“Ow, fuck.”
Oops. I clipped poor Noah in the eye, forgetting for a moment he was beside me.
“I didn’t know you were so damn violent in the morning.”
“Sorry. I need pain killers, coffee, and the bathroom and not necessarily in that order.”
“I’m guessing you making me bacon this morning is out?” He pouts, which should not be adorable on a six-foot-two man, but it really is.
“I’ll see how I feel after I have consumed the nectar of the gods.”
“I tell you what, I’ll go and make you a cup now and grab some pills for your head. You go take a shower and make yourself feel…” he coughs and mumbles, “and look human again.”
“You ass.” I poke him in the ribs, making him squirm. “I have make-up all over my face huh?”
“Maybe a little.”
“Well, it was yours and Mason’s fault for sexing me up. My brain malfunctioned. I can’t be held responsible for my actions or lack thereof after such acts of indecency have been performed. This includes removing my make-up.”
His laughter makes the bed shake. It’s hard to believe the guy I met who was so closed off is the same guy lying next to me smiling.
A kiss on the shoulder has me looking over at a sleepy Mason. “Are you two talking about my sexual prowess?”
I laugh along with Noah. “You two are ridiculous. If you keep making me laugh, I’m going to either pee on the bed or puke on you. Now let me up.”
I’ve never seen two men move so fast. It would be comical if I weren’t flying off the bed and heading to the bathroom myself.
One shower and two cups of coffee later, I feel human enough to feed the guys. Eli is nowhere to be seen but, given the fact that it is almost lunchtime, he has probably headed to the gym to work out.
I’m just cleaning up when Eli walks in wearing sweat-drenched shorts and T-shirt and heads to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. He doesn’t speak to me or even make eye contact, which makes me worry a little. Did I do or say something to him last night that I can’t remember? Maybe it was the stripping thing. Who knows? I swear this guy gives me emotional whiplash.
“I didn’t even hear you leave. Been to the gym?”
“Huh? Oh, no, a run,” he answers, walking past me and heading upstairs.
Cold shoulder to go with my headache, brilliant. I shrug it off. What else can I do?
I find the others talking amongst themselves when I head up to the living room. Mason snags me when I’m close enough to him and pulls me down onto his lap. I’m wearing a long-sleeved black roll neck dress that is fitted tight over the bust and arms but floats to about halfway down my thighs. It’s sexy but in a teasing kind of way, showing a bit of leg but nothing else. I’m glad for my choice when he places his large warm hand directly over my thigh just under the hem of my dress and draws lazy circles with his fingertips. He nuzzles behind my ear, making me squirm in his lap. I can feel him hardening beneath me.
“You sore?”
I shake my head. Only in the best possible way and certainly not enough to not want to do it again.
“Guys,” Eli snaps.
I flush, embarrassed. I don’t know why I feel so uncomfortable around him all of a sudden but, if the way he is looking at me is any indication, then he doesn’t want to be around me any more than I want to be around him at the moment.
“As I was saying, that place I told you about, the old theatre? Well, I collected the keys when I went for a run. The agency showing it knows me, so they said to just drop them back in later when we have seen it. What do you think, want to go take a look?”
“Sure, I would love to.” I clap my hands with excitement. I’ve been going a little stir crazy in this place. It was great to get out last night, but I want to get back to living a relatively normal life and to me, that means working. I know I don’t need to now but I would go out of my mind if I didn’t have something to do with myself.
“I’ll leave Eden to go with you guys. That Callum guy called and asked if I could pop down and see them about something,” Mason says.
“Any idea why they want you there?” I’m curious, to say the least.
“I think they want to know if I want a job temporarily until we get your club set up.”
“That would be cool. I know you don’t like having nothing to do any more than me. Okay, guys, give me five to get some boots on and I’m all yours.”
Eli’s eyes flash before he turns away from me. One of these days I am either going to throw one of my heels at his head or kiss the shit out of him.
I slip my feet into a pair of black over the knee boots with a stiletto heel and grab my coat, remembering that the forecasters predicted snow flurries today.
Eli is behind the wheel already with the engine running but Noah is waiting for me on the step. He takes in the boots and closes his eyes, tipping his face up to the sky. He mumbles something under his breath, but I can’t make out the words as he ushers me into the car. It’s only a fifteen-minute drive and I have to admit not having to commute far each morning is part of the appeal.
The theatre needs updating outside. The peeling paint and derelict-looking shell, however, give way to something breathtaking. The lobby is what you expect it to be, but it opens up into a thousand-seat auditorium with side balconies and a beautifully gilded proscenium arch. This place needs a lot of work, more than I had ever planned, and is going to cost a small fortune but when I close my eyes, I can see the room overlaid with my vision. The drab lobby that we walked through will be the cloakroom and ticket office. The upper balconies can be converted to bars. The seating would need reworking, but the stage is perfect just as it is.
“What do you think?” Eli asks.
I stare at him for a beat before strolling giddily up to the stage, spinning in a circle. My smile is so big I guess I give myself away. “I love it, Eli, it’s perfect.”
“You sure? There are a couple of other places available that would probably need a lot less work done to them.”
“Yeah, but they wouldn’t have all this character and history. Seriously, Eli, it’s perfect.”
“Okay then. I’m going to go outside and call the agency and find out what we can get it for.”
I lie back on the stage and stare up at the ceiling as tears prick my eyes. I don’t give a fuck that I’m probably getting covered in dust and god knows what else. I have dreamt of this, having something that was mine that nobody could take away from me. Life finally seems to be on the right track. I’m not dismissing the stalker, but knowing it’s not Karl helps calm me for whatever reason. I know these guys aren’t going to let anything happen to me.
When Noah lies down next to me, not caring one little bit that he is getting dusty either, I swear I fall a little bit in love with him.
“So, this is the place huh? It’s very you.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
He leans over me smiling, so I grab the collar of his T-shirt and pull him down for a kiss. It was only meant to be a peck but as what happens every time his lips connect with mine, it becomes heated quickly.
“I think we should celebrate,” he says between kisses. “I could eat something nice.”
“Okay,” I hastily agree. Who wants to talk about eating out when his hands are exploring my body?
He slips his coat off and slides it under me and then suddenly he is between my legs, my dress is pushed up to my hips and he is pulling my panties to the side. It dawns on me that he doesn’t want to take me out to eat. He wants to eat me out. When he buries his head between my legs all conscious thought goes out the window. He nibbles my clit before swiping his tongue through my folds. I grip his hair, needing something—anything—to hold on to and stop me from floating away.
I’m in a world of my own, lost in the sensation of all that is Noah when he starts talking against me, sending vibrations straight through me. “Eli is watching, you know? I can see him just in the back, he can’t take his eyes off of y
ou.”
The thought of Eli watching me getting turned on as I squirm on Noah’s tongue causes a rush of wetness to leave me. Noah laps it up as if nothing has ever tasted better, circling my entrance with his tongue before dipping inside.
“You like that, don’t you, Eden? The thought of Eli watching you writhe on the stage as if we are part of an act performing just for him. You know he wishes he could trade places with me right now don’t you? He is dying just for a taste.”
He pushes a finger inside me followed by another, sliding them in and out and finding a spot that makes my breath catch and my eyes cross. My legs start to shake with my impending orgasm. Sensing this, he flicks my clit rapidly with the tip of his tongue as he rams a third finger inside me. I scream his name and my thighs clamp around his head as I fall apart.
The slamming of the door snaps me out of my post-orgasm daze as Noah wipes his face and pulls my skirt down to cover me. I look over to find Eli, but he’s gone. Fuck.
“We shouldn’t have done that, Noah.”
He slides up next to me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You didn’t like it?”
“Don’t be stupid. The things you can do with that tongue should be illegal. I’m talking about rubbing salt in Eli’s wounds. He made his choice. It was a shitty thing for us to do that in front of him. I feel like a tease.”
“Hey.” He leans over me, so his nose is touching mine. “He chose to stay, Eden. He could have left at any moment, but he stayed to watch the show. He’s beginning to realise that where you are concerned, walking away isn’t really an option and it pisses him off.”
Maybe he’s right. I don’t know anymore. The thing is, I’m falling for all of them. Does loving Eli make me a cheat if he never reciprocates? I feel like my head might explode when it comes to him.
“Come on, let’s go.”
When we get outside, Eli’s car is gone, leaving us stranded and I feel the tears prick my eyes for a different reason. I think we’ve pushed him too far this time.
“Fucking asshole. I get he’s pissed but he knows you have a stalker out there. I’ll call a taxi.”
I listen half-heartedly as he makes the call and wonder what’s going to happen when we get home. The shine from earlier has begun to dim as I realise our actions in there might just be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Chapter Thirteen
EDEN
Mason’s car isn’t here when we get back, but Eli’s is. The house is quiet when we get in, telling me he’s probably in his room sulking, so I decide to give him a wide berth until he calms down. I give Noah a quick kiss on the cheek and head upstairs to shower yet again. I’m going to have to start carrying a bag around just with a clean change of underwear at this point. I make it quick and slip on clean underwear and a floor-length paisley dress with thin straps on the shoulders and laces over the chest. I forgo the bra now that I’m home. My chunky cardigan is on the back of the sofa downstairs so I head out to get it, colliding with Eli. He grabs my arms to stop me from falling then his lips are on mine, his hands in my hair as he kisses the shit out of me. In true Eli fashion, it’s over before it’s really begun. He rips his lips away from me, a look of anger and disgust on his face. Whether it’s directed at me or himself, I don’t know.
“Fuck!” He turns and punches the wall, making me jump before he storms back down to his room, slamming his door. I rub my hands up and down my arms, offering myself the only kind of comfort I can. I can’t keep doing this with him. He’s either in or he’s out. He tells me all the time he doesn’t want me like that, so it begs the question—what was he doing outside my room?
I head down to find Noah and ask his opinion, but he’s looking at the screen of his phone when I walk in. He looks up and smiles.
“I have to run over to Dante’s and fetch Mason. His car won’t start. You going to be ok here with Eli?”
No, probably not. I nod my head anyway.
“I won’t be too long. Need anything?”
“No, I’m good.”
He kisses me on the lips before snagging his keys off the counter and heading out.
Feeling at a loose end, I decide to just read for a little while. I wander up the stairs to the sitting room, spotting my Kindle and my cardigan on the chair by the balcony door. Losing myself within the pages of a book right now sounds perfect. I’m about to sit when a shadow appears over me. I whiz round, heart in my mouth, to find Eli breathing heavy and looking a mix of angry and turned on. Just like that, I feel my body responding to his like it always does when he’s nearby.
“That won’t happen again—” he starts.
I raise my hand to shut him up. I’m sick of hearing this shit. Who’s he trying to convince, me or himself?
“What do you want from me, Eli?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Eden. I’m your friend but that’s all. That’s all I have to offer so don’t go reading into shit.”
“I call bullshit.”
Fuck it. Something has to give. I pull the strings at the front of my dress before slipping it free from my shoulders. When it drops to my feet, I slip my fingers into the sides of my panties and slide them down too. I stand back up and face him. I make no move to step out of my puddle of clothing or cover my body. It doesn’t matter that hundreds of eyes have seen this body and judged it lacking or worthy. All that matters in this moment is if the man in front of me is willing to take a chance and claim a part of me that I’m willingly offering or if he will walk away.
He stares at me, the only movement his body makes is the rapid rise and fall of his chest. The time passes in silence, neither one of us willing to make a move, to claim victory or admit defeat. We just stand here stuck in a stalemate and watch each other. He’s the one to break first just like I knew he would, but he breaks more than my stare, he breaks my heart when he turns and walks away. It hurts more than I thought it would and, to be honest, I thought it would hurt a lot. I drop to my knees, tugging my feet free of my disregarded clothing and breathe through the pain. He made his choice. It was his to make but it’s mine to live with.
I don’t know how long I stay crouched in my protective bubble before bare feet and jean-covered legs appear in front of me. I look up to find Eli staring down at me, his face a mask of anger and resentment. I stand up slowly, rising to my full five-feet-seven inches, head up and shoulders strong. I don’t know why he came back but I will not let him see me crumble.
“Fuck you, Eden, this isn’t what I want. Why do you have to push everything, huh?”
“Push everything? Are you kidding me? You came back. I didn’t scream or cry or demand things from you. I offered myself up on a silver platter and you just fucking walked away. Please tell me how I’m pushing you.”
“I don’t fucking want you,” he roars in my face. “I have already had a woman rip my world to shreds and she barely meant a fraction to me that you do. I refuse to give anyone else that kind of power over me again. Don’t expect more from me. The answer will always be no.”
I bend down and grab the edge of my dress before stepping back into it, reversing my actions in front of the man who just stripped me bare in a way that has nothing to do with removing my clothing.
“You know what, Eli? I feel sorry for you. If you really didn’t want me, you wouldn’t have come back. You wouldn’t have watched me with Noah and you wouldn’t have kissed me. No, Eli, you want me, but you are so fucking scared that you are willing to give up a shot of real happiness on the off chance you might experience more pain. Newsflash, Eli, life is fucking painful. It’s brutal and ugly and people can be cruel. But if that’s all you see, you are missing out on the fact that life can also be beautiful and fulfilling and wonderful. So, fuck you, Eli. You’re a coward. I’ll stick with living my life while you just watch yours pass you by.”
I move to storm past him, but he grabs my arm and pushes me against the wall and presses his body flush against mine.
“Do you
know what it feels like to have everything in the palm of your hand and then in the blink of an eye it’s gone?” His voice breaks like each word spoken cuts his insides to ribbons.
“More than you will ever know,” I whisper back, and I know he feels it—the absolute truth in my words—and then his lips are on mine, rough and unyielding.
The dress is pulled roughly over my head, leaving me naked once more before his lips are back on mine. There is nothing gentle about this. It’s raw and brutal but there is an honesty to it too. Two sides of the same coin recognising the emptiness inside each other. I tug on his belt and pop open the button on his jeans before sliding my hand inside his boxers. He is hot and hard and so thick I struggle to get my hand around him. I grip him tightly, sliding my hand up and down his length, making him push forcefully into my hand.
Pure unadulterated need has replaced any kind of logic he might have been thinking to distance himself from me. He bites my neck and sucks hard, making me gasp as my own desire burns hot and bright. I shove his jeans and underwear down over his ass and when he hoists me up, I position him at my entrance before wrapping my legs around him and welcoming him inside. I am so wet and beyond ready but even so, I feel a pinch at how wide he is. He doesn’t give me time to adjust, he is too far gone to think of anything beyond us both plummeting over the edge. He hammers into me at a punishing pace and the bite of pain brings a whole new dimension to things. He leans me back so the wall takes some of my weight and lowers his mouth to my breasts. He sucks hard on my nipple, his hot mouth and talented tongue making me delirious.
“Touch yourself, Eden.”
I slide one hand down between us as the other grips his neck tightly and reach down until I can feel him sliding in and out of me. I stroke my clit and know any minute I’m going explode.
The Promise of Tomorrow: An Inheritance Novel Page 13
