Page 59 of Shortcake
“Everything’s fine,” Conrad growled and took a step toward Elijah, deliberately crowding him.
“I wasn’t askingyou.” Unperturbed by the towering man in the sheriff’s uniform, Elijah’s expression also shifted, growing defensive. He didn’t move. Didn’t step back. Instead, he looked around Conrad to me, eyebrows raised. “Addy. Areyouokay?”
Holy display of testosterone.
Clearing my throat, I gave Elijah my most encouraging smile. “Everything’s fine, I promise. I just need a minute with…”
My words faded. With who? My friend? The sheriff? Harper’s dad? The two hadn’t met yet and these were far from good circumstances.
“I just need a minute,” I said with a final nod of my head.
Only with my reassurance did Elijah finally take a few steps back and go back to where he was restocking books up front. But I could feel his eyes and attention still very much focused on me.
Even though I didn’t want to, I yanked my hand free from Conrad’s and smacked him across the shoulder. Hitting marble would have been more effective and he didn’t even flinch as my palm connected with his hard muscles.
Then, shoving at his shoulders, I pushed him the remaining way into the History Section until he was up against the back wall of books. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me,” Conrad said, “I just want to collect my daughter and go home. Then you can go back to your boyfriend.”
Fuck. I was hoping in the midst of everything with Harper, he hadn’t quite seen the weirdness between Elijah and me. “He’snotmy boyfriend.”
“You two looked pretty cozy to me.”
“Well, we’re not. And he’s not.” I paused and pinched the bridge of my nose. “But even if he was, you seem to be putting a lot of thought into who I’m dating. First you think I’m with Warren. Now Elijah? Why do you care who I see or don’t see?”
I eyed him suspiciously and despite the anger twisting around my stomach, I also ached for him to touch me like he had last night. Craving the feeling of his large hand splayed at my hip once more.
Standing as closely as we were, it would be so easy to step forward. Lean into his body. Tilt my lips to his as an offering.
I hadn’t felt like this in so long. Not since our night together on Halloween. I had told myself for years that it was because of Dante that I’d lost my ability to desire anyone.
But that was crap. It wasn’t Dante who ruined me for other men… it was Conrad. That one incredible night together and ever since, no one has compared. Sure, I’d had sex in the years we were apart. Hell, I could probably find someone to have sex with any night, any time I wanted to.
But Ididn’twant to.
And this wasn’t just about sex. This was different from every other night I’d spent with other men. Different than the popping excitement of being near someone you were desperate for. Someone who excited you simply by walking into the room. Someone who’s scent was so intoxicating, you could easily give up alcohol for the rest of your life and get drunk off of shoving your nose in the crook of their neck.
The bookstore wasn’t exactly dark, but it also wasn’t bright, especially tucked away between the shelves in the back corner of the history section where we were. Everything took on an amber glow, even his bright blue eyes. They were the center of the flame.
He passed a hand through his hair, tugging the strands anxiously. “I don’t care who you see, but that man is twice your age.”
A sharp, slicing pain sank into me.
There it was. The elephant in the room. He wasn’t talking about Elijah anymore; I was certain of it.
I narrowed my eyes. “Who cares how old he is?”
“A lot of people would care.”
Conrad took a step closer, forcing me back against the shelves. A wooden corner pressed into my lower back as heat radiated off his body. His knee bumped mine, gently. I bumped it back and tilted my hips so they brushed against his pelvis.
His sharp intake of air was all the confirmation I needed that whatever desire I’d been feeling, he felt it, too.
The truth was, I’d always been into older men. When I was a freshman in high school, I dated seniors. When I was a senior, I exclusively dated college guys. And then, of course, there was Dante.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing my brain to focus. To stop thinking of fucking Dante and his fucking lies. “Okay, fine,” I said, my voice hoarse. “But why doyoucare?”
“Because,” Conrad growled, leaning down. Gooseflesh skittered across my skin erupting a path down my neck and arms. “He’s older than me.”
