Kissing Her Crazy

by Kira Archer

  “God, Lena,” Elliot gasped above her, his rhythm beginning to falter.

  She rocked against him, meeting every thrust of his hips. One more stroke and she tensed, her muscles spasming around him from within.

  He shouted his own release, plunging into her as deep as he could, once more, before the tension relaxed from his body. He rolled to the side so he wouldn’t crush her, but kept her in his arms.

  He pulled her against him and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “That was…”

  “Amazing. Oh my God, I think my heart is going to explode.” She laughed, dragging in huge lungfuls of air. She laid her head on his chest, loving the sound of his heart beating furiously beneath her.

  He wrapped a hand around the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss. “We are going to have to do that again.”

  She wiggled against him, more than happy to oblige. “Yes, please.”

  Elliot laughed. “Just give me a few minutes to recover.”

  “Hmm, if you must,” she said, kissing his chest.

  “I must.”

  She sighed. “All right. I’ll be patient.”

  She tried, anyway. Turned out, she wasn’t so patient. But that was okay. He recovered pretty quickly, too.

  Lena looked down at Elliot, resisting the urge to give him a kiss before she slipped away. She didn’t want to wake him. But lying there, his body bare to the sunlight streaming in through the windows, made her want to run her hands all over him. Again. She shivered just remembering everything they’d done together. She tightened low in her body, and she wanted nothing more than to wake him up and do them all over again.

  She needed to go get Tyler, though. He was an early riser, and she was sure he’d be looking for her. That realization was like a bucket of ice water being tossed in her face, washing all her fantasies away. The previous night had been incredible. Like nothing she’d ever experienced before or would probably experience again. Everything about it had been carved straight from her wildest fantasies. But that was all it could ever be. A fantasy.

  Elliot came from a different world than her. Sure, Cher and Oz made it work somehow, but they were in the same headspace. Their backgrounds might have been different, but fundamentally, they wanted the same things out of life. The same could not be said by any stretch of the imagination about her and Elliot. He was sweet and kind and, oh God, the sex was mind-blowing. But she had a child to think about. And Elliot didn’t need to think about anything in his day-to-day life but himself. He didn’t have to be mature and responsible. He could be as carefree as he wanted. It wasn’t fair of her to expect him to change that because of one night.

  Every choice she made revolved around Tyler. There really wasn’t room for anything else. She spent her days worrying about being able to pay for Tyler’s little league uniform or school lunches, not whether or not she could fit one more club in before she passed out. She was a mature adult with responsibilities Elliot would never understand. It wasn’t his fault. It was just the way it was. She wouldn’t regret their time together. In fact, it would probably end up as one of her most cherished memories. Something to take out and play with whenever life got too real and she needed a good escape. But it wasn’t reality.

  Lena looked down at Elliot again, at the faint smile that still lingered on his lips. There was no need to wake him. The conversation going on in her head wasn’t one she needed to have with him. She was a vacation fling, and she was okay with that. So she’d do what flings did and slink away before things got all real and awkward.

  She slipped quietly out of bed, quickly got dressed, and gathered up her binder and pack. She didn’t bother putting her shoes on. It was early enough there shouldn’t be too many people about yet, and she was only going back to her own hotel room. She did finally decide to leave a little note on the table by Elliot’s side of the bed. Despite the whole one-night stand aspect, she didn’t want him to think she’d ditched him. Then she pulled the door open and stepped into the hall, making sure the door closed quietly behind her.

  She’d only taken a few steps when the door to the next suite opened. And Elliot’s parents stepped out. Lena’s face flamed bright red, the blood flooding her cheeks so quickly it made her lightheaded.

  Mrs. Debusshere froze, her eyes taking in Lena’s rumpled appearance, her shoes in her hand. Elliot’s room was the only other one near them. There could be no doubt where she’d come from. His father’s gaze raked her up and down, and his face puckered in disapproval.

  “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Debusshere.”

  Neither one said anything for a second. His mother finally blinked and said, “Good morning,” in a tone so cold Lena wished she hadn’t spoken at all.

  She needed to get out of there. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you later. If you’ll excuse me…”

  She high-tailed it for the elevator and hit the down button. The doors dinged almost immediately, and Lena nearly sobbed in relief. She stepped inside, punched her floor and the close button five or six times, not relaxing until the doors slid shut.

  What a perfectly shitty end to a perfectly wonderful night.

  Chapter Nine

  Elliot’s head pounded. He rolled over, his eyes squinting at the clock. Seven in the morning. Ugh. He dropped back down, burying his head into the pillows even while he reached out a hand to search for Lena.

  The bed next to him was empty. He sat up, instantly wide awake.

  “Lena?”

  No answer. But there was a folded note on the table next to him. He flipped it open.

  Went to pick up Tyler. Didn’t want to wake you. <3 L.

  He put the note down. He wasn’t upset that she’d left. She had a son. Tyler, of course, took precedence, but he would have liked to have woken up with Lena still nestled beside him. Maybe next time Tyler could sleep over, too, so she wouldn’t have to leave in the morning.

  Bang, bang, bang.

  It wasn’t his head pounding; it was some inconsiderate idiot banging on his door. He sighed and swung his legs out of bed, grabbed a pair of jeans from the floor, and yanked them on. Halfway to the door it occurred to him what he’d just thought. That he wanted both Lena and Tyler to stay. Like some sort of happy little family campout. Where had that thought come from? If Tyler was there, Elliot and Lena certainly wouldn’t be able to do half, if any, of the deliciously amazing things they’d done the night before.

  The realization that that didn’t bother him stopped him cold in his tracks. He wanted a repeat of his night with Lena. Hell, if he had his way, he and Lena would never leave his bed again. But the thought of her spending the night with no kinky hijinks involved appealed to him just as much. He’d really love to sit on the couch with her and Tyler and watch a movie or play some games and then curl up and do nothing but cuddle and sleep.

  He snorted. Where the hell had the real Elliot gone?

  More knocking.

  “Elliot?”

  He groaned. His mother. Perfect. Just who every man wanted to see after a night of mind-blowing sex.

  He looked through the peephole to see if she was alone. Even better. His father was with her. So instead of spending the morning exploring Lena’s body in the sunlight, he got to deal with his parents. It was too fucking early. He needed coffee before he dealt with them. Not that that was going to be an option.

  Elliot opened the door and plastered on a welcoming face. “Good morning, Mother. Dad. You guys are up early.”

  He opened the door wide enough for them to enter and stood to the side. They both stalked past him, his mother looking around the room like she was expecting a cheerleading squad to be hiding behind the sofas. Sheesh, one little party gets out of hand, and she never forgets it.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you both so early?”

  His mother grimaced at him. “Cut the crap, Elliot.”

  Elliot’s eyebrows shot into his hairline. He’d never heard his mother use that word in his entire life. She must be seriousl
y pissed about something.

  “What have I done now?”

  She set her purse on the coffee table with a little thump and then focused the full weight of her ice cold gaze on him.

  “You mean who. We saw her leave, Elliot.”

  He wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he reverted to his default setting. Dumb denial. “Who?”

  “Don’t give us that,” his father said. “Lisa, Laura… Whatever her name is. Nathaniel’s sister.”

  “He prefers to go by Oz. And his sister’s name is Lena,” Elliot said, trying to keep his tone controlled and respectful. It wouldn’t help his cause any to anger his parents. But it was painfully obvious they wouldn’t welcome a relationship between them, and that seriously pissed him off.

  “I’m hardly surprised to find some random woman in your bed. There’s always a steady stream of them coming and going from your apartment,” his mother said.

  Normally he’d have made some smart-ass remark or inappropriate joke. But she was referring to Lena, and he didn’t find it remotely funny.

  “Lena is not some random woman.”

  “I thought you’d have more sense than to get mixed up with that girl.”

  Elliot focused on breathing. Yelling at his mother would get him nowhere. “That girl? What’s wrong with Lena? She’s smart, beautiful, independent, and hard working. What could you possibly have against her?”

  His father snorted. “She must be incredible in bed for you to be wrapped around her little finger already.”

  That’s it. “Don’t talk about her like that, Dad. She deserves some respect.”

  “Respect? We just caught her slinking out of our son’s bedroom before the sun is barely up. You’ve known her what, three days? And she’s already spending the night in your bed.”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “Oh, yes it is. You are my son. It is most certainly my business who you let screw up your life.”

  “Why do you think she’s going to screw up my life? You don’t even know her!”

  “Neither do you! But I know enough to recognize a scheming little gold digger when I see one.”

  “Where is all this coming from? She’s Oz’s sister. You remember Oz? He’s the one marrying your daughter in a couple days. You don’t have a problem with him, so why would you have a problem with his sister?”

  His father piped up again. “We might be financing this wedding, but that doesn’t mean we entirely approve of who your sister has chosen to marry. But at least he’s gainfully employed and has a clean background. Your sister has always been somewhat of a free spirit, so we’ve been able to downplay this enough that it hasn’t totally destroyed our standing in the community. Every family has one child who doesn’t toe the line. But you are my only son. You will carry on the family name. What you do, who you spend your time with, matters. It’s time to grow up and start being a little wiser with your choices.”

  The slow fire burning its way through Elliot’s gut spiked a few more degrees. If this kept up much longer, he wasn’t going to be able to keep his fury from leaking out.

  “If that’s your only criteria for being trustworthy, then you shouldn’t have any problem with Lena. She’s very gainfully employed. She’s the hardest working woman I know. She not only works her ass off, but she’s an amazing mother, too.”

  His mother released a very unladylike snort. “She’s a no-class nobody who got knocked up by some loser, and now she’s looking for a nice rich daddy for her offspring.”

  Elliot’s mouth dropped open. “That is one of the most hateful things I’ve ever heard you say. You have no right—”

  “I have every right,” his mother said, her face flushing with her anger. “You are my son. You’ve always been immature and spoiled, Elliot, but you’ve generally been careful enough to keep your conquests discreet and at least somewhat worthy of you. But this? This girl? What will it do to the family’s reputation if this got out? What about your future? Your father and I have worked our whole lives to make sure you kids had the best of everything, always. I don’t know why you and your sister are so determined to throw that all away. It’s too late for her, but it’s not for you. I will not allow you to destroy everything we’ve built for you.

  “You might think it’s just some island fling, but what if she thinks it’s more? What if she ends up pregnant? Are you even taking precautions against that? I’m sure there’s nothing that girl would like more than to have a child by you. Then she’d have a lifetime claim on you.”

  Elliot’s hand clenched the back of the couch, stunned and infuriated at his mother’s accusations. “You actually think that she would try to get pregnant on purpose to trap me into some settlement?”

  “We know her type, Son,” his father said.

  Elliot shook his head. “You don’t know anything about her. I invited her over here last night so she could help me put together some ideas for our foundation.”

  His mother’s lips puckered. “You’ve proved my point.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You invited her over here to help you with a business matter, something she can’t possibly know anything about, and somehow you ended up in bed. Did you actually do any work last night? Who made the first move?”

  He couldn’t answer that without playing right into his mother’s hands. Yes, Lena had made the first move, sort of. But if she hadn’t, he would have. She was not some sort of manipulative gold digger.

  “As I thought.” His mother gathered up her purse, and his father stood to follow her. “Your partying ways have gone on long enough, Elliot. Get rid of this girl. Get your head on straight. It’s time to grow up and show some responsibility.”

  “I’m trying to do something meaningful with my life, our foundation, but you two have shot down every idea I’ve come up with.”

  His father gave him the look that made grown men piss their pants. For once, it had no effect on Elliot. There wasn’t room for anything but the anger burning its way through his veins.

  “Take something seriously for once in your life, and it will be easier for us to take you seriously.”

  It was all Elliot could do to keep from shouting right in his dad’s face. He refrained, barely. Somehow, screaming like a child that his daddy was being unfair didn’t seem the best way to prove that he was a responsible adult.

  His dad opened the door for his mother, but she wasn’t quite finished with him. “It’s time to grow up and get your life in order, Elliot. You can start by keeping your distance from that girl. She is not the kind of woman you need.”

  He shut the door on his parents, the urge to slam his fist into something so strong he finally turned and slugged the couch. There was just enough wood in the structure to make a satisfying crack and make his fist throb, though not nearly enough to purge the rage eating him up.

  His parents had never believed in him. And yes, he could admit that he might not have given them much reason to in the past. But this foundation, it was important to him. And he was going to see it through, no matter what they thought. They’d put him in charge of the family charity. They didn’t have anything to do with it other than writing a check once a year. And he was going to make something of it, whether they liked it or not.

  As for Lena, well, they were wrong about her, too. No, he hadn’t known her very long. And he didn’t need to. No one had ever made him feel so alive. She was the smartest, kindest, most genuine person he’d ever met. She made him laugh. Made him give a shit about something for the first time in his life. Made him envision a better life for himself.

  He shook his head at the walking cliché he’d become. Because damn if she didn’t make him want to be a better man.

  His parents were so wrong. Lena was exactly who he needed in his life. And he was going to do whatever it took to make sure she stayed there.

  Chapter Ten

  Lena managed to avoid Elliot until lunch. It was pure torture to do it, but she had to
consider what was best for Tyler. She and Elliot would never work out, but since her body didn’t seem to agree, avoidance was her only option. But there was no escaping him when the whole family was expected to meet. They had plans to eat together to get the schedule for the rest of the week ironed out. The dress rehearsal was the next day, and the following day, Cher and Oz would march down the aisle and make everything official. And then… It was back to real life.

  Lena sighed and leaned back in her chair, sipping on her lemonade. Elliot had been seated near his parents, so while he’d spent the entire meal staring at her, they hadn’t been able to talk. Tyler had gone off with the other kids for a little buffet the hotel put together for the children. They should be about done.

  Elliot’s parents finally dabbed their dainty mouths with their fine linen napkins and excused themselves from the table. Once they were out of sight, it was like the whole table let out a sigh and everyone relaxed. Elliot stood, his eyes intent on her. Reprieve was over. He headed her way.

  “Elliot!”

  Tyler came barreling around the corner, and Elliot leaned over, visibly bracing himself for the hug that Tyler flung at him. He laughed and scooped the boy up, giving him a big squeeze while he jostled him around and then gently “dropped” him back to the ground.

  “How’s it going, big guy?”

  “Great! They had chicken nuggets shaped like sharks and mac and cheese with noodles that looked like fishes. And this huge fountain that had chocolate in it that we could dunk krispy squares and marshmallows in!”

  Elliot laughed but Lena groaned. Sweet heaven, the sugar rush her son had just described would take hours to burn off. She needed to find him someplace to run until he dropped.

  “Can we go to your room and play video games again?” Tyler asked.

  Elliot looked over at Lena, his eyebrows raised in question.

  She glanced between them a couple times but finally shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s a gorgeous day. You should be outside playing.”

  Tyler thought for a second and then jumped up and down, his eyes shining with excitement. “Can we go to the water park again?”