by Lexy Timms
The question surprised her. Not because he had the audacity to ask, but because she didn’t have an answer. “I guess I always thought of New York as home.”
Elijah stopped at a red light. He reached for her hand and in the kindest voice, said, “But you haven’t lived there in how many years? Would you ever consider moving back?”
The light turned green and his hand left hers to return to the steering wheel. He turned into the parking area of a large, gorgeous brownish-orange hotel marked Island Vista. Charity tried to enjoy the view from the front window but her mind kept repeating his question. Would she ever move back? Would she? Was she the kind of person to give up her job for a boy? She had never thought of herself as that kind of person. Was Elijah asking her to come to New York and give their relationship a shot? Did he want something more? She inhaled and forced the air out of her nose. He knew she had signed the two-year contract with Atlanta. Yes, she was ahead of schedule but it would still be at least a year before she finished. He had no right to ask her to give up her job. Was he even asking that? Suddenly the car felt too stuffy. She unclicked her seatbelt and jumped out as soon as Elijah put the car in park.
Warm, slightly salty air filled her nostrils. The humidity was already sticky. It was unusually warm for the beginning of March. At least it felt like it. Maybe she was the one who had grown warm and sticky. She walked around to the back of the car and waited for Elijah to pop the trunk.
He came around and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go get something to eat. We can check in after.” He pointed at his stomach. “I’m starving now and a little worried my stomach’s going to growl louder than yours. I’ll be so embarrassed if that happens.”
She smiled. He wasn’t going to push the question and she had no problem with that.
“The restaurant looked amazing on the internet. Let’s go find out if the food is as good as the pictures.”
Hand in hand they walked into the lush hotel and found the restaurant. Elijah picked a booth and sat across from her, peering over the large menu at her. They both settled on the breakfast special.
“What do you want to do today?” she asked him after the waitress left with their orders.
He grinned slyly. “Well, we are at a hotel…”
She ran her tongue across her lips without thinking about it. She saw his eyes follow. “And after that?”
“Have dinner?” He reached for the menu. “Should I order something now and see if they can deliver it to our room?”
“We don’t even have a room yet!”
“True.” He slipped the menu under his shirt. “I’ll just sneak this out so we can look through it later. When, you know, we come up for air.” He winked at her.
“You can’t sneak that out without getting caught. You’ll end up being arrested and spending the weekend in jail. I’ll have the car and hotel all to myself then…”
He set the menu back on the table. “You wouldn’t bail me out?”
“Do you have a get out of jail free card?”
He shook his head.
“Well, you’re feeding me breakfast and telling me I won’t get any more food until dinner time.” She shrugged, hoping the corners of her mouth weren’t twitching as she teased him. “I’m having a hard time deciding if I’d vouch for you.”
“Did you bring your bathing suit?” When she nodded he blew a short breath out. “If I can manage to keep my hands off you, we could hit the beach. I just keep picturing that incredibly, hot sexy body of yours in a bikini…” He gave a low whistle. “I’m not sure I can share that with strangers.”
She thought of his body and knew she definitely didn’t want to share it with anyone. She looked over his shoulder at the waitress carrying their food. She spoke low so nobody else would hear her but Elijah. “Be ready to scarf that food down. I want to test out the springs in our mattress.”
The desire on his face equalled her own.
Chapter 14
They finished breakfast and checked into the hotel in less than twenty minutes. As they both jogged back to the car to grab their bags, Elijah joked, “Isn’t there a saying about waiting thirty minutes after you eat?”
“That’s only for swimming.” She waved her hand and threw her bag over her shoulder. “If you get a cramp, I’m pretty sure I can make it go away.”
Elijah didn’t need any more encouragement. He grabbed her hand and raced them back inside. “We’re on the fourth floor. Let’s take the stairs.” He pushed the stairwell’s fire door open and Charity ducked under his arm, rushing past him and taking the stairs two at a time.
They were out of breath from laughing by the time they reached the fourth floor. As luck would have it, their room was the first one they passed.
Elijah unlocked the room and threw his bag inside without looking. He held the door open for her and grabbed her derriere as she passed him. The room had a stunning view of the ocean and beach with a spectacular living room area. Charity had a feeling the bedroom had the same stunning view. The tinted windows were a pretty good clue that they could see out but people on the beach wouldn’t be able to see in. She stepped over his bag and laughed. “I’m not picking that up for you.”
He hopped over it and wrapped his arms around her. “I wouldn’t think of it.” He kissed her hard. “I have no idea… what you do to me…” he said between kisses. “You create this fire inside –”
She pressed her finger to his lips and didn’t let him finish. “I know,” she whispered, pulling him toward the bedroom. She kissed him and gently pushed him onto the beautiful canopy king-size bed. She fell with him and straddled him, loving the sensation of his body rubbing between her legs. Her thin skirt offered little resistance and sent shocking thrills inside her. “Give me a moment to freshen up.”
“You don’t need it.” He pulled her back to his chest when she sat up.
“I just ate a massive egg breakfast. I need to brush my teeth.”
“Who cares? I ate the same thing.” He reached for her again.
She playfully swatted his hands away. “Then you need to brush yours as well.”
He groaned. “Fine. If I’m going to brush my teeth, I’m jumping in the shower as well.” He grabbed her arm and playfully pulled her toward the bathroom. “Why don’t you come with me?”
Charity resisted but with little force. The bathroom had a Jacuzzi tub and a gorgeous large shower. When Elijah began opening the glass door, she began fighting harder out of his grasp. “There is no way you are tossing me in there, clothes on.” She giggled despite the sound of rushing water spraying behind her.
They wrestled back and forth. Charity realized she was going in. She couldn’t get past him no matter how hard she play-fought against him. With both hands, she reached for his shirt and stepped back hard, forcing him along with her.
Water sprayed across the side of her head and over her chest. She fell back against the wall and burst into laughter when Elijah hit the shower’s spray of water head on; right in his face, and clothes. She held his shirt as tight as she could and he was stuck. The door swung shut and he had nowhere to go. In a matter of seconds he was completely soaked by the power jet stream.
He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. His wet shirt clung to him but he made no effort to turn the water off. Instead, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, letting the water wash over his face.
A flush of heat filled Charity. She tugged on his shirt and he willingly stepped toward her, his eyes focussed on her lips. He brought his down against hers in one crushing motion and kissed her hard.
The warm water seemed to intensify the heat inside of her. Charity tugged at his shirt, eager to run her hands over his wet chest and back. They struggled a moment with each other’s tops, which clung to their skin. Elijah dropped them on the ground and kicked them in the corner so they wouldn’t block the drain. His fingers traced down the strap of her bra and then over the cup of her breast.
Her breathing quickened and she kne
w it sounded like she was panting. She didn’t care. All she felt was the primal need to be as physically close to him as possible. She wanted him inside of her, hard and throbbing. Part of her couldn’t believe the wanton woman inside and the other part told her to shut up and focus on where Elijah’s lips and tongue were burning a trail of desire down her chest and stomach.
He licked her belly button and she giggled, her hands automatically placing themselves strategically by his ears. He knelt down and with swift fingers pulled down her skirt, keeping her thong perfectly in place. Her eyes closed tight and her head fell back to lean against the wall. He kissed her tattoo and she moaned when she didn’t feel his hot breath pressed against her again. She glanced down at him through slightly open eyes. Water continued to splash and tease her skin.
Elijah’s eyes travelled hungrily up and down her body. His teeth bit into his lower lip as he admired her.
Her fingers still against his skull, she pulled him toward her so he would use his mouth again. She couldn’t believe her boldness, but the desire deep inside her belly controlled her actions.
Elijah did not resist. His lips brushed against the thin black lace material of her thong and she cried out in pleasure. His right hand ran down her thigh and pressed against the back of her knee. Effortlessly he lifted her leg, giving him deeper access to her heated center.
She gasped when his tongue ran over the thin material of her wet thong and against her own wetness. She thought: I’m going to die. Right here, right now. If he doesn’t come inside of me now, I’m going to die.
Elijah pulled her thong to the side with his free hand and pressed his tongue inside of her. When he began licking and sucking her, she could only focus on the flicking of his tongue against her.
She came quickly, her stomach tightening and trembling as he pressed his finger inside of her and continued working magic with his tongue. Slowly coming back down from the high of her climax, she realized her hands had curled into fists grabbing his hair and she forced his head tight against her. She quickly dropped her hands and ran them over his shoulders.
Elijah stood and let the water cascade over his face. At the same time he gently let her leg back down and struggled a moment to get out of his pants.
His erection stood full as his black boxer-briefs slid down his legs. He stepped out of his clothes and kicked them over to the side as well. His hands came around her hips and lifted her.
The full length of him entered her easily as he lowered her tight against him. She wrapped her legs around him and clasped her ankles tightly together. He grunted as he struggled to hold her and his desire so firmly tucked deep inside her.
The water didn’t provide any help. In movies everything looked romantic and perfect. Here, her ankles kept slipping apart and the slate wall of the shower offered absolutely zero support. She tried pressing her forearms on the top of Elijah’s shoulders for support but her boney elbows dug and slipped against his muscles.
In one swift motion he pulled out, set her down, and flipped her around as his arm wrapped around her lower stomach and hips. The pressure bent her forward a little. He lifted her slightly the moment her hands touched the wall to steady her. She panted as he entered her again, sliding in and pressing far inside her.
His one hand rested against her buttocks, his nails gripping into her skin as his fingers curled. Charity rotated her hips to allow him deeper access into her core. She moved against him, faster and harder as she tried to sedate the burning need inside of her. Her back arched and Elijah swore under his breath as his rhythmic motion moved at a galloping speed. He thrust himself deep into her and shuddered as he fell against her, nuzzling his face into her wet hair and neck.
They stood tied together as the water fell and their hearts returned to their normal beating. She turned around slowly and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders as his found their way around her hips. He jerked her tight into him and she felt him grin against her neck as he kissed it. “I don’t think I could ever get tired of this.” He turned them so the hot water cascaded down her back.
She dropped her head to give him more access to her neck and the water fell against her scalp, pushing her hair back with its wet weight.
Elijah took the movement as an invitation to play with her breasts. With one arm he held her waist and the other moved so his hand could hold her breast, strategically placing the nipple within tongue’s reach of his mouth. He wrapped his lips around it, his tongue flickering back and forth over it before he pursed his lips and sucked hard.
Charity’s mouth fell open as she tried to remember to breathe. She reached for the wall behind her for support and brushed the handle. Cold water cascaded down her back and she jumped to the side to avoid it as she cried out.
Elijah got the full brunt of the cold water on his face and chest. He stepped back in surprise.
Chapter 15
Charity laughed. “I honestly did not do that on purpose.” The gleam in his eye warned her to get out of the two-person shower fast. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her as she raced to the bedroom.
Elijah wasn’t far behind. He ended up on one side of the king bed, her on the other, ready to run to the living room or over the bed if he moved toward her. Holding his towel with one hand, he raised the other in mock surrender. “Truce?”
She watched water run down his face from his wet hair and ached to reach out and wipe it. “Truce.”
The big sliding glass door behind Elijah gave her a glimpse of the beach and ocean. The air looked cool and by the size of the waves, the wind had a good gust to it, but the sun was shining. “Want to go outside?” she asked him. “We could go for a walk on the beach or head out to the boardwalk.”
“Boardwalk?”
“If I remember right, there’s an aquarium and all these little shops and restaurants around water. There’s huge catfish we can feed. Or… we can just stay here too.” She grinned slyly, tugging her towel so it loosened. She caught it just before it slipped down. “What do you want to do?”
Elijah stared hungrily at her and then slowly tore his eyes away and glanced behind him out the window. He walked around the bed and wrapped his arms around her hips so his hand could rest on her behind. “I planned this as a date weekend. I guess if we spend the whole time inside the hotel room it kind of makes it a wasted weekend. We could do that in New York or Atlanta anytime. So as much as my body wants to lie in this bed with you, my head’s telling me to take you outside.”
She kissed him and wiped a trickle of water from his eyebrow. “Maybe a walk on the beach?” That way, they had quick access back to their room. They could do the boardwalk tomorrow.
They dressed and headed down to the beach. They cut through the pool area of the hotel. Elijah squeezed her hand as they passed a steaming hot tub. “We can come down here later.”
She laughed. “Just remember there are camera’s here, so no funny business.”
He cocked an eyebrow, “Funny business? Could you enlighten me?”
She tugged his arm. “Come on. Let’s see if the wind outside can cool us off.”
They headed down the beach and walked in comfortable silence for a while. Charity had to touch Elijah. She couldn’t believe they were actually here together. She’d hold his hand or if he stopped to pick up a stone to toss back into the ocean, she would lean his way so their hips brushed. He did the same. She had never felt a connection or raw desire with anyone before. It thrilled her, but at the same time scared her.
“The beach here is different than back home,” Elijah commented.
“The view’s a lot better from your mom’s place.” Charity tried to tuck a blowing chunk of hair behind her ear but it managed to break free a second later.
“It’s the reefs and we’ve got a bit of a bay which helps block windy days like these.” Elijah stuck his hands in his pockets. “By the way, it’s my place now.”
“Pardon?”
“My mom wants to stay at the house till
after Christmas next year, but then she wants to move. My Dad left the place to me in his will. My mother knew about it. They both agreed that if something happened to either of them they would leave the house to me. She wants something a bit smaller now.”
A bit smaller? Charity stared at him in surprise. “What are you going to do?”
He shrugged and grabbed her hand to keep walking. “I haven’t really thought about it. I mean, I have to take care of the business end of the house and I signed all the papers when I was down there but I didn’t really think I needed to worry about it when I was home. My mom said she didn’t want to move back then and I was fine with that. It’s her house for as long as she wants it. I just didn’t think she would actually want to move so soon.”
Charity thought the same thing. The woman didn’t seem like she would want to leave that castle of a mansion.
He sighed. “I love my job here. My life is here now. You’re here.” He pulled her closer to him and let go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. “I guess I’ll have to sell the house. There’s no sense in keeping it if no one’s going to live in it. It’s not like I can keep it as a summer home.”
She giggled. “Sorry, it’s not funny but that place is a castle and your house now is…”
“Pretty tiny in comparison?”
“It’s still big.”
“Yeah, but everything is tiny compared to that fortress in New Zealand.”
“Maybe we should introduce your mom to my Dad. We could ship him off to stay with her. He is retiring… eventually.”
“You want to punish your dad?”
“No, just your mom.”
He laughed. “You’re terrible,” he joked. “But it’s not a bad idea. I bet the two of them would actually get along better than we would think.”
“Maybe. Or they’d tear each other apart.”
