He opened the medicine cabinet, tossed back a couple generic pain relievers he was pretty sure were expired, and then stepped into the shower. The steam filled his lungs, forcing much needed oxygen to his brain. He braced his forearm against the wall and let the warm water wash over his aching muscles.
Fe’s shampoo bottle fell off of the top shelf, and the fragrant sent overcame the entire bathroom. He bent down, picked it up and held it to his nose. Her sweet face flashed into his mind, followed by the brief kiss she’d placed on his lips last night. It was an innocent kiss. Not anything like the other’s they’d shared in the past, but he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it.
His hand flattened on the wall, and he tried to push the image away. Her small fingers….how gently she touched him. How vulnerable and open she’d been with him last night.
His head fell forward against the wall, and he grabbed the bar of soap from the tray and began rubbing it roughly up and down his arms.
She’d never kissed him like that before. Soft, and sweet, and nurturing. He’d wanted to kiss her so badly last night. To pull her into his body, and really kiss her. Not because they were drunk, or playing a game… but because he needed her. Needed her in a way that didn’t even make sense to him. His hands moved down his body then. To his chest, then his stomach, then lower. He wrapped his hand around his cock, squeezing his eyes shut.
It had been a long time since he’d gotten off, and damn it all, he needed that too. Maybe it was the pent-up testosterone from last night, or the fact he hadn’t had a woman in year, but God, he needed a release. He adjusted his stance, adding more weight to his forearm, as he began to stroke.
Fe’s purple vibrator flashed into his mind, and he grew even harder. Had she used it yet? Did she think about him when she did? The thought about Fe fantasizing about him almost tipped him over the edge. Sure, he’d thought about her at least a thousand times over the years, but he was a man. Men thought about sex in everything they did. But Fe? His hand slowed, moving down his shaft more slowly.
The thought scared him, but excited him at the same time. He shouldn’t let himself think this way. He should push this dirty thought from his mind, and stop. Fe was his best friend. She’d been his best friend for five years, and allowing himself to continue was going to lead him straight to hell.
He flexed his jaw, pushed himself from the wall and raked his hands roughly through is hair. “God damn it!” He hit the wall. “God damn it!”
It was a half hour later when Elliot made it out of the bathroom. Now showered, dressed, and more wound up than a barn door needing WD-40, he entered the kitchen. Colton was still asleep on the couch, which only added to his foul mood. He grabbed a bowl from the cupboard, filled it to the rim with cereal, then yanked open the drawler, making as much noise as possible when looking for a spoon.
Colton stirred in his sleep, and flipped over on the couch. “You want to keep it down, brother? People are trying to sleep around here.”
“It’s eleven,” was Elliot’s ridged response.
Colton removed the pillow from the top of his head, and sat to the edge of the cushion. “Who shit in your coffee?”
Elliot leaned against the table and kicked his fee feet out in front of him. “You really don’t know?”
Colton only stared at him blankly, unknowingly adding more fuel to his fire. “Oh yeah.” He pointed the spoon at him. “Maybe it’s the fact that my brother set me up last night?”
Colton shook his head, laughed under his breath, and pushed himself to stand. “Wasn’t that the point? Weren’t we there for that exact thing? Honestly, I was expecting a ‘thank you.’”
Elliot chuckled, this time with his whole body, throwing his head back in the process. “You want me to thank you? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Well you sure as hell won’t get an apology, if that’s what you’re after.”
“Of course not. Because you do nothing wrong.” Elliot picked up his bowl and shoved a huge spoonful of cereal into his mouth.
Colton’s jaw flexed as he walked into the kitchen, took a mug from the cupboard, and poured himself some coffee. “Wherever did you get that idea?”
Elliot lifted one shoulder, not allowing himself to be bated into this line of conversation.
“It was your plan, not mine.” Colton leaned against the counter, taking a sip of coffee before he spoke again. “What happens in the end anyway? With this plan of yours.”
“That’s none of your business.”
Colton tilted his head, “Fair enough.” Looking down to his feet, he bit his lip. “Fe, though. Oooohheeee, who knew she could clean up like that? And the way she moved on that dance floor… caught the eye of every man within a fifty foot—“
Elliot slammed his bowl on the table, causing milk and cereal to spill over the edge. “That’s enough, Colton!”
Colton narrowed his eyes, then leaned against the counter and grinned. “Ahhh… so that’s it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“How long have you two been doing this dance?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Elliot grabbed a wad of paper towels and started cleaning up the mess.
Colton grinned. “Sure.”
Elliot turned around, tossing the napkins in the trash. “I think it’s time for you go.”
Colton straighten from the counter. “Is this because I won’t apologize? Elliot, if it means that much to you, I’m sorry. Is that what you need to hear?”
Elliot picked up is bowl again and shook his head. “It has nothing to do with last night. You’ve been here two weeks already. This is a small place, and it’s time for you to go.”
Colton frowned. “It just doesn’t happen like that. I’ll need time.”
I’ll give you a week.”
“Elliot, I can’t—“
“Two, then you’re out. Get a hotel if you have to, I know you can afford it.”
Chapter 24
It was the following afternoon when Elliot walked into El Toro and spotted Ed in the corner of the restaurant. It had been only five days since his and Fe’s talk in his bedroom, but he couldn’t help but think she was avoiding him. She was a creature of habit, someone who came and went at the same time just about every day since he’d known her, but last night she’d stayed at work past dark, not making it home until he was ready for bed. He’d sent a text to check on her around seven, but the only reply that came back was that she was working on a project, and not to wait up for her.
The fact that she wasn’t here, on their regular Wednesday night, both bothered and scared him. He slid into the opposite side of the booth from Ed, propped open his menu, and glanced over this evening’s specials. “Where are the girls?” he asked, trying to keep his voice nonchalant.
Ed didn’t seem to notice, his face cast downward toward his phone. “I don’t know. I think they went shopping or something. They said they’d be a few minutes late.”
“Oh.” Elliot breathed a sigh relief, his shoulders finally relaxing. “What are you having?”
Ed shrugged, then set down his phone and looked up at Elliot. A slow amused grin tugged at his mouth as he regarded him with a grin. “Man, I haven’t seen you in a while. You really do look good.”
Elliot laughed, still not used to this reaction, and scratched the back of his head. “So I’ve heard.”
“Seriously, dude.” Ed leaned forward on the table and nodded his head, “If I swung that way, I’d have a stiffy right now.”
Elliot cringed. “Don’t.”
Ed laughed, sat forward, and opened up his menu. “You’ve gotta be getting close to the end, right?”
From the tone of Ed’s voice, he was pretty sure the guy was clueless about what had been happening, and he liked it that way. “Almost.”
“How’s it going?” Ed looked up. “I mean with Fe and all?”
It wasn’t anything in particular he asked that raised the red flag, but there was a tone in
his voice that made Elliot pause. Like he knew something he wasn’t saying. “What have you heard?”
Ed frowned, then ripped a bit of paper from his napkin and began rolling it with his fingers. “April’s been in my ear, you know? Something about an incident?”
Elliot’s brow furrowed, and he tightened his jaw. “An incident?”
“Yeah,” Ed replied. “Something about New Year’s?”
Elliot leaned back in his seat, a rock suddenly dropping in his stomach. Women talked, he knew that, but hearing it labeled as an incident made his chest burn.
“Dude, you know how girls are,” Ed continued. “I’m sure it was nothing, right? I mean, you kissed? So what? April’s just freaking out so I had to ask. You guys solid?”
“Yeah…” Elliot nodded. “We’re solid.” But his mind was running like a jackrabbit, wondering what she’d told people about their kiss. Maybe he should have assumed as much, but hearing it out loud filled his stomach with gravel.
A football game was playing on the screen, captivating Ed’s attention, but all Elliot could think about was what came next. Maybe she was right. Maybe they should end this thing before something else happened. But for some reason, he didn’t want to. For some reason, he wanted to see it through to the end.
He turned to Ed, needing to get things off his chest. “The next step is football,” he stated.
Ed made a face, then shot his eyes up to the television screen. “Football?”
“We’re going to play with her brothers.”
Ed closed one eye and cringed. “Fe has brothers?”
“Three.”
The server came to take their orders then, just as April and Fe walked into the bar. She was wearing her normal garb. Jeans, tied flannel at her waist, and a gray tee shirt that read “Talk Nerdy to Me”, but for some reason, she looked different.
She quickly slid into the booth beside him, leaned across the table and grabbed a menu. “Sorry I’m late,” she whispered to Elliot. “Work has been crazy.”
It was the first she’d spoken to him in days, and just the sound of her voice eased some of the tension from his shoulders. “Glad you made it,” he whispered back.
She smiled at him, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and ordered her usual burger.
Their meals were brought to them a short time later, followed by an interesting conversation about Ed and April’s gaming channel.
“Who cares if they think we’re a couple?” Ed said. “It’s not like we know any of them anyway.”
April took a deep breath and shook her head. “That’s not the point. I’m just starting to feel weird about it. The other day, I got an email asking if I was pregnant with your child.”
Ed held back a laugh, almost spitting his drink. “What?”
“Remember how I was sick last week? I guess people though I was pregnant.”
Elliot covered his mouth, and shared an amused glance with Fe. This was exactly what they needed. A night out with friends. A night that felt a little more them.
“It’s not funny you guys!” April continued. “People seriously think we’re getting engaged. I mean, I don’t even know if I want to get married. And you know why? Because I haven’t even dated in two years.” She looked at Fe, as though looking for camaraderie. “Fe, you know what I mean, right?”
Fe cleared her throat and took a sip of water before answering. “Yeah—I guess I know what you mean.”
“It’s like, we’ve been deprived for so long, like it’s time we experience the world, kiss a lot of frogs. You know?”
Ed glanced at Elliot, then turned back to the girls. “Frog huh?”
This time Fe almost spit her drink.
Ed leaned toward April and narrowed his eyes. “Let me see if I have this right. All this doubt is because you want to kiss a lot of dudes?”
April shook her head. “What? No! That’s not what I’m saying at all.”
“April,” Ed continued. “I don’t care who you make out with. Just don’t do it where our fans can see, that’s all.”
She looked down to her plate. “That’s the thing. I don’t want to hide anymore.”
Ed took a bite of his burrito and said no more.
The meal continued with much the same awkwardness. Though honestly, Elliot was a bit relieved it was between Ed and April this time. Maybe it was just that time in their lives, when everything started to shift. They’d all been friends all through college. Pretty much inseparable. But now April was talking about ending her partnership with Ed, Fe was trying to get her own classroom, he was working his ass off with the acquisition. Maybe all of this… everything that had been going on for the past month was just growing pains.
He glanced over at Fe, who was mouthing the words to the book she was reading on her kindle. Her nose twitched with amusement, and he leaned over to her ear. “What are you reading?”
Startled, she tilted her head up, and looked at him. The light above them danced in her eyes, and showed off the sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheeks. “Nothing you’ve ever heard of.”
His smile widened, and he turned his body toward her. “Try me.”
“How to Tame a Shrew.”
He forced his expression to become serious. “I’ve read it at least a dozen times.”
“Is that so?”
“I have the signed paperback.” He nodded, shooting her a confident grin.
She laughed, shaking her head with amusement, before losing herself in her book again. God he missed that. That simple sort of exchange between them. Him teasing her, and her pretending she wasn’t amused.
Ed and April were bickering about something across the table, presumably about their channel, and Fe set her napkin on the table. “Are you ready to go?” she whispered to him.
It was obvious Ed and April still had a lot to hash out, and frankly, giving them the space to do it seemed like a good idea. He tossed his napkin beside hers on the table and nodded. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“Now. I’m ready now.” She smiled at him, grabbed her bag, and pushed herself out of the booth.
Chapter 25
Saturday morning seemed to come in the blink of an eye. Fe rolled out of bed, turned off her alarm clock, and wiped both hands over her face. Dread filled her from the inside out, but she pried herself from her blankets, and dragged on her robe.
When she walked out into the hall again, Colton was asleep on the couch, which was all that she’d seen of him for the past week. Work seemed to be bringing him home after sunrise, and taking him again before she got back from work in the afternoons. Tiptoeing her way to Elliot’s bedroom, she gently tapped on his door. “Elliot, it’s me.” she whispered.” It’s time to get up.”
After a couple minutes with no response, she cracked open the door and let herself in. Elliot was fast asleep. His shirt off, with a mess of blankets tangled around his hips and thighs. His hair was messy, and standing in all different directions, but he looked peaceful, and…sexy. By God he looked sexy.
Her eyes trailed down his body. To the tattoo on his left shoulder, and arms that were thick with muscles and definition. His chest wasn’t bad either. Broad and manly, abs that were the perfect mixture of soft and hard.
Elliot groaned in his sleep, stretching in a way that made his blankets shift downward and make her realize that maybe she shouldn’t be in here.
Fe, turned toward the door, keeping her eyes clamped shut, and tried to wake him. “Uhh-Hmmm.”
Still no response.
She glanced over her shoulder, seeing his manly bits covered, then gingerly sat on the side of the bed. She shoved his pillow. “Elliot. You have to get up.”
No response.
“It’s eight am.”
Nothing.
She inched a little closer, knowing they had a three-hour drive ahead of them. If they were going to make it, they had to get moving. “Elliot,” she said a little bit louder. “Wake up.” She pushed firmly at his shoulder, when all of
a sudden, he flipped to his stomach, throwing one arm over her and pinning her to the mattress.
She froze, but then she started to giggle. Elliot had always been a deep sleeper, but this was ridiculous. It was also extremely uncomfortable. She tried to ease from under his arm without waking him, because this was not the way she’d planned to wake him. Somehow, in the midst of being tackled by his sleeping body, she got stuck in a position that was halfway between sitting and laying, and her neck has already beginning to sting.
She glanced down to his arm, debating her next move, but her eyes locked on his tattoo, and a rush of memory flooded her. All the redness had subsided at this point, leaving behind the bight vivid colors of the tree. She took a deep breath, remembering how supportive he’d been when she’d gotten her own. How he’d held her hand, how she’d fallen asleep in his arms, to then later, when he carried her to bed, and tucked her in to sleep.
His little iron woman. She wasn’t living up to that reputation though, because lately, she’s felt nowhere near strong.
Pinned to the mattress like this, under his warm skin, it was impossible not to remember how good it felt to be held by him. To pay attention to how warm his skin was next to hers, how good he smelled—
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.
She stiffened, glancing over at his alarm that was practically screaming.
But instead of waking up like a normal person, Elliot only squeezed her tighter, pulled her closer, and groaned into her ribcage. She closed her eyes, both because it tickled like a mother, but also because she feared she might laugh and wake him up. That he’d find her like this. That—
The alarm grew louder, increasing in volume with each second, and she studied his face. A satisfied smile formed on his lips, and she wondered what he was dreaming about. Then all of a sudden, without any notice at all, his eyes sprung open, wide as a petri dish, and he jumped away from her, slapping the alarm off with his palm.
She pushed herself to sit, finally free of his death like grip, and stood from the bed. “I was just—you were—I tried…” But then she covered her mouth with her fingers, because his hair was standing up on end, and he looked like he’d seen a ghost. A maniacal giggle began to form in her throat and she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “You have got to be the deepest sleeper I’ve ever met I my life, Elliot Prescott!”
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