Page 157 of Bleed

“What even is happiness, really?” I sigh, waving a hand dismissively.

She gives me a loaded look. “I think you know.”

I try to play it off, but my gaze automatically drifts to Elliott. He looks ridiculously handsome tonight in his perfectly tailored dark suit, his glasses catching a faint glint from the low lights. His eyes are already on me, like always. We share a look, and my chest does a stupid little squeeze.

Yeah. I think I do.

“Drink?” Elliott asks, rising to his feet.

“Sure.”

He offers me his hand, and I place mine in it without a second thought, his grip firm as he pulls me to my feet. Then he leads me toward the bar, the two of us weaving through the bodies scattered around the room.

He orders wine for himself and whiskey for me, and the bartender– dressed in nothing but a tiny pair of briefs and a bow tie– slides our drinks across the counter with a wink.

“Cheers,” I say, tapping my glass against Elliott’s.

I take a sip of whiskey, and his hand finds its way to my hip, making my pulse skitter. We turn from the bar and are immediately intercepted by another familiar face.

“Bex!” Valentina greets warmly, leaning in to plant a kiss on each of my cheeks. Then she pulls back with a smile and lifts her gaze. “Eli, I’m delighted to see you’ve finally come to your senses with this one. You two are an item now, from what I hear?”

“We are.” He slides an arm around my waist, pulling me back against his chest.

I sink into him on instinct, giving Valentina a shameless once-over. I’m still struck by how fucking beautiful she is. Her dress leaves very little to the imagination, and naturally, I take full advantage of the view.

She notices.

“Wanna play again, sweet mortal?” she asks.

“Mine,” Elliott snaps.

Valentina’s brows lift as she looks up at him. “Never took you for the possessive type.”

“Oh, he is,” I say with a laugh, settling more of my weight against him.

His fingers splay wide over my stomach, holding me close.

“Noted,” Valentina murmurs, huffing a little sigh of disappointment. “Well, if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

She winks at me, then wiggles her fingers in a little wave before turning and disappearing back into the crowd.

Heads turn as she passes, attention following her all the way across the room. Somehow, I doubt she’ll have any trouble finding someone else to entertain her tonight.

Elliott’s arm tightens around my middle. “If you really want to, then–”

I shake my head, turning in his arms before he can finish. “Oddly enough, I’m not even a little interested.”

His brow furrows.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m having fun” I say. “And I’m definitely glad we came so I could finally see one of these for myself. But…” I trail off, reaching up to cup his cheek. “I kinda just want you all to myself.”

Something in his expression softens.

“The feeling is mutual,” he murmurs, leaning into my touch.

That tiny movement does something stupid to my heart.

There was a time when every brush of my fingers made him tense. Every attempt at contact was met with hesitation, suspicion, or outright retreat. But now, he leans into my palm. These days, it’s like we can’t touch each other enough.