She pulled back, pushing him away from her at the same time.
He stared at her as though she was the most fascinating creature in the world.
“Inside,” she breathed. “I have neighbors.”
He nodded.
She watched his hands form fists and then release as she found her keys. She unlocked the front door, let them in, pushed it shut behind her?—
Immediately, he was on her again, his hands and his mouth exploring every inch he could reach.
This time, she didn’t push him away.
It was hours later when she awoke on the living room floor, having fallen asleep after the lovemaking. Elijah was still sleeping beside her, one heavy arm draped over her body. She didn’t try to move it—she had no desire to get away from him. Instead, she just lay there, staring up at the ceiling in the darkness.
She’d been over her guilt. She really had.
But now, alone in this quiet hour, it was trying to claw its way back into her heart.
Shehadlied to him. Her lies were the foundation of everything that existed between them. This whole beautiful night had been built on that deception.
Let it go. You did the right thing. You didn’t accept Oliver’s money. If you had taken it, those lies would matter, but because you didn’t, it’s as if it never happened.
She wanted to believe that. She wanted it to be the truth.
But it was as if her secrets had left something hollow in the pit of her stomach—something she was having a hard time forgetting about.
She inhaled slowly, closed her eyes, and rolled onto her side so that her face was level with Elijah’s chest. He was so powerful. So strong. But he’d let her see the insecurities that plagued him.
He can never know that it was his father interfering in his life that brought us together. It would cause him too much pain to know that.
Eventually, her feelings of guilt would fade. She was sure of that.
Until they did, she would go on carrying them. She could manage that.
After all, if holding onto a little guilt allowed her to have moments like this one, that was a price she was willing to pay.
CHAPTER 17
ELIJAH
“You’ve decided everything we’ve done for the past two weeks,” Stephanie said one morning. “Today it’s my turn.”
The two of them were lying in Elijah’s bed. Slow mornings had become a part of their routine lately. They didn’t spend every night together, but it was more frequent than Elijah would have dared to imagine it would be even two weeks ago.
“I haven’t decided everything,” he protested. “We’ve decided together.”
“No, we haven’t,” she said lightly. “You asked me if I wanted to go to the seafood restaurant at eight or at nine, notwhereI wanted to get dinner.”
“Have I been bossing you around?”
“Oh, I haven’t minded,” she assured him. “Your ideas tend to be good ones. I really liked that seafood place. It’s just that I’d like to show you one of my favorite places today, if you’re interested in that.”
He rolled toward her and kissed her on the cheek. “I would love to see one of your favorite places. Where are we going?”
Stephanie popped out of bed and went over to the closet. She had started keeping a few of her things here. Just the basics. Elijah told himself it didn’t mean all that much. It wasn’t as if she had her own half of his closet or a drawer in his dresser. She did have a hanger she used, though, a place where she hung up whatever outfit she brought over to wear the following morning after spending the night. Today she took down a green sundress he hadn’t seen before and pulled it over her head. As it settled around her, he was struck by how well it set off the red in her hair. She looked amazing, and he leaned back against the pillows in his bed to enjoy looking at her.
“Get up,” she said, blushing. “Stop looking at me like that.”
