dinner, Sheppard came home. Instead of joining the family in the kitchen, she stormed through and went straight to her room.

With my dishes in the sink, I turned to say good night to my family. “I’m going to head out, you guys. Thank you for dinner, Mom. I love you all so much.”

My dad looked crestfallen. “You’re not staying? Cards?”

“Not tonight. I’m tired, and I still have to walk the dog when I get home.” Inwardly, I cringed. I couldn’t believe how effortless it was to make that up. The truth was I wanted to get back to Elijah’s before he went to bed or before my sour sister reemerged from her room, looking for dinner.

Like Clemson, she usually came home from her workout with an enormous appetite, and I didn’t want to be anywhere around when her storm made landfall again. Once in one day was enough for me.

I made sure the dark SUV dropped in behind me as I left my neighborhood and made my way back to Malibu. Throughout dinner, I had to measure my words so I wouldn’t let anything about Elijah slip, so much so that after only ten minutes or so, I just stopped talking altogether and listened to everyone else.

There was never a shortage of conversation at our family’s mealtime, and other than Agatha, I was confident no one even noticed I’d gone quiet. Clemson usually talked enough for the whole table, and because she was still in high school, she had enough entertaining stories to do so.

Elijah had given me a spare opener for his garage and graciously parked one of his permitted vehicles on the street so I could keep my car in the garage. He said he didn’t want me having to find street parking every time I left the house and, if it was dark when I returned, said he didn’t want me walking alone from wherever I parked to the house. When I asked why one of the bodyguards couldn’t walk with me since they were always following me anyway, that just earned me one of his patented head tilts, complete with the sexy hair flop, and I lost all train of thought and whatever point I was trying to make.

Tonight, I just wanted to get inside and get to my room with as little drama as possible. Was that even possible anymore? Seemed like no matter which way I turned, that was what I got. Drama, drama, drama.

While I was unloading the bags I brought from my house, Elijah strode into the garage. This space—while generally reserved for cars that could get as filthy as the roads they traveled or as grimy as the outdoors in general—was as pristine as the inside of the Banks Estate. So, Elijah prowling toward me with bare feet was of no consequence to his usual aversion to tracking dirt inside.

Christ, even his feet were sexy. How was that even possible? I knew if I looked hard enough, this man had to have a flaw. He had to. I was just hard-pressed to find one. Maybe if I didn’t get so flustered every time he came within two feet, I could really give him a good inspection. But as of now, I was lucky that I remained upright when he got close to me.

Like now. So I tried for humor instead.

“Honey, I’m home,” I singsonged and then gulped when he took one more step closer and wrapped his long fingers over mine that were clutching the handles of the duffel bag I’d just pulled from the trunk. My neck was cranked as far back as it could naturally tilt so I could stare into his fantastic hazel eyes. Eyes that smoldered with an unspoken emotion I really wanted him to elaborate on.

“I missed you, beautiful. How was your visit with your family?” he asked in a sultry voice that made me want to talk about anything and everything except my family. And could we do it without our clothes on, please?

Just thinking about my time there burst my lust haze, though, and I wrinkled my nose. Shocking me completely, Elijah bent forward and kissed the tip of my nose and then stood tall again.

“That good, huh?”

“You didn’t have to come out and carry my bags for me. I could’ve made a couple of trips,” I said instead of rehashing what happened with Sheppard.