Taking Shots (Assassins)

by Aleo, Toni

  “Oh, hush,” Elli said with a grin, “I know it’s not true, but when you hear it enough it still messes with you.”

  “I know, babe, but look at you now! You’re so happy! When are you going to bring him to friend night?”

  Elli shrugged her shoulders, and then smiled, “When are you bringing Jakob?”

  Harper grinned big, “Actually, they are going to be home next month for it, so I am bringing him then, thank you very much!”

  Elli grinned, as Harper bounced up and down, “Well, if he hasn’t dumped me, I’ll ask him to come.”

  “He ain't gonna dump you! Come on! He’s totally smitten with you.” Elli smiled at the thought, she was totally smitten too and Harper was right, she needed to talk to Shea.

  She’d do it when she arrived home.

  Home?

  When did Shea’s home become her home?

  Well, hells bells.

  When Elli got to Shea’s condo, talking to him went straight out the window. When she had opened the door and saw the red rose petals all over the floor that made a trail to the kitchen her breath caught. She looked around the room and saw the soft lighting of white candles. Tall candles, short candles on little plates, tea cup candles, and big fat ones that had four wicks to them. They were everywhere. Elli smiled to herself as she locked the door, and laid her bag down.

  “Shea?” she called out as she followed the trail to the kitchen, when she turned the corner and saw the island covered in rose petals with two plate settings, lit only by candle light, she covered her mouth in shock. It was so romantic, so sweet; he had gone through all this for her.

  Shea came from the bedroom, with a shy smile on his face. He was wearing a pair of jeans and black button up shirt, with bare feet. His hair was perfectly messy, and he wasn’t wearing his glasses.

  “I thought you would be later,” he said as he came to her, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her softly.

  “I guess the bride and groom were in a hurry,” Elli said with a grin. She nodded towards the island, “What’s all this?”

  “I can't have dinner waiting for my beautiful girlfriend?”

  Elli narrowed her eyes, with a playful grin, “Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Adler?”

  He let her go to put his hands on his chest with an innocent smile on his face, “Me? Never,” he said before wrapping her up in his arms again, kissing her deeply. She basked in his kisses, holding onto him like her life depended on it. He hugged her back, nuzzling her neck. Shea pulled back some to smile down at her before asking, “Are you hungry?”

  “I am,” she answered, he nodded before letting her go and going to the oven. He pulled out a box of pizza and Elli just giggled.

  “What? I can make sandwiches and soup, after that, its take out and pizza.”

  She just smiled; he was so amazing, “It's fine, pizza is awesome.”

  “True that.” Elli about fell over laughing, he looked at her weird, and then smiled, “What now?”

  “True that? Who says that nowadays?” That made him laugh as he sat the box down before bringing a bottle of wine out of the fridge to the island.

  “You shut up,” he said as he poured her a glass, then himself. “It was a very common phrase from back in the day.”

  “That should be left back in the day, thank you.” He smacked her ass as he came around her to go to his seat. She just grinned up at him as they sat to eat. She noticed that the plate settings were the plates that she had gotten him, and looked over at him confused. “I thought you said you were gonna take ‘em back?”

  He shook his head after taking a bite of his pizza, “Nah, you got them for me, I like them.”

  Elli’s heart warmed as they continued to eat. Elli told him all about the beautiful fall wedding and the cake fiasco, and Shea told her about him working out most of the day with Alex and Jakob, and then playing a little pick up at the arena. She enjoyed their dinner, loved the conversation, and afterwards they did the dishes together. She had missed him so much during the day, and just being with him now made her feel so complete inside.

  “Why don’t you go take a bath. I bet your feet are hurting, babe,” Shea said as he started sweeping up petals.

  “Are you sure? I can help.”

  He shook his head, “I did this for you, go take a bath.”

  “Thanks,” she gushed, kissing his cheek before heading for the bedroom. When she opened the bedroom door, candle light was the only light in there too; there were white petals all over the bed, and another trail leading to the bathroom. In the bathroom were more candles, with soft music playing and a tray of bath beads and salts beside the tub. Elli noticed that all the scents were mango, her favorite, and she had to smile. He was so thoughtful. She undressed quickly as the water ran, filling the beautiful claw foot tub. After submerging herself in the hot bathwater that smelled like mangos, she thought to herself:

  Life couldn’t get any better.

  That was until she came out the bathroom and her hot boyfriend was laying in his boxers across the bed. Shea grinned up at her, turning the TV off and pushing something on the remote that started the iHome on the dresser. She smiled, crawling onto the bed, beside him as Powerful Stuff played, filling the room with the sexy music that they had first danced to.

  “Oh, you are laying it on thick, Mr. Adler.” Shea laughed, cuddling up beside her.

  “Is it working?”

  “Maybe,” she giggled as he nuzzled her neck, kissing and licking as he made it to her shoulder, where he bit softly. “Mm,” she gasped as he came back to her mouth, his body covering hers.

  Shit, this was some powerful stuff, she thought as his hands roamed her body. They continued to make out until Just as Kiss started. Elli pulled back, looking into his eyes, running her hand down his jaw. This was their song, and she just wanted to look at him. As the female’s voice filled the room, Elli wanted nothing more than to sing the words to Shea, and when the guy started singing and Shea’s lips moved along with the words, Elli swore she couldn’t breathe.

  “This is our song,” Elli whispered, he smiled, kissing her forehead before nodding.

  “I agree.”

  “But I’m still not ready to have sex.” His smiled stayed on his face as he nodded.

  “That’s fine, baby.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I-” he stopped, then closed his eyes before dropping his head to her chest taking a deep breath, when he brought his head back up to look down at her, he looked nervous. “I’m sure.”

  For some reason, Elli didn’t think that was what he was gonna say.

  As Shea watched Elli leave Monday morning for work, he still couldn’t believe he'd almost told her he loved her. He had missed her all day Saturday, and then after their dinner and just being with her, he really couldn’t blame himself for wanting to tell her, but he couldn’t. Shea was not scared of much, but the thought of Elli rejecting his love or telling him that she didn’t love him. Hell, he was pretty sure it would crush him. So he might as well push them feelings way down, wait it out, wait for her to say it.

  Like always when things were bothering him, after showering and cleaning up some from the movie day they had had yesterday, he headed over to Grace’s. It was as if she knew he was coming because she was laying out a big breakfast when he walked in. Grace smiled when she saw him as she laid Amelia’s plate down.

  “Hey, how’s your collarbone? I saw that hit,” she said, kissing his cheek before going around him to lay Ryan’s plate down.

  “It's good, sorry I didn’t call this weekend.”

  “Ah, no big deal, I know how it is when someone new comes along and gets all your time. I did it to you with James.”

  “You did,” Shea agreed sitting down next to Ryan. Ryan was shoveling food in his mouth, not even paying attention to Shea. “What’s up with him?”

  “He’s mad at me because I won’t let him play hockey with the big kids in the street.”

  “I am bett
er than they are!” Ryan yelled, and Grace cut him a look that shut him up quickly. It even scared Shea a little.

  “I don’t care, now eat your food and return to your room.” Grace stomped off towards the kitchen, leaving Shea with the kids.

  “Why do you have to go back to your room?”

  “I said I wanted to come live with you.”

  “Man, Ryan! Don’t bring me in this!” Ryan gave Shea a goofy smile before finishing his food right as Grace came back to the table. He excused himself and ran off to his room.

  “Sorry I’m cooler than you,” Shea teased when he heard Ryan’s door shut.

  “Shut the hell up,” Grace basically growled as she fed Amelia some more eggs. Shea chuckled. “So what brings you by?”

  “Just wanted to see you before I head to the arena for practice. You guys coming to the game tomorrow?”

  “We are. Ryan doesn’t miss home games.”

  “So he’ll be off grounding tomorrow?”

  “Probably.”

  “Cool.”

  “So are you sure your shoulder is okay?”

  “Yeah, no big deal, just a deep cut.”

  “Good. I was worried when I saw it.”

  “I’m fine, sis.” Grace gave him a big smile and started eating herself. “James at work?”

  “Yup, he left early.”

  “Thought so.”

  “How’s Elli?”

  “Fine, she spent the weekend with me. I think she might come back tonight, I’m not sure.”

  “That’s good, so everything’s solid?”

  “Yeah,” he said with a shy grin, “I almost told her I loved her the other night.”

  Grace dropped her fork and shook her head, “It blows my mind, Shea. I mean you guys together is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but first you drop the girlfriend bomb on me, and then I see you guys together and it’s so surreal, the sparks fly when your near each other.”

  “I love her.”

  “Good, I want you to Shea. I love her too, but it’s only been a month, she’s skittish, let it be for a little bit.”

  Shea thought for a moment, “You don’t think she loves me?”

  Grace shrugged her shoulder, moving around her eggs, “I don’t know, she likes you a lot that’s for damn sure, but I don’t share a connection with her the way I do with you, so I don’t know, bro.”

  “Sometimes I think she does, but I don’t know if its wishful thinking.”

  “Just wait, don’t tell her yet.”

  “Okay,” he said before he started eating. They ate in silence before he looked up at her and said “I’m meeting her family the week before the first road trip.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Good, will she meet mom and dad when they come in for the first home came in November?”

  “She said she will as long as we’re still together.”

  Grace made a face, looking up at him, “Why wouldn’t you guys be together?”

  “She convinced that when I meet her family, I’ll dump her.”

  “Oh, no, are they scary?” Shea laughed, while she grinned.

  “She thinks so.”

  Grace nodded before picking up their plates and Amelia’s to take them over to the sink, “Are you nervous about meeting them?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Have you ever met parents?”

  “No.”

  “Oh, well good luck with that.”

  What the hell did that mean?

  Chapter 14

  “And why did I have to come in to cover you this morning?” Harper said with a teasing grin when Elli came in two hours late, two weeks later. Elli had sent a text to Harper the night before asking her to cover for her since she had a morning of shoots and her OBGYN was only able to see her first thing in the morning or she would have to wait five weeks before she was able to be seen, so she did the logical thing which was call Harper. “Did you have to go get some Xanax since tonight is the night?”

  Elli stood there for a moment. Hell, instead of getting birth control, she should have went and gotten Xanax instead. Her damn nerves were shot to hell. “Why didn’t I think of that?” she asked throwing her arms up in the air. Harper giggled as Elli came around the desk, looking at the appointment book. She was book until three then she would be closing shop since she needed to go home, get ready for when Shea would come get her at six for dinner at her family’s house at seven. Something she was not looking forward to.

  “So where were you?”

  “Doctors,” Elli answered simply as she turned from the desk and headed for her office. Of course, Harper followed. Elli threw her purse on the couch, and sat behind her desk turning on her computer.

  “Why did you go to the doctors? You okay?” Elli looked up at Harper; she was sitting in one of the teal chairs in front of the desk, her legs pulled up so she could rest her head on her knees. Her hair was still her natural color, brown, had been since her and Jakob had started dating for real. It was weird.

  “I’m fine, Harp,” Elli said to reassure her as she typed in her password, “I needed a check up, and I got…birth control.”

  Harper was out of the chair, jumping up and down before Elli even had ”control” of out her mouth. “So y’all are gonna do it!”

  “I don’t know! Gosh! I just want to be prepared for when we do.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t be able to last much longer! He’s too damn hot!”

  Elli flashed a playful glare at Harper and just shook her head, Harper was right. Getting into bed with Shea and not doing the deed was getting harder and harder every time, and since Elli stayed the night with Shea five nights out of the week when he was in town, there was a whole bunch of sexual tension between them. Elli was so ready to tear off her clothes that her insecurities were the last thing on her mind. But then knowing that she had that dinner tonight with her family would stop her, and she would remember that more than likely tonight would be her last night with Shea since she still hadn’t talked to him about Justin or her past.

  “Yeah, well I might have wasted my time with the appointment,” Elli said with a huff as she got out of the chair, and went to her shelf for her camera, her ten thirty would be arriving any minute.

  “Everything will be fine tonight, Elli. I tell you what, I feel that Shea is real, that he will see right through them, you have nothing to worry about. I mean it’s not like you’ve lied to him.”

  Elli cringed, had she been lying to him? Was not telling him something, lying? Shit. Elli gave Harper a weak smile as the bell chimed in the front office, her appointment was right on time. As Elli walked to the front, all she kept thinking was that she hoped Harper was right.

  Elli bit her lip as she stood in front of her mirror in the bathroom, looking herself over. The high waist black skirt she chose to go with her white blouse that had black polka dots on it with her red belt and heels looked great, but were they good enough so that her mother would leave her alone about the extra six pounds she had put on since dating Shea.

  “Shit on a shingle,” she said with a huff as she checked the time again, Shea would be there in fifteen minutes, so she hurried to the bathroom checking on her hair. Elli had pulled it up in a cute little up do with a red blossom on the side. She looked like something straight out of a 50s pin up girl calendar. She had loved the outfit when she set eyes on it, and even though it set her back a pretty penny, she had to have it. She smiled at herself, knowing Shea would love it, but then the smile fell because she knew her mom would see the extra weight instantly.

  Damn Shea and his metabolism. The man could eat a whole cheesecake and not gain a pound. Elli looks at it and even though she runs the next day, she still gains a pound! It was so damn frustrating, even more so when Shea would push her to eat with him and when she would make a comment about her weight, he would tell her she is perfect and stuff the ice cream down her throat. He just didn’t understand! Bless his heart, but still!

 
Adler trotted behind Elli as she moved around the house, transferring all her crap from her big pink purse to her small black one. Adler whined and Elli bent down to kiss his furry head. She had felt so bad since she hadn’t been home lately, so when she was home, she loved on him a lot more to make up for it.

  “Wanna go out boy? Before I leave?” Adler took off at the word “out.” Elli laughed as she followed him to the door, letting him out and walking out onto the porch just as Shea pulled up. He grinned at her as he got out, and she smiled back, checking him out. He came dressed to impress. He was wearing a nice tailored black suit, with a black shirt and light blue tie and, of course, those damn chucks.

  “I swear, Shea, your chucks kill me every time.” Shea chuckled as he looked down at his shoes then back up, he wasn’t wearing his glasses, so his eyes were extra bright and blue, it might have been the tie that made them shine or maybe it was her?

  “Hey, what would you have me wear? Cowboy boots?” Elli giggled at that.

  Shea in cowboy boots!

  “Lord no, even though I would pay to see that,” she said as he came up the stairs, wrapping his arms around her, kissing her lightly on the lips.

  “You look fantastic baby.” She smiled shyly, kissing him again.

  “So do you.”

  Adler decided that it was his turn for Shea’s attention and started barking as he scratched at Shea’s leg. Shea laughed, bending down to love on Adler.

  “Hey bud, how you doing?” Adler basked in the love, drooling all over the place as he basically laid out on the porch for Shea to pet his tummy.

  “Shea, you’re getting hair all over your suit.”

  “It’ll brush off,” he said with a grin for her, and then he looked back down at Adler “Right boy, it’s just some hair.”

  Elli just grinned as Shea loved all over her puppy. He was such an amazing man. Shea smiled up at her again, before saying “We should come back and get him, since you’re staying the weekend with me.”