by Vivian Wood
His hands balled into fists when they continued to talk even after Ryan had finished pouring himself a drink. Not that he thought Meredith was encouraging his brother or anything like that. But he knew Ryan was a goddamn player when it came to women. And Meredith was obviously his next target.
Eli watched them as they moved to the edge of the pool, growing increasingly jealous. He heard Meredith laugh at something Ryan had whispered, and suddenly he was seeing red. Seeing her happy and smiling because of someone else made him unreasonably angry. What was worse was that it wasn't some stranger making her laugh. It was his brother.
He wasn't sure how long Ryan had been flirting with her before she headed inside the house. Eli followed her indoors, and waited for her to finish up using the bathroom.
He was furious, and he knew he had no right to be. It wasn't like they were even together. But he didn't care. All he knew was that he couldn't let her end up with his brother.
When she exited the bathroom, he grabbed her by the wrist, making her gasp in surprise. “Eli? What are you doing?” she asked.
Without bothering to reply, he dragged her down the hallway to the laundry room and shut the door, making sure they would be alone. She angrily jerked out of his grasp.
“What are you –“
He pulled her close and planted a savage kiss on her lips. It was neither soft nor sweet. He continued to devour her mouth ruthlessly, punishing her for making him feel this way.
He could feel her struggling in his arms, doing her best to pull away. That just made him angrier. He kissed her even harder, not stopping until he tasted blood.
Had he gone too far?
Meredith immediately slapped him hard on the face, looking at him with disgust and anger. His eyes widened when he noticed her eyes shining with unshed tears.
Fuck. What the hell was the matter with him?
Eli wanted to kick his own ass when his eyes landed on her mouth. Her lips were bleeding and swollen. He'd hurt her.
He hadn't meant to.
And it hadn't been his intention to upset her.
“Let's just forget this happened,” she said, wiping at her mouth.
“Why? I enjoyed it,” he said angrily. He swore he could see steam coming out from his nostrils.
“Well, I didn’t,” she fired back immediately, eyes bulging in anger.
“I suppose you’d say otherwise if it had been Ryan,” he sneered.
“What –“
“Stop flirting with my brother, Miss Fields. You want to play? I'm up for it anytime. But leave my brother out of this.”
With that he stormed out of the room, slamming the door hard behind him. He wasn't sure if his words made any sense, but at that moment, he didn't care. All he knew was that he wanted to make it clear to her that he wasn't happy.
He let out a deep sigh when he reached his bedroom. He'd hang out here for a few minutes and compose himself, so none of his guests would see him acting like a neanderthal. But what was wrong with him? He had no right to be this upset. And what was wrong with Ryan making a move on her?
You're just jealous because you know they could have a shot at a real relationship, unlike you and Meredith.
Jealous?
Gritting his teeth, Eli examined his reflection in the mirror. He closed his eyes and cracked his neck, hoping to relieve some of the tension he was feeling.
He opened his eyes after a few moments, then sighed.
Yes, he was jealous.
Chapter Fourteen
Meredith found herself at yet another charity fundraiser. This time, they were in Seattle. And this time, she was Elijah's date, not just a replacement for someone in his entourage.
She'd grudgingly accepted his invitation even though she was still offended by their last encounter. He'd dragged her away like a caveman, then kissed her against her will – she ignored the voice in the back of her head slyly whispering that kissing Elijah was exactly what she'd wanted – and then he'd had the nerve to accuse her of flirting with his brother, when she'd just been trying to be friendly.
But he genuinely seemed remorseful, and he'd begged her for the chance to apologize and make things up to her. She wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself, she supposed.
“Good evening Elijah,” said a middle-aged woman as she shook hands with him. She eyed Meredith curiously.
“It's good to see you, Marge,” Elijah replied with a smile.
“And who might this beautiful woman be?” Marge asked, referring to her.
Meredith swallowed. Here was the moment of truth. She wasn't sure how he'd planned on introducing her to the people at tonight's event.
“This is Meredith Fields. She’s my date,” Elijah replied proudly, looking at her like she was the most beautiful person in the room.
She felt immensely flattered.
But she also felt a chilly gaze from across the room, like someone was dragging the point of a dagger down her spine. And she wasn’t far from the mark.. Across the room, Sosie was watching them, looking evidently displeased with the way Elijah had brought her to the party.
“Date?” Marge asked suspiciously. “Or dating?”
Elijah only chuckled and shook his head politely, shrugging off the question.
Meredith took her seat at the table closest to the stage as Elijah began his speech. It was the same speech she'd heard several times throughout the campaign, but his charisma still made everything seem fresh. His poise and authority were undeniable.
As expected from a president-to-be.
After the speech and a short, obviously heated conversation with a fuming Sosie, and even though Meredith was hardly able to take her eyes off of him, Elijah was still able to sneak up on her.
“How was it?” Elijah whispered..
They chatted with donors for about an hour until Elijah gripped her wrist, sneaking their way out of the ballroom.
“What are you doing?” she hissed, looking around to make sure nobody was watching them. Despite her reservations, she felt a thrill of excitement to be sneaking around with Eli.
“Taking you somewhere quiet and lovely. Or maybe just taking someone lovely somewhere quiet.”
Following his lead, they went upstairs and ended up in the balcony. Meredith gasped as she looked at the breathtaking view of the city. The lights looked like stars glittering on land.
Did that make any sense? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she had never found the dark all that beautiful until now.
They shared a comfortable silence as for a couple of minutes until she decided not to waste the opportunity to get to know him better now that they were alone with a million glittering lights.
“Aside from becoming president, what are your goals in life?” she asked, looking gazing out across the city. “Ten years from now, where do you see yourself?”
She expected a polished, yet generic response for such a trite question. When he didn't answer her, she tilted her head to look at his face. His expression was not what she'd expected. Eli looked surprised.
“What is it?” she said, and his expression softened.
He gave her a sad smile, then shrugged.
“No one's ever asked me that before,” he explained.
“I was just curious,” she said quietly, looking back out across the city. She hadn't meant to make him sad. After a moment he cleared his throat.
“I guess... I don't know where I see myself,” he admitted reluctantly. “Right now, it's hard to see beyond the presidency. Hell, it's hard to see past November third.”
“Sure, that's understandable. But what about before you decided to run for president? You really didn't have anything in mind?” she asked. Maybe if she rephrased the question she'd get a better answer.
He grinned.
“Off the record?” he asked.
“If you want, sure.”
“I'd just gotten out of the Navy when I started thinking about running for office. I had a very specific idea of what I thought th
e ideal presidential candidate should be. Single,” he said with a wry smile, “was not part of that equation. So I dated several women who each would have been the perfect political partner. Even got close to proposing to one of them – Rachel. But I asked myself, 'Why am I marrying her?' Just like the others, she didn't make me happy. She just made me a stronger candidate.
Meredith laughed as Elijah’s expression shifted from confusion, to relief and maybe – if she was right – a bit of regret.
“So what happened?” she prompted, curious about what had happened between him and Rachel.
“I pulled back, got some much-needed perspective. I realized I wanted to earn the presidency through my own merits, not because I was part of some glitzy power couple. And I guess I realized marriage is a serious commitment. And I just wasn't that serious about Rachel, or any of the other women I'd dated.”
His last sentence made her smile wider than it probably should have. But still, she was pleased to confirm he'd rather be single than to marry for personal gain, and not love.
“Your turn, Meredith. Where do you see yourself ten years from now?” he asked.
“I thought I had things all figured out,” she said. “But now I'm not so sure,” she said with a frown.
“Oh? Do tell, Miss Fields,” Eli said, and she rolled her eyes.
“I guess I always thought I'd have a job at a top fashion magazine, and then maybe I'd get married for money, not for love. My parents' friends have a son who's my age.”
Eli raised a brow, not the least bit shocked.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I mean… my mom’s friends ask me when I’m going to settle down and stuff like that, or when I'm going to get my ‘MRS’ degree.”.
She was expecting Elijah to at least smile but he didn’t. Instead, his jaws clenched and his muscles tensed. She was not even sure if it was right to feel happy about it.
“Anyone particular caught your eye?” he asked.
“For marriage?” She shook her head. I don’t think so.”
They slipped back into a comfortable silence again, and Meredith's heart felt full.. Was it because the night view was beautiful? Was it because she felt good? Or was it because she was with the man who had been challenging her ever since he came crashing in her life?
She didn’t know.
But whatever it was, she hoped tonight would never end.
He broke the silence. “Are you dating anyone seriously?”
“What? Like a boyfriend? Are you seriously asking if I have a boyfriend?” she asked wide-eyed, angry at the question for taking her out of a perfectly cozy moment..
“I’m just asking,” he replied, his grey eyes drilling into her.
Meredith's heart skipped a beat and her stomach twisted into a knot when Elijah pulled her close with his arm around her waist.
His breath was heavy as it brushed her face. And he smelled so fucking good – a mixture of mint, aftershave and bit of his natural masculine scent. His eyes melted her and it was taking her breath away. How could he possibly have such an affect on her?
She closed her eyes and her hands on his shoulders turned into fists when he pulled her even closer. Something magical was about to happen. She didn’t know how much she missed having his lips on hers until now.
God, she missed his kisses. She missed getting a taste of him.
She missed him.
You’re crazy, she thought when she felt him inching ever closer.
But she didn’t care.
Everything that had been happening to her ever since the night of the party was crazy. Insane might be a better word for it. And it was all because of the man who was just about to kiss her.
She closed her eyes and raised her lips to meet him.
And suddenly a loud, irritated cough made her open her eyes, and pull away from Elijah like something had burned her.
Sosie had found them, and was dragging Elijah away without saying a word to Meredith.
“What are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you! And here you are, with her...” The venom in her voice was apparent even as her words faded into the distance as the door shut behind her.
With a heavy sigh, Meredith turned to look out over the city once more. A million shining lights looked up at her in consolation, but she couldn't help feeling like someone had turned off her switch.
Chapter Fifteen
“Mmmm…” Elijah moaned.
He didn’t know if he was having another dream. But he was fucking horny and whatever he was feeling seemed too real.
“Hmph… Hmph…” he heard a muffled voice from under the sheets. And he grunted in pleasure at the feeling of a cool hand wrapping around his burning cock..
With a giggle that seemed to voice the delight he was feeling, a blonde woman came out of the sheets, searing his mouth with a kiss like a hungry beast.
It was Meredith.
She was completely naked. Her full breasts rubbed against his chest. He didn’t know how she ended up in his room since the last thing he remembered was masturbating in an empty room as he imagined her sucking his cock..
With intense lust, he responded to her kisses and let his hands roam under the sheets, taking two handfuls of her ass... He was too fucking horny to think straight and all he knew was that he needed release. He gripped her wrist, leading her hands back to his erection – to touch him, feel him and pleasure him.
He sucked a ragged breath through clenched teeth as her nimble fingers wrapped around his hard member.
“I know,” she whispered against his lips, stroking his erection very slowly, teasing him.
He grunted in bliss, lost in the ocean of her blue eyes.
Eli had fucked a lot of women before. But this was the very first time he had allowed someone to take control over him.. And it was effortless for her. For all of his walls, a single touch from her was like a wrecking ball. With her, he was defenseless.
It was serious.
But he loved the way she moved against him, driving him absolutely insane in a way no one else had ever done.
He gathered her in his arms, kissing her hard, not wasting a second. He needed to taste her. She moaned into his mouth when he nibbled her lower lip, her body aching for more.
Her hand moved rhythmically caressing his cock very carefully, almost gently, sending chills down his spine and pushing him to the brink of insanity. He thrust his hips against her hand.
God, he fucking loved what she was doing!
But she stopped.
Elijah made a protesting growl which faded into a groan when Meredith went under the sheets, positioned her small figure in between his legs, and swallowed his erection almost to the hilt..
“Yeah… Jesus! Meredith!” he exclaimed as her mouth adjusted to his length. She continued teasing him, her tongue moved around the swollen head of his penis, licking him like a lollipop. And that was when he realized that it’s not easy to be the one to give up control.
“You taste so good, Elijah,” she mumbled, savoring a bead of precum as it snaked down his shaft.
He chuckled.
“I'll take your word for it,” he said, removing the thin sheets that covered her to get a better of view of her curvaceous body before wrapping her blonde hair around his fist and pulling it away from her face.
He took a good look at her swaying breasts as she continued fucking him with her mouth. It was a beautiful sight.
She was a fucking sex goddess. And he would never get tired of looking at her like this – her naked and sucking him like a piece of candy.
When she started licking his balls, his eyes rolled back and he , shuddered in excitement. With all his remaining strength, he pulled her up so that she was straddling him. Her legs were stretched wide apart and his cock slid between the wet lips of her pussy..
He pulled her close enough to share breath, sliding his hips ever so slightly to the left and right, so the roundness of his cock would press against her clit.
“And now for your punishment,” he whispered into her mouth, before rolling her over and pinning her down underneath him. His cock rubbed against the smooth skin of her belly as his mouth found her breasts.
Meredith moaned in response..
“You’re so fucking sexy, Meredith,” he whispered as his tongue pressed her left nipple against his teeth. He gently rolled the other between his fingers..
He took his time teasing her as he moved the wet tip of his cock to rest against her even wetter entrance, making them both gasp for air. It was fleeting, yet the beating of his heart matched the rhythm of her breathing.
Her hands reached out for him, and she unconsciously moved her hips to take him inside. But for each of her maneuvers, Elijah had a counter-maneuver, keeping them ever on the edge of sex. .She was getting impatient. And nobody would ever think that the prim and proper Meredith Fields was naughty in bed.
He loved the idea that only he could see that side of her.
As the eagerness to have her grew stronger, Elijah trailed kisses from her mouth down to her belly, stopping just an inch before her wet folds. He earned a protesting moan.
He wanted her to say his name.
He wanted her to beg for his cock.
Slowly, his tongue traveled to her dripping pussy, tasting her desire. He smiled, finally able to find the words to describe her flavor. She tasted like a mixture of minerals and sweetness of honey. And he loved it.
He swirled his tongue on her most sensitive spot.
“Ohhh… Ahhh… Hmmm…” she moaned. Every muscle in his body was screaming for her flesh.
Getting impatient himself, he sucked her wet pussy as she arched her body to signal that she wanted more. And without further foreplay, he positioned in between her parted thighs, easing and probing his cock into her cunt.
In a single thrust, he filled her with his length. And the feeling of her muscles tightening around him drove him mad. Only when she had adjusted to his size did he begin to move. . His thrusts were slow at first. Then he picked up his pace, pounding her, eager to hear more of her screams.