by Toni Aleo
Elli giggled, putting her hand over her heart, “Shit, Shea, after a kiss like that, I’m pretty damn sure I will.” She leaned up kissing his laughing mouth before leaving with a wave. He heard the door shut and he smiled as he sat on the side of the bed Elli had slept on. He ran his hand down her pillow and took a deep breath as his mother’s words replayed in his head.
He’s head over heels.
Shit, was he?
Shea looked at clock; he didn’t have to be at practice until ten, so he had time. After jumping in the shower and getting dressed, he headed into the kitchen to see a plate of food on the counter with a note beside it.
Shea,
You’re gonna need to nuke the food, but I made you breakfast. Thanks for last night, the win, the dinner, the night in bed, it was all a dream come true. I hope you have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you tonight.
I’ll be thinking of you,
Elli
Shea grinned as he took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Elli’s number. As it rang, he put the food in the microwave and warmed the food.
“Hey.”
“You know, I’m not going to let you leave now.”
“Huh?” He laughed.
“You’re not allowed to go home, you keep my bed warm, even though you steal the covers, and you make me breakfast. You expect me to let you go home?” Elli giggled, he loved the sound, it made his smile bigger.
“I have to go home. Adler is there. His babysitter was only paid for yesterday and today.”
“Bring him here.”
“No way, he would hate it, he needs a field.”
Shea could live out there, no big deal.
“Fine, but that leads me to a question.”
“Oh goodness, should I be nervous?” He laughed.
“No, but anyways, did you name Adler after me?”
She went quiet for a moment, and then let out a sigh.
“I did.”
“So I am your favorite Assassins player?”
“You are,” she huffed out.
Shea didn’t think his smile could grow any bigger.
“So are you only dating me because of my employer?” he teased.
“Come on, really, Shea? You know why I’m dating you.”
“Why?”
“Cause you’re hot, duh.” He laughed as she giggled. He heard her moving around the office, and he had never felt so comfortable. Something about her made it so easy.
“I think you had your eyes on me since day one, your plan was to flirt with me, to get me in bed.”
Elli was fully laughing by now, and he was laughing just as hard. “For one, I didn’t flirt at all. If I remember correctly, I was a complete idiot, and second, you’re the one that got me in your bed.”
“Very true, it’s a good place for you,” he said with a laugh, “and you weren’t an idiot the first time we met babe, you were sweet.”
“Sweetly stupid. I’m surprised you even understood what I said to you.” A phone rang. It must have been in her office because she said, “I gotta go Shea, I’ll text ya later.”
“Alright, babe, thanks again for breakfast, bye.”
“Anytime, bye.”
Shea ate his food as he watched the morning news, then cleaned up before leaving. After getting into his truck and starting it, he drove off towards his sister’s. Grace was probably gonna be livid to see him so early, but he needed to talk to her. When he pulled up to her house, he saw her at the window, in front of her computer feeding Amelia. Good, she was awake. He shut off the truck and started up the driveway, before opening the front door and going in. Ryan came from the hall and ran right for him, jumping into his arms.
“Unky!”
“Hey, bud,” Shea said kissing his cheek, before walking to the living room where Grace was sitting cross-leg with her hair in a mess on top of her head and a pencil in her mouth. She was still in her PJs. The joys of running your own business, he guessed.
“Hey, Shea,” she said, not looking up as he kissed Amelia’s chubby cheeks. He put Ryan down and kissed Grace next, before sitting beside her. “What brings you by?” she asked as she typed something, and then took a drink of her coffee.
“Do you really want to know or are you too busy to talk to your only twin brother.” Grace rolled her eyes before shutting the laptop and turning towards him.
“I’m having some problems with this wedding I’m planning. My regular photographer is a dimwit and is pissing me off. I’m about to fire him, but the wedding is next month and I doubt I can get someone to take his place.”
“Call Elli, she might be able to.”
“Maybe, but I don’t want to start using her a lot and you guys break up or something.”
“Since you brought Elli up,” Shea started, Grace shook her head.
“I didn’t-”
“Do you think I love her?” Grace just looked at him with a look on her face.
“Excuse me?”
“Do you think I love her?” he repeated himself.
“No, I heard you; I just don’t understand the question. How would I know if you love her?”
“You’re my twin.”
“I know that.”
“Well, what do you think?”
“I don’t know! I haven’t even seen you guys together but that one time.”
“So we’ll come over for dinner and you’ll tell me?”
“Really, Shea? I’m swamped with weddings and parties right now and you want me to cook a dinner for you and your girlfriend?”
Shea stood up with a grin on his face, “Thanks, you’re the greatest, how about Sunday evening, since I’m leaving Monday for a week.”
“Are you kidding me!?” she yelled as he kissed the kids.
“No, come on. I need to know.”
“You’re nuts.”
“Yup, about you, babe, see ya Sunday, let me know if you need anything.”
“I will. Your credit card number since I’m hiring a cook!” she yelled as he shut the door.
God, he loved his sister.
Chapter 10
“I don’t know why I need a dress; can’t I just wear some jeans?” Harper complained as they browsed through Marine Renee’s store for a dress. Harper hated shopping and definitely hated anything but jeans. Elli on the other hand, loved to shop and definitely loved to dress up. Elli had already bought a lilac tube top dress with a scalloped chest lapel that went to her knees for the party. She was gonna pair it with a bone color cardigan and bone colored, peep toe Jimmy Choo heels. She was excited, which was odd since she was never excited about trying to be cute in front of a bunch of hockey players who happen to be the friends of the guy that she was dating, but she was. For the first time in years she had a great night’s sleep without her DVD’s help, she felt great, refreshed, all because of Shea.
“Because it’s a party.”
“You can wear jeans to a party,” Harper mumbled as she looked through the racks with a little more force than needed.
“Don’t you want to be pretty for Jakob?”
“He thinks I’m pretty no matter what,” Harper countered as she pulled out a dress, looking back and forth at it, “This is pretty.” It really was, that’s why Elli owned it. It was a little pink flower print dress that was tight around the bust and loose around the waist. It was one of Elli’s favorites, but Harper needed something tight.
“It is, but you need something like a tube dress, something to show off that hot body of yours,” Elli said as she kept looking. Harper just grinned.
“Yeah, Jakey would like that.”
“Jakey?”
“What? It’s my nickname for him.”
“Aw, so cute!” Elli gushed causing Harper to gag herself, which in return made Elli laugh.
“Oh, gawd, what are you doing back here? Is there an all-you-can-eat buffet close by?” Harper and Elli both turned to see Victoria standing a foot away with a price gun in hand. Elli cursed herself, she could have swore she hadn�
��t seen Victoria’s car in the driveway. Damn it.
“Ah, it’s the wicked bitch of the west! Run, Elli!” Harper yelled. Elli rolled her eyes as she went back to looking for a dress.
“Just ignore her,” Elli grumbled, turning her back to her sister, but that didn’t stop Victoria. She came around, facing Elli.
“So, I think it’s totally pathetic that you convinced our nieces and nephews that your dating Shea Adler, I mean, really, Elli, like he would ever look at you twice.”
“I didn’t do no such thing, now if you’ll excuse us,” Elli said turning the other way, but Victoria kept at her.
“Mom says she will make you talk to her, she wants to meet ‘Shea Adler’,” she said making air quotations around Shea’s name.
“You would die if she showed up with him, huh?” Harper asked, “Shit, El, you might have to do it, just to rid us of Vicky here.” Elli giggled as she pulled out a dress. It was a black tube dress that was tight all over except for the sleeves; they had pretty eyelet lace on them.
“This is it, Harp,” Elli said handing her the dress. Harper had a small smile on her face as she nodded.
“It is,” she agreed, picking out her size, and walking right past Victoria.
“You’re not really dating Shea Adler, so just drop the act, Elli.”
“If I’m not dating him, then why are you still entertaining the thought? Just let it go,” Elli said simply, “Harp, I’ll be in the truck.”
“Sure, babe.” Elli walked past her sister and out the store. She hated being around Victoria, she was like a poison or something, so damn toxic. No matter how much Elli wished she had Victoria’s confidence, she would never wish to have her values and morals. Elli got into the truck, pulling out her phone to text Shea.
You’re real right?
I think so. He texted back, which made her smile. Why?
Just needed to make sure, we’re really dating too?
Oh, yeah, we are. Hey, can you do dinner with me and my sister’s family Sunday?
Sure, I would love too.
Awesome, I can’t wait to see you tonight.
Me neither.
Elli smiled to herself.
Yes, she was dating Shea Adler, and he couldn’t wait to see her.
Later that afternoon, as Elli was finishing up with an edit on a family shoot, the business line rang. She picked it up with her regular greeting, and then froze in a cringe as her mother’s voice rang over the line.
“Eleanor Ray! I have been trying to get a hold of you for weeks! You gave me no choice but to call you at your so called work!”
“Oh, mother, and you wonder why I ignore your calls. I’m busy working, are you dying?”
“No.”
“Okay, so I’ll talk to you later.”
“You hang up on me, I will tell your father!” Olivia warned. Darn it, her dad would be so mad at Elli, that’s why she usually just ignored the calls. Elli talked to her father at least once a week. She loved her daddy, but that was probably because he wasn’t crazy like the rest of the family.
“Fine, mother, I got four minutes before my next appointment comes in, what do you need?”
“I need to meet your boyfriend!”
“I don’t have a boyfriend, mom.”
“So you are making out with random men at the park in front of my grandchildren!”
“He wasn’t random, mom, just a friend.”
“What, are you are trollop!”
“For the love of God,” Elli muttered, putting her face in her hand, “Mom, he’s a guy I’m dating right now.”
“What’s his name?”
“Shea.”
“Shea, as in hockey player Shea? The one that covers the walls of that small house you own?”
And people wonder why Elli didn’t answer her mother’s calls.
“Yes, mom.”
“Victoria says there’s no way.”
“Victoria is a bitch and I’m not going to defend myself. Believe me or not, I don’t care.”
“Such language, bring him to the house for dinner.”
“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I subject Shea to you people.”
“Eleanor Ray! You will bring him to dinner; he is the first guy I have heard of since Justin.”
“There’s a reason for that,” Elli commented as she fixed a red spot on the baby’s face in the picture. “I don’t really like family dinners with you people.”
“Eleanor, you heard me. Dinner, next month, since this month was canceled.”
“Mom, I don’t even know if this will last past this week. Plus, if it does, I don’t know if he’ll be in town.”
“Find out and give me a date that he will be in town, sometime next month. You have until next Sunday to give me an answer Eleanor, dear. Or I will sic your father on you!”
“Okay, mom.” Elli sneered. She was not happy and her mother would know it.
“I’m pretty sure I can convince him to drop you from the will.”
“Whatever, dad loves me more than you, he wouldn’t do that, he would just be mad at me, and you’re lucky I don’t want that.”
“Whatever you say darling, love you. Tootles!”
The line went dead and Elli closed her eyes. That woman drove her bat shit crazy just like her sister. Hell, her whole family did, except her daddy, and the kids, they were the only normal ones. Elli thought she could always call and beg her dad not to make her do it, but then he would want to meet Shea, and no telling how that would go since the last time he saw Justin he had pulled a shotgun on him.
Well, hells bells.
“So, killer,” Elli looked up to Harper leaning against the doorframe. “How was last night? You seem extra happy this morning.”
“It was nice, I guess.”
“Please don’t ever tell Shea that you called sex with him nice.”
“We didn’t have sex,” Elli informed her as she saved the pictures and shut the program down. When she looked over at Harper, she was just staring at Elli.
“What do you mean y’all didn’t have sex? I picked you up from his house.”
“We didn’t, we just cuddled, slept. What?” she asked when Harper started looking at her like she was crazy.
“That’s depressing El, you have a fine piece of man meat lying right beside you and you didn’t even touch him?”
“We made out a little, then went to sleep,” Elli said with a shrug as she passed by Harper. Harper followed her down the hall to the front room and stood by as Elli set up for the newborn shoot she had.
“Are you crazy? You’re still trying to hide your body, aren’t you! I thought you talked to him about it.”
“We did, but it doesn’t mean I’m gonna have sex with him now. I’m scared, Harp, let me be.”
“Sex is nothing to be scared of, do it, you’ll like it. I promise.”
Elli shook her head. Of course, she wanted to have sex with Shea, but the thought just drove her crazy, “I probably wouldn’t even know how to do it,” she admitted quietly, “It’s been years, Harp. Not only would I be scared because he’d be seeing me naked, but then I would be crazy nervous I would mess something up.”
“El, it’s pretty cut and dry, one thing goes in the other and magic happens. Plus, it’s like riding a bike, you never forget,” she said with a devilish smile, while Elli rolled her eyes, “But if you’re nervous about it, just do it in steps, tell him your ready to take making out to another level but not ready for sex.”
“Does the next level of making out involve me showing him my body?”
“Why, yes, it does.”
“Then I’m not ready,” Elli said as the door open and a young couple came in with a bright pink car seat, that no kidding, had feathers on it.
“Hello! Welcome to Time Standing Still. I’m Elli.” And off she went, into photographer mode, putting her issues of sex and Shea in the back of her mind as she worked, but like always Shea managed to make an appearance, especially when the father of
the baby kissed the mommy’s neck. It made Elli think of him, since he loved doing that. Elli sighed as she positioned the beautiful baby girl on a bright pink flower pillow. What would it be like if this was her baby and Shea was standing behind her kissing her neck?
It would be her happily ever after.
Shea sat in his condo, waiting on Elli. She was running late, but she had texted and already warned him, saying the baby shower ran over a little. He sat in his black Armani suit, with a light blue shirt underneath it with no tie, just the first two buttons open; he had his favorite black chucks on and his glasses, since Elli didn’t mind them. She kind of liked them, which made him happy since he hated his contacts. He got up, going to the kitchen for a glass of wine, when the door open and Elli sailed through going straight by him to the bed.
“I’m so sorry!” she called as she rushed into the room, shutting the door. He shook his head with a smile as the door opened back up and she stood there gawking at him.
“Damn, Mr. Adler, you’re looking mighty fine.” He smiled, smoothing his jacket down.
“Why, thank you.” She gave him a wink, then shut the door. Shea smiled and poured himself a glass before going back into the living room to wait. It seemed so normal, so comfortable. Him, waiting on his girl. He liked it, he thought with a shrug and a smile. He watched all of Sport Center before Elli finally emerged, looking so damn hot; it was hard for him to breathe. Her hair was in big curls, framing her face and shoulders. Her pretty little thighs were peeking out the wide skirt and her beautifully sculpted ankles were brought out by the high heels she wore.
God, she was gorgeous.
“Damn, Elli, I can’t take you out in public, I’ll be fighting everyone at the damn party.” She grinned, coming towards him. He noticed her lips were painted red and luscious was the only word that came to mind. He wrapped her up in his arms, pressing her closer against him.
“I could say the same about you, you know.”
“You could, but you don’t have to, because I got eyes only for you.”
“Sure,” she teased as she leaned up, kissing him softly against the lips.
“Mm, come back here,” he said when she pulled back. He covered her mouth with his, kissing her the way he had been wanting to all day. He had missed her, a lot. Waking up with her in his house had kept her on his mind all day. If it was like this now, without the sex, no telling what it would be like when they finally did it. He probably would be like a hemorrhoid, never leaving her ass alone.