AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I can’t imagine why you want to spend any more time with me than necessary.”
“Maybe you’re right.” I pull her to a stop. “Why would I want to spend time with someone funny, brilliant, clever, and beautiful? It’s a real hardship, let me tell you.” I don’t give her a chance to argue. My hand slides to the nape of her neck, and I pull her against me. “A real hardship,” I mutter right before our lips meet.
If kissing Eliot is a hardship, I’ll take hardship all day any day. Her lips are soft and taste like the cherry vanilla lip balm she carries in her purse. My tongue traces the seam of her lips, and she opens her mouth in invitation. It doesn’t slip my mind that there is so much more of her I’d like to explore with my tongue.
I could continue this forever, except we have to breathe. Taking a step back, I stare down into her golden gaze daring me to go back for more. Unfortunately, my elderly landlord pulls into the driveway. It seems like something is always keeping us at arm’s length.
“Owen,” Mrs. Marquez calls. “Can you help me with the groceries? Oh, hello, Eliot.” As much as I want to ignore her and focus all my attention on Eliot, I was raised better.
“You could wait upstairs for me,” I suggest.
“I should head home,” she answers. With a wave, she continues toward her house. I watch her hips sway until she turns the corner. I sigh and turn back to the task at hand. I’m not sure this slow-burn romance can get any slower and I survive.
thirteen
OWEN
I betyou expect me to run to Eliot’s house, pound on her door, and profess that I can’t live another minute without her. I guess I can, but that seems a little far-fetched.
Instead, I carry my landlady’s groceries inside. Then, I take a long shower, mostly because working that hard to look good on the dance floor left me smelling less than favorable.
Would I like for tonight to have gone differently? Of course. But there will be another opportunity. This game of cat and mouse is just heating up.
I find out just how hot it’s getting two days later when I receive a call while on parole.
“Owen, what’s your twenty?” Cherylynn calls over the radio.
“I’m at the gas station.”
“Can you head on over to the pool? We got a silent alarm from there.”
“Yeah, I’ll swing over.” I drive to the pool and pull up near the park office.
The only way to access the town swimming pool is through the front of the building where the park department office is. Inside, there’s a small meeting room, lockers, and bathrooms beside the main office. During the summer, they open one of the exterior gates to divert the kids through.
I try the door, but it’s locked. Fortunately, I have a master key to the city offices. I find the right one and slip it into the lock. It doesn’t take me long to work through the building. No one is lurking in any of the indoor spaces. That only leaves one other place to check. I push through the glass door to the pool.
Standing at the edge of the pool, staring into the water, is Eliot. I should have known. “What are you doing?” I ask, making her jump.
“I have permission to be in here from Brian. He gave me the keys so I could use the pool.”
“To do what?” Her face turns a delicious shade of red, and I can’t wait to hear what’s next.
“Skinny dip?” She finally rolls her eyes and steps back. “It’s on my list.”
“What fucking list?” I say in frustration. I’ve been trying for weeks now to get an answer for her crazy behavior.
“The list of things I need to do before I turn thirty,” she snaps back. Now I’m even more confused.
“What happens at thirty?”
“Everything, nothing,” she yells. Then her body just seems to collapse in on itself. “Oh, what’s the use? I’m destined to just grow old having done nothing exciting in life. My youth will be over, and I can start collecting cats.”
I bark out a laugh. I can’t help it.
“So everything ends at thirty. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Might as well be. Life is supposed to be full of adventure and risk when you’re young. Then at thirty, you slow down. Start a family, buy a house, start a business. I missed all of that first part and went straight for the old people things.”
