Page 63 of Slow Burn

Hmm, it wasn’t exactly an answer, but if Sophie wanted to tell her, she would. Georgia wasn’t going to push.

Back to styling her hair, Sophie asked, “Are you excited to see Elijah since you two had your impromptu sleepover?”

“I am, but who knows what flavor of him I’ll get tonight.”

“What do you mean?”

Georgia tilted her head to the side, biting her lower lip, thinking of how to explain the different versions of Elijah. “My favorite version is when he confides in me, and his sarcasm is out, which always makes me laugh.”

“I thought your favorite part of him was when he was kissing you or doing other magical things with his tongue or dick.” Sophie suggestively wagged her eyebrows.

This made both of them laugh.

“Fair!” Georgia giggled. “I do love when he touches me. But when that isn’t happening, I love talking to him.”

“What other flavors, as you said, do you get?” Sophie questioned her.

“There’s him being all brooding and no talking. Then there is when he gets annoyed. Let’s not forget when he acts like he knows what is best for me.” Georgia counted off on her fingers.

“But do those things stop you from liking him?”

“Not in the slightest. Elijah is complex and guarded, but he’s also smart and funny.”

Sophie checked herself out in the mirror and then turned back to Georgia. “He’s also sexy as fuck.”

“There’s that,” Georgia agreed. “But he’s stuck on not wanting a repeat performance of us sleeping together. He doesn’t want to hurt me or lead me on, though it’s not his decision to make if I get hurt.”

Sophie reached out to Georgia, and Georgia took her hand, walking out of the bathroom and into the living room. “I agree with you,” she said. “But I want to play devil’s advocate. Elijah has a fear of commitment. Maybe he’s worried he is leading you on if the two of you have casual sex.”

“I hate when you make sense.”

Sophie grabbed her clutch off the coffee table. “Nonsense, you love me.”

Following her lead, Georgia picked up her purse and opened it up, checking to make sure her keys were in there. “Do you regret that your first time having sex was with someone you don’t talk to anymore?”

The summer after high school, Sophie went to tour some colleges, and she lost her virginity to some guy at the University of Delaware. She didn’t talk about it too much, but Sophie was over the moon when it happened.

Until she wasn’t.

“I don’t regret it.” Sophie was quiet for a minute as Georgia locked up her apartment, and they headed to the elevator. “But I wish he cared. Maybe Elijah cares. I bet he is pushing you away because you deserve more.”

They stepped out of the elevator, both lost in their own thoughts when they got into her car.

Georgia wished Elijah got it. He already did care.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-TWO

ELIJAH SHOWED UP to Anna’s house around three in the afternoon, and the party was in full swing. Roman and her were taking turns grilling and laughing about something. Benny was talking to some woman he’d never met before, but that was on par for Benny. He picked up a woman wherever he went. Sloane was there, and fuck, she stood with Sophie and Dane.

Dane—what an asshole for ditching Georgia, even if it did benefit him.

Would Georgia be upset he was at the party? Elijah doubted it. Most of the time, nothing ruffled her feathers. She was the epitome of the glass that was always half full. There was one problem, though. Elijah scanned the backyard, full of people from the station and some he’d never met before.

Where was Georgia?

Nash came over to hand him a beer, but Elijah pushed it away. “I start my shift tomorrow.”