“Don’t!” I yelled, and swatted at him.

“It’s not that bad, Pay. I was expecting something really bad.”

“Stop!” I said, and swatted once again. “It still hurts a little.”

“How much worse was it?” he asked with an amused grin.

“So much worse. I almost didn’t go into work on Thursday because of it.”

His grin widened, and he brushed a finger across it again. “And it still hurts?”

“Yes, Eli!” I punched his shoulder as hard as I could, but he just started laughing again. “It still hurts, stop touching!”

“Okay, okay,” he said on a laugh, and pulled my underwear back up, then my shorts. “I won’t touch you until you’re ready as long as you promise not to do this to yourself again.”

“Deal,” I agreed quickly.

Eli got up and walked over so he could grab my ankles and pull me off the bed. “Come on, let’s go pick out a movie.”

Chapter Eleven

October 2, 2013

Eli

“SWITCH,” I SAID that next Wednesday, and held my cup in front of Paisley.

I hadn’t seen her since she’d left my apartment Monday morning—despite how much I’d begged her not to leave and even tried holding her down. At that point, I hadn’t had an update on the Brett situation, and had no idea what would happen to her if I let her out of my sight. But the last three days had been quiet; and tonight there was no stress, and no worries. I couldn’t help but notice how different everything felt from this weekend. Hell, even from two and three weeks ago.

My family was recovering from what had happened to my sister and dad. Brett had turned himself in; and while he probably wouldn’t even face a year in prison, I doubted we would have problems with him again. And I had my Paisley. Every day with her was better than the last, and left me still wondering how it’d taken me so long to realize what I’d had right in front of me. But the past didn’t matter anymore. I wouldn’t waste another minute with her now that I had her, and I was never letting her go.

I’d been slammed at work all day and hadn’t left until almost eight, but I’d needed to see Paisley. We went and grabbed a late dinner, and after staying there to relax and talk for a while, we’d driven out of town and were now at a secluded beach that had little crests overlooking the ocean. I’d backed up my truck on one of them, and we’d pulled the blankets out of the backseat to wrap ourselves up as we enjoyed the cool night air.

After we’d gotten milkshakes.

“There’s nothing left in yours,” she complained.

“That’s why I said switch.”

She laughed and jammed an elbow into my stomach. “Jerk.”

When hers was empty as well, I set both cups down on the other side of the bed of my truck, and wrapped my arms around her waist to pull her close. We sat there for countless minutes just staring out at the darkened ocean, not speaking as I ran my fingers up and down her arms, across her stomach, and along her bare legs.

“What was that for?” I asked when a soft sigh came from her.

“I don’t know. I’m just happy and calm. I love how it feels like no one can find us here . . . like we’ve found our own private place.”

“I like the idea of having our own spot overlooking the ocean,” I murmured, and let my hands glide up her stomach and over her breasts. Her lips parted and her breaths grew heavier as I focused on them. When a quiet whimper sounded in her throat, I slid my hands down to the top of her shorts, and quickly unbuttoned them and pulled down the zipper.

“Eli,” she protested, her tone laced with anxiety.

My hands froze. “Is it still bad down there?”

“No, but—”

“Does it hurt?”

“No, it’s fine now. But we’re in public,” she hissed.

I smiled against her neck and bit down teasingly in a way I was learning drove her crazy. “No one is out here, Pay,” I said softly. “Remember what you were just saying.” Sliding off her shorts and underwear, I slid my hand back up the inside of her thigh.

“But—oh God,” she moaned, and my fingers stilled against her for a moment.

“Fuck, Paisley,” I groaned against her skin.

“Language.”

She arched off my chest when I pressed two fingers inside her and teased her entrance as I fought for control. I’d never had a preference if a woman was bare or not, but something about the feel of Paisley, and knowing she did this for me, had me wanting to forget that I’d promised her another week before we had sex.

I pinched her clit, causing her to gasp and jerk back before pressing against my hand again, then gently massaged her. “Sit up,” I whispered in her ear, and watched as goose bumps covered her arms and legs.

From the way she quickly turned to give me a confused look, she hadn’t registered what I’d said until I was moving out from behind her. “Wait, where are you going?” When I knelt in front of her and began unwrapping the blanket, her eyes widened. “Eli, no. Not here.”

“I think this is the perfect place,” I disagreed. “And I’ve missed four days of this already.” When she started protesting again, I leaned forward to press my lips against hers and teased her entrance with my hand. “No one can find us here. Remember that.”

“I said it felt like it. If we found our way here, someone else could too!”

“No one’s coming here, Paisley,” I assured her, and lowered myself between her legs, staying just a breath away from her.

Paisley’s eyes filled with heat, and her chest rose and fell sharply as she waited for what I would do. I kept my eyes on her the entire time as I slowly leaned forward to taste her, and her mouth fell open with a soundless huff when I flattened my tongue against her. She fell back so she was propped up on her elbows, and quiet moans and whimpers filled the night air as I continued to tease her entrance with my fingers, and alternated with quick flicks of my tongue, and slow, hard strokes.

I watched as her head fell back and she tightened around my fingers, and when she barely started trembling, I sucked hard on her clit to push her over the edge and watched as her body fell apart. Paisley lowered herself onto the bed of the truck when it got to be too much, but I continued through until her body was only trembling from the aftershocks of her orgasm.

I moved out from between her legs and wrapped her up in the blanket before I sat up against my truck, and pulled her against me again. Looking over her flushed face and bright eyes, I smiled down at her. “Happy belated-Sunday.”

She laughed shakily. “I can’t believe we just did that out here.”

“I told you, Pay, no one’s here.”

She tried to give me a stern look, but couldn’t hold it. “And I told you, someone could’ve shown up.”

“And they would’ve gotten one hell of a view.”

“You’re horrible.” She laughed.

“I meant the ocean.” I smirked when she elbowed my stomach. I ran my fingers over her sensitive bud, and my blood heated when her legs fell open and her eyes automatically shut, and a breathy whimper left her. “You think I’m going to let anyone else see you like that? This, these faces you make, and those sounds that come from you are for me, Paisley. No one else.”