Page 147 of Theirs to Take

“Not just my assistant,” he said, “I want you with me,” he said, “in my bed. I’m here to propose that we take the week in Colorado to figure out if these feelings that we have for eachother can work out.” She wanted to promise him that they could. Mina wanted to tell him that they’d be great together, but Eli was a visual learner. He’d need to see for himself that they would be great together before he’d jump in with both feet.

“I’d like that,” she admitted. “All of it, Eli.”

“Good,” he breathed. “We leave in the morning. The McTavish jet will be ready for us at seven. Can you be packed and ready by six?” he asked.

“Yes,” she agreed.

“Great,” he said, “I’ll be by to pick you up at six tomorrow morning then.” He turned to leave, and she wanted to protest. He wasn’t going to kiss her or touch her at all? Eli was only there to make her a proposition that she couldn’t refuse and leave her longing for more, and that sucked.

He turned back and smiled at her. “And Mina,” he said, “put your shit back in your desk when we get back home. Firing you isn’t part of the plan.” He turned to leave, and she just stood there, staring at him.

“Wait, there’s a plan?” she called after him as he shut her front door. He didn’t bother to turn back, but she knew Eli and Mina was sure that he was smirking at her question. He always gave her his sexy little half-smirk that made her girl parts want to melt.

“Well, crap,” she whispered to herself. She was finally getting what she wanted, and Mina wasn’t sure if she wanted to jump up and down or be worried that she had just agreed to more than she’d be able to handle. Eli was going to be quite a handful, not that she was complaining.

Eli

Eli couldn’t sleep. He spent the evening packing, after leaving Mina’s place, and then, he lay in bed, tossing and turning. He felt like a kid on Christmas, waiting for the morning to come, so that he could go pick her up. He was finally getting what he wanted but kept denying himself, and he wasn’t sure what to do next. One thing was for sure, he was going to take his time with Mina and show her just how good they could be together because giving her up when their week in Colorado was over wasn’t an option. This was one thing in his life that he was determined not to fail at.

Mina was waiting for him, suitcase in hand, in her building’s lobby. He helped her into his SUV and put her suitcase into his trunk, next to his own. When he got back into his car and looked over at her, he could see the fear in her beautiful eyes.

“Hey,” he breathed, “you okay?”

“Yeah,” she lied. Mina took a deep breath and let it back out. “No,” she said. “I’m worried that this week is going to be a bust and that we’ll end up right back here, me worried about losing my job and trying to figure out how to split our time with our friends and family.”

“So, you have us failing before we even get started?” he asked.

Mina shrugged, “I guess I am doing that,” she admitted. “I don’t mean to be such a pessimist, but what happens if this doesn’t work out?” she asked.

Eli reached across the console and took her hand into his. “What if it does work out and everything turns out great?” he asked.

Mina giggled, “You’re going to play the optimist to my pessimist?” she asked.

“I’m going to try,” he said. He wasn’t very good at playing the optimist. He was usually into the doom and gloom of a situation, but they both couldn’t be the pessimist in the relationship—that would only end badly for them both.

“All right,” she agreed. “We can try things your way. If things go well, what happens when we get back here? Are we going to hide our relationship from everyone?”

“Why would we do that?” he asked. “I mean, are you ashamed of anyone knowing that we’re together?”

“No, of course not,” she said. “I just didn’t know if you’d want work to find out and all of that. I mean, I won’t be able to keep a secret from Carrie. Sooner or later, she’ll figure it out and I won’t lie to her.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to do that,” he assured. “How about we revisit this conversation in seven days when we’re on our way home? Right now, we have a plane to catch.” He was putting off the part where he wanted to tell her that he would tell everyone about her being his if that’s the way that things ended up for them. He wouldn’t hide their relationship, but telling Mina that now might just scare her off and that’s not what he wanted.

“That’s fair,” she agreed. He released her hand and started his SUV. He was going to get them to the airport to catch their plane, and then, he was going to make Mina his. He’d beenwaiting a damn long time for her, and Eli wasn’t willing to wait another second longer than he had to now that she agreed to give him this week.

The captain met them at the hangar, going over the flight plan with Eli. They would have four hours in the air, which gave him enough time to turn Mina from a pessimist to an optimist.

“This thing is nicer than my apartment,” Mina said, looking over the jet. “It’s like a flying condo. It even has a bedroom.” Eli stowed her carry-on and pulled her against his body.

“I’m aware,” he said, loving the blush that covered her cheeks. He loved the way he could make Mina blush. It was one of the many things he learned about her at his brother’s wedding. She would blush anytime he made any sexual suggestions and right now, that was all he wanted to do.

“I won’t push you, Mina, but I want our week to start now.” He wasn’t going to push her, but he really hoped that she’d agree to spend the flight with him, naked in bed.

“Now?” she squeaked.

“If you’re okay with that,” he said. “If not, we can talk and take our time.”

Mina wrapped her arms around his neck and went up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his. It was the same kind of kiss that she had given him at her apartment, and he couldn’t help but take it a bit further. He pulled her into his arms, cradling her against his body as he walked with her back to the bedroom. The captain came over the speaker and told them to buckle in for takeoff.

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