Page 81 of Those Who Are Bound

“Why, thank you.”

“No, thank you, kitten,” he enthused.

She gave him a curious look. “You keep calling me that; where did it come from?”

Jonah gave her an impassioned look. “Behind that jungle cat exterior of yours, you remind me of a ferocious kitten: adorable, back arched, puffed up, and spitting. You’re a unique combination, but my very own fighting kitten.”

“Akitten?”

Laughing, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her to him; she came even though she was still looking at him in disbelief. Dropping his lips to her ear, he expanded, “Hiss all you want, Elliott. It will make it that much more enjoyable when I get you to purr.”

Elliott gasped. Her expression was a mixture of desire, excitement, and hope. And he was one second away from delivering on his promise to get her to purr when a little yellow car came driving around the corner of the building.

Elliott’s attention shifted, and her grays turned into full-on thunderstorms.

Lucy drove past them and parked in front of the storage facility with the office. Both turned to watch.

On a sigh, Jonah released her, handing over his gloves. He gave her a look of regret.

Lucy exited the vehicle and looked over the roof of the car at them. She looked at him, then addressed Elliott, “Do you have a second?”

Elliott glanced at Jonah. He looked back at her and shrugged. She addressed Lucy, “Sure, I’ll come to the office.”

Lucy cast him another guarded look and then flounced into the office. Elliott turned to him in question.

Jonah answered her, “She did something I’m not happy about, so instead of taking responsibility, she gets mad at me.”

“Huh.” She offered, “If you want to shower, go ahead. Let me go see what she needs.”

Jonah gave her a small smile, both silently acknowledging that it was probably best she wasn’t in the house when he showered. For his part, Jonah knew his powers of restraint only went so far. Being completely naked in her vicinity would sorely test those powers—or completely dissolve them.“Thanks, I’ll take you up on that.”

He watched as she headed over to the office, then hurried up the steps, knowing it would be a good idea to be showered and dressed by the time she returned. Had Lucy not interrupted that combustible moment, nothing would have stopped either one of them… and he reminded himself that Missouri had the death penalty. Although, he was fairly certain that Elliott would help him hide Lucy’s body, gauging by the tempest he’d seen when Lucy had driven up.

He was walking out of the bathroom in the clothes he’d originally been wearing, sans shoes, rubbing his dark hair with a towel, when she returned. He stopped short in the hallway when he saw the startled look on her face, her brows driving together in fierce disappointment.

Seeing her expression, he teased, “Hey, kitten, you look like someone stole your cream.”

She looked at him likehewas the thief.

Elliott cocked a brow. “We’re going with that, are we?”

Grinning, he answered, “Oh yeah, we are.”

“Hmm.” She walked farther into the room as he progressed down the hallway toward her. He reached for her, but she playfully shied away, batting her lashes at him. “You’re all clean.” With a raised shoulder and saunter past him, she added, “And I’m so dirty.”

She held his gaze as she slid by, her look sultry and inviting. He pivoted to watch her go by, his grin intact. His heart pounded, which was surprising considering his blood was racing to pump furiously elsewhere.Damn.

But he let her be, as much of a struggle as it was. After all, Lucy was yards away. And knowing his best friend was so close was enough to cool his ardor.

When Elliott returned to the living room, he’d prepared her a cup of coffee. She accepted it as she stood at the bar and looked across at him. He admired her flushed skin from the hot shower, wet hair swept up in a messy bun, and her simple pink cotton shorts and matching top. With theOpin attached. He was pleased.

They watched each other silently over the rim of her coffee cup as she sipped at the warm beverage, silently making promises. The non-verbal communication was probably more exhilarating than their actual flirting because they were free to add any level of outrageous interpretation to the meaning behind small smiles, lifting brows, and wandering attention.

Elliott was the first to break, dropping her gaze from his, blushing into her cup.

“Wow. Penny for those thoughts,” he teased as he leaned forward, bracing his hands on the countertop.

She shook her head, mischievously smiling.

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