Page 26 of Shiny Things

She shrugged. “Being so inexperienced and all.”

“That’s what I don’t understand. There were rumors.”

She grinned. “I didn’t want anyone to know, so I bribed a few guy friends to spread those rumors. We were still young, andI thought maybe it would make me more desirable or something. It was stupid.”

“I’m glad.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m the only that will ever have you.”

“Elias, no.”

“Yes, Kim. You’re it for me.”

“You’d throw it all away for me? I mean, your mother could seriously lose her shit. You could be disowned.”

I snorted. “That will never happen, but I’ll play along. If it came to that, then it’s their loss. I’d still be the happiest man alive because I’d have you.”

“You can’t say stuff like that.”

“I can and I did, and I mean it.”

“I’m not ready.”

My patience was wearing thin. I’d just taken her virginity. I loved her. She was mine.

But I held all of that back for her sake.

Kim was like a spooked baby bird terrified to fly for the first time. Today had been huge progress in the right direction. I needed to just hold onto that for now. Baby steps.

“Do you want me to leave?”

“No,” she admitted.

I snuggled down into her bed and just held her.

“This doesn’t change anything,” she insisted.

“Keep telling yourself that, babe.”

Because for me, this changed everything, and I would stop at nothing to have her as my mate.

Kim

Chapter 9

Things were inevitably changing between me and Elias. I didn’t know how to stop it, and if I were being honest with myself, I didn’t really want to.

With the kitchen remodel still going on in the diner, Gia and David had to get creative in order to keep us employees active and paid.

I was one of the rare few who knew that they were paying us out of their personal finances. They had the money, but they shouldn’t have to do that.

It had been two weeks since the fire, and Elias and I were secretly seeing each other every day. I’d never been happier. I still refused to spend much time at his place, so he mostly just stayed with me, but it was rare that a night went by that we weren’t together.

I was lost in a daydream when Gia cleared her throat.

“Earth to Kim. We have work to do.”

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