Page 107 of Cross the Line
“Do you ever look without touching?” Eli’s finger stills the ornament as he reaches around me, part of his front pressing to my back.
The contact sets my pulse on fire.
Eli’s low chuckle tickles over the curve of my neck, and as I shiver deeper into him, he nuzzles into my shoulder. Like he did last night when I went to him.
I can’t stop thinking about the dark desperation etched on his face.
Turning on the spot, I take a slow glance over him until he’s face-to-face with me, biting his lip in that way that makes my mouth water.
The teal velvet of his dinner jacket makes his slicked-back, blond hair appear lighter and his eyes infinitely darker. Every line of his face is chiseled and so damn perfect that I can’t help but trace them with myfingertips. The soft skin against those carved angles always surprises me.
“I guess not,” he murmurs, tongue wetting his lower lip.
It takes all of my control not to give him what we both want right now. Because if I kiss him, we’re both leaving here looking a rumpled mess.
Lex sent an entire glam squad for Finley; showing up anything less than sharp will not play to his need of controlling tonight’s optics.
We’ve already dodged every lead-up event he pitched, and not one of us has posted anything regarding us to our social media like his team has been nagging us to.
At this point, he's probably chewing drywall. But Eli, Finley, and I are on the same page of how we’re navigating our relationship. To me, that’s all that truly matters.
Coming closer, Eli releases the one button closing my suit jacket. My eyes drop to his hands clasping the burgundy wool, tugging me all the way into him. He doesn’t hesitate pressing his lips to mine. Warm and wet and divine.
“Breathe, JJ,” he murmurs against my lips.
When he purposefully nips my lip, I suck in his cinnamon-mint breath, and it burnssogood. There goes restraint.
My hand grips his face as his mouth finds mine with a hungry kiss. Every swirl of our tongues duels for control, for more, while his hot touch tightens on my waist.
Before long, we’re tangled in each other and gasping for breath when we reluctantly come up for air. His lips are a touch swollen from our frantic kiss, and a bashful smile quirks up one side. Threatening to stop my heart at the sight of it.
I don’t know how long we stand glued to the spot in silence, but it feels too good to pull away. Instead, I fix Eli’s crooked bowtie while he buttons up my jacket.
“About tonight,” I start the conversation I’ve been running through in my head since we booked the hotel suite for tonight.
“JJ, I’m okay with it. With anything you want to do. I trust you.” Eli’s hand molds to my face.
I know he means it.But… after last night, after seeing how low he was… I can never be the reason he hurts himself.Ever.
“I need to know that if you ever get overwhelmed and you can’t find the words or we’re in a situation where you can’t verbally tell me, you can communicate it to me in another way.”
“Like a secret code?” He’s smirking, but I can see the hidden worry in his eyes lift.
“Something like that.”
“You don’t have to do all of this for me. I can just take myself away.”
“No, I don’t want you to do that. Certainly don’t want you to be alone, ever… I want to be where you are. I want you to enjoy being with Fin and me.”
“I do.”
“In the heat of the moment, things can get rough and wild sometimes…”
Eli takes a step back; his shoulders hunch. “You don’t need to walk on eggshells around me. I don’t need special treatment.”
He’s so in his head. So focused on being the problem that he doesn’t see the reality of what I’m asking.
“Ineed the safety net for me, Eli. So that I know, no matter what, we can always communicate. It doesn’t have to be anything over the top. Just a sign… A touch even… Please, Sweetheart.”
