Page 40 of Those Who Are Bound

Jonah’s smile was a mixture of fierce esteem and appreciation. “Elliott, that’s probably the best gift you could give me.”

Overwhelmed by the intensity in how he looked at her and how it made her feel, she attempted to make light and started to turn as she quipped, “Well, I doubt it’s the best—”

But he grasped her arm and pulled her back around, gently yanking her to him, his mouth crashing down on hers, more heat and force in this kiss than previously. She met his lips willingly, opening to him, her breath stolen. The water bottle dropped to the ground as she fell against him, her hands grasping him around the waist, pulling him to her.

A flame consumed her entire being, the undulation of the blast creating a burn for him that bordered on painful—a delicious, haunting pain. This was a need like she’d never experienced; it made her want to cry, to fall to her knees and beg, to do anything for him—to let him do anything to her.

Unbidden, imagery of an uncoiling rope dropping from a beam in her mind’s eye had her gasping against his lips and suddenly jerking away from him with an alarmed sound.

Fuck.

Hand over her mouth, she turned away shakily.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Jonah reached out and cupped her shoulder, concern in his voice. “Elliott?”

Turning back, mortified, knowing he had to be alarmed by her actions, she looked up at him and desperately attempted to explain away what she had done, placing a hand on his chest as though she could soothe whatever hurt she may have caused. “I am so sorry. I panicked.”It was true; why, he didn’t need to know.

His look was discerning; he wasn’t convinced. “A kiss panicked you?”

Elliott worried her lower lip between her teeth for a few seconds before she answered, “Sometimes I overthink, and I get way ahead of myself, although I’m not sure how I can process anything when you’re kissing me, because it’s like a shot to my brain, but I did, and—”

Jonah reached out and pulled her into his embrace. “Take a breath.”

She nodded; she was rambling. She turned her face into his neck, feeling his rapid heartbeat, smelling him; his cologne, the scent that was all him that had her senses tingling again. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

He caressed her back. “What did I tell you about apologizing to me?”

“But I’m acting like a…” She leaned back but didn’t look up at him.

Gah, I’ve spazzed twice now in his presence.

“Run now. I can’t guarantee it gets better.”

He tipped her head back with a knuckle under her chin until she looked at him. “Why would you panic?”

You don’t get to know that. I hope you never know that.

After contemplating her for a moment, his gaze swept the park. “I mean, you’re winning right now, so if this is a ploy to go out on top, I understand the strategy, but I can’t say it’s the best sportsmanship.”

Elliott released a shocked laugh; he was giving her a pass, at least for now. Or maybe he was hoping he could contain her crazy until they made it back to the cars and he could take her up on her advice and run. She laughed even more at the thought, likely a testament to her lack of sanity.

She gave him a look that told him she knew what he was doing; he smiled gently back at her.

He tilted his head in the direction of their next tee. “Come on, let’s finish this.” He released her and bent down, picking up her water bottle. He knocked the dirt off it before he opened the cap and took a drink.

Elliot watched him, bemused. He wasn’t leery enough of her that it prevented him from drinking after her. Of course, just seconds ago, their mouths had been fused, tongues caressing. Trying to regain the levity they’d had before he’d kissed her, she said wryly as she moved past him, “I have problems, Jonah. If you aren’t careful, you might become familiar with a few of them.”

“I’m shattered,” he remarked lightly as he followed. “Here I thought I’d met the one person on Earth with no issues, modeling my own perfection.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him.

“Would I prefer that you didn’t panic when I kissed you? Of course,” he said, “but I’d recommend exposure therapy to get you over that.”

Elliott assured him, “It wasn’t you.”

Jonah shook his head. “We’ll have to test that hypothesis to be certain. Repeatedly.”

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