Chapter 6 Elizabeth #2
Perhaps we had both lost our damn minds? He opened the door and stepped inside, checking my place out to make sure it was safe. And what did I do? Waited at the door like a good girl. His good girl. Tingles rushed through me, settling in wet heat that pooled between my thighs.
I wasn’t stupid or na?ve. I knew exactly where this was going.
When Austin returned, he opened the door wider for me like the last time he’d carried me home.
But this time, he stood there. He didn’t step outside or wait for me to invite him in.
My hesitation must have irritated him because he simply took my hand and gently pulled me inside before shutting the door behind us.
“Austin—“
“Hush,” he clipped, his body looming over mine. I watched as he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing heavily, slowly. Up and down and again. My heart was racing inside my chest, about to skip right out from between my ribs.
Not from fear but actual excitement.
“You’re not leaving for three months,” he clipped, that beautiful jaw of his clenched tightly.
Almost painfully. Something came over me.
Maybe it was the intense way he was glaring down at me with those beautiful blue eyes or the fact he looked almost in pain.
Either way, my hand rose between us to soothe and stroke his jawline.
“Okay,” I gently agreed.
“I’m serious, Elizabeth. You don’t just agree because you’re scared of me or—“
“I’m not scared of you,” I cut him off, softer than I ever spoke to anyone.
“I wouldn’t hurt you.”
“Austin,” I semi-shouted just to get him to really listen to me. “I’m not scared of you.”
“Your hands are shaking, angel.”
“Not from fear,” I admitted, tipping my own chin a little higher and not letting my gaze waver from his.
“You sure?” his head dipped a little lower, just enough for me to feel the soft exhale of his every breath brush against my tingling lips.
“Even if you think I’m stalking you?” His tone was so sinfully raspy my nipples puckered up beneath my sports bra, straining against the material for his attention.
“You are stalking me,” I argued and found myself smiling. “But I’m not scared of you.”
“Elizabeth—“
“You can call me Liz.”
“Fuck.” His jaw clenched again, and my brows bunched.
“You’re going to hurt yourself like that,” I whispered, hardly recognizing the gentle tone of my voice.
“You can’t leave for three months,” he repeated, and I found myself playfully rolling my eyes.
“And why is that?” I asked, slightly breathless. No one, not my sisters or parents, had ever asked me to stay or not go. And here was a man I couldn’t stop thinking about ordering me not to.
“Because I said so.”
“Austin—“
“I like you`” he blurted, his impassioned gaze making me stand in place. “I like you a lot.” His hand cupped my face, tipping it up to force our eyes to lock. “I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t even be here.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not any good for you, Elizabeth,” he growled. A muscle under his eye ticked.
“Liz,” I corrected. He shut his eyes as he took a deep breath.
“I’m a Hart, for fuck’s sake. You should know better than even letting me put my hands on you, much less letting me into your place.”
“Austin—“
“And even though I know I shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be thinking about you so fucking much, I don’t think there is a minute that passes by through day or night you’re not living in my head rent free, and I’m still here.
I’m still waking up no matter how late I get home to be at the park by the time you get there for your run. ”
“Austin… I swear sometimes, I think you’re here even when I’m asleep.” The words slipped out almost like an angry accusation.
“Why do you say that?” His eyes didn’t leave mine.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I dream of you being here with me. Holding me. Petting my hair. Watching me sleep. Stupid, huh?”
“Nothing about you is stupid, Elizabeth.” His forehead dropped and leaned against mine. “I need you to promise me something.”
“What?”
“I know she’s your baby sister and you would literally do anything for her, but no baskets and no bachelor auctions,” he ordered, and I couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up through me.
Laughter he didn’t find amusing with the way his brows bunched as he turned even more serious.
“I’m not kidding.”
“I can see that.” I was completely amused by him.
“And absolutely no speed dating unless you want me pushing every motherfucker out of the way.”
“Austin—“
“You’re mine, Elizabeth.”
“Am I? That’s… crazy, considering—“
“What?”
“We’ve never been on a date,” I pointed out.
“What do you mean? We work out together every morning.” I blinked because there was no way he could be serious. “We’ve gone dancing and—“ He was serious! He considered stalking me dating me?!
“Well, in that case, what was I thinking? We’ve been dating for a month or so. We should just get married.” I was being sarcastic, but he grinned like a cat who ate the canary.
“I wouldn’t mind a trip to Vegas.”
“Austin.” My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head.
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.” I shook my head, but he didn’t let go of my face. He simply held on to it like I was something precious. A piece of fine art he was afraid to drop.
“Fine.” He swallowed. “Tonight. Get dolled up for me. Wear a dress. Panties are optional.”
“Panties are—“ My face heated up, but he simply gave me a charming smile and winked.
“I’ll pick you up at five,” he said like it was law.
“Five? What makes you think I’d even want to go out with you?” I tried to take his ego down a notch. But there was something about the way he was staring at me, knowingly, with a wicked gleam, that told me it’d done the exact opposite.
“That journal you write in after your run?”
“What about it?”
“Do you write random thoughts“—I opened and shut my mouth when he kept talking—“or do you write to me?” I licked my lips while trying to figure out how the hell he knew the journal was filled with letters to my sexy stalker. If that wasn’t enough, Austin kept shaking up my world with his questions.
“At night, do you dream of me? Feel me around you?”
“Wait a sec, does that mean you’ve been in my house? At night?” How many times had I woken up seriously thinking I’d felt that my dreams had been all too real?
“I’m not confirming or denying shit other than we both know we want this.
We’re like moths to a flame, angel. And tonight…
we’re going to burn.” I opened my mouth and quickly shut it as he leaned closer.
My eyes fluttered shut when I felt his lips press against my forehead, and I didn’t open them for a while after I heard my front door open and close behind him.
Shit, I guess I’m going on a date with my stalker.