I study him over the rim of my mug as discreetly as I can. I notice things I didn’t see last night: His dimple when he grins, the silver stud in his ear catching the light when he turns his head, the thin scar running down his cheek. I wonder how he got it; it only adds to the quiet mystery he carries.
He moves around the kitchen with an easy confidence, sure of every motion, every reach, every step. CJ is gorgeous, and I can’t help but watch him. But I can see the way the morning is affecting him too, the slight flush rising along his neck, the way he rolls his shoulders as though trying to settle something restless inside himself. There’s a warmth in him, a kind of charged energy under the surface, like he’s gearing himself up for the day ahead; Shoulders loosening, breath steadying, a quiet determination settling into the way he moves.
Heat sparks low in my stomach. Nope. Absolutely not. Definitely not looking anymore. A cold rush sweeps through me. Attraction is dangerous, and a mistake I can’t afford to make.
CJ turns back, holding a plate.
“Let’s eat.”
He walks around the island and pulls out a chair for me before setting my breakfast down. Then he grabs his own plate and sits beside me.
I sit automatically, and I wait. My shoulders tense. My fingers curl around the edge of the table, bracing for a command that never comes.
CJ notices immediately.
“You gonna eat that?” He gestures toward my untouched plate.
I nod and finally cut into the bacon, and we eat in comfortable silence.
I scoff. Comfortable. There’s a word I haven’t used in a long time.
When we’re finished, we rinse our plates and load everything into the dishwasher. CJ glances at his watch.
“Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?”
I frown.
“Ready for what?”
“The office.” He looks genuinely confused. “You thought I was leaving you here all day by yourself?”
When he says it like that, it sounds ridiculous.
“I was actually planning on leaving.”
He tilts his head, studying me.
“Leave, huh?” he looks at me with a raised eyebrow, “And go where? Back to your car? Then what?”
I don’t have an answer.
“Eli, I offered you a few days. Enough time to get back on your feet, or at least start trying. That offer still stands.”
His expression softens.
“I want you to stay.”
“And I’m grateful. Really.” I glance down at my hands. “Even with the nightmares… it was the best sleep I’ve had in a very long time.” My chest tightens painfully, as the words slip out beforeI can stop them. The truth feels too raw, too exposed, like I’ve handed him something fragile.
Damn it. Now he’ll insist out of pity. Only… I don’t actually want to leave. Not really.
“Eli.” His voice is quieter now. “Please stay.”
I meet his eyes, and I feel safe. Fear follows immediately, sharp and instinctive. Safety has never lasted long for me.
That’s the problem because Adrian felt safe once too. But I have to remind myself that CJ isn’t Adrian. He didn’t have to give me a bed or have to let me stay. CJ is choosing to.
So because of that, I say, “Okay.” A sliver of happiness flickers in my chest. That scares me more than anything else. Happiness is dangerous.
