by Kennedy Fox
“Speaking of which, take these.” He hands me a couple of white pills. “Waffles are almost done.”
“Thank you,” I softly say, then swallow them down with my juice. “How are you not hungover this morning?”
He shrugs. “I’m twice your size. I can tolerate more.”
“Next time we play your stupid game, I’m drinking vodka.”
“You’ll be puking for sure. Ryan told me it doesn’t agree with you.”
“Ryan is a fucking tattletale.” I roll my eyes. “And he shouldn’t talk.”
“That’s true. Ryan doesn’t drink enough to be able to handle more than a few beers at a time.”
I slap a hand against the table. “Exactly, thank you!”
Eli brings our plates over along with the butter, syrup, a can of Reddi-wip, and silverware.
“You ready for the best breakfast of your life?” he gloats.
“What’s in these?” I ask, poking at one.
“Chocolate chips.”
“That’s a lot of carbs in the morning.”
“You won’t be worried about that once you take a bite.” I watch as he slathers his toppings on. “Don’t forget the whipped cream.”
“I’m literally going to go into a sugar coma,” I say as I add everything on top of mine.
The timer on the oven goes off, and he returns to the kitchen. Moments later, he returns with a plate full of bacon.
“You made enough for an army, geez.”
“I made extra for BLTs later.”
Good thing I packed leggings and yoga pants because there’s no way my skinny jeans will fit after eating Eli’s delicious meals.
“So? Thoughts?”
“I like it! I can’t remember the last time I had waffles.”
“Seriously?”
I shrug. “I live off smoothies and salads. Paparazzi, remember?”
“Fuck the paps. For real. Who cares?”
“I’m starting to wonder why I did so much,” I state honestly. “But when I’m unable to fit into my clothes, you have to stop cooking this junk.”
Eli snorts, shaking his head and stuffing more food into his mouth. “You have a home gym, so I wouldn’t worry too much. I used it this morning. We could work out together,” he suggests.
“What time were you down there?”
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went around one.”
“Oh damn.” I blink. “Why couldn’t you sleep?”
“Too much on my mind, I guess. Couldn’t turn it off.”
I nod. “I know how that feels. Especially now. My anxiety is the highest it’s ever been, which is crazy, considering my life.”
“I hear pot helps with that.” He smirks. “Just sayin’.”
“You know…” I bite down on my lower lip. “One day, I might take you up on that. Especially if I can’t get it under control.”
“I only do it when I need it.”
“I wasn’t judging you,” I whisper. “I’m always worried about—”
“The media,” he finishes for me. “I know.”
Nodding, I take another forkful and swallow it down. “This really is delicious. Thanks for an amazing breakfast again.”
“My pleasure. It’s nice cooking for more than just me for a change.”
“Maybe I’ll try making something for you, but don’t have high hopes. It’ll be something easy.”
“Like what? Cereal?”
I scoff, shaking my head at him. “Nothing with that attitude.”
He laughs, shoving two pieces of bacon into his mouth.
“I have been craving grilled cheese and soup. Is that weird?”
“That sounds fucking amazing actually.” He pats his bare stomach. “Think you can do that for lunch?” Eli pops a brow.
“No!” I chuckle. “Don’t expect anything from me today.”
“Okay, fair enough.” He snaps his fingers with a wicked grin. “Tomorrow then.”
I groan as he stands and takes his plate to the sink. “I’m gonna see if I can find a ladder and some batteries for that detector.”
“Okay, good luck. I have no idea where either would be.”
Eli smiles. “That’s why I didn’t ask.”
He takes off as I continue eating. Bruno stares at me from the floor, giving me puppy eyes. “What?”
Bruno sits up and edges closer.
“I’m not giving you anything.”
He blinks, licks his chops, then nudges his nose against my hand. Groaning, I pet his adorable head. “Fine, but don’t tell your daddy. He’d probably yell at me. It’ll be our little secret.”
I take a piece of bacon and give it to him. He gobbles it up in one bite, then begs for more.
“No more!” I stand with my plate and bring it into the kitchen. Looking around at the mess, I decide to help the best I can and rinse off all the dirty dishes. I even manage to load everything into the dishwasher and find the detergent under the sink. There are a dozen buttons, so I press a couple and hope it’s right.
At least ten minutes have passed, and I’m growing concerned that Eli hasn’t returned yet. I decide to look for him, and Bruno accompanies me. There’s probably a ladder in the garage, so I head there first. I open the door and glance around, then see Eli on his knees with his hands to his chest. He’s wheezing like he can’t breathe, and his lips are blue.
“Oh my God, Eli.” I panic and rush to him. “What’s happening?”
He pats his chest, then bows down, sucking in air. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s having an anxiety attack, but then he leans back, and mouths, “Inhaler.”
“Inhaler?”
He nods, and my eyes widen in shock. “You have asthma?”
He nods again, and I can’t believe I didn’t know this about him.
“Okay, inhaler. In your room?”
He confirms, and I quickly run out of the garage, then jump up the stairs. Rushing into his room, I realize I have no idea where to look. I start in the bathroom, rummaging through the drawers and cabinets. When I come up empty, I go to his nightstand. Scattering his shit everywhere, I frantically look for it.
Spinning around, I panic as I try to figure out where he keeps it. I go to his desk and finally find it next to his laptop.
“Thank God,” I mutter, then rush back to the garage.
He’s in the same spot I left him, and he’s bent over, taking in shallow breaths. Bruno’s lying next to him as if he knows how to comfort Elijah during his attacks.
“Sorry, it took me forever to find it.” I hand it over, and he quickly presses the top and sucks in the medicine. I watch eagerly for him to recover. He takes a few more puffs, and after a moment, he starts breathing regularly.
“Are you okay?”
He nods, blowing out a breath. “That was a bad one.”
“How did I not realize you had asthma?”
“It’s not something I’ve broadcasted.” He gets to his feet. “Don’t feel bad.”
“What triggers them?”
He winces, and I step back. “What is it?”
“It’s a little painful. My chest and lungs feel sore afterward, but I’ll be okay. It’ll pass.”
I fidget with my shirt, feeling helpless and wishing I could do something to make him better.
“I think it was the dust,” he states after a moment. “I found the batteries and came in here to get the ladder.”
“Well, let me change them out. I’m sure I can figure it out.”
He flashes me a wary look.
“What? I can. Just talk me through what to do.”
“Okay, well. You gotta carry that ladder inside the house. Think you can do that?”
I look up at the wall where it’s hanging. It’s at least eight feet, and there’s no way I’m gonna be able to lift it on my own. “Oh, definitely.”
Eli chuckles and backs away. “I’ll put on a mask and get it. Don’t worry.”
“Hey.” I grab his arm and move him toward the door. �
�I can totally do it.”
His eyes lower to my hand, and he smirks. “Alright, be my guest.”
Chapter Ten
ELIJAH
Watching Cami struggle to carry the ladder is comical. She’s about to take out the dining room chandelier, and no matter how many times I offer to help, she insists she’s got it.
I direct her to a spot in the living room where we should check first, but honestly, it could be any one of the smoke detectors. It’s too high to actually know until you’re closer to it.
“Alright, here is good.” I grab one side of the ladder and set it on the floor. “You climbing up or am I?”
“Nope, you stay right there. I’m doing this.”
Digging into my pocket, I grab a battery and hand it to her. “Okay, here you go.”
Once the ladder is secure, I hold the other side and watch as she carefully climbs it. Her face pales the higher she goes. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?” I ask.
“No. Well, maybe a little.”
I snort, chuckling. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.”
“That’s very reassuring when I can hear you laughing.” She makes it to the second to the top step and reaches the smoke detector. I instruct her on how to remove the old battery.
“Now make sure the positive and negative are lined up correctly.”
“Okay, I’m not that stupid,” she retorts.
“I’m just trying to be helpful,” I say, moving to the other side so I can get a better look. “But if it’s wrong, you’ll have to go back up and fix it.”
She sighs loudly. “Fine. I’ll double-check.”
Once she snaps it in and secures the cover, I tell her to hold the test button until it beeps. “You did it.”
“You doubted me?” she taunts, slowly climbing down. I hold the sides of the ladder even as her ass brushes against me.
“I’d never,” I tease, but it’s hard to concentrate with her this close.
“I think you can let go now. I can’t hurt myself falling from one foot off the ground,” she states as my chest presses against her back.
Releasing my grip, I step away, giving her space. “Good job,” I tell her when she spins around and faces me. “Only ten more to go.”
Her proud expression drops. “Are you serious?”
I grin. “Nah, you got the right one.”
She smacks me, and when I cough, her eyes go wide, and she covers her mouth. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry. I forgot already.”
My chest still feels a little tight, and not getting enough oxygen exhausts me, but she’s been a good distraction.
I haven’t had an attack of that magnitude in months, and it’s a good thing we never did smoke since there’s always a chance that can trigger an attack. I was caught off guard, but I should’ve known better. The garage hasn’t been used in who knows how long, other than Cami parking her Range Rover in there, and there was dust everywhere. As soon as I moved shit around, it triggered my asthma. I typically only need my inhaler when I work out too hard or during allergy season, but I’m thankful she was here to get it for me. Her springing to action and being so concerned made me realize she cares about me more than she lets on.
“You’re fine, but maybe don’t beat me up right after I can breathe again.”
She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Now you’re just trying to make me feel bad.”
“I’d never.” I retreat, putting space between us.
“Mm-hmm. Well, it’s not gonna work anyway.” She takes a step toward me.
Folding my arms over my chest, I step forward. “Don’t want your pity anyway, never have.”
“Do you have to argue with me on everything?” She closes the gap between us until our bodies press together.
Leaning down, I retort, “Do you have to argue with me on everything?”
She narrows her eyes. “Just for that, you can haul that ladder back into the garage on your own.”
Smirking, I laugh as she walks around me, and Bruno follows her. Damn dog has already abandoned me for her. Not that I can blame him. She’s feisty and somehow even more pretty when she’s annoyed. It’s probably why I’ve always enjoyed pressing her buttons so much. Not to mention, it’s so easy to get a rise out of her.
Once I get the ladder back in the garage, I head to the kitchen to clean the mess from breakfast and realize she already did it. I see she even figured out the dishwasher.
Well, that’s progress.
I head to my room and take a shower, needing to check in with the office. My supervisor has been blowing up my phone all morning, but I’ve been ignoring him. Not that I ever thought it was possible, but he’s somehow been more annoying than usual. I’ve told him as such, too, which of course he didn’t appreciate, but he seriously needs to chill. People aren’t spending money unless it’s essential, so sales are down company-wide.
By the afternoon, I’m exhausted from staring at my laptop screen, and my stomach is grumbling from hunger, so I get up to go find something to eat. When I get downstairs, I see Bruno has betrayed me and is on the couch with Cami. I’m surprised she’s down here, considering how she was feeling this morning. I figured she’d be sleeping or attempting schoolwork.
She continues messing with her phone, so she either doesn’t hear me or she’s ignoring me. Tiptoeing closer, I look over the sofa and notice she’s on TikTok.
Leaning down until I’m in the camera frame, I smirk. “Whatcha doing?”
“Jesus, Eli!” She jumps and quickly spins around. “Stop doing that!”
“Are you making a video?” I ask with amusement. “Can I see it?”
“No, you can’t. Go away.”
“Oh, come on. I wanna see.”
“No!”
Reaching over, I try to grab it from her hand, but she moves away.
“Stop!” She laughs when I climb over the couch and land on top of her. She holds it up above her head, trying to keep it out of my reach.
“What’re you hiding? Why can’t I watch it?”
“Because it’s just a dumb skit, and you’ll laugh at me.”
“Now I definitely wanna see it.” I grin. She shuffles underneath me, and I hold myself up with one hand so I don’t crush her.
“Never gonna happen!”
I bring my fingers under her arm and tickle her side. “Oh my God!” She wiggles long enough for me to grab the phone from her grip, and she screams. “No!”
Laughing, I pull back until I get a better view of her screen. With one arm, I hold her back as she struggles to fight against me.
Cami sucker punches me in the gut, causing me to lean forward. She tries swiping it, but I’m faster and move it out of reach.
“Nice try,” I say. “You can’t hurt steel.”
She rolls her eyes at the reference to my abs. “So I should aim lower?”
“God, no. Don’t do that.” Especially since she’s underneath me and my mind is going fucking wild with ideas.
“Give it back and no one gets hurt.”
“Just let me see it. How bad can it be?”
She pushes herself up, trying once again to take it, but I pull back just far enough so she can’t. With my other hand, I grab her wrist and hold it above her head. Towering over her, I bring my face close to hers.
“The more you fight it, the more I want it.” My cock throbs in agreement.
There’s a fire behind her eyes as we stare at each other. She brings a hand around my neck and pulls me closer until our mouths connect. My body stiffens for a moment, but when she slides her tongue between my lips, I instantly relax. Cami’s legs wrap around my waist, and she arches her back, grinding her body against mine.
I drop the phone, sliding one hand to her face and squeezing her hip with the other.
“Fuck,” I growl when she pushes into me harder.
Her hand roams down my body, and I kiss down her jawline until my lips find her ear. “If you think this gets you out of showing me that video,
you’re sadly mistaken.”
Trying to be sneaky, she stretches her arm and searches around the floor for it. Grabbing her elbow, I suck on her neck and stop her. “Nice try, princess.”
Pinning her to the couch, I squeeze my hand around her wrists. She attempts to shuffle out of my grip, but I’m too strong.
“You can’t distract me with your mouth.”
“Is that so?” She licks her lips and lowers her eyes to my noticeable erection. It doesn’t help that I’m wearing gym shorts.
I study her and notice the way her body reacts to me. With flushed cheeks, she gasps for air as her chest rapidly rises and falls. She might’ve used kissing me to get her phone, but she wants this as much as I do. Cami’s just as affected as I am but doesn’t want to admit it.
Instead of giving in, I grip her hips and flip her over until she’s on her stomach so she can’t wiggle loose. She squeals as I take her wrists again then put her arms around her back, making sure I’m being careful with her. “What are you doing?” She rests her cheek on the couch and doesn’t try to get away.
“Tell me what you want me to do…” I lean down and whisper in her ear. “Did you make a move because you only wanted something or because you want me?”
She swallows hard and licks her swollen lips, staying silent.
“You want to use me? Then use me,” I challenge.
Blinking, she clears her throat and furrows her brows, trying to look at me. “I’d never do that to you, Eli.”
“Good,” I say with a smirk. I release my grip, giving her room to leave, but instead, she sucks in her bottom lip and stays put.
Shifting my body, I roam my hands down her back, then slowly lift her shirt. I press my lips to the little dimple above her ass, and she lets out a bated breath. Kissing up her spine, I remove her clothes in the process. Cami releases a moan, and I nearly embarrass myself with the way my cock responds.
She puts her arms between the couch and her body, slightly lifting herself so I can bring a hand around her and cup her bare breast. The softness of her skin almost has me tearing everything off and giving in to what we both want. Pressing my head into the crook of her neck, I groan at how good she feels pressed against me. She shifts and turns slightly until her gaze meets mine. Without a word, I capture her lips with mine, and when she moans, I grab her jaw and deepen the kiss. I taste the sweetness of the syrup she ate with breakfast this morning, and we both fight for more.