Page 61 of We Own Tonight
Eli’s hands slide up my back and grip my shoulders. My hands tremble, and I finally get the door open. “Heather,” Eli’s voice is low with a hint of desire, “why are you sonervous?”
My eyes meet his. “Because I want you to spend the night.” I blurt out before I lose my nerve. “I want you tostay.”
“Are yousure?”
“Yes.”
And I am. I’ve never been more sure of anything. It isn’t only the emotions of today—it’s him. It’s everything about this man that has me so torn up. Eli wanted me to see him, I did, and now I want all ofhim.
He moves quickly, lifting me and then carrying me over the threshold. I press my lips to his as he kicks the door closed. My hands are buried in his thick brown hair as I kisshim.
“Bedroom?” Eli grunts as he bumps into thetable.
I giggle and point. Our smiles are bright as he moves us. His mouth finds mine again, and he crashes into the wall. “Ouch.” Ilaugh.
“Sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you as soon as we find your damnbed.”
“Promises, promises,” Itease.
“You know I make good onthem.”
Oh, yes, Ido.
We get to my bedroom without further injury, and he places me in front of him. The moonlight shines through the windows, illuminating the planes of his face. My fingers lift, rubbing the stubble on his cheek. Slowly, my hand drifts to the other side, memorizing his features. The tip of my finger touches the small beauty mark under his left eye and then to the faint dimple on the right before moving across hislips.
I meet his gaze, and it feels like a thousand words pass between us. So many questions, promises, and worries, but I put my arms around him. I hope that, while we’re wrapped up in each other’s arms, we’ll find theanswers.
“I know you’ve been hurt, but I won’t hurt you, Heather. I want to be the guy you can count on. I’m not sure how to make this work. But I’m not going to let you go. Not without one hell of afight.”
“I worry about tomorrow,” Iconfess.
Eli brushes the hair off my face and kisses my lips. “We can’t worry about tomorrow, we can only own tonight. And tonight, I’m going to make sure you never forget how good we are. When you want to run away, I want this to be what youremember.”
I don’t doubt I’ll ever forget those words. There’s moments in my life that I’ve cherished, and this will be one of them. The way he looks at me eradicates all the doubts I’ve held onto. The tenderness in his touch extinguishes the fears of our futuretogether.
Even if this is the last night we ever share, I’ll never regretit.
“I don’t want to run anymore.” My words are filled withhonesty.
“I won’t letyou.”
I hold his face in my hands, bring our lips together, and kiss him. Eli takes control, brushing his tongue against mine. Both our breaths are heavy as we drink each other in. This man can kiss like noother.
Eli pushes me to my back, and my heart takes off in a gallop. I watch his hands move from my hips, up my chest, and then he removes my shirt. “You’re the most beautiful thing in the world,” he comments while looking down atme.
My nerves bubble up, but the look in his eyes stops them. There’s no mistaking the passion there, but under that layer is so much honesty, it knocks the wind out of me. “The way you look at me . . .” Imutter.
“Is the way you make me feel,” Eli finishes my halfstatement.
Every thought in my mind is gone. I can’t hold on to anything long enough for it to make sense. The only thing I know is that I need him. I need to touch him and make him feel everything I’mfeeling.
“Kiss me,” Irequest.
He doesn’t make me wait, his mouth is on mine in an instant. His hand cups my cheek, providing the tenderness to offset the force of his lips. I try to pull his shirt off, needing the skin-to-skin connection, but I can’t removeit.
Eli does that guy move where he reaches behind his back and pulls his shirt off in one move. God he’s sexy. I love watching the muscles tense as my fingers explorehim.
I stare at the ink I’ve come to love so much. The arrows on the inside of his bicep, the words on his hip and his arm, the cross on his shoulder, and wanting to see the birds on his back. My hands glide across the one that goes from his side down over his hip. “Tell me about this one,” my voice issoft.
