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“I think I’d rather like to kidnap you for the weekend.”
That makes me laugh. “I know you’re just being facetious, but that could be entirely literal coming from you.” I grin and push my textbook aside, sliding my arms around Elias’ neck. “I’d rather like to be kidnapped.”
“You guys are sickening,” Caelan comments.
“You’re welcome to kidnap me and do horribly perverted things to me any day as well.”
Caelan looks at me for a long moment, smirking. “Yeah? Are you into that kind of role-play or something? ’Cause I’m sure that could be arranged.”
This was not at all how I expected this conversation to go. The idea of role-playing with them isn’t something I’ve considered before, but the idea is interesting, no doubt about that. I turn it over in my head, eyes glazing.
Elias chuckles, then guides my thoughts back to where they should be by hooking a finger beneath my jaw and tilting my chin up to look at him. “Some other time, perhaps. I was actually intending to ask you out, as it will be six months since we first met you. I thought it would be nice to go somewhere.”
“Oh.”
Six months?It feels like I’ve known them much longer, yet at the same time as though this whole thing is still so much newer than that.
“I understand you don’t wish to be spoiled constantly, but I’m certain such an occasion as this could be considered an exception?”
I nod. I might feel guilty about him regularly spending too much on me, but I dolikeit when he takes us to fancy restaurants and such places. Like it a lot. “I’ll allow it,” I tease.
“And we’d like to have you for the entire weekend. Like the gala, we’ll collect you on Friday and spend the night together. Then I have reservations for a restaurant on Saturday evening. We’ll bring you back whenever you’d like to return home on Sunday. Don’t worry about any transportation for yourself.”
Another whole weekend with them. A small, trembling shard of anticipation curls in my gut at the thought. I can’t wait. As wonderful as it is to have them as part of my everyday life, to see them in the evenings or whenever I have time around work and classes, I adore the opportunity to get utterly lost in their lives even more.
“That sounds perfect.” I give Elias a wry smile. “And I guess you’re organizing somewhere to stay too?”
He doesn’t immediately answer that. Oddly, he looks to Caelan, who returns his glance with a raise of his eyebrows and an unreadable smirk.
“Everything is taken care of,” is all Elias says.
I look to Caelan too, hoping to find some explanation for the strange, unspoken exchange, but there’s nothing to be gleaned from him. That grin of his could mean anything.
“Well, almost everything,” I say, sighing. “I already know I have work shifts.”
“Can you exchange them or ask for the time off?” Caelan asks. He has the same vested interest in making sure I can come, after all.
My brows knit and I frown sourly. “Definitely couldn’t get the time off. I already took an entire weekend for the gala.”
Elias frowns. “That was almost three months ago.”
“I’m an entry-level lab assistant. I don’t exactly get much in the way of holiday benefits.”
“I could always have a word with your manager,” he offers with poison sweetness, and I immediately laugh.
“No! How many times? I don’t want you to threaten people because of me,” I say. But despite my words, and although I probably should be serious about such a request, I’m laughing. It’s flattering that they’d be so overprotective and look out for me.
“Please.” Elias scoffs. He caresses his thumb over my cheekbone and tenderly cups my face in his hand, leveling me with a smirk that’s pure charm and seduction. It still leaves me flustered every time. “Surely, you remember…” he purrs, leaning in close enough I can feel his breath ghosting against my lips, “… that I can be very persuasive.”
I splutter for a moment, face flushing. All it takes is for him to turn up the charm, and I’m weak for him in seconds. “I… I sure hope you’re not gonna talk like that to my manager,” I eventually manage.
The delivery isn’t the strongest, given my heart is skipping in my chest and I’m stumbling over my words, but it’s enough to get Elias to lean back and raise his eyebrows in bemusement. And as for Caelan—Caelan absolutely cracks up over it.
“She got ya on that one, Elias!” He cackles. “Imagine if it’s some crusty ass old dude and you’re gonna be all seductive tothat…” He trails off into a hiccup of mirth.
“That is not what I was implying, Caelan. You do realize ‘charm’ can merely be polite reasoning and not flirtatious?”
“Uh, doyourealize that? ’Cause I ain’t seen anything else from you ever.”
