Page 68 of Tears of Ink
One old man in the corner turns to look at me and tilts his glass. Chuckling, I tip mine back. Yeah, buddy, I’m a bit drunk. I’m not fricking legless.
“I thought you and Eli were having a thing?” Tabitha asks. She sounds innocent and sane. Clearly, she needs to have her head read.
“Why on earth would you think that?”
Okay, so maybe we’ve kissed twice. Maybe if I would allow myself to think about them, I’d admit that they were probably the most electric and seductive kisses I’ve ever experienced. But, she doesn’t know this. No one knows I think that—especially not Elijah.
“Oh, sorry. I must have misread something.”
I narrow my gaze and wave my glass at her, sloshing white wine on the table. “What?”
She shifts, uncomfortable, and studies the puddle of wine on the wood. “Nothing. It’s just these days I don’t see him much, and he’s been here a lot since you came, even though that case he’s working on is getting nasty.”
“Nasty, how?”
She shakes her head, clearly I’m never going to find out about this case.
“He’s here because this is his project.” I don’t know if she knows about his painting, so I button up tight. I won’t spill secrets. I slump back in my chair and wish I could erase the memory of that hungry kiss and how it felt when his hands ran along my ink, caressing the skin of my arms. “And honestly, if it was just him and I left in Bowsley because the world had been taken over by flesh eating zombies, I still wouldn’t consider him.”
Tabitha chuckles into her orange juice. “No, why?”
“Why?” I’m getting into this. I gulp another two mouthfuls of wine. “He’s obnoxious for a start, I mean seriously how big is his ego? Secondly, he’s so hot and cold, it’s like he doesn’t know who he wants to be, and thirdly.” I pause for breath.
“Are you stuck for a third thing, Faith? What a relief.”
Holy crap. I spin a little on my wooden stool and see the delectable shape of Elijah behind my shoulder. Oh god. I burn a hundred shades of red all at once.
He looks utterly delicious. Pale ripped jeans cling to his hips and thighs, and a navy T-shirt fits across his chest with a snugness I’d be happy to explore with my fingers. I need to close my mouth and stop staring.
He wasn’t wearing that earlier, but hell, does he look good. Best yet, even better than any of the suits.
“Did I mention obnoxious?” I force my gaze away from his smirking mouth and glare at Tabitha. “Nice one. How long was he there for?”
Letting out a pealing laugh she claps her hands together. “Long enough.”
“What are you two doing here?” He sits on the spare stool at the table and absorbs all the damn space.
“Getting fucking drunk.” Okay, the wine is definitely in charge now, steaming through my body.
“Elijah,” the man from the corner calls. “Can you get rid of her? She doesn’t stop talking.” He points at me incriminatingly, and I scowl back.
“Just because I’m not that drunk, there’s no need to be rude.”
Tabitha almost howls with laughter, but I’m just staring at the blues, waiting to see what he’s going to say next.
He stares at me, one side of his lips hitched in a slight curve. “I’m so not covering your arse when you’re hanging like a dog tomorrow.”
I down the end of my glass. “I’m a true professional.”
He stands and holds out a hand. “Come on, Faith, let’s get you guys home.”
“No! I like it here. There’s no atmosphere at Boring Hall.”
He leans down and places hands under my elbows, easily lifting me from the stool. “How about I make sure you’re not bored?”
With a circular wave of my hand, I pull a ‘yeah, right’ face. “All talk and ego.”
“Come on.” He leads me by the elbow and I wave goodbye to the pub, reassuring them all I will be back to see them soon. He’s chuckling as we land on the narrow pavement outside the pub. It’s much darker than I thought it would be.
