Chapter 26
TWENTY-SIX
Austin
WITH EVERY SECOND THAT TICKED on, reality surprised me with how vulnerable Elle’s presence made me feel.
My new favorite hobby was watching her peruse souvenir shops and select thoughtful touristy trinkets for her parents and Ruthie.
I bought her a Navy Pier sweatshirt—hopefully the first of many things.
The kindness I’d noticed in her letters was evident in how the heartbroken girl still tried to bring some happiness home to others. My girl was the sweetest, always giving to those around her.
She’d make the best lover, I thought as she asked if thermals were warmer than fleeces.
Had she been just as giving to Jesse?
The thought chilled my bones more than the cold sweeping the boardwalk. The Windy City was living up to its reputation, showcasing the characteristic wind chill, made famous by how hard it pierced unassuming skin. I’d gotten used to it after a lifetime of enduring it.
Elle, however, was a Florida girl. Her hand trembled in mine, her mouth chattering in the unforgiving breeze.
I refused to let go of her hand unless she needed to use it. Our finger-laced embrace lasted far beyond its expected expiration. There was no way I wasn’t soaking up every second of feeling her hand in mine—something I’d fantasized about for way too long.
Challenging the chill by lighting the fireplace when we got home sounded nice, except it wouldn’t be because taking her in front of raging coral flames on my living room floor was another fantasy I’d been carrying for weeks.
Years, truthfully.
Hell, just holding her hand had more than overwhelmed me for the last hour and a half. I couldn’t imagine what touching her body in other places would do to me. Her straddling me with the ass that I couldn’t help but notice would probably kill me on impact.
At least then I could die a very happy man.
I so badly wanted tonight to be just for her, to relieve the emotions she’d experienced the last few days and see her have some fun.
But who was I kidding? Our little arrangement for the evening was equally as favorable to me as it was to her.
I got to fill her hand with mine, fill her stomach with deliciousness, and fill her heart with temporary peace, all while staring at her.
Admiring her in person instead of on paper.
I showed her off to everyone who walked by. Seeing other men and women stare at Elle as we passed them reinforced that we weren’t a real couple. Yet. Other people could stare at her, want her, and eventually … she could want one of them back. I couldn’t let that happen though.
Nothing would stop me from making her mine.
After a trek down the boardwalk, we approached the Ferris wheel and the newly darkened sky.
Her fingers had slicked with sweat, slipping from mine in anticipation.
I was just glad to be beside her as she faced her fear.
She didn’t need to feel intimidated next to me or by the amusement ride.
If she let me, I would always catch her if she fell.
“Next in line,” a young gentleman bellowed, indicating it was our turn to enter the next available seat car on the paused wheel. He was busy with line duty while a second guy manned the controls from a booth a few feet away.
The famous structure had been updated over the years, but the glass-enclosed seat cars still exposed riders to a three-hundred-sixty-degree view. Suddenly, Elle sank to the pavement to tie her shoe. Funny, because her boots had no laces. She needed a minute. So did I.
To memorize her.
Her plump, pouty mouth bit down on itself while she glanced around her feet for laces that didn’t exist. The voluptuous ass I fought hard not to stare at as she bent over captivated me.
I couldn’t help myself.
Golden eyes that could pierce the blackest night looked up at me in hopes that I hadn’t noticed, widening with the playful oops expression lighting up the rest of her face.
Does she realize how mind-blowing she is?
I cleared my throat, desperate for distraction. “You ready? We’ve got people behind us.” I outstretched my hand, ready to steady her lower back and propel her forward as she stood.
She didn’t need me to though.
My girl walked through her trepidation and approached the halted car, scooting into it with force.
Her sluggish steps told me she’d moved before she was ready.
Impressively, she did it anyway. I added watching Elle conquer her fears to the growing list of things I loved about her and joined her in the swaying enclosure.
My weight vibrated the glass and metal, no matter how still I remained.
Grabbing her hand wasn’t an option because she’d already formed a double-handed death grip on her seat.
She stared at the floor, quiet. With her need for support clear, I gripped her kneecap.
One hundred and ninety-six feet in the sky was high.
Would the grasp of the beast be enough to calm my beauty?
“You sure you want to do this?” I asked.
Her chest rose and fell like a tired trampoline.
“Just shut up and ask me again when we reach the top,” Elle whispered, breathless.
She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her knuckles paling from gripping the bench so tightly. I wanted to wrap my arm around her and kiss her. Take away her fear and replace it with something else that could fuel her adrenaline.
Without notice, the door closed, and a sharp crank propelled us forward, leaving no room for her to change her mind as we jolted into motion. Our path was set to the top of the wheel, where Elle could face her fear.
And I could face my desire.