Just us, snorkelling, swimming, taking our boat out.
And so much sex. There wasn’t a place on my body he didn’t explore with his tongue. There was no part of him I didn’t get down and familiar with. And to kiss the tiny scar on his chest where my heel had left a mark. If Elijah had meant for this to bring us closer, he’d been right on the money.
By the end of the week, my head was so turned that I couldn’t remember who I’d been before him. Only that he was mine.
We flew home tanned, tired, yet so relaxed.
And so in love.
Neither of us had said the words, but I felt them all through me. I’d never fallen in love before. But I felt it in how we touched. How he breathed me in. In the way I felt when he was near, or if we were apart from each other for more than a few minutes. My body had tuned in to him.
It scared the shit out of me.
It had me wanting to share everything with him. Throughout our week, we’d talked endlessly, about what we were like as kids to our funniest stories at work.
Finally, on the plane, I managed the words to confide about my mother’s death. He knew I’d dropped out of university for it, but nothing more, so I’d told him every detail. The heart failure that had stolen her from me. How I’d spent a decade trying to function around the loss. Only recently had I started feeling ready to move on, hence why I’d pushed my business forward. Albeit fantastically badly.
He listened, quiet questions showing me he understood. I didn’t cry, but he held me tight and gave me the space to mourn and the ten years I’d felt so untethered.
I loved how intently he listened.
When I was done, and the air steward had served us dinner, Elijah switched seats so he was opposite me, like we were in a meeting. “Last week, you started telling me your business plan. Continue. Every detail.”
Familiar excitement curled in my belly. “Are you really interested?”
“In every word that comes out of your mouth. Tell me it all.”
I walked him through what I knew. Most underwear sales were online, but to get any visibility, I’d need either a huge ad budget or viral posts. Then the product needed to be somewhere for people to actually buy it, with enough stock to make money that I could live on.
“An investor was my first plan. I could buy the product, model and post images of it myself, and use their money for the upfront costs. But then I pissed off the person in charge of small business grants in Deadwater and blew that plan out of the water.”
He angled his head. “Douglas Tucker?” At whatever was in my expression, his gaze darkened. “Tell me exactly what happened that night in his mansion.”
I did, getting a cathartic release from sharing the details. Of how Tucker had targeted Jessie, who Elijah had now met, so he could imagine how damaging Tucker’s plan would’ve been.
Elijah’s jaw was so tight. “Tucker and I were supposed to meet to discuss shared investment opportunities. That’s why he called me, when you heard me say his name. I need you to know I’ll never do business with him. I swear it.”
I breathed out. It meant a lot. Not just him believing me, but taking action against Tucker, even if indirectly. “Thank you.”
He shook his head. “The bare minimum men can do is refuse to associate with predators. I will do more.” Something ticked over in his gaze. “His actions basically ruined your chances. What if I became your backer?”
Warmth flooded my chest. “No.”
“But—”
“Would you take my money if I offered it, or would you want to succeed off the sweat of your own back?”
He stared at me for a second then blew out a breath. “Do you know Mitch, the asshole, warned me that you could be a gold digger? If he could hear this conversation.”
I couldn’t stop a laugh. “Feel free to share.”
Elijah smiled back. “If you won’t let me invest in what I know will be a killer product range, how about lending my skills as a businessman? I might be able to help, even if just to bounce around ideas.”
That, I could accept. And at last, I was ready to ask the question. About his history. The way he’d created an empire. All the details I’d been too worried to hear. “I’d love to hear your story.”
Maybe I’d learn something good.
Chapter 20
