Chapter 23
Elliot
Bathtime Confessions
With a bag from Blossom Brews in one hand and a bag from Bites & Bliss in the other, I head toward the front door of Dilynne’s house. I probably should have warned her that I was stopping by this evening, but knowing her, she would have ignored me like she usually does.
And after last night, the last thing I want to give her is the opportunity to avoid me.
I ring the doorbell, waiting for her to answer the door, but it takes a few minutes before I finally hear movement from inside. When she peeks through the small window in her door, the confused look on her face tells me I was right to pop up unannounced.
“Elliot? Wh—what are you doing here?” she asks as she opens the door.
I hold up the bags. “I brought food.”
“Okay, but that’s not what I asked you,” she says, pulling her robe tighter around her body.
“Can I come in?”
She glances behind her and then lets me inside. “I guess.”
“Do you have another fake fiancé in here or something?”
She rolls her eyes and walks away after locking the door behind me. “No. One is more than enough.”
“Aw, come on. I can’t be that bad.”
Licking her lips, her eyes drop down to my crotch and then she looks away. “The jury is still out on that one.”
“Legal jargon. I appreciate the effort.”
Sighing, she watches me set the bags on her kitchen counter, still uneasy. “Elliot…what are you doing here?”
“I thought it was time I brought you dessert for a change.” Reaching for the bag from Bites & Bliss, I take out the box and reveal the cookies I had Carolina make for her.
Dilynne fights her grin as she picks up one of the penis-shaped confections and reads the words written in frosting. “You’re hard to resist.”
I waggle my eyebrows at her. “Two can play this game.”
A heavy sigh leaves her lips as she puts the cookie back in the box. “Did we have plans that I forgot about or something?”
I blow out a breath but keep my eyes on hers. “Look, I told my dad and Tori that I couldn’t work late tonight because I had plans with you, and knowing him, he could have had me followed just to make sure I’m telling the truth. So, here I am.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d think a hint of disappointment flickers across her face. “Oh. Okay. Well…”
Before she can say anything else, I close the distance between us and wrap one arm around her waist, pulling her into my chest. I use my other hand to tip her chin up, directing her eyes to mine. “But…I also really wanted to see you.”
Her eyes widen slightly. “Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.” Leaning down, I softly brush my lips over hers, loving the way she meets me without a fight.
“You—you caught me on my nail and skin care routine night, so…”
“Wait. You have a nail and skin care routine?”
The sarcasm I’ve grown to expect from her reappears on her face in an instant and then she holds up her hands with her signature black painted nails. “Every week. I may love to tear apart cars, but I still take care of my body.”
“You know, I’ve always wondered, why the black?”
The corner of her mouth lifts. “Well, black is one of my favorite colors. But also, it’s the same color as grease, so it hides the evidence of my day job really well.”
“Smart,” I say, toying with her bottom lip.
“My head is way more than just a hat rack, Elliot.”
My gaze moves over her bare face. It reminds me of the picture she sent me all those months ago, but seeing her like this in the flesh—so natural, so vulnerable in front of me in her robe, in her home—it’s fucking making me realize that maybe this attraction started subtly, but it doesn’t feel subtle anymore.
It feels consuming.
“Trust me, Dilynne. I’m aware of how intelligent you are.”
“Is that so?”
Dipping my head down, I brush my lips against her neck. “Fuck yes. You blow me away with your wit and drive.”
“Have you been drinking?” she asks through a chuckle.
“No. Why?”
“These compliments. I feel like they’re coming from out of left field.” And then she hums. “Oh, I know what it is. You got laid, and now some of the anger has left your body.”
I stand tall again to meet her eyes. “Is there some truth to that? Maybe. After all, last night was the first time I’ve had sex in over a year.”
Her throat bobs as she swallows. “I know.”
“So, here’s my question to you. Would you like to eat first? Or would you like me to eat your pussy first, and dinner after?”
Those dark brown eyes of hers grow even darker. “I was uh…” She clears her throat. “I was just about to take a bath, actually.”
My smirk takes on a mind of its own. “No problem. I can make you come in the bath, too.”
Taking her hand, I lead her down the hallway and into the bathroom.
“Elliot…”
Spinning around, I pull her back into my chest. “Do you want this?”
“Yes,” she says breathlessly, with no hesitation.
“Then get naked, Dilynne, and stop questioning it.”
I kick off my shoes and start to strip out of my shirt and slacks in front of her, watching as her chest starts to rise and fall more rapidly.
She waits until I’m down to just my boxer briefs before she unties her robe and pushes it from her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor, revealing her completely naked body that was hiding underneath.
I reach down and push my underwear off, wrapping my hand around my cock and stroking myself while I admire her. “Fuck, Dilynne.”
Stepping into her again, I let her feel how hard I am between us as I cup her face. “Tell me what you’re thinking…”
“I’m thinking that I never thought I’d be doing this with you.”
“What? Bathing?”
“Yes, and also…”
“Sex?” I clarify as she nods. “Yeah, well, we’ve been doing a lot of things together we never thought we would.”
She rolls her eyes. “You know, with any other man, I don’t feel this out of sorts, okay? I’m normally very confident sexually, especially when I know the relationship is transactional. You should know that.”
I lift my brows. “Is that so?”
“Yes. But for some reason, being naked with you is making me feel…” Her eyes dart to the side. “I don’t know…”
I tip her chin back so she’s facing me again. “You have nothing to feel insecure about, and this sure as fuck isn’t transactional.” My thumb brushes her jaw. “We’re two consenting adults, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then don’t overthink this. Just enjoy it.” My lips cover hers, swallowing her moan that makes my cock twitch.
“Okay,” she breathes out when we part.
“Good. Now come on, before the water gets cold.” I lead her over to the bathtub and help her step inside first before following her. The water is so hot that I’m wondering if she sourced her water from the core of the earth. “Jesus Christ, woman. Did you get this water from a volcano?”
“Baths are supposed to be hot, Elliot,” she says, motioning for me to sit down first. It takes me several minutes to acclimate to the water, but once I do, Dilynne rests between my legs, her back against my chest. Despite the heat of the water and the initial shock to my system, my dick is still rock-hard between us.
“I’ve gotta say, I don’t think I’ve ever shared a bath with a man before. Baths are usually my sacred alone time, my one guilty pleasure.”
“I remember you telling me that, so just know that I’m honored to be your first.” She huffs out a laugh, but something resonates with me. “So, you never shared a bath before? Not even with Vinnie?” The mention of his name makes her shoulders tense.
“No.” Her reply is short and simple, as expected. But tonight, I want more from her.
I wait a few minutes before I ask, “Why do you think your relationship didn’t work?”
She glances back at me with a pinch in her brow. “Where is this coming from?”
“I’m just trying to understand you better, Dilynne.”
“Why?”
“Because I think part of our issue over the years is that we haven’t even tried to understand each other. So, I want to change that.”
She sighs. “Trust me, there’s more to it than that.”
“Care to elaborate then?” I run my hands down her arms, loving how silky her skin feels under the water. I’m in one of the most intimate positions with her right now, and even though my cock is hard as a rock and ready to please her, I think back to Rhonan’s advice. Baby steps.
Her silence makes me nervous, though, like maybe I’m pushing her too hard. But finally, she speaks. “It took me a while to realize that my relationship didn’t work because Vinnie was threatened by me.”
I huff out a laugh. “I could have told you that.”
“Yeah, well, when you’re blinded by love, it’s difficult to see what’s been in front of you all along, wouldn’t you agree?” she says with an arch of her brow in my direction.
“Touché,” I grate out.
“Once some of the anger subsided, I had to work really hard to learn that Vinnie’s actions had much more to do with his own insecurities than they had to do with me. Therapy is worth every penny, in case you haven’t figured that out.”
“Yes, it is. But beating up a car helps too,” I say as I run my hands along her thighs now.
She chuckles and lays her head back against my shoulder, her body starting to relax more, and fuck—holding her like this, being in this moment with her is making me want this with her even more.
Dilynne Clark might just be the woman I’ve been looking for, and it’s taken a failed wedding, one year of her annoying me, and this entire arrangement for me to admit that.
“The junkyard and I became good friends after Vinnie and I split. But after a while, I realized that I just want a man who can accept me for the strong woman that I am, but still lets me lean into my feminine side, you know?”
I let my hands settle at her waist beneath the water. “Can I be honest for a minute?”
“Sure…”
“For a while, I wasn’t sure you had a feminine side.”
She slowly turns her face so I can see the warning in her eyes. “You’re in a very vulnerable position right now, Elliot. So if I were you, I’d choose your words carefully.”