Page 106 of Those Who Are Bound

But he was here. And she wantedhim.

So she pulled on her own clothes with more frustration toward the material than was probably necessary. She twisted her hair up into a messy bun before joining him in the kitchen.

When he looked up from his phone, a smile of approval came over his face. She was wearing the practically translucent university T-shirt he’d given her with a pair of gray short-shorts. The material of the shirt draped alluringly around and between her breasts, outlining them perfectly; the V of the tee showcased her collarbones.

“Nice shirt,” he commented, moving one leg over the other as he leaned against her kitchen island.

Elliott gave him a teasing grin back as she looked pointedly at his growing bulge. “Nice shorts.”She stopped on the other side of the kitchen bar and leaned on her elbows, enjoying his discomfort, hoping he was planning on doing something about it. Like her.

On an abashed grin, Jonah shook his head, returning his attention to his phone.

“What’s so interesting on the phone?” Elliott asked, amused.

Jonah groaned a little. “Forewarning. Lucy knows I was here last night.”

Elliott faltered. “Why do you need to warn me about that?”

He raised a brow at her. “A hundred inappropriate questions I refuse to answer. You know Lucy has no filter.” He lifted his chin, and Elliott glanced at her phone sitting on her ottoman before returning her attention to him. “She was blowing your phone up this morning before you woke up. I think she was ready to come over.” With a grin, he added, “I delayed her.”

Elliott watched him for a minute, her heart thumping hard in her chest. He’d gone through her phone? Read her messages? Not that she had anything there, but on the chance…

Reading her expression, he assured her, “It wasn’t meant as an invasion. She was persistent; I wanted to see who was trying to contact you. Lucy’s name was on the lock screen; I don’t know what she said. I contacted her on my phone.”

She dropped her gaze.

He said gently, “I didn’t think about how it would seem; I was being selfish.”

Elliott pushed back from the bar. “No, it’s okay. I wouldn’t have wanted her to show up. You’re right.” She took a few steps backward before she turned and walked over to the ottoman, swiping up her phone. She curled up into the corner of the sofa, head bent over the device, looking through it to ensure he hadn’t seen anything he shouldn’t have. Which, of course, was ridiculous considering her associations were not vast.

“Breakfast?” he asked.

She glanced up. “I thought you’d come out here to start preparing it; I’m a bit surprised not to find it ready for me.” A bit of a tease was infused with her tone.

“You don’t have syrup,” he pointed out. At her quizzical look, he elaborated, “For French toast.”

“I have cereal.”

Jonah chuckled, setting aside his phone. “How about an omelet?”

Elliott nodded, reading through the messages from Lucy. They’d started early in the morning, concerned about the property, wondering about damage. When she wasn’t getting responses, the concern had turned more personal—was Elliott okay? And then there were messages of countdown threats: “If I don’t hear from you by… I’m coming out there.” Eventually, the messages stopped. That must have been when Jonah intervened.

Elliott looked up at the bare-chested man, now setting a skillet on her stove and waving his hand over it, gauging the heat as he concentrated on his task of making breakfast, even though it was closer to noon.A surge of excitement ran through her; damn, he was something to look at—something to feel, something to taste. And when all the power that was him was driving into her… a throaty sound escaped her.

Jonah’s gaze flicked up to her at the sound, and she startled, not realizing she’d been that loud. He grinned and shook his head. “Jesus, woman, you’re going to kill me.” But he returned his attention to the bowl and eggs in front of him, beating them harder and faster than necessary.

Elliott blushed… andhewas going to ruin all her panties.

They ate their omelets at the little table by the front window, both recognizing that the day had to start. Jonah needed clothes that were clean and his; Elliott needed to walk the property with Lucy and assess whether there was any damage, and if so, what needed to be done about it.

She fired off a text to Lucy as Jonah pulled on his boots. Setting her phone aside, she suggested shyly, “If you leave your clothes here, I’ll wash them. You’d have a change, if ever…” She stalled, dropping her gaze to the tabletop.

Jonah concluded for her, “I plan on being better prepared next time, but I’ll leave them. Thank you.” Leaning over, he kissed her leisurely before saying against her lips, “Driving home commando will be a treat; I’ll be thinking of you.”

Elliott grinned. “Need me to take care of anything before you go?”

His voice thickened as he responded, standing, “If you touch me right now, I may never leave.”

“Promise?” she teased. Her gaze dropped to the front of his shorts, but she controlled herself and gripped her coffee cup instead.

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