20. Leo #3
“You know that’s not on you, right? That’s on him and his insecurities.”
“I know, and my friends said the same thing, but—”
“No buts.”
“Fine,” she grumbled, hiding her smile when she took another bite. “Is it weird for you? Us…doing this?”
Honestly, it was a little weird, but not for the reasons she likely thought.
It was weird to me because it felt like we should’ve been doing this all along.
It made me think of how if I’d kissed her three years ago, we would’ve had these moments earlier.
But I also couldn’t help thinking that it felt right to be having these moments now.
I shook my head. “No, it’s not weird for me.”
“Because if you regret anything—”
I shook my head again. “I don’t regret anything that’s happened between us. Eliza, I came in my fucking pants over how much I want you. It’s not weird for me that you have history with him, and I sure as hell don’t regret anything.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. She set her bowl on the coffee table and angled her body toward me.
“Then I think we should do this. We should keep sleeping together as long as you’re in Golden Falls or until you decide you want to date someone while you’re here.
Once you move, this is over. Maybe we stay friends or maybe it’s a clean break, but we stop sleeping with each other. ”
I set my own bowl on the coffee table and gave her my full attention. “I really don’t think I’ll be dating while in town.”
“You never know, but if that’s the case, then once you leave. That’s still the plan, right?”
It was still the plan. Golden Falls was simply a stop before I figured out my next destination. “That’s still the plan. I’m not sure exactly the timing, but I want to start reaching out to other restaurants. Maybe get something lined up a couple months from now.”
It was early May. If I could get something lined up for July or August, that would give me plenty of time to coordinate the move while also giving Wes notice and helping him hire a new chef if he wanted my help.
“Then I think this could work. You don’t do casual, and that’s all I’ve done lately, and…maybe this could be the best of both worlds.”
“And work won’t be weird?”
She shook her head. “No, work won’t be weird. I don’t think we need to hide it, but we also shouldn’t broadcast it. I think we keep doing what we’ve been doing. No one suspects a thing.”
“Yeah, okay. I think this arrangement makes sense.” I tried not to sound too eager, but I couldn’t help the way my cock twitched. By the time I’d be getting ready to leave, I was certain Eliza and I would have had enough of each other. Or, at least, she’d have gotten enough of me.
“One more thing.” She paused, twisting one of the rings on her pointer finger. “Before we do this, I want everything out in the open. A fresh start.”
“Okay,” I said slowly, not following.
“You never responded to my text.”
My phone had been sitting on the table, and I instinctively reached for it. When had she texted me? I picked it up, about to check when she added, “Three years ago.”
Oh.
That text.
The I haven’t been able to stop thinking about what almost happened. I’m in Golden Falls if you want to catch up whenever you’re back in town text.
“I…thought it would be best if I didn’t,” I admitted.
“I was moving. You’d recently broken up with Colin.
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t able to stop thinking about it”—about you, I wanted to add—“but I didn’t know what the right thing to do was.
You’re also eight years younger than me, Eliza.
At the time, that felt like more because of where we were in our lives.
” I ran a hand through my hair, tugging lightly as I tried to finish my thought.
“I didn’t want to be your rebound. I wanted you to kiss me because you wanted to. ”
“I wish you’d texted me back, even just saying that, because it would’ve eased some of the overthinking,” she said. “But I get it. Our lives were going in different directions. I’m glad they’re stopping in the same spot—for now.”
“For now,” I repeated, trying not to think too much on how temporary this all was.
“And for the record,” Eliza said, her gaze landing on my mouth. “I wanted to kiss you. Then and…now.” She scooted closer to me, and I didn’t waste a second in wrapping my arm around her waist, tugging her onto my lap. She wrapped her fingers around my shirt and pressed her hips into mine.
“I’m sorry for not texting you back. For making you think I didn’t want you. I did. I do.”
She dipped her head, resting her forehead against mine.
Instead of pressing her hips down, she started to rock against my now-hardened cock, her mouth falling open.
“I want you, too,” she breathed. “And while I accept your apology, I think it’d be better if you showed me how sorry you are.
” A lazy smile stretched across her face as she sped up her movements. “How much you want me.”
My answer was to capture her lips in a heated kiss, throw her over my shoulder, and bring her to my bedroom, where I made my want for her very, very clear.