by Amber Heart
Eli thought privately that she could keep him as long as she wanted. Instead he nodded and walked around the desk. “Sounds good to me. Want to walk over to Betty’s?”
“Sure.”
Eli walked beside her down the sidewalk and held the door for her when they got to the small coffee shop.
“Morning, Eli!” the waitress called. “Usual?”
“Thanks,” he called back, taking a seat in a booth.
When Sarah saw that he wasn’t alone, she came over with a smile. “And what can I get you?”
“Just coffee,” Riley said. “Cream and sugar, please.”
“Sure thing.” Sarah bustled away again.
“You come here a lot?” Riley asked.
“Just about every day,” Eli answered. “The food’s good too, if you decide that you want anything.”
Riley shook her head and lapsed into silence. While they waited for their coffee, she drew nervous circles on the tabletop with her finger. They grew more and more frantic until he caught her hand and she smiled up at him.
“Sorry.”
“I don’t mind. I just don’t want you freaking out the whole time,” he said.
“That’s kind of hard to do,” she admitted, pushing her hair back over her shoulders and giving a small smile.
He gave her a smile in return. He’d missed her so much. “It’s just me. Relax.”
“It’s not easy,” she said, leaning back so that Sarah could put the coffee down in front of her. “I’m about to do something I hate doing.”
Eli’s heart sped up. She was leaving. Or seeing someone new. Or maybe getting back together with her asshole of an ex. He’d probably had enough time to realize how stupid he’d been when he’d let her go.
“Eli,” Riley began, taking a deep breath. “What you said when I was in the hospital...you were right.”
He stared at her. “Say what?”
“Don’t make me say it again,” she said with a joking grimace. “I was...I was really messed up and I was doing a lot of really stupid things. I didn’t want to talk to Shane because I knew that what I was doing would disappoint him, so I told myself that he didn’t need to know anything about my life. And I really hurt him right along with screwing myself over.”
Eli nodded. “I’ve been there.”
“I think I’m doing better now,” she said and he was happy to hear some confidence in her voice. “I haven’t had a drink since I came home from the hospital and I’m planning to keep it that way for a while. I think that it’s probably better to step back while I’m still in control.”
“A good plan.”
“I’m also going to keep living with Shane. And I have a few freelance jobs lined up. It’s not full time work, but it’s something to keep me busy.” Riley smiled. “And out of trouble, which is a bigger issue than I thought it would be.”
“That sounds even better.”
“Eli...I did a lot of things that I regret when I came back.”
He nodded, bracing himself to be told that he was at best a bad memory.
“You’re the one thing that I don’t want to change,” she said.
His heart thudded in his chest. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’m glad it was a guy like you that I...well, that I went home with.”
“It could have been a lot worse,” he agreed.
Riley nodded emphatically. “Yes. But that’s not what I mean. It’s not just because you’re not crazy or a drunk or anything like that. It’s because...well...I like you. I don’t know if you’d be interested, but I’d love to maybe start seeing you again. It probably wouldn’t be anything serious,” she hurried on. “I mean, I’m not even sure that I’m ready for that, but--”
“Hey.” He touched her hand to get her to stop talking. “I’d love to start seeing you again.”
She grinned and bit her lower lip. “Really?”
“Any reason why not?” Eli challenged.
“I kind of...” she trailed off and then met his eyes with that innate honesty that he appreciated so much. “I used you, Eli.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “But I think you can probably make it up to me.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I certainly plan to do my best.”
“See?” he said. “There’s that sexy responsible side shining through.”
When she threw her head back and laughed with genuine joy, he thought that she’d never been more attractive. “Come on,” he said. “I gotta get back to work.” And he wanted to kiss her, but he thought that he probably shouldn’t do it in the middle of the diner.
Outside the door to the shop, he ducked his head and pressed his lips to hers. It had been much too long since he’d had her in his arms. She parted her lips for him and moaned against his mouth. She’d missed him just as much as he missed her.
Eli thought, as he pulled her against his chest and kissed her more deeply, that she might not be ready to be serious about him, but it didn’t change how he felt about her. He planned to do everything he could to make sure that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
Bonus Chapter
“Can you help me carry this?” Riley called.
Eli looked at her over the stack of boxes in his arms. “Not right this second,” he answered honestly. “Where’d all this stuff come from anyway?”
“Home offices involve a lot of equipment,” she answered primly. “You said that you didn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” he answered. “I’m just not sure that it’ll all fit into the room.”
“We’ll work it out,” she said with confidence as she elbowed the door to his spare bedroom open and set down the crate that contained her computer. “Once the furniture is up, you’ll see.”
“Is that a hint?”
“Maybe,” she said, stretching up to brush a kiss across his lips.
Eli grabbed the IKEA box and consigned himself to an afternoon of irritation. Riley set up her computer system and started on one of the complex freelance assignments she’d landed while he was putting together a desk. When he was done there were three screws left over, but he shoved them into his pocket and gestured expansively at the completed product.
“Your work station, my lady.”
Riley sprang up and began unpacking her box of desk essentials. He was pleased to see that a picture of the two of them together on their first vacation rated as an essential. Once her supplies were laid out, she stepped back and looked the arrangement over critically.
“It looks pretty good,” she said after a minute.
“Hang on,” Eli said. “There’s one more thing.”
He ducked out of the room and then reappeared. “Close your eyes and hold out your hands.”
Riley did so immediately. “Oh, I love surprises!”
He grinned, tracing his thumb down her smooth cheek. “I know you do, baby.”
He placed the vase of peach colored roses in her hands and she opened her eyes. “Eli, they’re gorgeous!”
He shrugged. “I figured that this was a special occasion. Moving in and everything.”
“I love them,” she said, burying her face in the center of the bouquet and inhaling deeply before putting them on the desk. “And I don’t want you to worry,” she went on more seriously. “Just because I’m going to be freelancing from here, I promise not to be under your feet all time. I’ll still respect your space.”
Eli put his arm around her. “I know that you will. But, I was thinking that it would easier for you to respect my space if it was our space.”
Riley looked up at him quickly. “What exactly are you asking me?”
Eli took a deep breath. “I’m asking you to move in with me.”
Riley blinked. “Are you serious?”
“Well, I don’t ask people live with me for shits and giggles,” he said. “And if it’s too soon, that’s fine, but I--”
Riley threw her arms around him and pressed her lips to his. “I would love to live with you, Eli. And not just
because it eliminates my commute.”
He laughed and returned her kiss.
“You look so relieved,” she said when he pulled back. “Did you really think that I’d say no?”
“I didn’t think I’d ever ask anyone,” Eli said honestly. “I mean, I lived with girls on and off when I was a teenager but it wasn’t...serious.”
“How is living together not serious?” Riley asked with a laugh.
“Well, neither one of us owned the house,” he answered. “It was more of a convenience thing. And I always knew that it wouldn’t last.” He looked down at her. “With you, I know it will,” he said simply.
Her eyes filled with tears. “Eli...”
He cupped her face in his hands. “Want to go pack the rest of your stuff?”
Riley leaned against his chest. “Aren’t you tired?”
“Not tired enough to pass up the opportunity to have you living with me by bedtime tonight.”
“Bedtime?” she asked, feigning innocence. “Do you have something special planned for that?”
Eli wrapped his arm around her shoulders and steered her out the door. But instead of going up the hall they went down it, to his bedroom. Soon to be their bedroom. Just the idea gave her a shiver of pleasure.
“I’ll give you a quick preview before we start packing,” he said. “You know, just for inspiration.”
As the bedroom door closed behind them, and he pulled her into his arms, Eli couldn’t hold back a grin of pure triumph. They’d been through hell getting started and there’d been times when he’d be afraid that he’d lose her, but he hadn’t. He’d won her love and her commitment and he planned to enjoy every last bit of it right now.
Epilogue
“I don’t think that’s right,” Riley said, leaning over and watching Eli work.
“Do I bug you when you’re computer programing?” he asked, putting all his muscle into trying to budge a bolt.
“No, but that’s mainly because I design software,” she said with a laugh.
“Whatever,” he grunted as the bolt finally came free. Unfortunately, with the pressure he’d had on it, he skinned his knuckles against the engine block. “Shit,” he muttered.
“See?” Riley asked. “I told you.”
“Don’t you have paperwork to do?” he asked pointedly.
She filled in and did the books when Shane was out of town and Eli was busy with a lot of cars. Like now.
“Nope,” she said. “I’m all caught up.”
He glanced over his shoulder. There were four other cars that he hadn’t even touched today all seeming to watch him reproachfully.
“Well good for you,” he said sarcastically.
“I am pretty proud of myself,” Riley agreed, grinning at him.
Before he could get irritated with her though, she moved around behind him, wrapped her arms around him and leaned against his back, stretching onto her tiptoes to kiss the back of his neck. That always sent shivers straight down his spine and she knew it.
Eli turned, catching her around the waist and lowering his lips to hers. “I’ve got a lot to do today,” he said against her delicious mouth.
“A break never hurt anybody,” she murmured back.
He slid his hands down her back, cupping her ass and lifting her up so that she could wrap her legs around him. Then he lost himself in their kiss and in the way that she responded to him.
“Could you two do that on your own time?” Shane asked from the door.
“I’m on break,” Eli said, reluctantly setting Riley back onto her feet again. “And I thought you were picking up a car.”
“I was, but the guy rescheduled. Wants me to go out there tomorrow instead. So I came by like a good boss, to help my beleaguered employees and I find them making out in front of the whole garage.”
Eli and Riley looked around at all the emptiness.
“No one else is even here,” Riley pointed out.
“I’m here!” Shane protested.
“Well, we didn’t know that,” Riley replied.
“You would have heard me come in if you hadn’t been making out,” Shane pointed out. “And I brought you people coffee.”
“You were the one who said this was okay,” Eli reminded him, slinging his arm over Riley’s shoulders and pulling her against his side.
“I’m revising my statement. This is only okay in the privacy of your own home.”
Eli grinned. “Come here, I’ve gotta show you something.”
The two of them were going over the restoration plan for the next car the Superbird client had sent their way when he heard Riley’s cell phone ring. He glanced up and saw her face go slightly paler than usual just before she answered the call. Then she walked out of the garage.
Eli wasn’t the suspicious type, or rather he tried hard not to be. He and Riley had been seeing each other for nearly six months and he knew that she cared about him. But she hadn’t said anything about taking things to the next level. She hadn’t even said that they were exclusive, even though he knew she wasn’t seeing anyone else and he sure as hell wasn’t. There wasn’t another woman in the world that made him feel like Riley Harris did.
“What’s up?” Shane asked.
“Huh?”
“You just stopped talking in the middle of a sentence,” Shane pointed out. “One minute we’re regearing a rear end and then we were staring off into space.”
“Sorry,” Eli said quickly, getting back to the plan.
At the end of the day though, it was still playing in the back of his mind. Riley hadn’t said anything to him about the call and that in itself was strange. They were sitting on his back porch and she was glancing down at her phone even now. He saw her tap out a rapid reply to something and then cleared his throat.
“Who called today?”
She stared guiltily. “What?”
“I saw you take a call in the garage.”
“Oh...it was...” Riley sighed. “Eli, can we just not talk about this right now?”
“Why?”
She came over and sat down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. “Because I’m confused and I just want to think it all out before I talk about it.”
Eli sat stiffly. “Are you talking to another guy?” Say no, say no.
She caught her breath. “I...not...exactly.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Look, I said that I didn’t want to talk about this!”
“And I think that I deserve to know if you’re talking to someone else!” Eli shifted Riley off of his lap and stood up. A look at her face told him everything he needed to know. And it hurt more than he’d ever thought it could. “Who is it?”
“It’s not...it’s not like we’re really talking,” Riley said. “Yesterday, Mike sent me a text.”
“Who the hell is...wait. Mike? Your ex, Mike?”
She looked down. “Yes. He said that he wanted to talk because I left so suddenly. We never really got a chance to--”
“You left because he wanted to move another woman into your house,” Eli reminded her. “What do you even have to say to him?”
“I don’t know!” she burst out. “I just...I wanted to know how it all worked out.”
Eli leaned back against the deck railing and crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay. And how’s his life without you in it?”
“He said it didn’t work out with her.”
Eli snorted. “Of course it didn’t.”
“He said that he misses me.”
“Of course he does!” Eli said impatiently. “But that doesn’t tell me a damn thing about how you feel about him.”
“I...I don’t know,” Riley said again. “I said that I didn’t want to talk about this right now, Eli!”
He took a deep breath. “Okay. You don’t have to talk. I’m gonna say my piece since he’s saying his and then leave you to think about it.”
“Eli--”
“Just listen, Riley. Please.”
She nodded and he said, “We’ve been seeing each other for nearly six months and I haven’t pushed you for a damn thing. I’m not going to, either. But I’m gonna say this. I love you, Riley.”
