Page 32 of Trial and Error

He says nothing else as he grabs my hand and hauls me off the couch. I’m about to protest, but when he opens the door I keep my mouth shut. A large king-size bed sits in the centre of the room with dark nightstands on either sides and two large bay windows that give a glorious view of a small park across the street.

Elias lets go of my hand and walks over to his dresser and pulls out a shirt and a pair of boxer shorts and puts them on his bed. “The bathroom is next door if you want to change in there.” He looks up at me with a tenderness I’m not familiar with. “If not, you can get changed in here and I’ll change once you’re done.”

I nod quickly and reach across and pick up the clothes he left on the bed. Oh boy, they smell so good. I send him a tight smile as I turn on my heel and walk out of the bedroom into the bathroom. I lock the door behind me and clutch his shirt in my hand tightly, the smell of his cologne filling my senses.

Taking a deep breath, I rid myself of the dress and the bra underneath, and pull the shirt over my head. It hugs my curves softly, and I like the way it looks on me—not too big, not too small. I reach down and push my panties down my legs before stepping into the boxers he gave me. They fit like a pair of boy shorts and I can’t help but appreciate how good my ass looks in them.

I unlock the bathroom door and peek out to see Elias sitting on the sofa. He’s changed into a pair of grey shorts and a navy shirt. He’s looking down at his hands that are hanging between his legs. but as I open the door, his gaze snaps up and freezes on his clothes on my body.

“Thanks for the clothes,” I blurt out, suddenly feeling self conscious. “I’m sure they look better on you than me.”

His eyes dart across my body as if he doesn’t know where to look first and I watch as the column of his throat works as he swallows. Almost begrudgingly, he tears his eyes away from my body and looks at my face. I feel my face heat up as I move my hands in front of myself.

“You’re beautiful,” he says as he takes a step toward me.

Elias frowns ever so slightly as he stops abruptly. He looks like he’s having an inner battle with himself. A quick shake of his head gives him the boost he needs as he takes another step in my direction. I watch as his hands flex at his sides, clenching and unclenching.

I feel my body lean toward him on its own accord, and I clear my throat. “I should probably get to bed,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “Thanks again for the clothes.”

He nods, but says nothing. Slowly, he reaches up and brushes a strand of hair from my face and lets his fingers brush softly over the top of my right cheekbone. I inhale sharply at the contact and lower my gaze to the floor.

What am I doing? He’s just being nice. I scold myself as I take a quick step back. I look up at him and notice his eyes widen as his hand still lingers in the air. He quickly drops it and shoves his hand into the pockets of his shorts and takes a step backward.

“Yeah, we probably should,” he agrees. “I’ll be out here if you need me.”

I nod but can’t seem to move from where I’m standing. A little wave of confidence pushes me toward him, and before I know it, I’m rising up onto the balls of my feet and pressing my lips against his jaw. I feel it clench under my lips and as I step back I see his eyes have become hooded.

His tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip as he looks down at me and my breath hitches at the sight—an apparent weakness of mine.

“Good night,” I say as I take a step back. “Sweet dreams.”

I turn on my heels and walk into his bedroom.

“Good night,” I hear him say from behind me.

As much as I try not to, I can’t stop myself from stealing one last look at him. He remains standing by the sofa, watching as I walk into his room, and I don’t miss the slightly feral look that passes across his face as he looks between me and his bed.

A grin plays at my lips as I close the door behind me. I crawl into the bed and let my head rest on the pillow. I close my eyes and inhale his spiced pine fragrance and fall asleep with his scent curled around me.

elias

I didn’t sleep a fucking wink last night.

Seeing her in my clothes altered my brain chemistry and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to think about anything else. If last night proves anything, it’s that it’s hard to turn that visual off. The thought of my duvet wrapped around her body? God, I can’t stop myself from spiralling, and that isn’t something I’m used to.

She looked divine in my shirt and boxers, and it took all my will power not to march over to her and rip them off—I can only imagine how she looked and felt underneath the clothes.

As I lie on my couch, thinking of the ways I want to explore every inch of her skin, my dick hardens, and I debate slipping into the bathroom to relieve myself, but the sound of her feet padding across the floor stops me. My body shoots upright and I pull the blanket across my lap just as the door opens.

Fuck. I inhale sharply.

Bridget pokes her head out from behind the bedroom door and looks at me sleepily. She lets out a small yawn and smooths her hands over her hair as she walks over to where I am on the couch. Peeling back the blanket, she sits down on the other end and covers her bare legs. Tentatively, she looks at me as she tucks her feet under my thighs, and when I don’t move, she lets out a satisfied sigh.

“Good morning,” I say as her baby blues land on my face and her smile deepens. “How’d you sleep?”

She rests her head on the back of the couch and her sleepy eyes meet my own as she replies, “So good. Your bed is so comfortable,” Bridget mumbles. “It was big enough for the both of us. Next time you can get in, too.”

I raise my brow, and I relish in the way her cheeks turn a light shade of pink, as if she’s only just realizing what she’s said. “Oh, there’s going to be a next time, is there?”