“I brought a peace offering.” Elissa leaned away and grabbed the envelope, slightly wrinkled where she’d been clutching it like a life preserver.
“You didn’t have to?—”
“Yeah, I did. I emailed a friend from college who’s an expert in market research. He filled in a lot of the blanks on your business plan. You can do this without your family now.”
“Elissa…thank you. You didn’t have to do anything to make it up to me but thank you. The only people who’ve ever had my back were my Nonna and Iz.” He put the envelope on the table. He’d tear into it later, but this was more important. “And now you.”
“I screwed up. Shouldn’t you be yelling at me instead of being so nice?”
“I am always nice.”
She scoffed, a cute little snort he could eat up all day long.
“Fine, maybe not, but I want the kind of relationship where you show up for someone. This is me, showing up. I freaked you out, then your mom got hurt. I was angry, but I don’t know how I’d react in the same circumstances. Alex told me to give you some breathing room, and I figured he wasn’t wrong.”
“Your brother is pretty smart.”
“Sometimes. Mostly he’s a pain in the ass, but he’d say the same about me.”
“It’s been my experience everyone thinks their siblings are pains in the ass. I’m sorry for freaking out.”
“I should have told you how I felt, right out in the open. Not whispered it like some dirty little secret. It’s okay if you’re not there yet?—”
She shushed him with a finger over his lips.
“I’m there,” she said huskily. “That’s why I was so scared. I love you, Ryan.”
It took a moment for his brain to catch up. He sat frozen until his body reacted. His lips crashed into hers, and he kissed her for all he was worth. He cupped the back of her head, threading his fingers through her curls as he devoured her. He licked the salt of her tears from her lips, and she opened for him with a quiet moan.
He swallowed it like ambrosia, like the finest tequila.
“I love when you make those sounds.” He broke away to trail kisses down her neck. “I love the way you respond to my touch.”
Ryan trailed a hand down her arm, and goosebumps followed in his wake. She arched into him. He met her gaze, watching those lake-blue eyes darken with desire.
“I love your laugh. I love your brain. I love how fiercely you love your family. There is not a single thing I don’t love about you, Elissa, and it’s going to take more than fear to drive me away. Okay?”
“If I agree, will you kiss me again?”
So he kissed her again. And again.
His hand slid under her shirt and traced the edge of her bra. She ground against him, rubbing against his hardening cock in his sweats. He tugged her shirt over her head and kissed over the soft swell of her breasts, tracing the lacy edge of the cups with his tongue. The sounds she made had him desperate with desire. Her head fell back and?—
Knock, knock, knock
He’d know that knock anywhere. Loud enough to gain someone’s attention, all business. Fuck.
“It’s my dad,” he muttered.
“Can we ignore him?” Elissa rubbed against him again, and he was so tempted. So, so tempted.
“I’m supposed to be sick. Food poisoning.”
“Oh, poor baby.” She smiled and trailed a finger over his lips, then slid off his lap. “I’ll go hide. Bathroom?”
Elissa slipped her shirt on and turned away. Ryan grasped her arm.
“No. You should stick around for this.”
