Twenty-One
“My love for you is a puzzle, for which I have no answers.”
~Padmé
“Don’t forget your water bottles,” Nadia called as her junior jazz class bagged up their shoes.
She mopped her brow with a cloth and caught her breath.
It felt good to be back in the swing of a new season, even if teenage girls were a handful.
One by one, the students said goodnight as their parents arrived to pick them up.
When the last student was gone, she hit the shuffle button on her playlist.
Touch and Go’s sensual beats of Straight to Number One echoed through the sound system. The erotic thrum of drums and lyrics drew her mind to visions of Elliot.
Her body heated at the mere thought of his shoulders, the way the muscles bunched under her fingers and the way the sweet tang of his skin tasted on her lips. She loved how his strong hands held her so possessively, making her weak in the knees every time he touched her.
Though she’d had many lovers, she couldn’t recall a man ever possessing her on the level Elliot did, physically, emotionally… Dare she say spiritually? It was as if he was fully present in every caress, every kiss.
His affection was evident in every glance, so hungry, embarking on fully trusting.
Each show of his trust took her deeper into this strange obsession with him, made her yearn for more.
He was such an intense man, and she wanted to push his intensity to the brink, feel just how passionate he could be once he fully let go.
Her love was there, but their trust was only starting to build.
Past experiences told her to move slowly this time, guard her heart no matter how much her instincts told her he was different.
She wanted to give in and give him everything, but on the other hand, she wanted to be smart and not spoil what might be the most incredible relationship she ever had.
He wasn’t like other men and that meant being hurt by him would carry twice, if not more, the usual impact of heartache.
She didn’t want him to break her heart, and if he didn’t, he’d be one step ahead of all the rest. There was something so unique about him, she couldn’t help the teasing thoughts of forever, but there was still a lot to learn about the man currently occupying her heart.
She could be a handful, yet he tempered her jagged edges.
Perhaps it was the intense way he cared for her.
Despite his reserved shyness, she believed Elliot loved her.
He brought her emotions to a new level, one that intimidated her and shined a glaring light on all her shortcomings.
More than anything, she didn’t want to disappoint him.
“What’s that face?”
Startled, she pivoted toward the doorway. And there he was, the man of her dreams. “I didn’t hear the bell.”
“Exactly why you need better security.”
Her heart jerked with newfound anticipation of what the night might bring. “The new place will have something better, I’m sure.”
He glanced at the bench. A paper granola bar wrapper and a water bottle lay forgotten on the floor. “How was your first day back in session?”
“It was good.” She found it hard to meet his gaze, as her body seemed to pull into his orbit. She didn’t want to come on too strong. She’d promised to be patient with him. “I just need to change my shoes and then we can go.”
“Take your time.”
She shut off the stereo and switched into her sneakers. Her gaze skittered to the wall of mirrors, observing him. He stood with his hands in his pockets, appearing at total ease, something he hadn’t seemed to be able to achieve in her presence a week ago.
“Did you have a good day?” she asked, lacing up her sneakers.
He glanced at his watch. “It was typical, for the most part.”
“How was your meeting?”
A dimple flashed in his cheek as the corner of his mouth hooked into a grin. “Not quite worth leaving you, but so are the pains of life.”
Her knees trembled as she stood. “I’m ready.”
He cocked his head, scrutinizing her. “Are you okay? You seem shaky.”
“I’m fine.” God, she wanted him.
Accepting her answer, he walked her to the door and waited as she locked up. Her body pulsed with arousal, her blood thickening enough to overcrowd her mind and block any ordinary thoughts. Not since she was a young girl had a boy made her so jittery and excited. One look and she was mush.
This couldn’t be normal to want a man this desperately, this consistently.
Usually, she had to shoulder off her dates, but with Elliot, she was constantly anticipating the slightest graze of his fingers, the thinnest glance from his gray eyes.
Love and lust, at first sight, the only way to explain her need—and her affection.
As he slid behind the steering wheel of his car, he gave her a skeptical look. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. I just have a lot on my mind.”
She pushed away her impulse to straddle him right there in the parking lot. Was he still battling the urge to touch and kiss her? She wanted him to make the first move, but it was difficult to wait him out. His self-control was daunting, to say the least.
Once he backed out of the parking space he took her hand. His fingers curled around hers as he drove and that eased some of the sexual tension. One touch, an almost platonic one at that, and some hungry part of her was momentarily satisfied. He was that potent.
Once she had her insatiable hormones under control, she scrutinized the road, not seeing any familiar landmarks. “Are we going somewhere?”
“Asher’s. Remember?”
She’d completely forgotten. Glancing at her sweaty clothing, she grimaced. “I should have changed.”
“You look fine. They know we’re coming from work.”
Easy to say when his job required a suit. She sniffed her shirt. “I smell like sweat.”
“I like the way your sweat smells.”
She crinkled her nose. “Maybe you like it, but your friends might feel differently.”
“They’re your friends, too.”
No, they weren’t. They were her clients. She really didn’t know them very well.
“Look,” he said, turning down a road she’d never visited. “If you’re that uncomfortable, we can swing home and you can change. I’ll call them and let them know we’ll be late.”
She debated, but as much as showering would relieve her, she didn’t want to hold everyone up. “No, I don’t want to make us late.”
“It’s fine.” He turned the car around, heading in the opposite direction.
“Elliot, don’t. I’ll be fine. I’ll freshen up in the bathroom when we get there.”
“It’s not a big deal, Nadia.”
But it was. She didn’t want to give the impression she was high maintenance, something Ian accused her of being, and he wasn’t the first. “Just go to their house.”
“It’ll take five min—”
“Elliot, I said just go.”
“Why are you getting upset?”
“Because you aren’t listening to me. Just drive to their house and I’ll freshen up when I get there.”
He clamped his mouth shut and turned the car back around, once again driving toward his friends’ house. They didn’t speak the rest of the drive to Asher’s. When they got out of the car, he stopped her by the passenger door.
“Hey.” His fingers brushed her jaw and she trembled as she met his gaze. “I didn’t mean to make you upset. What you’re wearing is fine. I just wanted you to be comfortable.”
Her reaction was embarrassing. “I overreacted. I just want to make a good impression for you.”
“You make a great impression and they already like you. Relax.” His lips softly brushed over hers, casual, not at all explicit yet the sexual tension thrumming in her veins twisted into a giant knot of desire and need. He pulled away and she dizzily followed him to the front door.
This wasn’t normal. There had to be something wrong with her.
Lettie opened the door with a smile as soon as they reached the large porch. “Hey, guys. Come in.”
Nadia tried for outward calm, but the home was some sort of medieval castle. They lived here?
Asher greeted them in the main den, which was a gigantic room with two mammoth fireplaces. The ambiance and architecture made Nadia’s clothing that much more slovenly.
“Anakin, Uncle Elliot’s here.”
The furniture appeared so homey, despite the formality of the room. As they passed a large leather couch, her gaze fell upon a darling quilt and a pudgy-faced boy surrounded by toys.
“Your son’s adorable,” she told Asher, who smiled proudly.
“He gets his good looks from his momma. Ani, don’t eat that.” Asher took the remote control from the boy, replacing it with a plastic cube decorated with springs twisting from each side. “Can I get you guys something to drink?”
She glanced at Elliot who was staring at the little boy as if trying to solve a complicated math equation. “I’ll have water,” she said, waiting for Elliot to answer.
Realizing they were watching him, Elliot shook off the distraction and said, “Nothing for me.”
Asher disappeared into what she assumed was the kitchen. “This place is enormous,” she whispered.
Elliot raised an unimpressed brow. “Asher takes every endeavor seriously. This was part of his Win Over Lettie plot.”
He said it as if there were something underhanded in the way his friend met his wife. Did Elliot not like Lettie? She always seemed nice whenever they came into the studio, sort of easygoing and quirky.
Asher returned with her water and they stood in awkward silence, watching the baby play.
“How old is he, Asher?”
“Ten months. He just started standing, so we’re in the middle of baby proofing everything. Pardon the locks in the bathroom. Lettie’s nuts with that stuff.” Asher glanced at Elliot and back to her. “Do you guys want to sit?”
She lowered herself to the couch and waited for Elliot to join her, but he just stood there.
Asher excused himself. “I’m going to go see if Lettie needs a hand. Elliot, are you okay with him for a minute?”
“Sure.”
Asher left and they were, again, alone with the baby. “Elliot, you’re making Asher uncomfortable.”
He glanced at her, expression confused. “No, I’m not. Asher knows me.”
“Well, you’re making me uncomfortable. Why don’t you sit down?”