Page 39 of Dare To Take

How tranquil will that be if he finds out I’m fucking his son?

The thought dulls my mellow mood. What happened yesterday can’t happen again. A hotel is one thing, but if Elena or Elliot caught us messing around at the house, it would be disastrous. Once we get home, things will return to reality. Eli hasn’t touched me since he woke up. He’s already losing interest.

I ignore the slither of disappointment that creeps through me.

“Elena and I did gifts when she was home. Sometimes she just left them with Mrs. Goldmann if she wasn’t going to be with me over the holidays.”

So many moments she wasn’t there. The few memories I have are scattered among her absences. A sad smile pulls my lips up.

“I want to buy a Christmas decoration,” I tell him. “To hang on the tree when we put it up.”

Eli gives me a sideways glance. “The staff usually put the tree up, but between you vanishing and my dad’s heart attack, I doubt anyone has thought about it.”

Guilt flares up inside me. “What? No! We have to do it. That’s part of the fun. I have a bunch of decorations in a box I’ve collected. I add to it once a year. It’s a tradition. As soon as we get back, I’ll start decorating.”

It feels natural to grab his hand and drag him into the first big department store we see. We head to the women’s department, and I find a pair of black jeans in my size.

A long black flowing coat with faux fur lapels catches my eye, and I check the price tag. “Two hundred dollars. Ouch.”

Eli brushes his fingers along the fur. “It would suit you.”

“It’s too much.”

“Two hundred dollars is pocket change.”

I sigh. “Maybe to you. I’m used to second-hand clothes and thrift stores.”

He catches my wrist, to stop me from putting it back on the rail. “Try it on.”

I search his gaze, losing myself a little in those intoxicating green eyes. “Okay.”

I slip my arms into the coat, the warmth of the material enveloping me. My thumbs caress the softness of the lapels, and I push them up until they brush my cheeks.

“It’s perfect.” I twirl around and around in front of a nearby mirror, watching the way the bottom of the coat swirls around my ankles.

The second I take it off to put it back on its hanger, Eli takes it from me, along with the jeans. He strolls past me through the store. I rush after him only to find him paying for everything with his card by the time I get there.

I accept the bag he hands me. “You didn’t need to do that.”

He shrugs. “If I didn’t, you wouldn’t have bought them. Let’s call it a gift.”

My stomach lurches, and suspicion creeps in. “Payment for the sex?”

Something dark flickers in Eli’s eyes. “You’re the one who wanted to have sex, and I’m pretty sure you’d never make me pay for it.” His lip curls. “Not with money, anyway. Blood, maybe. Stop reading too much into it. It’s just clothes, Hellcat. Now go put them on so you don’t get cold.”

“Thank you for the gift.” Awkwardness has me turning toward the changing rooms without another word. I change into the jeans and pull the coat on. Stuffing my skirt in the bag, I emerge onto the store floor to find Eli leaning against a pillar playing with his phone.

“Mistletoe!” I point out lightly as I join him. “You know what that means.”

Eli tilts his head up to look at the decoration hanging right above his head and down to meet my gaze, with a frown. “No?”

“If someone stands under the mistletoe, you have to kiss them.” When he doesn’t make a move, I pout. “Fine, I’ll kiss you then.”

I curl my fingers in the front of his hoodie and drag him down so I can press my lips to his. I push my tongue into his mouth, flicking it against the ring in his. Eli mutters something against my mouth. His arms come around my waist, and the kiss deepens into something hungrier and urgent.

Chapter 27

Eli

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