Chapter 5
Eli
“L et’s go.”
“What? Where?”
“On our date,” I’ve got Summer’s hand in mine and I’m not letting go. It might have been a bit sneaky to ask her out in front of a crowd, but I had to do it.
One, it showed her how far I was willing to go to be with her—center of attention and all of that. Because honestly, I did not love all eyes on me for the duration of that gesture I just pulled. About now, I’d really love to put my shirt back on. The only times it’s off is if I’m swimming or working out.
Two, I know how much she avoids conflict and wants others to like her, so I banked on the fact that she wouldn’t reject me in front of so many people who love me.
We make it to my house on the family ranch where I tell her I just want to go inside and change. She follows me in, while I slip into my room to pull on jeans and a T-shirt.
When I come back out, she’s standing in the kitchen with my mug in one hand and her phone brightly lit in the other. Her back is to me, and from her posture, I’m guessing she doesn’t realize how close I am to her.
“What’s that?” I ask softly, so as not to scare her. But it didn’t work. She jumps, and the items in her hand go flying. The mug goes up and she catches it, but her phone crashes to the floor.
With a quick squat, I grab her phone, but instead of returning it to her immediately, I stare at the screen.
It’s me.
Shirtless.
“Umm…Summer?”
I’m still squatting when I look up at her gripping my mug. The mug that mirrors the image on her phone. The mug that says Most Eligible Bachelor on it. The mug that Finn gave me as a prank. How did Summer get this photo?
“Why do you have this picture of me on your phone?”
Her cheeks go red.
“And why are you looking at it right now?”
She tries to back away but I pocket her phone and place my hands on her thighs. From this perspective, I’m already getting ideas of what I’d like to do to her, but we were supposed to go on our date first.
“Um…ya…it’s just a picture.”
“Of me. Half naked.”
“Pffffft.” One of her hands awkwardly swats at the air. “It was just a beach day.”
“Well, then I want one.”
“Want one what?”
“Half naked picture of you from beach day.”
“That would just be weird, Eli.”
“Hmm…interesting.” My fingers squeeze her thighs and I draw up to my full height. “So you can have a picture of me, but I can’t have one of you.”
“I didn’t say that—”
“Great. I’d like to have mine now, then.”
“What? How?”
“You’ve got your bathing suit on underneath your clothes, so I’ll just snap a shot and we’ll be done.”
“That’s wei–”
I tilt my head at her, knowing what she’s about to say. But if she protests too much, then we’ll come back to why my picture is on her phone, and I know she doesn’t want to explain that.
“Fine.” She dangles her arms at her side. “Where do you want me?”
I could answer that question with so many possibilities, but I go with, “How about the coach?”
The entire time she walks into the living room, she’s mumbling to herself, but she still whips off her tank top and slides her jean shorts down her ass.
This was a bad idea.
“This is ridiculous, Eli.”
“Nope. It’s perfect. Just sit right there.”
“I feel like an idiot.”
“You don’t look like one.” Nope. She doesn’t. She looks hot as hell. Her sexy AF hot pink bikini top tied over her breasts is like a fucking Christmas gift I want to unwrap. I bite the inside of my cheek to hold back saying anything more.
Perched on the edge of the couch, she folds her hands in her lap. Then unclasps them and drapes one hand over the arm of the couch.
“I’m usually behind the lens. I don’t know how to sit.” She moves up on her knees, tits bouncing.
“Just like that.”
“What?”
“Don’t move.”
Her brown eyes trace my movements as I drop to my own knees a few feet in front of her. Fumbling, I grab her phone from my pocket first, then toss it aside. Finally, my own camera in hand, I snap a couple of shots of her.
Shuffling forward, I brush a strand of hair behind her ears. “You’re beautiful, Summer.”
Her resulting small gasp from my touch sends a rush of fire through my body.
Breathless, she asks, “Why is it like this between us, Eli? Like I know you. Like I’ve always known you.”
“I don’t know. I wish I knew. But it’s just easy being with you. It’s the most natural thing in the world. I’ve found something in you that I’ve never experienced with anyone else. You see my goofiness and get it, but you also understand this deeper side of me. I’ve hardly had to explain any of it to you. You just get it. We click.”
“Except the calendar.”
“Except that. But I don’t mind.”
“You don’t?”
“No. We can’t be perfect. Finn would never recover if my relationship with you was better than his and Kenzie’s.”
“Oh!” She reaches forward to playfully swat my chest, but the couch cushion sinks and she topples into me.
Instinctively my hands grab her waist to steady her. But the feel of her soft skin tempts them to run north. Up her ribs.
We’re both kneeling on the floor, her straddling one of my thighs.
“What about that date, Eli?”
“Big plans, Summer. I had big plans for that. I was gonna give you a tour of the Lit Creek you don’t know yet. Show you the Johnny Board, all the most embarrassing and most celebrated moments of the town. Then I was going to take you to the Pie in the Sky bakery that Sierra runs. Even though I know you’ve already been there. Eventually we were going to make our way to Keepsake Corner where they have vintage cameras.”
“That sounds really nice.”
“Ya. And we were going to top it off with a picnic.” Slowly, my fingers are skimming up and down her ribs.
“Were?”
“Ya. I had the biggest plans. But now I can’t imagine not holding you in my arms, and all of a sudden I think I have a better plan.”
“What’s that?” she whispers.
“We should kiss.”
“No hesitation on that, hey?”
“Not even one.”
“Why not do the date first like you had planned?”
“Because I don’t want to waste your time. We already know each other. We know we get along. We know we’re compatible, as friends, which is the basis of any good long term relationship. What we need to find out is if we’re compatible physically. If you want me that way.”
And it could be my imagination, but I feel her nipples press into my chest at that last phrase.
“And what if we don’t suit?”
“What if we do?”
“I’m serious, Eli.” Her hands wind up my chest and play with the back of my neck. “What if we’re not into each other like that?”
“We’ll be friends.” I gauge her reaction to that and can see the vulnerability seeping into the corners of her eyes. I know it’s a lot, asking her to trust me and give me a shot when so many friends have failed her in the past. But I can’t not ask it.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I follow it up with a vow, “I promise.”
Her nod, the smallest of movements, practically shoved a boulder away from the opening of my heart. The relief I feel. The joy that’s humming through me is enough to compose a symphony.
“Can I kiss you?”