Page 65 of An Endless Memory

I was cuddled on the couch with Cali between me and Eliot. Kellan was in his swing, his eyelids droopy. We’d already eaten dinner, and his bedtime was soon. Eliot had made us his special pancakes and eggs for supper.

We were on our second run of Snow White. Cali wanted to dress like the poisoned apple lady for Halloween. Not quite a witch, but different enough to satisfy her requirements. If she caught wind that Cody had invited us to do the Halloween thing with him, she’d talk about little else until then.

I might have to take Cody up on the offer. It’d keep my mind off Eliot’s absence.

“I think she’s asleep,” Eliot murmured.

I peeked down. Sure enough, her eyes were closed, and her head was tipped on his shoulder.

“Poor thing is still recovering from the week. School and being sick takes a lot out of her.” I was about to move to carry her to bed, but he shifted to stand while keeping her from falling to the side.

“I got her.”

The sight of him carefully picking her up and carrying her to her bedroom would stay with me forever. Her dad had never had time to just sit and enjoy the evening. I knew if we were at Eliot’s place, he’d probably be working until sundown and even later. But when he didn’t have to be here in the first place, this was nice.

The sight of his broad back in full flex was sexy. A flush fired across my skin, and it had nothing to do with being sick. I’d felt great all day.

When he returned, he dropped into Cali’s spot. We weren’t touching, but he was close.

“Think it’s time for something that’s not animated?” He grabbed the remote, and I tugged half the blanket over his lap.

“Sure. What do you like?”

“You should know by now that I’m fine with whatever you like.”

He was always spoiling me, but this time, I wasn’t delighted at the way he coddled me. The smallest favor I could return was picking a show he liked. “What do you like to watch?”

He slid his gaze toward me. “Anything.”

“When you have the chance to watch TV, what do you pick?”

His eyes narrowed slightly, like he couldn’t figure out why I wouldn’t just choose something I enjoyed. “I like a superhero movie as much as the next guy.”

“DC or Marvel?”

He straightened the blanket over him. “I dunno. I guess I like them all.”

“Is there one you haven’t seen and you want to?”

He twisted to face me. “What’s this about?”

“I want to know what you like.”

“No, you don’t.”

Now my irritation was notching up. “Yes. I do.”

“Just pick a show.”

“It pleases me to do something you like to do.”

“You don’t want to know what I like to do.”

I rolled my eyes. Stubborn man. “You can say it, you know. It’s okay to let others know what you want?—”

“I like to fuck, Lily.”

I snapped my mouth shut. My pulse kicked up faster the more his words sank in. I heard him wrong. That was it. “I don’t know if that’s DC or Marvel.”

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