Page 18 of Overeager
She immediately said yes, of course, and met him at one of their favorite spots, a diner that could be considered pretentious or homey depending how one looked at it. But they served fried green tomato sandwiches with grilled bread practically soaking in butter, so Eli just looked at it as delicious.
Faith was already there when he arrived, immaculately dressed as always, with her dark hair set in elegant waves, sitting in a booth by the window. Eli took a seat across from her, unable to keep eye contact after their initial greeting.
Not with that look on her face.
“You know,” Faith said conversationally. “When I told you to get dicked down by a hunky alpha, I was being facetious.” She grinned, apparently uncaring that their server was at the table, filling their waters. “I didn’t think you’d actually follow my suggestion.”
Eli shared a horrified look with their server, who mumbled something about coming back at a later time for their order. Eli waited for the man to leave before dropping his head into his hands. “This is my nightmare.”
Faith only cackled.
Eli peered at her through his fingers. “How could you tell?”
He’d showered and hot-tubbed multiple times since his night with Noah. Even with all the extra scent marking, he highly doubted he still smelled like alpha.
“You have that look,” Faith told him, twirling her finger at him. “Like you’re—”
“If you say freshly fuc—”
“Like you’reembarrassed,” she said, talking right over him. “And a little self-satisfied. And … guilty.” She cocked her head. “Why are you feeling guilty? If it’s about Richard, then fuck that six ways to Sunday.”
“No, it’s not that.” Eli hadn’t thought about his ex at all since the other night, his head too full of Noah. He bit at his lip, looking somewhere in the general vicinity of his sister’s nose. “He was … young.”
Faith narrowed her eyes. “How young?”
“I don’t know … mid-twenties?”
Faith’s concern was instantly replaced by a look of fierce delight, but Eli shook his head. “Don’t even say it. That’s too young for me.” He leaned across the booth, whispering, “I took his virginity, Faith.”
Faith’s jaw didn’t exactly drop, but it seemed to be a close call. Eli might have been proud of himself for actually shocking her for once, but he was too mortified to take any real pleasure in it. She took a delicate sip of water. Smacked her lips. Then gave him a Cheshire grin. “Eli Miller, I didnotthink you had it in you.”
“Ugh.” Eli hid his face behind his menu, sliding down in the booth. “Don’t be proud of me.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know. Isn’t it maybe not a great thing to do with a one-night stand?”
“Was it consensual?”
“Yes.”
“Enthusiastically so?”
Eli’s cheeks heated at the memory of just how … enthusiastic the consent had been. “Yes.”
“Then so what?” When Eli didn’t have an answer for her, Faith popped open her menu, perusing it like she wasn’t going to order the same thing she did every time, just like Eli. “But why one night only? That’s not usually your thing.”
Eli rolled his eyes. “I’ve been married for the past decade. There is no ‘my thing.’”
“You know what I mean.” Faith paused, and her pheromones suddenly surged, sharp and protective. “Was this dumb, young alphausingyou?”
“No!” Eli insisted, grabbing her wrist for a quick, reassuring scent marking. Her pheromones calmed immediately. “And he wasn’t dumb,” he chastised. “And he left his number.”
“But you didn’t like him?”
“No, I liked him a lot.”
“Okay …” Faith set her menu down, fixing him with her stern, older sister look. “Help me out here, Eli. I’m good, but I’m not a mind reader.”
