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Chapter 22
Phin
We both smiled as we hopped in the car and headed to her house. The ride was quiet. We listened to some music, and I asked questions about her neighborhood. We pulled up to her blue Victorian house, and I was glad I agreed to the extra time with her. I didn't want to have to find a place to stay tonight and looking at her house, I felt right at home. Just one night with Elizabeth already had me wanting more, hoping for things to be different. I had nine months left, and I needed to remind myself this wasn't permanent. I couldn't rely on staying at her place. Getting too comfortable wasn't an option for me until I had my inheritance; there was too much at stake.
I raised my eyebrow at her. "I thought you said you had a condo." She collected her things and got out of the car.
"Well, it is a house, but upstairs there are tenants. I have the other side. These old Victorians are all cut into different configurations. Do you like it?"
I tugged her into a hug. "It's amazing, like the person who lives in it."
"Let me warn you. I am a bit messy. I hope you aren't a clean freak because this has been a big issue in my past relationships."
"Shit, I am a total clean freak. Guess I should go." I let her go and pretended to walk away as she yanked my hand.
"No, don't go."
"Lizzie, I would never let a messy apartment keep me from staying with you. If you play your cards right, I might even clean up for you. I enjoy cleaning, and if I am honest, I think it's a turn on that you are a slob."
She swatted my chest. "I am not a slob, just a little too busy to put things away."
I moved in and gave her a chaste kiss. "Now, let's go in and lie down. I am tired because a hot woman kept me up all night."
She led me toward the steps and opened the door.
"Fine, but what good does it do me to date a twenty-year-old who is tired all the time." I was a little shocked that she said we were dating, so I addressed it.
Once we were inside, I surprised her by picking her up and putting her up on the counter in the open-plan kitchen. "Are we dating, Elizabeth? Or am I just the extended one-night stand?" I tried to mask any expression on my face to give nothing away; I wanted to see her honest reaction.
I could tell a million things were going through her head, but she wasn't giving anything away either. I have to remember never to play poker with Elizabeth. She is good. There was so much she didn't know about me that could be a red flag. I had no idea how she'd react if I told her all my secrets.
Finally, she put her arms around my neck and answered me. "I want to get to know you, Phineas Dunbar. You are right. We do have an undeniable connection. I won't lie to you, I have concerns, but right now I don't care about any of them. I've got a week off, and I am tired. Let's order some pizza and hang out. We can get to know each other, and we don't have to label anything. Are you okay with that?"
My eyes never left hers while she was confessing her feelings. "I like the sound of that idea. Plus, pizza is one of my favorite food groups." When I kissed her, it got passionate very quickly, and Elizabeth finally pulled away.
"Let's order pizza, and we'll have thirty minutes before it arrives." I let her jump off the counter to find her phone.
"Make yourself at home. The remote is on the table. What do you want on your pizza?"
I sat down on her comfy sofa and kicked off my shoes, making myself at home. My body settled down and a sense of relief washed over me. I picked up the remote and switched on the television. I hadn't watched television since I left LA.
We discussed our pizza preferences, and then she ordered the pizza, grabbed us two beers out of the refrigerator, and snuggled up next to me.
I was enjoying hanging out like I’d been here a million times before. For anyone else, it was a very normal thing to do. As I sat quietly, I looked around at her apartment; it wasn't that messy. I was expecting empty food boxes and clothes everywhere, but I only saw a few piles of clothes and paperwork on her dining room table.
Elizabeth broke the silence finally. "Phin, is it weird that I feel like I've known you forever, but we’ve only just met. You could be a serial killer. Wait, are you a serial killer? I probably should have asked that first." She smiled and started to laugh.
"No, I don't plan to kill you with a box of Cap'n Crunch. I would never waste food like that." I smiled down at her, and she smirked at me. She didn't like that joke, but I thought it was funny.
"Ha, ha, ha, good thing you are pretty, Phineas Dunbar. You are no comedian." She patted my face. "Okay, let's play twenty questions so we can get to know each other better. You don't have to give too much away, nothing too deep, just the basics. I feel like such a slut that we had sex when I don't even know your favorite color or your favorite food."
We both moved to sit cross-legged facing each other as I reached for her hands and held them resting between us.
"I'll go first. My birthday is December tenth, so I'm a Capricorn. I was born in San Mateo hospital at twelve thirty p.m. it was a Tuesday. My favorite color is black because it looks good with everything."
She laughed at me and pretended to look around to check out my butt. "Your butt looks fine without any help from black." The sound of her laugh made me feel high.
"Fine, now I've answered a few questions, your turn. Give me the basics."
She looked up at the ceiling like she was trying to remember. "My birthday is July fifth, and I am a Cancer. I was born in Marin County, and it was a Saturday. You know, I don't remember what time of day it was, I didn't have a watch at the time. My favorite color is red or sometimes green. Oh, and Christmas is my favorite holiday."
I bent forward and slowly kissed her lips just because she was adorable. "Now, the difficult questions, what's your middle name? Who was your first kiss? Who was your first crush?" I sat, contemplating more questions until she spoke up.
"My middle name is Anne, it's pretty boring. You wouldn’t know this, but it’s a pretty common name amongst women my age. What was the next question?"
I knew she was stalling and trying to avoid answering my questions, so I encouraged her to answer. "Come on, who was your first kiss?"
Just then, the doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes, and Lizzie got up with a sly grin on her face. "I'll get it."
As she got up, I swatted her butt. "You do that, but I am not letting you off the hook."
I got up to offer her money for the pizza, but she refused. "You worked hard and helped me out yesterday, so it’s my treat. You can get it next time."
I gave up trying to pay this time, but I wasn't happy about it. I grabbed the plates and utensils, and she put the pizza down on the table. Lizzie put a couple of slices on a plate and handed them to me. I took a swig of my beer and sat back until she joined me. I moaned as I savored that first bite of pizza because it had been so long since I'd had a slice.
She smiled at me and took a big bite. "You like?" When she sat back, there was a piece of cheese hanging down her chin. I smiled and placed the dangling cheese in her mouth, which was sexy as hell.
"Sorry, I am a bit of a pig when it comes to pizza."
I kissed the place where there was some extra sauce on her chin. "I think it's pretty sexy. Now, where were we? Yes, that's right, your first kiss?"
Elizabeth took another bite of her pizza and a swig of her beer as she again stalled to answer.
I nudged her. "Come on, it can't be that bad?"
She swallowed her pizza. "No, it's not that bad. I was a bit of a late bloomer. No one kissed me until I was eighteen. My freshman year of college and I think he'd lost a bet."
I couldn't even understand what she was saying to me. Who would be that cruel? The pause in the conversation and the look on my face told her I was upset.
"Tell me his name, and I will kick his ass right now."
