Chapter Twenty-One Eliott #2
‘Pretty good,’ I say. ‘The bride and groom are both lovely and, as far as I can tell, there’s not been any drama.’
‘Is there usually drama?’
‘Sometimes,’ I say with a shrug. ‘A drunk uncle. Someone turning up in something wildly inappropriate. The rings going missing. You’d be surprised at some of the crazy shit I’ve seen.’
‘And it doesn’t turn you off?’ he asks, looking genuinely curious. ‘Getting married, I mean? Seeing everything you see. Seeing first hand all the stress that goes into planning a wedding? You’d still do it?’
‘I would,’ I say without thinking. ‘With the right person.’
Dane hums.
‘I probably wouldn’t have a huge wedding, though. Something small and cosy. Just a couple of friends and immediate family, you know?’
He hums again, his expression turning thoughtful. ‘I could do small and cosy,’ he murmurs. Judging from the unexpectedly startled look on his face, I don’t think he means to say it aloud.
‘Yeah?’ I ask.
‘Yeah,’ he says firmly, staring at me with an intensity that makes me want to turn away. I don’t, though. I hold his gaze as he licks his lips and says, voice slightly hoarse. ‘I think I could.’
He still looks vaguely startled, as if he’s surprising himself with the words coming out of his mouth. He shuffles a little closer to me and bumps his arm against mine. ‘With the right person.’
Am I the right person ? The question lodges itself in my throat, unspoken.
I shake my head. This is too much. We’re veering dangerously close to talking about something I don’t think I’m quite ready for.
‘But that’s not something I have to worry about anytime soon,’ I say airily. Dane lifts a questioning brow. ‘Getting married,’ I elaborate. ‘Or more, finding someone to marry, I guess. I doubt I’m going to find The One with my rule still in place.’
Dane huffs out an exasperated breath. ‘Right. Your rule .’
I’m not sure why, but he sounds almost irritated.
‘Why do you even still have it?’
‘Because I’m tired of being treated like a game,’ I tell him honestly. ‘Or like a challenge for people. Even you. As soon as I told you that I can’t come, you wanted to try again just to prove that you could.’ I force myself to meet his gaze. ‘And it sucks. It fucking sucks.’
Dane’s eyes go wide before he hums and cocks his head to the side. ‘Then I’m definitely doing something wrong.’
Before I have the chance to ask for clarification, he closes the miniscule gap between us and threads his fingers in my hair. He twists his fingers around my curls and tilts my head upwards. ‘Because what part of this feels like a game to you, baby?’
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
He brings his head down to meet mine. ‘The only challenge here is me trying to stop myself from staring at you non-stop whenever I get the chance.’ He brushes his lips against mine. Not quite a kiss. More like a shadow against my skin. ‘I could never – never – get bored of you, baby.’
I swallow around a thick lump in my throat. ‘Dane.’
‘Having you in my life has been the best thing to ever happen to me,’ he murmurs. ‘And I’ll take you in whatever form you want.’
He uses his free hand to stroke my cheek in that gentle way he’s perfected over the last six months. ‘We can just be friends. Or something more. As long as I get to have you in my life.’
My heart stutters. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’
His lips lift into a soft smile. One that’s just for me. ‘Good.’
And then he’s kissing me.
Slowly. Sweetly.
His lips slant perfectly against mine and I bring my hands up to fist his shirt to give myself some balance.
This is nothing like our first kiss two years ago. There’s something else here this time. Something more than just a spark of attraction between two strangers.
He drops a hand to my waist and pulls me deftly across him with more speed and strength that I’m expecting. He doesn’t break the kiss, though. Just holds me firmly at the waist while my dress rides up as I straddle him.
I can feel his heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt, a steadily increasing thrum thudding against my palm.
‘ El-i-ott .’ He groans my name without breaking the kiss, and the vibrations send a delicious tickle down my spine. ‘You. Are. Everything .’ His hands trail down my body and each word is punctuated with a squeeze of my thighs. ‘ Everything to me.’
I moan. I can’t tell whether it’s from his kiss, his touch, or what he’s saying, but I don’t care. I’m in sensory overload right now, and I don’t want him to stop.
I grind against him and a shudder wracks through me as the fabric of my panties brushes against his dick.
He’s already so hard. I can feel him through the thick material of his sweatpants, and I want more.
I want so much more.
I need more.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before. Don’t think I’ve ever wanted anyone like this before.
His hands slip beneath the hem of my dress to grab at my ass and pull me in even closer. There’s not so much as a sliver of space between us, but it’s still too much.
‘ Fucking —’ He grunts as I drop a hand on top of his and guide him towards my pussy. ‘ Baby .’ Even without dipping beneath the fabric of my panties, his touch sends shockwaves of pleasure shooting through me.
‘Dane.’
He presses his thumb against my clothed clit and I arch my back, squashing my tits even more against his chest.
‘You’re going to be the end of me,’ Dane mutters, letting his head tilt forward to rest against my tits. ‘You know that, right?’
I open my mouth to respond, but he chooses that moment to bite down on the soft skin just above my nipples, and the sound that comes out is more like a whimper than anything else.
‘Gorgeous.’ He softly kisses the spot he just bit. ‘Fucking.’ Another kiss. ‘ Gorgeous .’
‘Dane, I—’
A shrill beeping sound jolts us both back to reality.
‘Shit,’ I mutter, reaching for my phone to turn off the alarm I’d set earlier. ‘My break’s over.’
Dane groans as he lets his head slump against my shoulder. ‘Are you kidding me?’
I can’t help but laugh as I peel myself off him. ‘Unfortunately not.’
He looks up at me through hooded eyes and I have to admit, I like this look on Dane. His chest is still heaving, his lips are wet and slightly swollen, and his dick is still happily standing to attention in his sweatpants.
I did that.
Dane and I aren’t destined for love, that much is for certain. But maybe this can be enough for me.
Maybe.