Page 44 of Slow Burn

Well, it wasn’t like she was going to argue about a ride home when someone was sick. But geez, dating in Landmere was cutthroat.

She could feel the presence of Elijah right at her back while she responded to Dane.

Georgia: No worries! I have a ride back and hope Sloane feels better soon.

“That’s all you’re going to say?” She heard the venom in Elijah’s voice. “He left you at a bar by yourself without a ride, and you’re saying it’s fine with a stupid smiley emoji at the end?”

Georgia held her phone as she turned to him. “Why waste my time getting upset about something I can’t change? He left because his best friend was sick. I’m not going to crucify the guy for it. And he was right, my brother is here, so I do have a ride home. But, if memory serves me correctly, you won game night. Are you now negating your winning to drive me home?”

“Did I say I wasn’t taking you home?”

She stomped her foot in frustration. “No, but you’re acting like I was deserted, and I wasn’t.”

Her phone vibrated again, and it was another text from Dane.

Dane: Thanks for understanding. How about we reschedule?

When she glanced up at Elijah, he was glaring at her phone like it suddenly became a fire he couldn’t put out. Georgia wasn’t ruling out Dane as an option, especially when the man she wanted, who stood right in front of her, wasn’t dating her.

Georgia: Sounds like a plan.

The phone was removed from her hand so quickly that it took her a second to notice Elijah had stolen it. He typed away on her cell before stuffing it in his back pocket.

“We’re leaving.” Elijah didn’t give more details, as he marched out of the game area and right out the door.

She followed him, but only to call him out on his bullshit. That, and he snatched her phone, which was like a lifeline to her. Swinging through the entry, she met him outside, where he was pacing around on the sidewalk.

“Give me my phone back.” She held her hand out and patiently waited while he continued to stomp around.

He came to a halt in front of her. “I’ll give it back once I drop you off.”

“I need to tell my brother I left so he isn’t looking for me, expecting to give me a ride.”

“He knows I’m taking you home.”

“Are you going to be this exciting on the ride home? I didn’t expect you to steal my phone, requiring me to plead my case to get it back.”

Elijah crossed his muscular arms, not budging on the phone situation.

She wasn’t backing down so easily. “Give me a valid reason, just one, of why you won’t give me my cell back.”

The way his eyes traveled over her, eating her up, made her want to wave the white flag and surrender.

Phone, shmone.

“I’d like to spend time with you without you texting your shitty date. Is that a good enough reason?”

The giddiness rushed through her when he admitted he wanted to spend time with her.

Maybe tonight would be her lucky night.

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

ELIJAH CAREFULLY SHUT his passenger door after making sure Georgia was tucked safely inside his car.When he rounded the hood, he took a few deep breaths to calm the hell down about her date with Dane. That guy was an absolute prick for bailing on Georgia, even if it did benefit him.

“Thanks for taking me home,” she told him after he buckled in and started the drive to her apartment complex. “I know you won our bet, but it would have sucked for Nash to drive me home. He’d unmercifully tease me about my date going wrong.”