I don’t stop. I keep my eyes on Elijah, unhook the bra, and drop it onto the same spot where my shirt landed.
Andstill, Elijah holds my eyes.
“You’re still not interested?” I ask.
“You know I can’t.” His voice comes out raspy, almost painful for him to say.
“Okay.” I nod with a fake agreement and move around him.
Leo’s not nearly as strong; his eyes drop immediately. But I step into him, pressing my lips to his.
His hands find my back instantly, pulling me in as if there’s any possible way to get me closer.
My mouth widens, and I allow his tongue entrance, kissing him with a dramatic flare that I’m hoping will get Elijah’s attention.
Leo’s not a bad kisser by any means, nor a bad guy, so I have to admit I feel a little guilty betting on his life right now. But I’m really hoping I know Elijah as well as I think I do, and this will work.
I push harder, letting my hands tangle in Leo’s hair, grabbing him, pretending to be desperate for his touch, when, as expected, Elijah’s hand clamps down on my shoulder.
The sudden weight jolts me back, my chest tightening as I watch him draw his gun, aiming it squarely at Leo’s head.
Chapter 12
Aurelia
“Ihave to kill him now.” Elijah’s words are precise, like he truly doesn’t have another option.
“Or you could fuck me instead,” I retort, positioning myself in front of the gun.
He doesn’t say anything for a moment. So I ease the stakes. “Even if you just kiss me, Elijah. Then it’s even, you’ll have a reason not to kill him, and he’ll have a reason not to tell Enzo or anyone else.”
He still says nothing, but his jaw is tense and when I glance down, his finger is tapping on his leg again.
So I keep going, keep pushing. “I don’t need a wedding ring, Elijah. Hell, you know I barely tolerate you anymore. This isn’t like when I was sixteen.” I raise my hand on top of the gun, lowering it for him. “Kiss me once. Then we’ll pretend it never happened.”
Keeping his eyes locked on mine, his anger is targeted at the boy behind me. “Get the fuck out, Leo.”
I hear the steps and the door behind Leo, he took that order quick.
Elijah places his gun on the table beside me and walks forward, each step pushing me into the wall until my bare back presses against the cool surface.
“Once and then never again,” he whispers.
His lips hover over mine, and I nod, causing our lips to brush.
His hand slams into the door behind me, and finally, he lets his eyes filter down my body.
“Fuck it.”
The words barely leave his mouth before his lips crash into mine. The sound dies between us, swallowed by the heat. A shudder escapes me, my body finally getting a taste of his.
I tilt my head to allow him more access, my tongue wrapping around his. His hand threads into my hair, grabbing at the strands and tugging until I gasp, while his other hand clasps my breast in a tight fist. The space between us disappears, his body pressing me back, his breath mixing with mine until I can’t tell whose pulse I’m feeling. I claw at his back, needing more, but in what feels like seconds, he tears himself away, leaving the air crackling between us, every nerve screaming for what’s suddenly gone.
I breathe heavy, hating him for actually being able to pull away.
“It never happened, Ace.”
He grabs his gun, leaving with an ease I can’t imagine.Because what the fuck.
