Page 22 of Slow Burn

Granted, she was way in over her head. The man made her panties damp, and all he had to do was talk. Then he put his mouth on her, and she was like a water faucet down there. It was embarrassing.

All she wanted to do was go home.

She wasn’t running from him but instead giving herself a time-out.

Because the truth of it was, maybe she couldn’t handle him after all.

“You alright?” Roman asked Georgia.

Anna finally looked at her, and her eyes widened. “Oh yeah. Okay.”

Roman looked between the two of them. “What’s going on?”

Anna pushed him toward the living room where Elijah was. “I need to have a quick chat with Georgia. Alone. Go sit with Lou.”

“You’re acting suspect,” Roman told her. But at least the man followed.

“You are the worst at reading the room!” Georgia complained, doing her best to pull the short dress down.

Anna pointed at the shot glasses. “I was prepping for our game.”

She cringed at the memory of Elijah banning her from playing games with him. It was still fresh.

“When you were gone, he basically told me to leave him alone.” She left out the piece where he bit her neck. Elijah did that to prove she wasn’t ready for him.

And he was right.

Anna put her hands on Georgia’s shoulders. “You mastered med school, so you can master Elijah. If that’s who you want, you can’t back down. Girl, that man tracks every step you take. The tension between you two is thick enough to cut. This isn’t a matter of him not wanting you. He has such a stick up his ass about hooking up with locals.”

“Which is a disturbing red flag,” Georgia said while standing up straighter. Anna was right. She could handle anything.

Anna tilted her head to the side. “Maybe, but I think there’s more to it. But if you don’t want him, it’s no big deal. Move on.”

“Do you care if I leave? After Elijah tried to boss me around and then bit my neck, I’ve had⁠—”

“Wait, what?” Anna jumped up.

“Shhh!” Georgia put a finger over her mouth.

“Do you still want to sleep with Elijah?”

“Yes.” She didn’t even have to think twice. The bigger problem was whether she’d survive it.

Anna grabbed a shot, took Georgia’s hand, and dragged her along. “Follow my lead.”

They stepped back into the living room, where the guys had their attention on the game.

“Georgia is heading home, but Roman, you promised me truth or dare,” Anna said, handing him a shot. “Elijah, are you playing, or can Georgia give you a ride home? Honest, you should probably let her drive you home because she’s still getting used to being back in Landmere. Call me an overprotective friend, but I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

That was a crap reason.

Landmere was relatively safe, and just because Georgia had been away for a decade didn’t mean she had forgotten how to drive. Besides, even if she was attracted to Elijah didn’t mean she wanted him to go home with her. Not after he was a complete ass to her.

Georgia yanked her hand from her friend. “I can handle the fifteen-minute drive home without some egotistical firefighter being a back seat driver.”

Roman laughed. “Ha, she already knows what it’s like driving with you.”

“Fuck off,” Elijah responded, putting his full drink on the table before standing. “I’m ready to go home anyway. I don’t need to know what truths either of you have to share.”