Chapter 4 #3
“Good.” He smirked, barely visible in the dim light. “Because I’m messing this up by trying to convince you that he’s into you. Even if he is my best friend, I’m not trying to ruin my own chances with you.”
“God.” I sagged into the wall, and he grinned bigger. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy enough to make a move on a girl in a stinky equipment room who just wiped snot all over my shirt.”
A laugh broke through my lips before I could even recognize it, and I shook my head, giving in to the universe, which was obviously trying to humiliate me in every way tonight.
“You’re an incredible mom, Frankie.” He stated, more serious now. “It was one of the first things I noticed about you when you moved back. But you want to know what else I noticed, probably long before I saw you with the kids?”
“Do I dare ask?” I deadpanned, being snarky like my normal hard-ass self.
“I mean besides that dump truck—” He joked, and I pinched his side, making him chuckle.
“It was how drawn to you, I am.” I bit my lip to keep from pushing him away like I usually would as he went on.
“It doesn’t make sense, and I know that, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t something there that I’m interested in exploring when you’re ready. ”
“And what if I’m never ready?” I whispered the fear I had every night, falling asleep alone for the last four years. “Because I don’t think I know how to be that girl anymore.”
“Do you want to be?” He asked, running his thumb over my cheek. “Because I remember the girl you were in high school. I remember how full of life and love you were. You were like a flame, and all of us were the moths, daring to fight the heat to be close to you.”
“Elliot.” I sighed as if his words were arrows aimed directly at my armor.
“Experiment with me for a moment.” He said, as his voice took on a huskiness I’d never heard before.
“Ask me to kiss you.” My chest deflated as my breath left my lungs, faced with something I had thought about more times than I could count in the darkness of my own fantasies, but never expected to happen in real life.
“Don’t give me one of the millions of excuses I’m sure you are already thinking of. Just tell me to kiss you. Just once.”
I gave in, falling headfirst into the dreamland he was dangling in front of me like it was something I could actually have. “Kiss me, Elliot.”
Tomorrow, I’d regret it and have to come to terms with that loss.
Tonight, I was going to give in.
“With fucking pleasure.” He growled, and then his lips were on mine, and my moans were in his ears as he pressed me into the wall.
I wasn’t sure what I expected a kiss with Elliot Torres to feel like, but I knew I didn’t expect the intensity that I was getting from him, that was for sure.
His teeth nipped at my lip, and I opened, teasing his tongue with mine as my body burned everywhere he touched me.
He kissed with such dominance and confidence that it made me weak in the knees.
Damn it, he kissed like I would assume Travis would, all full of power and control.
Fuck—was I really thinking about Travis as Elliot’s hips pinned me to the wall? Was I moaning for Elliot while I suddenly wondered if Travis would be as assertive as his best friend was?
“Sorry to interrupt.” A gruff voice said from behind Elliot, and I shrieked, finding Travis standing there, staring at us locked in—whatever the hell we were just doing, and I instantly felt guilty.
Damnit!
“You have impeccable timing, man.” Elliot laughed without turning, wiping his lip with the pad of his thumb as he braced one arm over my head against the wall. “What’s up?”
“Mrs. Blake wants you to drive Frankie home. Rick is closing down the bar and said to send her home.”
“What?” I snapped, ready to argue with being told what to do, even by my own mother and Rick.
“Burdens.” Elliot murmured, stopping me. “You agreed to let us shoulder some of it, remember?”
“I don’t remember agreeing to your plan.” I deadpanned, and he leaned up off my body as he turned to face his friend.
It was then that I noticed Travis had my bag and jacket in one hand, the other one shoved in his jeans pocket in a fist. His face was shadowed, and I couldn’t quite see the intensity of his eyes, but I could feel it.
“Here.” Travis handed my stuff to me and then turned away.
“Thanks.” I whispered, falling on deaf ears as he was already walking away.
“Wait.” Elliot called, looking down at me. “I’m going to regret this.” He whispered to me before cracking his neck and talking to his friend. “I have to get to the station. I forgot I picked up an extra shift.”
“It’s fine,” I ran my hand through my messed-up hair. Elliot must have pushed his hands into it when we were—well, anyway. “I’m fine to drive.”
“Meh,” Elliot whistled, “I’m not willing to risk the wrath of Mrs. Blake by disobeying her direct orders.” He winked at me, “You know she’s my end goal, anyway.”
“What are you doing?” I asked, confused as Travis hovered in the doorway.
“Trav will drive you home.”
“He what—?” I shook my head, “No, I can drive.”
“I’ll drive you home.” Travis stated authoritatively before pushing open the door. “Let’s go.”
Without another glance back from him, he walked out, letting the door swing shut behind him, leaving a confused me and a smirking Elliot back in the darkness.
“What the fuck?” I whispered to myself.
“Do me a favor.” Elliot said, walking deeper into the equipment room towards the secondary entrance to the locker room. “Think of me when you kiss him goodnight.”
I scoffed at the absolutely ridiculous alternate universe I fell into when I walked into the dark room in the middle of a mental breakdown moments ago. “Sure. Whatever you say, lunatic. Where are you even going?”
He hooked his thumb over his shoulder with that signature pretty-boy smirk. “To go jack off in the shower before I lock myself away in a bunk room with a bunch of other dudes for the night.”
“Ew.” I grimaced dramatically as a joke and then decided to play dirty and try to remember who the girl was from so many years ago that he talked about. “Think of me when you do it.”
“Oh, baby.” He purred, “You’re the star in all of my one-handed daydreams lately.” Elliot smirked and disappeared through the door, leaving me alone.
And suddenly, I was trying to decide which door I wanted to walk through more at that moment.
The one to a steamy shower with a naked Elliot, who kissed like a God. Or the one to a cold, tense ride home with an unmovable brick wall that excited me just as much as his flirty friend.
Decisions, decisions.