CHAPTER EIGHTEEN #3
She rolled her eyes, thankful he couldn’t feel the way her pulse had forgotten itself.
Just like that, the pants fit perfectly.
Her breath hitched when his thumbs grazed the plush fabric.
She didn’t know if it was the storm, his clothes, or the intense awareness that she was alone with him in his space instead of hers, but she couldn’t stop her mind from fixating on how close he was to her.
A few nights ago, she’d nearly devoured him in her kitchen.
But for some reason tonight, despite the same hunger simmering in her belly, he had her completely flustered.
A sharp trill split the silence, and Elias laughed when Cadi nearly leaped out of her skin.
He squeezed her hips, the playful motion making her pulse skip again as he turned back to the stove to silence the timer.
A fragrant plume of steam billowed from the skillet when he lifted the lid and stirred its contents.
The soft whisper of bubbling liquid combined with the savory scent of wine and cheese was enough to make Cadi’s mouth water.
“You know, it’s kinda sexy when you cook …” she crooned, slipping up beside him to watch while he worked. He breathed a laugh and shot her a quick wink.
“Here, try this, let me know if it needs anything.” He lifted the spoon, palm cupped beneath to catch any drips, and offered it to her.
Cadi leaned in to meet him, closing her mouth around it, unable to stop the soft sound that escaped at the way the smooth richness met the bite of the wine to practically melt across her tongue.
“Damn, that bad?” he said with a smirk.
“I mean, I’ve had worse,” she teased.
Elias’s grin widened, and he tipped his head to the fridge behind her. “I snagged a bottle of white for you. I’ll get this dished up if you want to pour yourself a glass.”
Cadi busied herself with opening the bottle, then selected a swirling crystal wine glass from behind the bar while she shamelessly checked him out from across the room.
The way he moved through his space, confident and smooth as he arranged their dinner, struck her as adorably domestic.
Crossing to the table, she lowered herself onto the chair in front of the steaming bowl of risotto, and wondered if it was possible to be physically attracted to someone’s culinary skills.
As they ate, she caught herself wondering if she would ever get used to how normal everything felt with him, how easy it was to relax into his presence. There was no analyzing her words, no overthinking the shifts in his posture. It was just … them.
And that was absolutely fucking terrifying.
In her experience, nothing this good, this easy, ever stayed in her life for very long. It was only a matter of time. He would figure out that when everything was stripped away, she was just damaged. Afraid. Alone. And whatever she may have to offer wouldn’t be enough to make up for that.
She hadn’t even realized she had gone quiet until Elias’s hand wrapped around hers, pulling her gaze from the now-empty bowl in front of her.
“What’s going on?” he asked, concern shadowing his face.
Cadi smiled softly and squeezed his hand in return. “It’s nothing,” she said, “I’m just tired.”
She moved to stand but his grip tightened, stopping her before she could step away. Before she could disappear.
“Cadi …” There was that damn look again. Like he could see that she was still guarding something, even if he didn’t know what it was. “You don’t have to hide with me. Remember?”
How could she forget? No, remembering his words wasn’t the issue.
They were burned into her mind, along with every moment since the day he’d said them.
The problem was getting her heart to believe that if she did stop hiding, he would stay.
That she wouldn’t have to live with the memories of what she’d almost had if only she’d been enough.
That this wouldn’t end up like every other time she’d risked letting someone in.
Her thumb traced against his hand, the smile still glued to her face even though she knew he could see straight through it. She couldn’t hide from him if she wanted to.
“I know,” she whispered.
She slid her fingers from his, and this time, he let her go.
The ominous sound of trembling glass reverberated over the rush of water as Cadi worked her way through their dishes, a new sense of unease overshadowing her thoughts as she eyed the concerning amount of glass that made up the apartment’s walls.
“These windows are reinforced, right?” she asked.
The worry on Elias’s face softened, and he let out a low chuckle as he stood from the table. He crossed the room to join her in the kitchen and slide a reassuring arm around her waist.
“Yes,” he promised as he pulled her close. “Everything is reinforced and built to withstand storms much nastier than this one. The only thing we really need to worry about is the pow—”
The lights around them flickered once before they cut out completely, plunging the apartment into near total darkness. Elias’s sigh brushed against her temple.
“Is the power going out.”