Her phone buzzed on the table, mercifully distracting her with an incoming text from Nick.
“Sorry,” Elise said. “I’m not trying to be rude by using my phone at the table, but I want to make sure I’m available if Nick needs me.”
Holden waved his hand to tell her to go ahead, then reached for a slice of bread from the basket in the middle of the table. Elise was beginning to see that all dragon shifters had enormous appetites. She’d never met a man who could pack away food like Holden, and yet still maintain such a fit, muscular physique. Elise wanted to groan, thinking about how much Nick already ate—and he wasn’t even an official teenager yet. Keeping the refrigerator stocked was a constant problem.
Elise unlocked her phone and glanced over the text message, then smiled. She should have known that Nick would be asking about food.
“He wants to know if he can order pizza,” Elise said with a small laugh. “Apparently Violet said he has to get permission from me first before she’ll let him have junk food for dinner.”
Holden laughed. “That sounds like Violet. She’s a big proponent of healthy eating. Gets mad at me anytime I stock the freezer with ice-cream.”
Elise chuckled, but couldn’t stop herself from feeling a bit jealous at the reminder that Holden and Violet lived together. He’d assured her they were only work colleagues, and, besides, Elise had no claim to Holden. But she still hated the thought of him potentially looking at another woman with desire.
“What’s it like, living with a wizard?” Elise asked. She tried to keep her voice casual, and she tried to tell herself that she was genuinely curious about what life with a wizard was like. But if she was honest with herself, she knew she was just grasping for some sort of reassurance that Holden really did view Violet as just a friend.
Holden shrugged, oblivious to Elise’s underlying reason for the question. “It’s not that different from living with anyone else, I suppose. Occasionally she does stupid shit like use magic spells to make the coffee table levitate or stuff like that. And she’ll cast invisibility spells on herself to try to hide and spook me when I don’t know she’s there, but I don’t startle easily and now I half-expect her to jump out and yell ‘boo’ at any given time. She’s kind of lost the element of surprise there.”
Elise frowned. She wasn’t sure how to take Holden’s response. Did Violet joke around with Holden to flirt, or was it just friendly fun?
“You okay?” Holden asked, breaking into Elise’s thoughts. “You’re looking awfully serious over there.”
Elise forced a smile onto her face. What was wrong with her? She was sitting here overanalyzing a man she had no intention of dating, anyway.
“I’m great,” she said. “Still just winding down from the long week, I guess.”
Holden seemed to accept this explanation at face value. “You know what you need? A nice big glass of wine?”
“Holden, no. It’s fine, really.” Truthfully, Elise would have loved to drink a glass or two of wine right about then. Her nerves could use a little bit of calming down. But she wasn’t sure whether Holden was intending to pay for dinner or not, and she couldn’t afford to buy a bottle of wine right now, even if they were splitting the cost. Tips had been a bit low this week, and she’d missed an entire shift the night she discovered that Nick was a dragon shifter.
“I insist,” Holden said, raising his hand to flag down their server. And then, almost as though he knew the reason for Elise’s hesitation, he winked at her and said. “My treat.”
Elise’s cheeks burned and she looked down at the napkin in her lap. She hated always feeling so strapped for cash. She worked so hard, but finances were always so tight.
“I can pay you back next week,” she offered weakly, forcing herself to look up and meet Holden’s eyes. He looked back at her like she’d lost her mind.
“My treat,” he repeated. “That means I’m treating you to dinner as a gift. Don’t offer to pay people back for gifts. That’s rude. And silly. And besides after all the chaos I caused between you and Nick tonight, the least I could do is buy you some damn pasta and wine.”
Elise sighed. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “You really don’t have to do that.”
“And you don’t have to continue being nice to me after I so irresponsibly suggested that your son go spy on an army of evil villains, but here we are. We all do things we don’t have to do, Elise. It’s called friendship. We’re friends, right?”
“Right,” Elise said, smiling over at him. The server arrived, then, and Holden turned his attention to ordering their wine. While he discussed with the server which Pinot Noirs were available, Elise let the word “friendship” roll around in her mind. It was such a happy word, and yet, she couldn’t keep down the disappointment she felt at knowing that friendship was all she had with Holden.
She wanted more, but she couldn’t. Not when Nick needed her to be strong. Elise set her face in determined line and reached for a piece of bread. Nick mattered more than anything, and she would always put him first. But she couldn’t help it if her heart beat faster every time Holden looked up at her and smiled. All she could do was smile back at him and remind herself over and over that they were only here as friends.
When the bottle of wine arrived, Elise had never in her life been so glad to gulp down a glass of red.
Chapter Nine
“Violet just texted me. Nick fell asleep watching a movie,” Elise said, then giggled. Then hiccupped. They’d been at the restaurant for close to three hours, now, and had shared two bottles of wine, along with a giant piece of tiramisu for dessert. Holden had finally, reluctantly, asked for the check five minutes ago. Their server had just dropped off the paid receipt, but Holden didn’t want to sign it. He didn’t want to leave the restaurant, and have this meal come to an end.
Holden loved seeing Elise like this—relaxing, and not worrying about Nick or work or whatever other dozens of things she seemed to constantly fret about. She was always beautiful, even when she was running around harried, working a shift at the diner. But right now…
Holden forced himself to look down at the receipt and grab the pen. He left the waiter a generous tip. After all, they’d been taking up his table for most of the dinner shift. After signing his name, Holden stood and held out his hand to Elise.
“Shall we?” he asked. She hiccupped again, and nodded. Holden was glad they had walked to the restaurant. Walking back would give them an excuse to spend a bit more time together. Besides, after sitting for three hours, it would feel good to stretch his legs and get some fresh air.
As they stepped out onto the sidewalk, he saw that there was a gas station about half a block away from the restaurant.
“Come on,” he told Elise. “Let’s get you a bottle of water. I’m already afraid that I’m going to be responsible for the wicked hangover you’re going to have when you wake up tomorrow morning. The least I can do is make sure you stay hydrated.”
Elise giggled in response, and Holden sighed, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as they walked, feeling somewhat guilty. He forgot sometimes that full humans didn’t hold alcohol nearly as well as shifters. Elise was nicely toasted right now, and, although she seemed happy at the moment, Holden had a feeling she was going to be cursing him when her alarm went off for her morning shift at the diner.
After they bought the water, though, Elise downed it all in one long series of gulps. Not long after that, she seemed to sober up slightly. Perhaps it was the combination of the exercise, fresh air, and water. Whatever the case, Holden was glad that she seemed to already be recovering.
“So is Nick staying at my place tonight, then?” Holden asked.
Elise nodded. “Violet said he was snoring like he’s dead to the world. She said it was fine if he stayed there, and I think it’s probably best. Have you ever tried to wake up a sleeping preteen? It’s damn near impossible.”
Holden laughed, and so did Elise. He still had his arm around her, and he could feel her
shoulders shaking slightly as she chuckled. She had steadied up quite a bit, and he could have moved his arm away without worrying about her falling over. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away. She was so soft, so warm, and she felt like home.
Home, Holden thought. His own home in the Redwood forests of Northern California had been captured by Saul’s army. Ever since the capture, Holden had felt adrift. Yet somehow, standing here in the middle of Blackstone with his arm around Elise, he felt anchored and safe. For the first time in quite some time, he felt like he belonged.
Elise was still talking about how much Nick liked to sleep, but Holden was having a hard time paying attention to what she was saying. He had just realized that the apartment he was walking Elise home to right now was empty. Nick was with Violet, and that meant that there was no one to spy on him as he dropped Elise off at her front door. There was no one who would see if he kissed her goodnight.
Holden’s heart began to race in his chest. He knew better than to dwell on the thought of kissing Elise, but once the idea had entered his head, he couldn’t stop thinking about how soft her lips were, or how beautiful she looked in the silvery moonlight. The more he tried to ignore his thumping heart, the louder it seemed to beat. How was he supposed to maintain his composure when he was about to be alone on the doorstep with the most beautiful girl he’d ever known.
Elise seemed to sense his mood, or perhaps she had also realized the implications of being alone with Holden, for she had gone quiet as well. Holden’s arm felt heavy as he rested it on Elise’s shoulders, as though the heaviness of the moment was weighing it down. He kept his arm around her as they climbed the steps to her second floor apartment, and made no move to let go once they finally stood in front of her door. They stood there, breathing raggedly for several moments. Holden’s mind screamed at him to move, to say goodnight, and to leave. But, still, he remained. He felt like he was on the edge of a cliff, looking down into a beautiful pool of sparkling blue water. He wanted so badly to jump over the edge, to let the sweet cool waves ripple over him. But he could not quite find the courage to jump.
His whole life had been shaded by the loss of his parents at such a young age. He was terrified of losing any of his clanmates. How much worse would it be to lose a woman he loved?
Step away from the edge, he told himself, his heart pounding in his chest. Step away from the edge. Tell her goodnight, and go home.
He turned to face her, letting his arm slide off her shoulders.
“Elise,” he said.
And then, he was gone. His heart betrayed him, overpowering the more sensible voice in his head. His hands reached up to her face, and he cradled her cheeks in his palms. His lips were on hers, drinking in their sweet softness. He felt her melting into him, moaning softly as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She reached into her small purse for her keys, never breaking their kiss as she pulled them out and jangled them around, finding her front door key by feel. She put it in the lock and turned it, then pushed the door open without ever opening her eyes or pulling away from him. Holden kicked the door shut behind him, then wrapped his arms around Elise’s waist. He fell backwards onto her couch, pulling her along with him so that she lay on top of him. Her hair fell around his face in a cascade of fiery curls, appropriate since Holden’s whole body felt like it was going up in flames.
He had never in his life felt this way about a woman. He’d been attracted to women, sure. But he’d never felt like he was burning up from the inside with desire. He could hardly breathe, and yet he’d never felt so alive. They kissed for several glorious minutes, his tongue dancing with hers, their hearts beating as one. He was lost in the moment, until he reached for the hem of her shirt and she stopped him. The motion seemed to have snapped her out of the trance they had been in, and she sat up and scooted away from him, clapping her hand over her mouth.
“I shouldn’t be doing this,” she said, her eyes wide.
Holden closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. “I know,” he said, although it killed him to say it. “I shouldn’t, either. But if it’s so wrong, why does it feel like it’s meant to be?”
Elise didn’t answer, so Holden opened his eyes to look at her. She was sitting by his feet on the couch, twisting a curl of hair so tightly around her finger that she looked like she might pull it right out of her head.
“It’s late,” she said, although there was no conviction in his words.
“I know,” Holden replied, sounding even less convinced than she did. They remained suspended in that moment, staring into each other’s eyes and struggling to do the smart thing, to walk away from each other. They might have stayed that way forever, had Holden’s phone not dinged loudly in his pocket to alert him to an incoming text. Glad for the interruption, and a chance to breathe, Holden reached for the phone. He sat up to look at the screen, noticing that it was nearly eleven o’ clock at this point. The text was from Violet.
“Violet says that Nick is still sleeping on the couch and that she’s about to go to bed. She wanted to tell me to be quiet when I came in.”
“You should go,” Elise said, her voice sad. Holden nodded and stood. He made his way to the front door, each step making his heart feel heavier than the one before. Elise followed him, and he stopped with his hand on the doorknob to look at back at her.
“Thank you for such a lovely evening,” he said.
“I should be thanking you,” she replied. “It was your idea, and you sprang for the check.”
“I wanted to take you out. You’re working so hard, and you deserve a night of fun now and then.”
Elise smiled at him and shrugged, as though she didn’t really believe she deserved a night out. Holden waited for her to say something, but she didn’t, so he finally admitted to himself that it was time to go. There were no more excuses, no more reasons to stall.
“Right then,” he said. “Good night.”
“Good night,” she replied. And when she did, he saw her lip quiver with emotion. He wasn’t sure what emotion it was, but the vulnerability of it reached straight to his heart, making him lose his senses all over again.
“I can’t leave you,” he said in a strained voice. Then he let go of the doorknob and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t resist. In fact, she welcomed him, wrapping her arms around him as well, and tilting her face upward to meet his kiss. This time, Holden knew, there would be no hesitation. No holding back for either of them. They had both just jumped headfirst over the cliff.
Holden picked Elise up in his arms, never breaking their kiss as he carried her toward her bedroom. She shuddered, an excited breath rippling through her body as he stepped over the threshold of her room and kicked the door shut behind him. Even though they were alone in the house, he felt like closing the door was a wise idea, just in case. He didn’t want to take any chances on any interruptions.
When he reached the bed, he dropped Elise on it, and immediately started pulling off his shirt. He felt an urgency that he had never felt before, and all he wanted to do was feel his skin against Elise’s skin as soon as possible. Every second that went by where he could not feel her was one second too many. Happily, Elise seemed to feel the same way, because even as Holden tore off his own clothes, she was removing her shirt and pants. She wore black, lacy undergarments, but Holden barely had time to look at them before she’d torn them off and thrown them across the room. In less than a minute’s time, they had both stripped completely naked in front of each other. There was a hunger between them that demanded to be satisfied.
Holden could feel his inner dragon, restless and demanding. A deep, primal instinct was urging him on, wanting more of Elise. His dick stood at attention between his legs, stiff and hard—and impressing Elise, if the wideness in her eyes when she looked at it was any indication of her feelings.
Holden joined Elise on the bed, pushing aside the pants she had wriggled out of and letting them fall to the floor. He marveled at the beauty of her body, tracing a fingerti
p around one of her nipples. The hard nub stiffened instantly at his touch, making a lovely contrast to the soft fullness of her breast. He closed his mouth over the other nipple, tasting the sweetness of her skin, and drinking in the lovely sound of her soft moan. Her body was exquisite, a perfect combination of hills and valleys, of curves and softness. He had never before seen anything so beautiful, and he was sure he would never after, either. She was everything, the epitome of beauty.
He traced a hand down the length of her torso, stopping to trace a small circle around her belly button. She shivered when he did this, and he smiled. He loved the way her whole body responded to his touch. He paused, and took the time to trace another little circle, delighting in the way she once again shivered. Then he let his fingers make their way down past the very bottom of her stomach, to the spot where her legs joined together. He buried his hand in the soft mound of hair just before her entrance, marveling at the fact that he was here with her, touching her in such an intimate way. She was still now, except for the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she tried to even out her breathing. A hopeless task—Holden knew—since he’d been trying and failing to do the same thing ever since he entered this bedroom with her.
He let his fingers slide even further down, finding her slick, wet entrance. She was dripping with anticipation for him, and feeling the juices of her desire sent a fresh wave of passion through Holden’s whole body. He’d been intending to spend some time letting his fingers play inside of her, but, suddenly, he was filled with a nearly uncontrollable, burning hunger.
“Elise,” he said, his breath feeling heavy in his own mouth. She understood that he was asking a question, and she answered it without breathing a word herself. Her hands reached down and found the sides of his upper arms. She tugged gently, trying to pull his face up toward hers. She was inviting him to position his body over hers: his face to her face and his dick to her sweet, wet entrance.
Stealth and the Dragon (Redwood Dragons Book 7) Page 10