5. Atlas
I don't waste the first morning that Eloise has off. The thought of spending the entire day with her makes my head spin with possibilities. It's a busy fucking morning, and my pulse runs wild as I head for the kitchen, determined to do more than blow her mind. I text my mother to get her chocolate chip pancake recipe, and she immediately calls me.
“Are you making pancakes for your new roommate?” she asks after I say hello.
“Yep.” I clang around in the cabinet, looking for a griddle.
“I’ll text it to you if you promise to stop by next week and tell me all about her.” It seems my mother isn’t above bribery.
“I promise,” I tell her, immediately pulling up my calendar to put it on the schedule so I don’t forget.
“You’d better.” Her tone leaves no room for argument. “Or I’ll have to turn your dad loose on you.” Now, that’s a threat. My dad’s a pro at making sure his sons do what they’re supposed to.
“I will, Mom,” I promise again before hanging up. Her text comes through a few minutes later, and I’m relieved to see I have all the ingredients.
It takes a couple of tries, but I finally end up with edible-looking pancakes. While the bacon fries, I make another pot of coffee and set the table.
I’m a goddamn mess, but I somehow manage to focus on what’s in front of me, moving between the stove and the kitchen table. I'm counting the seconds until everything is ready and I have an excuse to wake her up.
It feels like hours before the door finally creaks open, and my eyes shoot straight to her. I stare at her as my heart pounds away like a runaway train. Seeing her wild curls and sleepy eyes nearly brings me to my knees. She has no idea what she does to me. I’m so fucking gone over her.
She looks from the table to me, and I have to mentally tell my cock to stand down. Her cheeks are warm and flushed from sleep. Seeing her like this sends every thought ping-ponging around in my head.
"Good morning," I mumble, realizing I want to be here when she wakes up every goddamn morning from now on.
Eloise gives me a curious smile and wipes the sleep from her eyes. “Good morning. Sorry I slept so late. It’s been forever since I got to sleep past six am.”
“No biggie.” I smile at her, fighting the urge to pull her into my arms. “I like to sleep in on my days off, too.” My brothers love to give me hell about how late I sleep, but I don’t fucking care. “I got up early to make us breakfast.”
“It smells great in here.” She smiles at me, and I forget the subject of our conversation.
"I made us breakfast." I sound like a broken record. Fuck. Her sleepy beauty does something to me, something I can't get enough of. I’m worse than Ian. More lost than I thought possible. I try to keep my voice steady. "Figured you’d like a treat on your first day off." I clench my fingers to keep from throwing her curvy ass over my shoulder and heading straight for the bedroom.
Eloise’s mouth quirks up in a way that causes fantasies to blast through my mind. Fuck. Her bare legs seem impossibly long, and I can’t wait to feel them wrapped around my waist.
"You didn’t have to do that." Her eyes shine with amusement, and I feel like I’ve won the fucking lottery. “But thank you.”
We sit, and I’m amazed at how right this all seems. It’s more than I can ask for. It’s fucking perfect.
As we eat our breakfast, I barely taste a bite. Eloise’s scent and her nearness undo me. She has a speck of powdered sugar on her lip, and I want to taste it more than I want my next breath. I search for some safe topic, but my mind isn’t cooperating. "Do you miss Sage?" I finally ask, aiming for casual, landing at desperate.
She smiles, a little surprised, like I’ve caught her off-guard with the question. “What do you mean?” Her voice is light, playful, and it punches me straight in the heart.
"I figured it must be a big change for you not seeing your best friend every day," I say, trying to sound casually curious, though I'm unsure if it comes across that way.
Eloise shrugs, her curls bouncing with the movement. "I still chat with Sage several times a day, so it’s not too bad," she jokes. "But I’m definitely missing Winnie." Her smile starts to fade, revealing the truth beneath her lighthearted words.
"I get it." I sigh. "I hate to admit it, but I miss Pork and Beans, too."
"It's surprising how quickly you get used to having those furry little guys around," she says, her eyes shifting with an intensity that I wish I could ease.
Eloise nods, and I watch as she carefully corrals a stray curl behind her ear. “I’ll probably get a cat or something once you move out.” I don’t like the mention of leaving. Fuck no. She’s not getting rid of me that easily.
A thought suddenly occurs to me. As soon as my house is done, I’m going to ask Eloise to move in with me. Then I’ll get her a dog of her own.
Every second with her feels like I’m jumping off a cliff, and it’s a free fall I don’t want to ever end.
We spend the rest of the day doing pretty much nothing, but it’s the best goddamn day ever. After dinner, I invite Eloise to watch a movie with me, but she refuses, stating she’s exhausted.
* * *
After Eloise heads to bed, I sit on the sofa and turn on a movie, hoping she’ll come out to watch it with me. An hour later, I’m still sitting alone while some chick flick I’d never normally watch plays in the background.
When my phone rings with the Walking Dead theme, Dawson’s ringtone, I’m actually a little relieved to have someone to talk to. I had no idea how accustomed I’d become to the chaos of Beckett’s house. Damn. I’ll have to keep that little tidbit to myself. “What do you need, dickhead?”
“Well, hello to you, too.” I can picture him rolling his eyes dramatically. “I was calling to check on you.” Meaning his nosy ass wants to know what’s happening between me and Eloise.
“Who put you up to calling?” I put the phone on speaker and sit back.
Big fucking mistake. “When are you gonna make a move on Eloise?” His words echo around the room as I fumble to take it off speaker.
This asshole. “I’m not gonna fucking make a move on Eloise,” I hiss, hoping the goddamn walls are more soundproof than they appear. My dumbass brother just doesn’t get it. I lower my voice even more. “I’m going to make her my wife.” His sharp intake of breath confirms he heard me.
Dawson sighs, calling me on my situation. "Pussy-whipped after two days. Both you and Ian are giving us Hot brothers a bad name."
"Fuck off," I growl, the words dripping with irritation before I abruptly hang up on my nosy ass brother.
The truth of the words hits me right between my eyes. I'm not just planning to make a move on Eloise; I'm determined to make her my wife. I want her with an intensity that burns through every thought, every breath. This isn't a fleeting impulse. It's fucking everything. She is the one, the singular focal point of my universe, and while it defies all reason, it is the most profound truth I have ever known.
I turn off the television and head to my room. I come to a dead stop in the hallway when I find Eloise standing statue-still. Her stiff posture and drawn-up shoulders tell me she overheard at least part of my conversation. "Everything okay?" I ask, trying to gauge her mood.
She glances over at me with narrowed eyes before she blinks several times and pastes a fake ass smile on her face. “Great.” Without giving me a chance to respond, she retreats into her room. "I have a headache. I’m turning in early," she mutters, the door closing with a decisive, echoing click that slams shut any hope of further connection.
Fucking hell. There’s no way I’m letting this go on. Fuck it. I knock on her bedroom door. She opens it and glares at me. “Did you need something?”
“Yes.” I step in and stand close enough for her delicate scent to wrap around me. “I want to talk to you about why you’re suddenly pissed at me.”
"Why do you care? It’s not like you’re going to make a move on me," she challenges, her eyes narrowing as she recalls my words from the conversation with Dawson but only part of them. It seems like she missed the most important part. It's time to clear up this misunderstanding.
"I'm not making a move on you. I'm wooing you. I want forever with you." I reach up and wrap my hand around her soft cheek.
Eloise's eyes widen, and for a moment, she looks like a deer caught in headlights. I can see the wheels turning in her head as she processes my words. Finally, she speaks, her voice soft and uncertain. "Forever? Are you insane?"
"I know I’m fucking crazy. Crazy for you."
A myriad of emotions flit across her face, and I can see the struggle playing out behind her eyes. Then, slowly, a smile begins to form, and she takes a step forward. "You're right, it does seem crazy," she whispers, her smile growing. "But I think I might be just as crazy for you." And with that, she smiles up at me. "But we need to take things back a few steps. You know, maybe date a little before we start planning the wedding."
“We can do that.” He smiles and slowly bends down to kiss my lips.