Chapter 25
twenty-five
. . .
Felix
We are quiet for the rest of the night, but there is an edge in the air.
Eden is deep in thought while I stew over her rejection and do my best to hide it. Why won’t she just choose me? We’re perfect together and I love her. Can’t she see that I’ll do anything for her?
How do I get her to see this is where she belongs?
I draw half of the sketch for her arm sleeve.
Eden isn’t so sure about a large tattoo, but she’ll say yes.
I know she will, and then…then, I’ll treat her like my most exotic and important canvas.
Someday she’ll wear pieces of me everywhere until she can’t look at her body without thinking of me.
She will touch her skin and feel a piece of me already there.
Eden’s phone dings, and I glance over. She unlocks the screen, and I see Kyle’s name in the reflection of the window. My hands tighten on the wheel. Eden types back, then puts her phone away. It takes all my willpower not to ask about the message, but he is fucking with the wrong person.
We pull up to her driveway, and I jump out to help Eden, but I leave the car running.
She looks back, and I can tell she wants to ask me to stay, but she is still fighting the inevitable.
Eventually she’ll give herself over to us, and everything will be right in the world.
For now…I’ll let her go at her own pace.
I remain with Eden until she unlocks the door and steps inside.
“Thanks for the great day and letting me in on your life.”
Leaning in, I kiss her on the forehead.
“You’re welcome,” I whisper, then step back.
“Do you want to come in?”
“Not tonight. I’ll call you,” I say before I turn and walk down the stairs.
I give a little wave as I get in the car. She waves back, and I wait until she closes the door before pulling out and driving away.
Fuck, I’m tempted to pay Kyle a visit, but I need to be smart about this. There is no doubt in my mind that he will use me showing up at his apartment as a way to put a wedge between me and Eden. No, I need another way to keep him away from Eden, and show her how great we are together.
And I may know just the thing.
eden
Last night I was lying awake in my bed, staring at the ceiling. Not an unusual occurrence for me lately, but it wasn’t just the crash keeping me awake. Instead, there is an intense feeling of guilt that I can’t seem to shake. Even now it lingers.
Felix was so happy showing me his life, letting me into his world, and inviting me to be part of it. Instead of embracing him…I shut him down. I should’ve found a better way to say no for now and that it’s just too soon.
Taking a sip of my coffee, I look up when I hear a knock at the door.
“Coming,” I call out, and then limp across the house. I’m much faster with just the brace, but I still won’t be jogging anytime soon.
I see Felix through the window panel beside the door, and my heart skips a beat. I open it quickly, excited to see his face.
“Felix, you’re here.”
He smiles. “I am. Am I not supposed to be?”
Heat rushes to my cheeks.
“No…I just mean, I’m happy to see you.”
I move back, and as soon as he is inside, he wraps me up in his arms and hugs me.
And just like that everything feels better.
I lean into Felix’s embrace and breathe in the cherry and leather scent that is as comforting as a warm blanket.
My body relaxes for the first time since arriving home last night.
“How are you feeling today?”
“I’m still tender, but no more sharp pain anywhere.”
“That’s perfect,” he says, and I look up at his smiling face with suspicion.
“You have a very devious expression,” I state, but smile back.
“Who me? Never.”
He holds me a little firmer, and I feel the muscles under my fingers flex.
“Okay, then…why?”
“You mean other than the obvious that I don’t like to see you in pain?” The heat in my cheeks worsens. “Because I want you to pack a small bag. We are going away for the weekend.”
“What?”
“I know the perfect spot, and after our talk yesterday, I think that it will do us both some good to get away from all of the darkness surrounding us. We can treat it like any other couple going away to get to know each other better. No pressure, just relaxation, and some fresh air. What do you say?”
“Oh…I…”
Felix places his finger on my lips, his eyes darkening with a devilish gleam that sets me completely on fire.
“No arguments, Pretty Thing. Just pack enough for two nights, and I’ll put the coffee in a thermos. We can grab breakfast on our way. I know a great greasy spoon.”
I open my mouth, and he cocks an eyebrow at me, making me laugh.
“Okay…I’ll go get packed.”
Felix wraps his hand around the back of my neck and draws me in for a kiss that steals the air from my lungs and leaves me lightheaded.
Breaking the kiss, he gives me a wink and then stalks off toward the kitchen. All I can do is stare after him as my heart races out of control.
I’ve definitely spent too many hours staring around this house wanting to cry. A little break will give me a chance to breathe without the commitment of us moving in together. Despite my initial reservation, I genuinely love the idea.
Who knows…maybe, just maybe…I’ll finally lose my virginity.
I need a cool shower before we leave.
Smiling wide, I head up the stairs.
An hour later, we pull into the little restaurant. It’s out of the way, but it’s a gorgeous sunny day. The snow sparkles and doesn’t feel as ominous as it has for weeks.
My stomach growls when Felix opens my door, and I catch the scent of bacon on the breeze.
“We have arrived not a moment too soon. Any longer and you might have tried eating me,” Felix teases me.
It may be a joke, but my mind goes straight to the gutter.
My cheeks flame bright red, and I can’t even look at him. I drop my head, but that’s even worse. My eyes land on the bulge in his jeans, and I quickly look up again.
“Are you okay?”
“Yup…I’m great,” I lie, as embarrassment mixes with desire and dances the tango inside of me.
If Felix knows why I’m acting so strange or what I’m thinking he spares me the humiliation of pointing it out.
We head inside, and as soon as we step through the door, I sigh. It’s warm, and the smell of freshly cooked food is heavenly. A waitress walks past us with a stack of pancakes piled high on a plate in one hand, melted butter and maple syrup in the other.
“I’ll be right back,” she says.
I glance around and take in the diner. I have a feeling that nothing has changed since the 1960s. Red leather booths and bar stools, silver accents, and a window that looks into the kitchen so you can see the chef. There’s even a jukebox at the end of the building glowing with multicolored lights.
“Hi there, sorry about that,” the waitress says with a smile. Her eyes linger on Felix a little longer than I like, and the ripple of jealousy surprises me. “Just the two of you?”
“Yup, just us,” Felix says with a smile that makes the green in me grow a little more.
We follow her to a booth at the far end of the restaurant, passing three truckers sitting at the counter. One looks over his shoulder, and I immediately feel creeped out.
“Nice ass,” he says.
I glare at him and walk right into Felix when he stops to confront the guy. His face is truly murderous, and I try to swallow the lump in my throat.
“What did you just say,” Felix asks, his voice low and lethal.
I tighten my grip on him. “It’s okay,” I whisper.
“No…it’s not. What did you say to her?” Felix is louder this time.
I’ve always hated being the center of attention and immediately start to shrink in on myself as the busy restaurant quiets and all eyes focus on us.
“Just speaking the truth,” the guy says with a smirk.
“You’d be wise to keep your thoughts to yourself,” Felix says, taking a step closer. “Friend.”
The man is easily in his forties and twice as wide. He looks Felix up and down and snorts.
“Sure, whatever you say, kid.”
I squeeze Felix’s hand.
“Can we just eat?” I whisper, and his eyes soften just for me. “I’m really hungry.”
He doesn’t say a word, but as we follow the waitress, tension rolls off him.
“Order whatever you want. This place is great, and it’s my treat,” Felix says once we are seated and it feels like the room has taken a breath.
There are so many choices, but I decide on the pancake stack with blueberry compote and a side of bacon. Felix gets the trucker breakfast.
I go to the bathroom once we’ve ordered and ignore the asshole who commented on my body even though I can feel his eyes on me.
God, I hate guys like this.
They think they can do and say anything and get away with it. The sad part is they do almost all of the time. Luckily, he is preoccupied, annoying the waitress on my return, but it doesn’t stop Felix from glaring from the booth.
I don’t realize just how hungry I am until the food arrives.
Felix smiles and reaches out on my third bite and uses his finger to wipe whipped cream off the corner of my mouth. Then with a smirk he holds it in front of my lips.
“Lick it off,” he says, voice low enough for only me to hear, but my breath catches.
I hesitate for a second and then slowly lick the sweet cream from the tip of his finger. Even though it’s all gone, Felix doesn’t move his hand away. His eyes are dark and full of the same lust I’ve seen before.
“Suck it,” he orders.
I swallow hard and then wrap my lips around his finger and suck for a few seconds. My eyes never leave his. Felix looks like he’s going to jump across the table when I let him go.
Just then the waitress appears at the table making me jump and heat burn right to the top of my ears.
“Coffee refill?”
“Sure,” Felix says, casually and pulls his hand back.
“Yes, please,” I say, happy my voice didn’t shake.
I have no idea how he can act so calm.
Focusing on the food once more, I eat everything on the plate. I have no clue where it even fits, but short of licking the plate, I have left no crumbs. And for a diner in the middle of nowhere, it has the best coffee.
“This was great, Felix.”
He smiles as he chews the last bite of his ham and eggs.
“If you like this, just wait until we get to the cabin.”
The look in his eyes sears me to my core, and I bite my lip so that I don’t fidget.
“I’ll be right back, and then we can hit the road,” Felix says, standing. Even as he’s walking away, he traces a finger along my arm, sending shivers down my spine.
I look over my shoulder and watch him go, breathing a sigh of relief when I notice the stools are empty.
I’m happily dozing in a food coma when Felix returns.
“You ready? We still have another hour,” he says.
I nod, and he tosses cash down on the table before holding out his hand. We are just walking out the door when someone yells for help, and a waitress runs toward the back.
“Should we help?”
Felix looks in the direction that the waitress has gone and shakes his head.
“It’s best not to get involved.”
Felix takes my hand and forces me to keep walking. My heart pounds wildly in my chest.
“But it feels wrong to leave.”
“Trust me, they have it handled.”
The problem is, I have a feeling whatever it is has to do with Felix and that guy. Still…I get in the car and watch as he walks around and gets in the other side. We pull out in silence, but my pulse is pounding in my ears.
I want to push him for answers about what happened back there, but I’m not sure if I want to know. Because I’m not sure how I’ll respond, and that scares me more than what he might say.
My eyes keep darting to the side of his face, and curiosity finally breaks me.
“Felix…did you…”
“Want some music? That’s a great idea,” he says, jumping in.
Felix turns on the radio and starts singing along to the song playing.
Holy shit…he didn’t. Did he?
My brain races as he gives me a little smile, confirming my suspicion without him saying a word. And as I suspected, I don’t know how I feel.