Page 49 of Tainted Love
I shrug. “You needed something to wear to the fundraiser.”
“And you didn’t think to take me with you so I could try it on?”
My stomach flutters at the thought of having to watch his muscles contract and bulge as he stripped off to try on clothes. It’s the exact reason Ididn’ttake him with me.
“I buy for my dad all the time. I have an eye for these things.”
“Of course you do,” he chuckles, pulling a crisp white shirt out of the second bag. He checks the tag for the size, and an impressed look crosses his features. “Not bad, Duchess.”
I brush off his complement. “Whatever. I’m going to organise some dinner. Do you want something?”
“Are you on the menu?”
“No,” I squeak out, my body clenching involuntarily at the memory of his tongue licking ice-cream from my slick folds. I press my lips together; I don’t want him to see how much his filthy words have affected me … again. “I was trying to extend an olive branch, Elias. There’s no need to be a pig about it.”
“Relax, Duchess, I was kidding. Let’s go make some food, I’m starving.”I’m sure you are.“I promise, no more sexual innuendo or touching until after the fundraiser the day after tomorrow.” He winks at me before striding out of the room.
“Wait! What?” I chase after him, following him down the stairs. “That’s not what we agreed. No sexual innuendo or touching,ever. We can’t do this.”
“Can’t do what?” There’s a playfulness to his voice I’ve never heard before, and I have to admit, it actually makes him seem nicer. And it’s extremely off-putting.
“This isn’t a joke!”
“Chill,” he says with a laugh as we hit the second floor. “I’m just messing around.”
My brow furrows. “Why are you in such a good mood?”
He shrugs and keeps making his way downstairs. “Maybe I just got a wake up call things could be a lot worse.”
What things?
“Elias—”
“Beatrice,”he coos in a teasing tone. “We’ve seen each other naked. I think you can start calling me Eli.”
I let out a frustrated groan. Here we are back at square one with sexual innuendos and inappropriate comments. “That isn’t funny. Can you stop?Please, I’m begging you.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“As long as it has nothing to do with sex,” I reply warily. I follow him into the kitchen and my eyes drift to the marble bench and a shiver runs down my spine.
“What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened in your life?”
“What?” I’m confused by the abrupt change in conversation. Has something happened to him?
Elias moves around the kitchen, pulling a container of left over lasagne out of the fridge and grabbing two plates. “What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened in your life?” he repeats as he places two generous sized helpings onto the plates and covers them with a piece of paper towel before placing one in the microwave.
My brow furrows as I think about it. “When I was eight, I broke my wrist at gymnastics.”
“That’s the worst thing that’s happened in the whole nineteen years that you’ve been alive?” he asks evenly. He pulls the plates out and adds some salad before putting one in front of me. “What about your mum?”
“What about her?” I ask warily as he hands me a knife and fork. He’s gone from playful and flirty to deadly seriousin the matter of minutes and I’m thrown completely off-guard.
“Whatever happened with her isn’t the worst thing?” He shovels some food into his mouth as if he hasn’t eaten in days.
Gotta love the munchies.
I push the salad around my plate. “My mum didn’t want me, it’s that simple. She was young when she got pregnant, and she couldn’t handle having a newborn. But my dad is the best dad a girl could ask for. I didn’t need anyone else.”
