Page 137 of Theirs to Take

“Your neighbor is a guy?” Eli asked.

“Yes, why do you ask?” she questioned.

Eli shrugged, “No reason, really. Just making conversation. Are you and your neighbor close?” Yeah, that wasn’t a casual conversation. Eli was fishing to see if her neighbor was the date that she had the other night. Mina decided to ignore his inquiry and focus on changing the subject as soon as possible.

“No, we’re not close at all. In fact, he’s new to the building, and when he asked if I knew of any pet sitters in the area, I offered to watch Daisy. She and I became instant friends when we first met, and it’s kind of fun to have a pet—even if it’s only for a weekend.”

“They’re the best kind of pets. You can get your fill playing with them for a few days and then, you just give them back,” Eli said. “How long will your neighbor be out of town?” he asked.

“He’s supposed to be back in town tomorrow afternoon. Which saves me from having to ask you to bring Daisy into the office with me,” she teased.

“Yeah, I’m not sure what the company policy is for bringing in pets to work,” Eli said.

“Honestly, I didn’t pay much attention to the orientation that we sat through on our first day at McTavish. I can’t remember if they went over any pet policies,” She admitted.

“I kind of zoned out too,” Eli said, “but, I’m sure that between the two of us, we could get a dog past security.” She giggled and nodded. This was the Eli who she remembered from the wedding—someone who could make her laugh without any effort.

“How about we give your movie a chance?” he asked. “It’s been ages since I’ve watched any movie all the way through. Usually, I fall asleep in the first half hour. Since starting this job, I’m exhausted.”

She could relate. “I’m the same way. I come home from work, eat dinner, and veg on the couch. I guess we just have to get used to our new schedules.” She turned on the television and they both settled in to watch the movie that she rented. It was mushy and sappy—all the things she loved about a good rom-com. About halfway through, she looked over at Eli, to see if he was enjoying the movie, and found that he was sound asleep, his plate still in hand. She gently took his plate from him and put it on the coffee table with her own.

Mina leaned back against the sofa, their shoulders touching, and she chanced another look at him. He was so handsome, and so peaceful while he slept. He never seemed to let his guard down around her and seeing him like this was like catching a glimpse into Eli’s world that she was never allowed into.

She closed her eyes and thought about what it would be like to sleep next to Eli every night. How it would feel to be a part of his world and his life, and before she knew it, she was waking up next to him on her couch as he gently shook her. “Wake up, Mina,” he whispered. “We fell asleep.”

“The movie,” she breathed.

“It’s over,” he said. “Sorry, but I think that we both fell asleep. You were sleeping on my shoulder.”

“Oh, sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be,” he insisted. “I didn’t mind.” He was so close that all she would have to do was lean in just a little bit, and their lips would touch. She knew that it was probably going to be a big mistake, but she couldn’t help herself. Mina leaned in and brushed her lips over his, allowing Eli to take over the kiss—and God, could the man kiss. She loved the way that he pressed her back against the sofa. She wanted more from him, but he hesitated, and Mina knew that he wasn’t going to give her what she needed.

“Mina,” he whispered his lips still on hers. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, Eli. I have feelings for you, too,” she almost whispered. The look on his face had her instantly regretting her words, but it was too late to take them back. She had just told her boss that she had feelings for him and now, she was going to have to find a way to either take back her words or lose her job. Neither were good options for her. She was sure that she hadn’t misread him, but the confusion she saw in his eyes told her that she had. She had overstepped, and now, she was going to have tobacktrack as if her job depended on it—because she had a feeling that it did.

Eli

He wasn’t sure that he had heard her correctly. Had she just said that she had feelings for him? “I’m sorry, what?” he asked.

“Give me a second,” she insisted, holding up her finger at him. “I just need time to think.”

“There is nothing to think about,” Eli insisted. “You kissed me.”

“Actually,” she spat, “I believe that you are the one who kissed me. I simply pressed my lips to yours. You were the one who pushed me against the sofa and kissed me.”

Eli cleared his throat as if he had wanted to say something but was refraining. “And I shouldn’t have done that. We work together and me kissing you was very inappropriate.”

“We aren’t at work right now, Eli,” she reminded. “We’re in my apartment, on the couch. There is no HR here and no one to stop us from kissing or doing anything else that we want to do. What would it hurt if we just let things happen?” she asked.

“It would hurt our working relationship and I’m not willing to do that. I like working with you, Mina,” he admitted. He liked more than working with her, he liked her, but he wasn’t willingto tell her that while he was trying to make a point about how wrong a relationship would be between the two of them.

“I’m sorry that you feel that way, Eli,” she said. “I shouldn’t have told you the way that I feel about you. It was wrong of me. I guess I just got caught up in the moment. Blame it on being sleepy and having brain fog,” she said. He could tell that he had hurt her feelings, denying that he wanted her, but he needed to keep things professional between the two of them, no matter how loudly his dick was screaming at him to take what he wanted from her.

“I think that I need to get going,” he insisted. “It’s late, and I’ve already overstayed my welcome.” He stood and grabbed both of their plates to take back to her kitchen.

“Don’t worry about cleaning up,” Mina insisted. “I’ll walk you out. Daisy needs to have a walk before we go to bed.” She stood from the sofa and grabbed Daisy’s leash from the hook by her front door. Daisy happily jumped off the couch, following her to the entryway, excited by the prospect of a walk.

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