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He released a mirthless laugh before facing her. “You’re exhausting, you know that?”
“I’ve heard worse.”
Elijah took a step toward her. “I’ve thought about it real hard for the last few weeks, and I can only come up with one reason why I can’t get you out of my head.”
Scarlett waited, not knowing what to expect from him. She found herself holding her breath, praying he could shed some light on why she felt the same way about him. Perhaps if he could give her a good reason, then she wouldn’t feel so lost herself. When he didn’t give her the answer right away, she stepped forward slightly. “What’s your reason, Elijah?”
He took a deep breath, then expelled it harshly. “It’s so wrong that it’s right.”
“You can’t be serious.”
Elijah lifted a shoulder. “I don’t know what to tell you. Sometimes two people who don’t look like they’d fit together end up that way. Call it stupidity or dumb luck. Either way, these two people are stuck together by some kind of divine intervention.”
“You expect me to believe that you think we’re… what? Soul mates?”
He shrugged again.
“And that’s why we’re a bad fit? Because you don’t want to like me, but you do?”
“That’s one way to put it,” he said softly. This time, he lifted his hand to graze her jawline with his thumb. His eyes seemed to soften, but not enough to give her any confidence in what he’d been saying.
She stepped backward. “Do you hear what you’re saying? Do you honestly expect me to fall all over myself when you’re basically admitting that you like me against your will? How is that romantic?”
“I didn’t say it was romantic.” He dropped his hand and his eyes darkened, but this time with an intensity that almost scared her. “Sometimes things happen not because we want them to, but because it’s the world’s way of creating balance.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes and let out a huff, but before she could turn from him, he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her brusquely against his body. She gasped, hands coming up between them.
Her heart immediately went into overdrive and her thoughts bounced around her head like a bucket of ping-pong balls. Scarlett studied his face, searching for any indication that he was going to do something that they’d both regret.
Her whole body seemed to be at war, both wanting him to take her into his arms and steal the kiss that he’d been alluding to wanting and wishing she had the mental strength to push him away.
The problem was that the former part of her was winning this battle.
All she could see was their first kiss. It had been unexpected and brash, but also one of the best she’d ever had.
Now, as they stood in this quiet motel room with the rain pelting the windowpane, she couldn’t think of a more perfect moment to throw herself headfirst into a bad decision. She nodded her head slightly and moved her hands to his shoulders, then around the back of his neck.
It was as if Elijah had come to the exact same conclusion at that moment. His mouth crushed over hers—desire, passion, and long-awaited anticipation all rolled into one. He claimed her, his lips warm and sweet against hers. She kissed him back, closing her eyes as she reveled in his touch.
This kiss was nothing like their first one.
It was better.
In every nuanced movement, Elijah showed her just how beautiful he thought she was. The way his fingertips caressed her, trailing up and down her arms, set her body aflame. She’d been in denial for what felt like an eternity, even though it had only been a few weeks.
How had she managed to make herself believe that their kiss had been nothing—hadmeantnothing?
Elijah moaned, reluctantly pulling back. She teetered, unsteady on her legs. A kiss that felt like it had lasted three times as long as it had in reality was enough to make her dizzy. Thankfully, Elijah continued to hold her steady until she could meet his gaze.
When she looked up at him, she found the fiery passion in his eyes only burned brighter. “Now, do you see?” he muttered with longing. “There is absolutely nothing good that could come from sharing a bed with you. I respect you far too much to put you at that kind of risk.
Scarlett held a hand to her chest, feeling the thumping of her unsteady heart as it seemed to agree with him. If she were honest with herself, she’d have to admit that it was just as dangerous for her to be in this room with him. The chemistry between them was extraordinary.
Especially after that kiss.
She released a shuddering breath. “Well, then, what are we going to do? You need your sleep, and I practically dragged you into this.”
He took a step backward as if the additional distance was necessary for him to think more clearly. Then his eyes swept through the nearly empty room. “Like I said. I can sleep on the floor. Or I can sleep in my truck.”
