The banging at the door stopped as I plopped down on the closed toilet seat to attempt to pick the glass out of my bleeding foot. I finally located the elusive little shard when the doorknob rattled, and Elias burst into the bathroom. I froze, staring at him, clad in plaid pajama bottoms. The flat ridges and planes of his stomach mesmerized me.
"Riley, what the hell?" Eli stared pointedly at my foot. I managed to tear my eyes away from his stomach to realize I was stark naked. One foot was propped up, and my goodies were on blazing display. I laughed without shame.
"Well, Eli, it appears I'm naked, and I’ve cut my foot." The glass slipped from my foot, and I pressed a soapy cloth from the tub to the cut. "I'm okay, you can leave."
"Okay isn't the word I would use to describe you at the moment." Eli's jaw was rigid, and his eyes were dark. His stomach muscles were taut.
"Elias.Will you please go get a broom? I'll clean this up and go to bed."And pretend I’m not attracted to you.
He didn't answer. Instead, he walked over and picked me up like I weighed less than a bag of flour. "Elias Tipton! Put me down! I'm going to hurt you!" I didn't squirm, afraid of being dropped or of his hands slipping from their relatively innocent positions. As much as my hoo-ha wanted those hands to move on down to the playground, I couldn't handle it yet.
"Riley, how much wine did you drink?" he asked in a husky voice.
"Um, one glass?"
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"Well, if we’re being technical, I only filled the glass up once." I gave him my best sad puppy dog face. "But I might've drunk the rest of the wine straight from the bottle." I lowered my lashes in mock shame. "I'm sorry I broke your glass."
I had just laid my forehead on his shoulder when he dumped me onto a soft bed. I sprawled, bottom up, across the comforter, momentarily forgetting I was stark naked. Rolling over, I peered at Elias. I didn't trust myself enough anymore to know what I wanted from him.
His eyes raked over my naked body. Insecurities plagued me, reminding me I was exposed. I pictured the slight sag in my breasts from nursing two babies. Then my mind was filled with the silvery stretch marks that still lined my stomach. There was a little pooch above my belly button that only surgery would remove, and I wasn't interested in surgery for such a small flaw. With Michael, I never thought twice about it. He loved my body with its imperfections because it gave him his sons. Our later in life babies were a miracle.
When his eyes rested on my toes, I sat up and curled my knees into my chest. I couldn't form a coherent thought. My body was aroused beyond belief, and my mind was in a self-conscious panic. Elias turned and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him.
I fell over onto my right side, still curled up into a ball. I faced the window, but from my angle I could only see the dark sky. My tears lulled me to sleep as I gazed at the stars. For the first time in five years, my last thoughts were not of my children or husband. I thought of Elias, and I cried.
* * *
"Riley, I need you to hear me. Let your sleeping mind listen to me and remember nothing tomorrow. You can't trust Elias. He knows where your family is, and he helped make them disappear. He’s been watching you for years. I can help you. We’ll meet soon, and I'll explain everything. When you see me, you'll understand. Sleep, beautiful girl, and trust me when the time comes. Let me help you."
* * *
"Wake up, Riley! Come on,wake up!" My eyes snapped open to find Elias inches from my face. "Thank the gods, Riley. I was about to hit you."
"What are you doing, Eli? Why are you shaking me?" In an attempt to get some breathing room, I put my hands on his warm, hard chest and pushed.
"You were having a nightmare, and thanks to the wine I couldn’t wake you. You screamed enough to wake the whole neighborhood.” He leaned over and pulled a blanket from the end of the bed. I was surprised when he covered my still-naked form with the blanket. "I never knew you were so comfortable in your bare skin."
My blush started at my hairline and spread to my toes. "Maybe a little too much wine—you know I rarely drink." I was mortified.
"It's fine. Do you want me to stay in here with you? You really scared me."
I nodded. "I think that might be nice, but…never mind." Michael was the last man to sleep in the same room with me, the same bed. "I know I may have sent you mixed signals, what with the being naked and all, but I don't mean for you to—"
"I didn't mean that either. Let me be your friend. Let me be here in case you need me." Elias stood up to pull the covers from the bed, and I noticed he was down to his boxer briefs. I knew how he felt when he found me drunk and naked in the bathroom—the boxer briefs left nothing to the imagination. My traitorous vagina was dancing a jig as he pulled the blankets over us both.
I rolled over, because otherwise I would’ve reached over and grabbed that sexy, sweet man by the...Gasoline panties. Gasoline panties! Get your head together.
"Can I, I mean, would it be okay if I hold you?” He was nervous. “We've known each other for a long time, and I…I just want to help take some of your pain away. I care about you." I stiffened under the covers, but I didn't deny his request.
He shifted closer and his body heat enveloped me. Lying on top of the covers for the short time I was able to sleep had left my skin icy. I watched through the window as the first pink rays of morning peeked over the horizon. The long night was almost over.
As Elias pulled me close, my body was a foghorn in the dawn, screaming, "Riley is naked! Riley is naked!” And, oh my god, I could feel his dick pressed against my ass through his underwear. Not quite hard, but definitely large enough to make my girly bits stand up and salute. He slipped his arm around my ribs, dangerously close to the bottom of my breasts.
"Sleep, Riley," he said in a soothing voice. "You're safe. I’ll always protect you." The wine still in my system combined with the heat of Eli's body soothed me, and I slipped off into a blissfully dreamless sleep.
* * *
