Page 112 of Tears of Glass

“And I love you.”

I want to dive into him again, to lose myself under his surface, but then I also want to explore the house.

“What are you thinking?”

“Sex or furnishings.”

He snorts. “Come, let’s see your house.” Sliding out from under me, he stands straight, his lithe body glimmering in the dusty light. “But no clothes.”

“I am not walking around naked.”

He smirks and reaches his hand for me.

“You know you have a worrying penchant for nakedness.” His eyes burn on my face. “And you are dressed, in all the stories I want to know.”

I drop the duvet I’m clutching and stand proud while his eyes burn across my skin. When he’s done, he holds his hand for me, tangling our fingers together. And I follow him, letting him lead me into whatever the next moment holds, one moment from the next as though we are the only people in the universe who can exist in the heaven we create between us.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Monday rolls around too fast, the weekends are fleeting and snatched. Two people wrapped in dreams and desire. We came home, my hands full of sketches of The House of Glass Flowers which Elijah had sketched with an almost impossible skill in about three minutes flat. I watched him silently as he worked, his long fingers skimming a pencil across the paper we’d picked up in a local shop. Even his sketches are beautiful. I wish he’d paint more. But he’s busy, I know that, and for the two sides of his personality he has, the lawyer is winning out. I love the lawyer just as much as the artist and I need to focus on that.

“Silver tie.” I stretch on the bed, arching my stiff body. Who thought it was a good idea to spend the day wrapped in a duvet on a hard wood floor?

He holds the tie where he’s stood at the door of his closet. “Silver? I thought the pink stripe.”

“Silver,” I confirm, rolling over and giving him a fine view of my naked arse.

“And what are your plans for the day?” His voice echoes a little gruffer, I lay still giving him a mental picture to keep with him in the office, before slowly rolling back over to find his eyes burning on me.

“Class. I’m going to check on Tabitha, I’m worried about her.” I sigh. “And I might call Saskia and see if she can help me find something suitable to wear on Saturday.”

Eli frowns and steps closer to the bed. He looks like a masterpiece in his navy suit. I love the man naked under the duvet, and wearing jeans and trainers all weekend, but hell do I love him in a suit too.

“You don’t need to make any form of effort. It’s they who need to make an effort with you.” His normally expressive face closes off at the thought of his family.

“It will be okay, Eli. I told you, there is nothing they can do to separate us.”

He drops onto the mattress, his fingertips tracing along the skin of my waist, along the swell of my breast and then across my shoulder and down my arm until he rocks the black diamond on my finger, twisting it in the diffused sunlight. He’s serious, his brows furrowed together.

“What’s the matter?” I snuggle closer, wrapping my naked body around his suit covered legs.

“Nothing, Sunshine.” Tilting my chin, he places a lingering kiss on my mouth, his minty breath tingling as his tongue slides along mine. My body warms instantly, and I slide myself up, straddling his lap. Underneath me his response is instant and hard.

“Stay.”

The blues meet mine. “I can’t.”

I kiss him harder, giving him everything, pressing my breasts against his beautiful cotton shirt. “Stay.”

He groans as I shift myself along his erection. “You’re killing me.” He places firm hands on my waist and detaches me, placing me back on the bed. “Hold that thought, I’ll be home early.”

“What am I going to do with myself?” I blink up at him through my lashes.

“I’m sure you’ll make a plan.” He winks.

“Spoilsport.” I throw myself face first onto the duvet.

“And no visits to work!” He wags his finger. “I know how your mind works.”