Page 58 of Slow Burn

They got off the phone, and Georgia showered and was ready to go in twenty minutes. She stopped at the liquor store and was searching through the wine section, trying to decide whether she was in the mood for a Cabernet or a Pinot.

“Hey, Sis,” Nash called out to her, joining her in front of the red wine section. “You already have two bottles, and you’re searching for another one. What happened?”

She gave him a hug. “I’m going to Sophie’s, and she requested three bottles.”

“Ah, so Sophie happened,” her brother teased like he always did when it came to her best friend. “Are you ladies hanging in?”

Deciding on the Cab, she grabbed the bottle and put it in the cart. “Yes, which is just what I need after a long week. What are you doing?”

“Grabbing some beer.” He lifted his hand holding the six-pack. “Then heading to Benny’s house for poker. Elijah and Thatch are playing too. We might go out after, but who knows. Elijah was talking about going to Colgate, and we always have a good time there.”

Colgate was about a twenty-minute drive from Landmere. Georgia hated how her stomach flopped when she realized Elijah was going there to meet a woman from his stupid zip code.

“Thatch just broke up with his girlfriend, so we’re trying to keep him busy,” Nash continued sharing details of the weekend.

She forced a smile. “Speaking of Thatch, I met his sister Maggie. She’s great.”

They walked together to the checkout line. “Maggie is a character. The guys always flirt with her when we’re at the ER, and she just eats it up.”

Georgia sensed that Maggie seemed a bit boy crazy.

Nash grabbed the bottles from her cart and paid for them. They walked out of the store together, her brother following her to her car.

He put the bottles in the trunk. “When you get to Sophie’s, you better tell her I got the wine.”

“Why do you always want to start a fight with her?”

“Because she started it.” He slammed his trunk closed.

“Wow, mature words coming from my thirty-six-year-old brother,” Georgia mocked while getting into her car, leaving the door open so they could finish their conversation.

“Just trust me on this one.” He was being as elusive as ever.

But she didn’t push him.

Because she was also being secretive.

Nash had no idea Elijah was the man she gave her virginity to.

CHAPTER

TWENTY

WITHOUT EVEN TRYING, Elijah managed not to see Georgia for almost a month. Between shift work, hanging out with his friends, and remodeling his basement, he didn’t have time for much else.

But that didn’t mean he hadn’t thought of her.

He promised Nash he’d meet for happy hour at Lighthouse since he bailed on going out the other night for Thatch. Like the pathetic man he was, he was optimistic the invite also included Georgia.

There was no way in hell he was fucking her again. He just liked being around her. She was the calm to his storm. She made him laugh when he was normally grim. Plus, she was hot as fuck, and he was in favor of staring at her all night.

It was a Tuesday, so Lighthouse was slow. Only a few people were at the bar. Nash was sitting with Arlo and Georgia.

Fuck yeah.

“Over here!” Nash yelled out to him.

Elijah walked to the cocktail area where they had a table and sat across from Georgia. Honestly, he wasn’t sure he trusted himself to sit next to her and not touch her. Yes, he promised himself he wouldn’t sleep with her again, but her skin was so soft. His fingers itched to feel her.