Page 165 of Blue Gold

“Aww, is someone getting old?” he teased, poking his tongue out.

I grunted. “Excuse you, I’m only thirty-five years young.”

Elliot checked me out over his shoulder with a grin. “Well, thirty-five has never looked hotter,” he purred, making my pulse run faster.

Now I’m really out of breath.

Finally reaching the top, I paused to catch my breath while he looked as jiggly as ever.

“Seriously, have you had any time to work out lately?”

Rubbing my lower back, I sighed. “I’m buried up to my head in getting the business running. If I have time to spare, I use it for sleep. So I don’t even dare to dream of working out.”

Walking toward me, he placed his hand on my chest, softly rubbing me. “Well, once I’m out of here, you really won’t have time for sleep.” He gave me a naughty smile that put lewd thoughts in my head. While I missed making love to him terribly, trying to build up my own law firm from scratch took so much energy that, luckily, I almost had no time to think about sex.

Almost.

Elliot then walked over to the lookout point, where he did some stretches before resting his hands on his waist and looked ahead.

Putting aside the bag I brought with me, I joined him there for the view. Unlike him, I couldn’t care less about the vineyards and green hills of Sonoma Valley and instead focused on the better view. The past four months had done wonders for him, and he looked more and more like his usual self. With his cheeks now full and flushed, his hair soft as silk, and his eyes full of life, I’d gotten my beloved back, and it was all thanks to his hard work and admirable persistence. The beginning of his recovery wasn’t easy, but he’d overcome it like a true champion, and now, in the midst of it, he was putting everything into getting better.

“A cigarette would suit me now,” he grunted.

“I thought you decided to quit.”

He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. “I’m trying… for now, I’m down to one a day.”

I patted his back. “That’s a good start.”

He turned to glance at me with a smirk. “It is, isn’t it?”

I answered him with a smile, and pleased, he turned to look back at the view.

“I still remember the first time we came here,” he said.

“Me too. It was a lot hotter then.”

He clicked his tongue. “That’s all you can remember?”

“Well—” I wrapped an arm around him. “—I remember you cried, but I was trying to be polite and not bring it up.”

As I said, the beginning wasn’t at all easy.

“Didn’t you also shed a tear or two?”

I cleared my throat. “I must have gotten something in my eye.”

He huffed a laugh, leaning his head on my shoulder.

“There’s a new guy in the unit.”

“Really?”

“Mhmm.”

“And?” I said, getting impatient after he went silent. “What’s he like?”

“Accountant from Pasadena. Wife. Three kids. Forty-four.”