Chapter 22
CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO
ELIJAH SHOWED UP to Anna’s house around three in the afternoon, and the party was in full swing.
Roman and her were taking turns grilling and laughing about something.
Benny was talking to some woman he’d never met before, but that was on par for Benny.
He picked up a woman wherever he went. Sloane was there, and fuck, she stood with Sophie and Dane.
Dane—what an asshole for ditching Georgia, even if it did benefit him.
Would Georgia be upset he was at the party? Elijah doubted it. Most of the time, nothing ruffled her feathers. She was the epitome of the glass that was always half full. There was one problem, though. Elijah scanned the backyard, full of people from the station and some he’d never met before.
Where was Georgia?
Nash came over to hand him a beer, but Elijah pushed it away. “I start my shift tomorrow.”
He nodded in agreement. “Got it. Hey, I brought a friend from the academy with me, Knox Wilson. He is considering moving to Landmere and will need a job that would fill our vacant spot. Want to meet him?”
“Hell yeah,” Elijah said, following Nash into the house.
Then he froze.
Detective work was over. He found his peach.
There Georgia sat between Arlo and some dick with glasses on.
When she looked up at him, she smiled. “Arlo was telling us about skydiving.”
“I’m sure.” Elijah, like the absolute asshole he was, crossed his arms.
Arlo was swiping through pictures on his phone, showing them to Georgia and the man he now referenced as Spectacles in his head. And Spectacles was about to get his glasses broken if he leaned any closer to Georgia.
“It was an insane experience.” Arlo put his phone down. “Like a wild mix of adrenaline and fear, like what the fuck am I doing. But at the same time, it was calming.”
“Dude, you’re officially crazier than me.” Nash lifted his hand, and the two of them high-fived.
Spectacles laughed. “If you’re worse than Nash, that’s serious.”
“Truth.” Georgia joined with her constant smile.
Nash pointed at the guy with glasses. “Elijah, you need to officially meet Knox Wilson. We went to the academy together, but he left for California. He’s thinking of coming back east.”
Fuck, the guy he wanted to physically remove from Georgia’s side was Nash’s friend.
Knox stood and came over to him with an outstretched hand, which Elijah begrudgingly took. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot of good things from the Cross siblings.”
Elijah’s eyes immediately went to Georgia’s, but he still shook Knox’s hand. “I’d say most of it is probably true.”
“I didn’t tell him any of your secrets,” Georgia teased with a mischievous look.
Knox dropped his hand. “I didn’t hear anything bad.”
Nash laughed. “Give it time. And hey, what secrets do you know that I don’t?” he asked his sister.
She pretended to zip her lips shut, which made Nash go to her and ruffle her hair, and she swatted him away.
“I’d love to schedule time to talk to you.” Knox captured Elijah’s attention from the sibling banter. “If you have time next week, would you be okay if I stop by the station?”
“That works.” Elijah needed to get over this jealousy coursing through him. He didn’t like being irrational, but it was a common sentiment when it came to Georgia. “I’m in tomorrow and Monday, then back again Friday and Saturday. Whenever works best for you, swing on by.”
Arlo joined their conversation. “You might join our station?”
Knox took a sip from his water bottle. “I’m thinking about it.”
Of course, Georgia came over, ever so energized, giving Knox the biggest hug. “You’d love it here. The Landmere station is a step above the rest. You’d fit in perfectly.”
She hopped outside when Sophie called her name.
“Is she always so upbeat?” Knox asked, scratching his head.
Arlo nodded. “Yep. I’ve never been around her when she isn’t smiling.”
Elijah held back a grin because he’d been around her when she wasn’t smiling, and it was when she orgasmed. When she came, she moaned out his name along with the best damn sultry noises.
Noises just for him.
SOPHIE, ANNA, AND Georgia were gathered around the firepit, sitting close together so they could talk with no one overhearing them. It was well after nine at night, but the party was still in full force.
“How come you didn’t tell me Nash’s plus-one was another firefighter?” Sophie asked as she readjusted her top.
Anna fanned herself. “A hot firefighter.”
Sophie giggled. “It’s like Malibu Ken went to the academy.”
“A surfer who fights fire.” Anna was all smiles. “Sign me up.”
“Why does my brother have so many good-looking friends?” Georgia wondered aloud, while she spied on Elijah talking to Arlo and Roman. “They have to be drinking from the fire hose or something.”
Sophie relaxed in the lawn chair. “Hate to break it to you, but Nash is drinking from the same hose as the rest of them.”
“Wait a minute.” Georgia grinned. “Did you just admit my brother is hot?”
Her friend blushed, while she and Anna laughed hysterically. All of their noise brought the attention of Elijah and Nash, who joined them.
“What’s so funny?” Nash asked, throwing another log onto the fire. “Sophie’s dating history?”
Sophie turned her head right to left, giving both of her friends a stern look. “What we talk about by the firepit stays at the firepit.”
“Wow.” Nash slouched into the chair next to Sophie. “Tell me you were talking about us without telling us you were talking about us.”
Elijah sat in the grass next to Georgia. While the rest of the group chattered, he murmured, “You going to tell me what you ladies were talking about?”
She whispered, “As you know, I am an excellent secret keeper. I’ll never break girl code and tell you what we were laughing about.”
“I think I can get it out of you,” he responded.
Ignoring everyone else in their circle, she leaned closer to him. “You’re boycotting the only way I might consider telling you.”
“Have I told you how you’re a walking temptation?”
“Must not be that tempting.”
He bit his lower lip. “You have no idea.”
“Doctor!” Arlo screamed out from the other side of the yard. “I need a beer pong partner. You in?”
“As long as you’re drinking for me.” Georgia stood and noticed that Elijah's playful temperament had disappeared.
Arlo raised the bottle he was holding. “Sure, now get your ass over here and be ready to shit talk Roman and Benny.”
At the beer pong table, which was really a picnic table turned into the game, she stood next to Arlo. “Just so you know, I’m horrible at this game.”
“Good thing I know what I’m doing.” He winked.
After she missed three shots, she was sure Arlo regretted his choice of asking her to play, but that guy was nothing but jokes and smiles. On her next shot, by the miracle of beer pong gods, it went in.
“Holy crap!” Georgia cheered, jumping into Arlo’s arms. “I actually got one in.”
He spun her around before her feet hit the ground again. “There are so many jokes I can say, but I don’t want Nash or Elijah to taser me.”
The one-cup victory did not help them win the game, and she was grateful she didn’t have to play again. But she did have a question for Arlo.
Georgia tapped her hip against his. “Why would either of them taser you?”
Like always, he chuckled. “When he gets here, you can ask him.”
Peeking over Arlo’s shoulder, she saw Elijah stomping to her, and he did not look happy.
IT WAS OFFICIAL.
Elijah was losing his damn mind.
He trudged over to Georgia, who was apparently having the best time with Arlo, and took a few deep breaths to get his shit together.
Arlo patted him on the shoulder. “Finally.”
What the hell did that mean?
“Hey there, firefighter.” Georgia gave him her megawatt smile. “If you’re here to play beer pong, the sign-up list is over there.” She pointed at the clipboard hanging from the other end of the table.
“I haven’t played in years.” Why did he always have to sound like he was pissed off? He took another deep breath. “I take it you haven’t either since you and Arlo lost.”
“He was significantly better than me, but I got one cup in.” Georgia did a little hip shimmy about her beer bong accomplishment.
It was cute.
Great, now he added “cute” to his vocabulary.
“I’m going to grab a water. Do you want one?” Georgia asked him. “I think you and I are the only ones not drinking.”
“I’ll go in with you.”
She grabbed his hand and yanked him to follow her into the house. Not that he was complaining because he got the best view. Georgia had the nicest ass.
Grabbing two waters out of the fridge, she nodded her head to the living room, and he trailed her there. She got cozy on the couch, and he did the same, but he made sure he was close to her. No way was he leaving room for Arlo or Knox to squeeze between them.
“I needed water and an AC break.” She twisted the cap off her bottle. “It’s so hot. I might make a countdown until fall.”
He took the other water bottle next to her. “You still have another month, Peach.”
“A girl can dream.”
“What else do you dream about?” Elijah was determined to learn more about the woman he constantly thought about.
A wave of redness crept over her neck while she fiddled with the end of her dress.
“I ate you out, took your virginity, and know what you look like when you come. You have no reason to be embarrassed to tell me anything,” he rasped.
She bit her lip and looked away from him.
“Hey, why are you getting shy now?”
She let out a huff. “You can’t say things like that to me.”
“Why not?”
“Because it…” She lowered her voice. “It turns me on.”
Hell yes.
Elijah’s cock swelled at the mere mention of Georgia wanting him. Or maybe it happened because his thumb was caressing her cheek and her skin was so damn soft.
“And this is a bad thing because…?” All of the reasons he should have left her alone went flying out the window.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “The last time we slept together, you said it wasn’t going to happen again.”
“Is that what you dream about?” Elijah held his breath, waiting for her answer.
“I made a list, and since you’re the only man I have experience with, outside of Drew—”
Elijah’s grip on her jaw tightened. “Do not mention his name again. We’re going to pretend he never existed.”
Georgia rolled her eyes.
“And you made a list? A list for what?”
She was silent.
“A Christmas list in August? A list of things you need for your place?” He pushed, not loving that she was still quiet. “I will sit here all night until you answer me.”
Georgia smacked his hand off her chin. “My list is none of your business.”
Officially, she had to be the most frustrating woman in the world.
“Unfortunately, you brought it up.” While also bringing up that prick Drew. “All you have to do is tell me what the list is for, and I’ll leave you alone.”
Maybe.
Her eyes darted to the doorway before she looked back at him. “It’s about different things I want to try in bed,” his sweet peach whispered.
No way in hell was he leaving her side. Not with a list like that.
“Go to the upstairs bathroom,” Elijah demanded, pointing at the stairs in the corner of the room. “I’ll meet you there in five minutes.”
Then he headed to his car.
Condoms.