She gave me a grateful nod and disappeared down the hall, her dress swaying behind her in a way that made me want to sink to my knees and repent between her pretty thighs.
I forced myself to breathe, to keep my thoughts in check, but the longer she stayed away, the harder it got. I couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like to help her out of that dress. No matter how hard I fought it, my mind played out every detail against my will.
After a few minutes, her voice floated out. “Um, Sawyer?”
I straightened. “Yeah?”
“Can you help me?”
There was a beat. “Uh…help you pee?” I asked cautiously.
“No,” she said, trying to hold back a laugh. “The zipper. I can’t get it down.”
“Oh. Yeah.” I swallowed hard and walked toward the hallway. “Of course.”
She stood in the doorway now, framed by light, holding her hair up with one hand. Her eyes met mine, and she dropped her hair back down.
“Hi,” she murmured.
“Hey.”
I stepped forward and pulled her into me, my arms going around her without permission. I breathed her in. “I missed you, El.”
“Yeah,” she said against my chest. “Me too.”
I pulled back slower than I needed to. “Okay. Zipper?”
She turned around slowly, sweeping her hair over one shoulder and exposing the delicate line of her spine. The low back of her dress dipped just enough to make my mouth go dry.
I stepped in close enough to smell her perfume. My fingers lifted without thinking, brushing the nape of her neck where a single curl had fallen loose. She shivered under my touch, breath catching.
My hand followed the path of her spine, barely touching, just enough to feel goosebumps rise on her skin. I found the zipper and curled my fingers around it, her body stiffening ever so slightly.
Then, I started to pull.
Every inch the zipper gave way, my pulse ticked up another beat. Her bare back was revealed slowly, teasingly, like the universe was daring me to keep going. I stopped just shy of the curve at the small of her back, and my hand stayed there a second too long. Maybe two. I think her breathing had changed. Mine definitely had.
Neither of us said a word. I could’ve pressed my mouth to her shoulder, buried my face in her neck, and told her all the things I’ve been dying to say. Instead, I stepped back, forcing air into my lungs like it wasn’t suddenly heavy with the weight of wanting her.
“Okay,” I said, my voice hoarse. “You’re unzipped.”
She spun around fast, cheeks pink. “Thanks. I’m gonna…do the actual bathroom part now.”
“Right. Of course.” I backed away, half-stumbling into the kitchen, fleeing temptation.
I poured a glass of water and stared out the window at the city, trying to regain my control. A few minutes later, she stepped out of the bathroom, holding her dress up with both hands.
“Think I can trouble you into zipping me back up?” A crooked little smile tugged at her lips.
Trouble? I was already in it.
I held out my hand. “Turn around.”
I zipped her back up, careful to keep my hands steady, my gaze somewhere safe—anywhere but the curve of her neck or the way her shoulder blades shifted. I tried not to get caught up in the Ellie haze once again.
Except I was sure I’d always be under her spell.
I tapped her once she was zipped back up, and she turned to face me.
