We lock eyes, and I swear the air thickens, like someone cranked up the humidity just to mess with me.
He feels it too.
The tension. The pull. The wanting.
As his eyes trail over me—down the oversized flannel hanging off my shoulders and over the bare skin of my legs—I can feel the war he’s fighting with himself. His jaw tightens. His breath hitches. He looks like he’s seconds away from breaking, and I want to be the very thing that makes him snap.
I hold his gaze, searching for the one word, the one look, the one breath that might tip him over the edge.
Instead, his gaze flicks away.
“I’ve got a tow truck scheduled for later this morning,” he says, voice almost distant. “We’ll get your car sorted so you can get where you’re headed.”
I blink, caught off guard by the chill. “Oh. Okay. Thanks?”
He nods, unreadable. “Figured you’d want to make sure you didn’t miss any more of your conference.”
“Right.”
Okay. That feelsbeyondcold.
I glance down at my bowl. “I was making pancakes. For you. As a thank you.”
He lets out a low, frustrated sound. Strained. “It’s not necessary,” he says. “Make some for yourself if you want. Maybe put some clothes on.”
I set the whisk down. “Eli, is something wrong? You seem—”
“I’m fine, Max.” His voice is tight. Controlled. “I’m going to take a shower. You need anything?”
I step toward him, careful.. “It’s just that… you seem more brooding than before,” I say softly.
“I said, I’m fine,” he snaps.
Another step. He backs up.
I’m being insanely brave considering what happened the last time I got too close to him. The last time I pushed.
“Why are you moving away from me?”
His gaze drags over me again.
He hisses out a curse. “Fuck, Max.”
Then, without warning, he reaches out and unbuttons the top button of my shirt. Slow. Not revealing anything… except the heat he’s clearly trying to douse.
Or avoid.
“Why do you keep pushing me?” he asks, his voice rough around the edges. “Testing me.”
I smile. “I like the challenge.”
Now he steps closer. Close enough that I feel the cost of it in the way he exhales, like every move he makes with me takes something out of him. His eyes never leave mine.
“Is that a question?” he asks.
“No.” The word slips out soft but certain.
He nods once, jaw tightening. “Here’s the thing, Max…”
