All I Need Is You (11 page)

Everyone at the table stopped moving and the diners at the next table looked over. Kay sucked in a shocked breath as heat flooded her cheeks.

Finally Danny stood and asked the closest waitress, “Where’s the bathroom?”
 

After he was gone, Kay turned to Eli and punched him as hard as she could in the arm. “Ow, damn it.” She held her sore hand close to her chest. She was raging mad, and now she couldn’t even concentrate on her anger because she’d almost broken her hand on Eli’s freakishly big biceps.

“Let me see it.” Eli tugged until she allowed him to examine her hand, spreading the fingers and then closing them back into a fist. “Don’t do that again, you could seriously hurt yourself.”

“Ugh, you are awful. Let me out.”

Eli moved out of the booth. “Where are you going?”

Kay turned to Mara. “I am so sorry. Please tell your friend it was great meeting him.”
 

Then she ran out of the restaurant.

ELI GLANCED OVER at Kay, who was silently glaring out the window as he drove them home. The tension in the air was a tangible force. He gripped the steering wheel, the memory of how he’d behaved eating away at him. He hated it when she was mad at him. Something about it just tugged at his conscience. She was softhearted, so he knew if he apologized she wouldn’t hold a grudge.
 

But he just couldn’t do it. He couldn’t pretend he was sorry for something he knew he’d do all over again in a heartbeat.

As soon as they pulled into his parents’ driveway, Kay had her seatbelt off and was halfway out of the car. Eli trailed behind, waiting on the sidewalk while she rang the bell. His mother gave him a curious glance when she opened the door. He shook his head slightly so she wouldn’t ask any questions. His best bet was to get Kay in private before she blew up at him.

“Thank you again, Mrs. Alexander. I really appreciate it.” Kay carried Hope’s car seat in one hand and the diaper bag in the other.
 

Eli reached out to take the diaper bag from her and was left hanging as she brushed past him angrily. His mom narrowed her eyes. Eli waved and rushed back to his truck. He was already due for a tongue-lashing from one irate female tonight; he didn’t need to add to the pain.

As soon as they got back to Kay’s apartment, Eli keyed in the security code and quickly looked around. Kay continued ignoring him as she unhooked the baby from the car seat and took her to the bathroom. There was the distinct rush of water hitting the porcelain of the bathtub, and then came Hope’s happy squeals and the sound of splashing.

Eli smiled at the sound before he sat down in the living room to wait for the inevitable fight. The couch was obviously older, but it was comfortable. That described most of the apartment, actually. Kay seemed to favor warm, muted colors and soft textures. There were also books everywhere. He leaned closer to read the spine of the book on the coffee table.
You Get So Alone At Times That It Just Makes Sense
by Charles Bukowski
.
He picked it up and started reading.
 

He hadn’t realized it was quiet again until Kay emerged, wearing a clean T-shirt and soft lounge pants. She didn’t look at him.
 

“Are you still not talking to me?”
 

He let out a sigh when she ignored his question and sank down on the couch. “You have scary taste in books. I literally have no idea what this one is about.”

Her head whipped around. When she saw the book he was holding, her lips tightened. Then she turned her head in the other direction again.
 

Eli closed the book and set it back on the coffee table where he’d found it. “You can’t ignore me forever.”

“Oh yes I can,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry, okay. I was rude and I apologize.” He had to force the words out, but Eli figured it was a small price to pay. This tense silence was painful.
 

“I’m not the one you need to be apologizing to.”

“There’s no way in hell I’m apologizing to Mr. Saving-poor-disabled-people Guy. No way.”

Kay turned on the couch to face him. “See! That right there is why I’m so angry. You’re not even sorry. You don’t think you did anything wrong.”

Eli agreed but figured that wasn’t the response she was looking to hear.
 

“I was just trying to look out for you.”

Kay’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “Look out for me?” She squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clenching into fists. “You embarrassed me! Not only were you completely rude to Mara’s friend, but you humiliated me. Did you really need to tell the entire restaurant that I saw you naked? If I wasn’t sure I’d hurt my hand again, I would punch you for that. Maybe you don’t care what anyone thinks, but I do.”
 

Eli felt the first stirrings of true remorse. Hurting Kay had never been his intention. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that, but I was just trying to protect you. That guy… he was just trying to get in your panties.”

Kay looked like she was fighting for control. “Did it not occur to you that maybe I
wanted
him to get in my panties? Hmm? That’s usually why people go on dates, isn’t it?”

Eli stood and wandered over to the kitchen. He couldn’t look at her just then. Not when she was talking about making it with some other guy. He shoved his hands in his pockets to prevent him from breaking something. “So that’s what you want? Some guy who just wants to get his rocks off?”
 

Kay stood and walked over to him. He backed up until he was leaning against the counter. She was so close she almost stepped on his foot. He realized then that her feet were bare. It was such an odd thing to notice in the midst of an argument, but somehow it bothered Eli that she looked so vulnerable when he really wanted to pick her up and shake some sense into her.

“I want someone who wants to get off
with me
. Someone who likes
me
.” She took a deep breath and he could see her fighting for control. “I don’t need you to protect me all the time, Eli. I know what I’m doing.”

“What about when you kissed me at Christmas? Did you know what you were doing then?” Eli tensed as her gaze slid downward, her eyes eating up the view of him, lingering on his lips, then his neck, then lower.
 

She let out a soft sigh and then glanced up at him from beneath her lashes. “I did. Just like I know what I’m doing right now,” she whispered.

“Do you really, angel? Because I sure as hell don’t.” Eli grabbed her, his hand sliding up into the soft curls at the base of her neck. She made a soft murmur of protest at the contact, but then she melted against him. It set off every dominant instinct he had when she collapsed against him. Nothing could have stopped him from scooping her up and setting her gently on the counter. He pushed forward, parting her knees, making room for himself between her thighs.
 

She went rigid as a board when he pressed forward. Her eyelids fluttered shut and her head tilted back. Eli tugged her closer so his lips could explore the soft skin of her throat. She was so soft, he thought, and absolutely perfect. He rained kisses along the skin leading to her collarbone, lost in the scent of her skin.
 

There was a roar in his blood, to take her, lay her out on the counter, and spend the rest of the night exploring her from the inside out. But she wasn’t ready for the things he’d require, would in fact be shocked or even frightened by the things he wanted to do to her.

“Kay… We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Yes,” she breathed, too far gone to hear him, the perfect weights of her breasts rising and falling with her frantic breaths. Her hands came up, settling gently on his shoulders before skimming over his head.
 

Eli’s fingers clenched against her thighs at her touch. The sensation of her fingertips dragging over his bare scalp was almost orgasmic. His control snapped and he tugged her up, supporting her with a strong hand in the center of her back.
 

He took her mouth gently at first, just a soft press of their lips before he took her deeper, sealing his mouth over hers. She cried out, but the sound was swallowed up between them. Then her fingers tightened against his skin as she finally,
finally
, opened her mouth.

She accepted the first stroke of his tongue with a breathy little sigh. The sound wrought something in him, an emotion he couldn’t define. It was like something awakening, something that wanted to own that sound so she’d only make it for him. Tentative and unsure, she seemed to have no idea what to do with her tongue. It was obvious to Eli that Kay hadn’t had many lovers. A rush of satisfaction went through him at the thought.
 

She gripped his biceps and held on as he coaxed her tongue into his mouth. Before long, her legs were crossed behind his back, and he was snugged up right next to her core, rubbing tight circles in rhythm with the sensual thrusts of their tongues.

“Oh, I can’t breathe,” Kay panted. She arched her back, the move pushing her breasts right up in his face. With any other woman, he would have thought the move was deliberate, but Kay had no idea how desirable she was. He growled and buried his face in all her lush softness. A shot of arousal zinged through him, making him still his movements. If he didn’t slow things down, he’d end up taking her on the kitchen counter. She deserved soft sheets, not a quick tumble on a tabletop.

There was a loud crash behind them and they jumped apart. Kay’s eyes were dazed but cleared quickly.
 

“Hope,” she whispered. She hopped down from the counter and Eli followed on her heels as she dashed down the hallway. She opened the door to the baby’s room. Eli slipped inside behind her, blinking quickly so his eyes would adjust to the dim interior of the room.
 

Hope stood on tiptoe, peering over the railing of her crib. “Mess, Mama! Make a mess!” She pointed across the room. Her purple teething ring was lying in front of the dresser along with several picture frames.
 

Relief swept through him when he saw that she was unharmed. Despite the bad timing, Eli couldn’t help but be amused. “She’s got a good arm.”

Kay picked up the teething ring with an indulgent smile. She left the room and came back a few minutes later, wiping it down with a paper towel.
 

“I had to wash it off just in case there was any glass on it.” She gave it back to Hope, who promptly stuck the end back in her mouth. The broken pieces of the picture frames were deposited in the waste bin.
 

“That’ll do it for now. I’ll vacuum tomorrow.”

Eli left the room so she could soothe the baby back to sleep. He walked back to the kitchen and planted his hands on the counter. The salt and pepper shakers were overturned, and there was a dish towel on the floor. He picked it up and cleaned up the counter. Now that his blood pressure had normalized, he was glad they’d been interrupted. His behavior that evening had been borne of jealousy, but it hadn’t been in Kay’s best interest.
 

She wanted to find Mr. Right and settle down. Kay deserved that life. She was an amazing mother and she deserved someone who could give her the life she was meant for. Eventually she would find that guy. A nice, normal guy with a sense of humor and a nine-to-five. Not an antisocial workaholic with a shady past. He wanted that for her, even if the thought of it was like swallowing knives.
 

If he wanted to do what was best for Kay, he’d leave her alone.
 

KAY PULLED THE door to her daughter’s room shut behind her. She clasped her arms around her body. Her nerves were still humming like they were remembering Eli’s touch, the hair on her arms standing on end.
 

The lights in the living room were low, and she looked around in confusion as she observed the perfectly tidy kitchen. She walked a little farther and then stopped abruptly. Eli lay on the couch, wrapped in the comforter.
 

Snoring.

She stood there, stunned, for a few moments before the hurt moved in. He’d just had his tongue all over her skin a few minutes ago and now he was asleep? She eyed the lump on the couch suspiciously. Then her hands clenched into fists.