She scowls at me, and it’s damn cute.
“Fine, wise ass,” she huffs.
She stands the way I’ve shown her and then throws a punch. I bring up my arm and swat her hand away.
“Seriously, Quinn. You can at least try,” I taunt her.
She scowls again and lunges at me, and this time, I can see she means it. I grab her wrist and swing her around. Wrapping my arm around her neck, I pin her back to my chest.
“Now that he’s got you again, how are you going to get free.”
She wiggles a bit before she stills. “I can’t knee him. Elbowing doesn’t work for me either. I tried it on you that night, and it didn’t get me anywhere.”
“That leaves you with what?”
“Ugh… why do I have to bite myself out of everything?”
“Can you bite me in this position?”
She sticks out her tongue and actually tries to lick my arm. I start to laugh, and it makes her laugh. She throws her head back and slams it into the side of my face.
I let her go, and her laughter instantly dries up.
“Eli! I’m sorry,” she starts to apologize and reaches up to my cheek. Her fingers trail over my cheek and jaw, and I wish the touch meant something else.
“You did the right thing, though. You head butt him. With a little luck, you can actually break his nose.”
She throws her arms in the air and starts to do a victory dance. “I so kicked your ass. I deserve a reward.”
“Yeah? What kind of reward?” I can’t think of a couple right now.
“Game of Thrones marathon,” she says. “With popcorn and chocolate.”
I’ve made a bed in front of the TV after we both showered. Unfortunately, it was in separate showers.
I shake my head as I flip through the episodes to where we last watched. It’s been months since we did this. Things are finally good between Quinn and me. I need to be careful because the last thing I want to do is fuck things up.
She comes in with the bowl of popcorn and sits down next to me. We lean against the couch, and I press play.
One episode turns into a couple, and after the sixth one, I press pause.
“We need to get food,” I say as she gets up and stretches out.
“Should I make something?” she asks.
“Yeah, I’ll help.”
We go to the kitchen, and I take out a pack of bacon. I start to fry it, and she comes to stand next to me.
“What are you making?”
“I’m just going to put this on some bread and sprinkle some cheese over it, then shove it in the oven for a couple of minutes.”
“That sounds yummy. Can I get you a beer?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
She takes one from the fridge, and I smile at her. “Come on, Quinn. You’re turning twenty-one in a couple of weeks. You can have a beer.”
“You sure?” she asks as she looks at the one in her hand.
“You won’t get drunk from one,” I say to put her at ease.
I finish preparing the meal while she takes the beers to the front. When we settle back down in front of the TV, she twists the cap off and takes a sip.
She licks her lips and smiles. “It’s nice.”
I clink my beer against hers. “To your first beer.”
She smiles as she sinks her teeth into her food, then she closes her eyes and moans.
I sit and shamelessly watch her while wondering if she’ll have the same reaction when she’s naked under me.
CHAPTER 10
QUINN
It might just be my imagination, but it feels as if things are changing between Eli and me.
I’ve been feeling so much better since I talked with Mrs. Jackson. The nightmares aren’t as bad anymore, which is a huge bonus.
Eli shifts his body down and props a pillow behind his head. I take full advantage and snuggle against his side. I rest my head in the crook of his shoulder and smile happily. I’ve missed this so much.
He places his arm over me, and my skin’s invaded with goosebumps as he begins to trail his fingers over my arm. I let myself absorb his touch, and I inch closer to him until my body is pressed against his side.
He tightens his arm around my shoulders, and I move my head to his chest. It feels like home. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, letting Eli’s masculine scent fill my lungs
I try to focus on the show, but it’s really hard to with his breaths stirring my hair.
His fingers continue to move up and down my arm for a few more minutes. I decide to be brave and wrap my arm around his waist. For a moment, his arm hovers above me, but then he rests his hand on my hip.
My heartbeat speeds up, and I do a happy dance inside for the small victory. Today seems to be a day for victories, so I turn my body more into his until I end up lying half on top of him. I place one leg over his and then keep still again.
I don’t dare move my head, just praying I’m not making a total fool of myself. Again he adjusts his arm, and his fingers start to trail up and down the length of my back.
With every caress, his hand trails further up until his fingers brush over the sensitive skin of my neck. I break out in more goosebumps as he moves down until he reaches the hem of my shirt. He pulls it up an inch before his fingers caress the stretch of skin just above my butt. When his hand starts to move back up, it slips under my shirt, and the material moves up along with his arm.
My heartbeat speeds up until I’m pretty sure he can feel it pounding against his chest.
I pull my arm back and flatten my hand on his chest. I take a deep breath before I trail my fingers down, drinking in the feel of his hard muscles under my fingertips.
There’s a nervous fluttering in my stomach as I push my hand under his shirt. My heart is pounding in my throat as I barely touch his hot skin.
He pulls his hand out from under my shirt, and I freeze. But then his hand slips into my hair. He brings his other hand to my face and placing his finger beneath my chin, he nudges my face up until I’m forced to look at him
The look on his face is intense, and it feels as if a whole hive of bees is buzzing around inside of me.
His eyes dance between my mouth and my eyes, and I wish I knew what he was thinking right now.
His breathing starts to come faster, and I hope to the heavens it’s a good sign.
Nervously, I wet my lips, and it makes his eyes drop back to my mouth.
His hand tightens in my hair, and then he pulls me down. Anticipation makes me hold my breath, until his lips press against mine. It’s nothing like that first kiss years ago. Tingles bursts over my body, and my heart hammers behind my ribs.
Just like before, everything around me fades until there’s only us. His masculine scent fills my lungs. I can only think of him.
This time I remember to memorize the feel of his lips brushing against mine. I can’t believe it’s actually happening. I’m finally kissing Eli.
The best part is that it lasts more than a second.
I want so much more, but I don’t want to push him too hard. Hell, I’m just thankful his lips are finally on mine.
With both his hands in my hair, his tongue brushes over my bottom lip. I can’t hold my breath anymore, and it rushes from me.
When he slips his tongue into my mouth, heat pools in my abdomen. He tastes better than he does in the fantasies I’ve been having about this moment.
When he pulls back, his eyes caress my face. I’m doing the same thing, checking for any sign that this might have been a wrong move.
A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. “Thank you,” he says, and it brings a smile to my face. “I know this is a huge step for you.”
I pull my hand from under his shirt and bring it to his face as I push myself up with my left arm. I trail my fingers over his beard and ask, “Will you ever shave it off?”
“Does it bother you?”
I quickly shake my head. “No, not at all. I just wonder what you would lo
ok like without it.”
“I’m not attached to it if that’s what you’re asking. I just got too busy to shave, and one thing led to another.”
I sit up and grin at him. “Can I shave it off for you?”
He sits up and gives me a cautious look. “Have you ever shaved a man before?”
“Sure. My dad broke his right arm once, and I had to help him shave.”
I pull at his arm as I get up. “Come on. I’m excited to see what you’re hiding under that beard.”
I stop in the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors before we go to his bathroom.
“Sit,” I say with a wicked glint in my eye. I snap the scissors and wag my eyebrows.
“I’m starting to second guess this decision,” he growls.
Before he can change his mind, I move in between his legs. I place my hand under his chin and lift his face so he’s looking up, and I can see better. I snip the worst of it away and throw it in the little trashcan.
I take some shaving gel and start to spread it over his jaw. All the while his eyes never leave my face. This feels so different from when I used to shave Dad. This is intimate, much more than the kiss we just shared.
I rinse my hands and bring the razor to his face. He places his hands on my hips, and I smile slightly as I begin to shave him.
I lean in closer, and I feel his breath on my face, which makes heat pool between my legs.
When I’m done, I quickly wet a towel under the hot water before I wipe his face clean. I toss the towel in the sink and turn around with a huge smile that instantly freezes on my face.
He watches my reaction as I step back between his legs. I place my hands on his smooth jaw as my eyes take in this new look. Damn, he’s good looking. He doesn’t look as scary anymore. He actually looks downright swoon-worthy right about now.
I lean into him, and the anticipation from earlier is back. I press my mouth to his, and he pulls me down onto his lap. I let my hands slip behind his neck and twist into his hair.
This time the kiss is hotter, and it feels as if I’m burning up with a need for more touching, more skin on skin, more of everything.
When I pull back, his eyes again caress my face.
“Are you okay with this?” he asks.
“With us kissing?” I ask, feeling a little shy. It’s one thing to kiss him, but it’s another thing talking about it.
“With us being more than friends,” he says.
We stand up and start to walk back to the living room. I can’t stop stealing glances at his gorgeous face.
“Do you want to be more than friends?” I finally ask the question that’s been bouncing around in me since we met.
He takes hold of my arm and pulls me to a stop. He brings his hands to my shoulders and caresses the skin all the way up my neck until he reaches my jaw. I look up at him wondering how I ever got so lucky to have him as a friend, never mind the possibility that there might be more.
“I don’t want to do anything that will jeopardize our friendship.”
My heart sinks at hearing his words. I should’ve known better than to think Eli could ever think of me as more than just a little sister.
“Oh, okay,” I say, trying my best to hide my feelings from him.
Quickly, I walk away and sit back down on the blankets. The rest of the night is going to be pretty awkward, but I need to come across as normal, or things will get bad between us.
Eli comes in, takes hold of my shoulders, and pulls me back to my feet.
“You need to work on your patience, woman,” he growls. “Before you walked away, I was about to say that I want you. All of you, Quinn, not just your friendship. I want to touch every inch of your body. I want to be inside of you. I want to be able to show the world you’re mine.”
My lips part as emotions crash over me.
Eli wants me?
I’m about to say something, but he presses his finger to my lips.
“I’m not done yet.”
Oh, right. Patience.
He moves closer to me, and his eyes are so piercing it sends shivers racing over my skin. “I live you, Quinn.”
A smile forms around my lips as I realize what he’s saying.
“You live me?” I whisper in awe.
“I live you. I love you. I want to spend every second of every day with you. You’re my now and forever.”
“Eli,” I breathe his name unable to express in words what I’m feeling right now. So I do the next best thing, and I kiss him.
His tongue slips into my mouth, twisting fast and hard with mine. It’s exactly the way I want it. It’s a perfect kiss.
“Floor,” I gasp, and I start to pull him down with me.
When he lies down on top of me, I have a sensory overload.
He holds his upper body up and asks, “Are you sure about this? This isn’t too fast for you?”
“I am,” I answer out of breath. “Are you?”
He gives me a look that says I must be crazy. “I’ve been sure about this for over two years.”
I wrap my arms around his neck to pull him down again and crush my mouth against his.
He growls softly, and the vibrations tingle my lips. His hand settles on my side, and I wish it would go higher, or lower. Hell, I don’t care as long as he touches me everywhere.
With each stroke of his tongue against mine, I feel more comfortable that we’ve made the right decision.
I move my arms down and over his chest until I can slip them under his shirt. He keeps his hands in all the safe zones, which is very frustrating.
“Quinn,” he whispers against my mouth.
I pull back, and when his eyes meet mine, I reach down and grab the hem of my shirt. I start to drag it up my stomach, and when I reach my bra, he makes a sound deep in his throat that’s sexy as hell.
I don’t stop until it’s over my head and I toss it to the side. At first, he keeps his eyes locked with mine, but then they start to travel down until they settled on the blue lace bra.
“Quinn,” he says hoarsely. “I only have so much self-control.”
I wish he would let go of his self-control and take over. I’m all out of ideas on how to get him naked. Well, besides just ripping his clothes off with my bare teeth.
His hand comes back to my side, but this time his touch is firmer, and well, it’s skin on skin which is what I wanted.
“Are you on the pill?” he asks, and it makes my face light up with embarrassment.
That’s definitely not what I expected to come from his mouth.
“Yes…” My mind scrambles for the right words. It was so much easier talking to Mrs. Jackson.
Shit, no thinking of his mom right now.
He pulls back, and a worried look darkens his eyes. “Do you want to slow down?”
Sweet, Eli. This man is everything and so much more.
“I’ve never had sex before,” I blurt the words out. I drop my eyes to his neck, not sure what his reaction is going to be.
The TV goes off, and it plunges us into darkness.
I feel him move away from me, and my heart squeezes painfully. He lies down next to me, and I wish I had kept my shirt on.
“How’s that possible?” he asks, sounding shocked out of his mind.
Yeah, definitely not the reaction I was hoping for.
“Well, I’m only twenty, Eli. I’m not a hoe-bag,” I say feeling a little offended that this is turning out to be a problem.
“I didn’t mean it that way. You were engaged, Quinn. Didn’t he try?”
“Roy didn’t believe in sex before marriage,” I whisper, bordering on feeling miserable.
I search for my shirt, and when I can’t find it, I decide to just leave it.
“I’m going to go to bed. Night, Eli,” I say, and I start to get up.
His arm darts ou, and wrapping around my waist, he pulls me back down.
“Patience. Seriously, start to work on your patience for me. I just want to talk to you, Quinn. I
t would be the easiest thing to rip your clothes off and fuck you, but I don’t want it to be like that for your first time.”
My mind zooms in on ‘rip your clothes off’ and ‘fuck you.’
“I’d be totally okay with both,” I say before thinking.
I hear him chuckle, and he pulls me into his arms.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” he asks again.
“I am, Eli.”
I feel his body tense, and then his lips crush against mine, and he robs me of my breath. His hand moves behind my back, and he unsnaps the bra easily. It’s faster than I can do it, and it makes me wonder how many times he’s done it before.
He pulls back and growls, “Stop thinking.”
But…
“Not another thought, Quinn,” he warns me.
I grin up at him, and then he pushes me onto my back and kisses me until I’m trembling with need.
He breaks the kiss long enough to pull his shirt over his head. My eyes have gotten used to the darkness now, and the sight of him as he prowls over me is enough to make me groan.
He kisses me hard until my mind fogs over with lust. I dig my fingernails into his shoulders and try to pull him closer. Instead of coming closer, he pulls away. He presses kisses down my neck, and he slips the bra straps down my arms. I move so he can get it off. He doesn’t stop there and hooks his fingers into my shorts and panties at the same time. He pulls them down my legs, and when I’m totally naked in front of him, he gets up.
Where the hell is he going?
He switches on the light, and I’m just about to scramble for the blanket when he practically stalks back to me while unbuttoning his jeans.
Holy fuck, that’s hot.
He smirks that sexy smile of his as he drops the jeans, and then my jaw drops along with the fabric.
I frown as I try to imagine how all of that is going to fit inside of me.
“You’re killing my ego,” he says.
“It’s not your ego I’m worried about,” I say, seriously feeling a little worried. It’s not like I haven’t seen one before, at least not that size. It should have a heart, lungs, and set of kidneys of its own.
“Is it going to fit?” I ask, not caring if I sound like an idiot.
Redemption Page 9
