1
“Have fun, call me when you land, and be safe,” Eri stated as she hugged Avian.
“Yes, Mom,” her friend replied teasingly. “But seriously, don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
Eri couldn’t dispute that fact. She knew Marco would never let anything happen to Avian, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t worry a little. When they pulled apart, she wiggled her eyebrows at the couple.
“Make me a nibling,” she requested.
“We will not,” Avian responded as Marco simultaneously said, “Trust me, I’m working on it.”
Avian elbowed him in the side, and the small group shared a laugh before the newlyweds headed to their terminal.
“We laughed, but he isn’t joking,” Elias stated.
“Oh, I know,” she responded, turning her attention to him. “Come on. Let’s go.”
“You’re pretty bossy for someone playing passenger princess.”
“Your point?” she countered, looking over her shoulder as they approached the exit, and he chuckled. That deep, rumbling sound she long ago stopped pretending she didn’t enjoy, at least with herself.
He held his hands up as he licked his lips. “Trust me, Amate. I’m not complaining.”
Eri rolled her eyes at him, but her faux irritation did nothing to stop the quiver in her stomach that enjoyedmaking itself known when he was around. When he complimented her or smirked and laughed at her being mean to him, because shewasbeing mean to him.
It was her defense mechanism. She had learned the hard way that being friendly to men you weren’t interested in, even when you weren’t leading them on, equated to doing just that if they made a pass and you turned them down, but she also knew ignoring them didn’t always work out well either.
She didn’t think it was something she’d have to worry about with Elias. She was sure he’d take the L if she turned him down, but that was the problem. Eri didn’t quite want to, yet she also didn’t want to reciprocate his flirting. She was in a strange place when it came to him. She was interested, sure, but she wasn’t at a place where she was comfortable enough to want to pursue anything with anyone.
She knew it was unfair to him, but he didn’t seem to mind. Maybe she was taking advantage of that, and she knew she shouldn’t have been, but he was the first man she’d felt comfortable flirting with in almost two years.
He opened the passenger door for her. She was grateful it was still warm, and the walk through the January weather had been brief.
“What do you have planned for the rest of your break?” Elias asked on the way back to the wedding venue.
“Nothing, really. I’m going to get a jump-start on projects for mid-terms and finals, but besides that, enjoy sleeping in until classes start back.” He hummed in acknowledgment, and she turned to him. “That motorcycle you were making for the streamer. Did he like it?”
“He did and referred a few friends. I had a consultation with one a couple of weeks ago, and I’m working on his design. I have the other two scheduled for later in the month.”
“Congrats. How long does it normally take you to build a bike?”
“It depends,” he responded, switching lanes.
“On what?” Eri asked.
“Do you really want to know, or do you just want to hear my voice?” He glanced at her with a smirk.
Both,she thought, but said, “And you wonder why I’m annoyed with you all the time. Forget it.” She turned her attention out the window as that deep, rumbling laugh filled the car again over the soft music.
“Don’t be like that, Amate. I’m only playing.”
“Play with someone else.”
“I’d prefer to play with you.”
It was only a conscious effort that kept her from squeezing her thighs together and biting her lip. Instead, she scoffed.
“Well, I don’t want to play with you.”
