I couldn’t stop thinkingabout the kiss, how he’d taken control, devouring my mouth like he was starved for it. Even if nothing more came of it, I’d be jerking off to that kiss for the rest of my life.
Six years of distance had evaporated in seconds, replaced by something primal and hungry that should’ve scared the shit out of me. Eli was dominant, possessive, and most definitely a top.
Maybe that was why I’d never felt right letting a guy top me.
But Eli? Eli could spread my legs and rail me six ways from Sunday if he wanted to. He probably didn’t want to, but a guy could hope. I wondered if he was into BDSM.
I didn’t hate the thought of Eli in leather, threatening to spank me when I was bratty. Okay, fine, he give up his flannel, even as a sexy dom.
As I pulled into the Honeyfern Inn’s gravel driveway, I forced myself to forget about the flannel dom fantasy and focus on the task at hand: the trap we were about to set for Mioko. Which, if I was being honest, I kind of also hoped ended with someone being railed six ways from Sunday.
I climbed out of my car, the cold Vermont air slapping sense into me. We had a plan. Eli had already texted Mioko about renting shop space,invited her to lunch at the inn, and when she made it about me, I’d play along and accept whatever date she proposed.
Only this time, we’d make sure she was there, too.
As I walked up, Eli was waiting on the porch, bundled in a thick flannel jacket, steam rising from the mug in his hands. He looked up as I approached, and the naked want in his expression made my stomach flip. I sped up, just in case he was thinking about fucking me over the porch rail, but he quickly masked his want with a casual smile.
“Morning,” he said, his voice light. “Coffee?”
“God, yes.” I climbed the steps, careful to leave a respectful distance between us. If he was what I thought he was, he needed to make the move.
He reached behind him, picked up a mug off the table, and handed it to me.
“So,” he said after a moment, “are we going to discuss last night, or pretend it didn’t happen?”
I took a sip of coffee to stall. It was black, two sugars, exactly how I’d always taken it. At least before I’d discovered espresso, but he didn’t know that.
“Which part? The part where our scheming friend tricked us into a romantic sleigh ride, or the part where you kissed me like I was yours?”
“Both, I guess.” Eli’s eyes met mine, searching. “Though I’m more interested in the second part.”
I swallowed hard. “It’s okay if you don’t want more. I know you were putting on a show for Mioko,” I said, hoping he’d correct me.
“Right. A show.” Eli nodded slowly, eyes searching mine. Everyone said he could read my mind, but I was starting to doubt it, because I was thinking about filthy things I wanted to do to Eli’s dick, and he looked unmoved.
“Speaking of Mioko, how did she respond to the text?”
“I told her I was renovating the garage apartment and could wall off part of it as a workshop or studio apartment, if she was interested and rent it alongside the shop. She seemed excited, but I assume it was all an act.” Eli took a long drink from his mug.
I watched him, wondering if he was disappointed that Mioko was flirting with us as part of a scheme. Just in case he could read my mind, I projected an explicit fantasy of us fucking the gorgeous woman together.
“Did she text you yet?” He had clearly not read my mind.
I sighed. “Yeah, she wanted to talk about a surprise for Lori and suggested the Inn.”
Eli snorted. “Of course she did. She’s so invested in this matchmaking bullshit, she probably thinks she’s orchestrating another ‘accidental’ meeting between us.”
“So what’s the deal with the apartment? I thought you planned to move in.”
“We. We planned on it. Didn’t seem worth the effort without you.”
“Oh,” I said, cheeks growing hot. “Where do you live, then?”
“Still in Henry’s apartment in the inn. There’s plenty of space there, and it’s convenient. Besides, the one above the garage needs work. No one’s lived there in years.” Eli drained his mug and set it on the little table on the porch. “Come on, let’s go look.”
I followed Eli around the main building toward the detached garage, a charming structure with the same Victorian gingerbread trim as the inn, but in a little worse shape. The lower floor was a garage and shop for Henry and Eli’s trucks and the inn’s various lawnmowers and tools. An outside staircase led to a small covered landing on the second floor, with a big porch behind it.
Elirummaged in his pockets for a minute, pulled out a key, and unlocked the door, leaving the key in the deadbolt so we wouldn’t lose it.
