She gazed up at me in obvious relief as her chest rose. “I thought you meant… I was afraid you’d… Your gun.”
My brows leapt at her meaning. “Oh! No, no, no.” I shook my head, taking a step closer to her and grinning at her relief. “I’m not… I don’t think I have it in me.”
Her eyes, glinting amber pools, tangled with mine. “I never believed you did, but I’m glad to hear you’re smart enough to realize that.” Her words made both of us smile. I wanted to touch her, so I clasped her hand in mine and lifted it between us.
“Speaking of smart, I had no idea you knew how to pick a lock with a hair pin.” She’d done that with the hand I now held, and I felt like it was owed its share of worship. I ran my thumb over the back of it, memorizing its shape and surprising softness.
I watched her attempt to beat back her smile. “The locks on the guesthouse bathrooms are the same. The one in my room catches from time to time.”
“So, you figured it out,” I said, admiring her resourcefulness. I didn’t want to have to lean on her for more, but I trusted no one else.
And I’d always trusted Elise.
I squeezed her hand, knowing that the moment was coming when I’d have to let it go, and I wanted to shrink from that moment.
“Could you help me with something else?” I asked, my voice going soft.
Elise nodded. “Of course.”
I swallowed. Because what I was about to ask of her was risky. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”
She squeezed back. “Just tell me,” she said, her frown returning. “What do you need me to do?”
Her eagerness to help pulled tension from my shoulders I hadn’t even realized I was carrying. Still, I worried about her safety. “We’re leaving tonight. In a few hours. We’ll have to sneak away.” I watched Elise bite her bottom lip as I spoke. “My mom needs a bag of just a few essentials that can see her through a day or two. Is there any way you can—”
“I can do it.”
“Are you sure? If you don’t—”
“I can do it,” she said again, resolve blazing in her eyes. “Your mom likes a pitcher of ice water on her bedside table at night. I’ll carry that up and pack what I can.”
I blinked at her ready plan. “H-how will you get it down? Someone might see you on the stairs.”
Elise shook her head. “I’ll send it down the laundry chute.”
My eyebrows leapt. “Elise, you’re a genius!”
Color rose on her cheeks, but she crimped her mouth in a way that told me my words pleased her. “I can put it in your car when I take out the trash.” The corners of her eyes crinkled with mischief. “No one will ever know.”
I didn’t think about it. I didn’t even hesitate. I tugged her hand, pulled Elise against me, and covered her mouth with mine. Her startled gasp met my tongue, and a bolt of desire shot clean through me.
This morning, our kiss had been a measured exploration. But not this time. This was a conquest. And even though I led the kiss and it was my arms that wrapped around Elise and gathered her tight against me, I was the one conquered.
Even as I plundered her mouth, I knew surrender was my only option. How could I resist her? She was fearless. She was flawless. She’d redefined what I knew of beauty. Yes, anyone could see she was beautiful. But who else but me knew how brave and capable she was? How ingenious and resourceful? How genuine?
She knew all of my secrets, and still she opened her mouth to welcome my outlaw tongue. And those were her hands diving inside the shelter of my jacket, skimming over my thin dress shirt and leaving behind a signature of heat.
I had no business getting hard in the shadowed hallway of my parents’ house on the night of our escape. With Elise Cormier, no less. But under her touch, I was like a brick. I’d never wanted anyone like this.
I had to stop. I knew this. But I just wanted to keep kissing her. To lie down with her. To listen to that delicate cry she sang into my ear as my lips moved to her neck. But what I wanted more than anything was time. Time to discover all of her secrets. I wanted to hear everything she wanted, and I ached to give her whatever I could.
But I could have none of that. Especially time.
I traced my way back up her neck, over her jaw, and settled onto her lips again, taking three more gentle kisses. And then I pushed myself away.
“If I keep you here any longer, it won’t be safe to send you upstairs,” I whispered, finding her eyes. They were dewy and half-lidded. I suspected mine were too.
But she recovered immediately with a nod. “I’ll be up and down in two minutes.” She took a step back, loosening her arms from around my waist. But then she reached up and swept a hand over my cheek in a gesture that made me feel something new and unknown.
