Page 50 of Never Feed a Dragon

I wasn’t getting through heat without having more sex with Eli.

Lots of sex.

Which meant I was going to have to figure out how to mentally and emotionally distance myself from him while we were having the best sex of my life.

Yay.

nine

VI

Twenty minutes later, we were out walking on the street our hotel occupied. It was a mix of old homes and charming little shops, which made me happy. In the lobby, we’d learned that there was a local favorite at the end of the street, so that’s where we were headed.

Though I loved the town’s vibes, my thoughts were still on what I’d realized in the hotel room.

And what it meant for my future.

Our future.

The idea was bizarre, but I would wrap my mind around it eventually, I hoped.

My side was pressed against Eli’s, his arm draped over my shoulders, as we approached the restaurant. It wasn’t huge, or fancy, but there was plenty of seating. Though the place was full of life, and much busier than anything else we’d passed given the late hour, it wasn’t packed.

We were seated immediately when we stepped inside, and tucked in a far back corner without hesitation when Eli asked for privacy. There was another table across from us that could’ve seen us, but it wasn’t occupied.

Rather than sitting across from each other, Eli and I sat down on the same bench. His arm went back over my shoulders. I knew the touch was his requirement for being out of the hotel while heat was raging through us, so I leaned against him.

After we ordered drinks and an appetizer, the waitress left us alone. She’d been polite, and I appreciated her lack of staring at Eli, even though she had to have noticed him. The man was impossible not to notice.

And drool over.

“So,” I said, fiddling with the fork in front of me to give myself something to do. The conversation I was starting could very well be an unpleasant one, but it wasn’t avoidable.

“So.” Eli perched his chin on the top of my head.

I let out a long breath, but didn’t put it off any longer. “I told you I don’t want a relationship,” I said.

“You did.” He didn’t sound happy about it, but he also wasn’t trying to argue.

“I didn’t tell you why. I was with my ex for five years.”

Eli’s body stiffened, just slightly.

“It ended badly,” I said quickly. “We were engaged. He cheated. A few of the years were during high school, so they don’t count as much, and we never lived together. But it was serious, obviously. It… broke me. For a long time. After I finished putting myself back together, I made a vow not to risk my heart like that again. So, I’m not willing to try a relationship. I was never even planning on dating again, let alone starting a bond like this.”

Eli was still stiff behind me.

When he didn’t respond, I forced myself to keep going.

“That said, I understand that this situation is just as much outside of your control as it is out of mine. There’s no way around… physical intimacy.” I would’ve felt weird saying sex in the middle of a restaurant. What if there was a kid around, and I just hadn’t noticed? It was late enough at night that I shouldn’t worry, but I did anyway.

“And I’m enjoying that part, obviously,” I added. “We might as well have fun given the situation, right? But I need you to know that for me, it can never be more than just physical.”

Eli was so tense, I started to wonder if he was still breathing.

I listened for a moment, until I was certain he was.

And since he still hadn’t replied, I went on. “I know you said we’ll have to live together after heat, and that’s fine. I’m thinking we can just be roommates, either at your cabin or in Mate Mountain. We can split the bills and keep things friendly. When heat comes around every month, we’ll have fun again, and when it's over, we’ll go back to normal. I know it’s probably not ideal for you, but it’s all I can offer.”

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