Page 33 of Estranged Heart

His Adam’s apple bobs in his throat and his face inches closer. “Always so damn honest. Is that all?”

“Yeah.”

He releases a shuddered breath. “What are you waiting for then?”

“For it to not be wrong.”

He breathes out a rough sigh. “Meanwhile I’m waiting for it to feel wrong. Maybe you can help me with that.”

“And maybe you can make me realize how much I actually hate it and we can both help each other.”

“Only one way to find out.” He seals his lips over mine before I can respond again, pulling all the air from my lungs and thrusting his tongue into my mouth. Tugging at his hair, I intensify the kiss, needing it to last as long as it did yesterday. Arousal spirals in my lower stomach and I grab at his shirt, my ravishing tongue moving in rhythm with his until a honking car has us pulling apart.

“Get out of the road, asshole,” some man shouts out his window.

Sliding a hand through his hair, Elijah takes a step back, his eyes wild and glazed over. “Did that work in your favor?”

“No.”

He shakes his head, looking around him. “Mine either. I guess we better try again.” He rushes toward me, grabbing the collar ofmy shirt but I shove him away. “I have to go home. Stacey will be there soon.”

“Right. Stacey. Your wife.” His jaw tightens.

“Yeah. My wife. I should never have come here.”

He rests a hand on the top of my car. “No, but you did anyway, and I’m glad you did.”

“Don’t be. We can’t hang out anymore. If Stacey ever found out what I did, it would break her. I can’t hurt her.”

“No. Of course not. Go home to your wife. She needs you there, not here.”

Nodding, I close the door and we stare at each other for a little while before I finally pull away. I think about him standing there, watching me, until I reach the restaurant, and again while I drive home. Stacey isn’t home when I walk inside and she still isn’t home once I’ve set the table either. An hour goes by of me sitting in the kitchen alone, eating my third fortune cookie and drinking my second glass of sweet tea. More time passes and when I call Stacey, her phone goes straight to voicemail. What the hell?

I call her sister next and she tells me she hasn’t seen Stacey in over a week. My heart drops.

“We don’t lie to each other.” Her voice pops into my head.

Looks like we do now. The front door opens and I whip my head around.

“Silas?”

“In the kitchen,” I call out.

“Hey.” She enters the kitchen, setting her bag on the counter.

“Hey. You’re finally home.”

“Yeah, I’m so sorry, lover. I know I’m super late.”

“Where were you? Everything okay with your sister?” I ask, wondering what lie will come from her mouth next.

“Yeah. Everything’s fine. Just overslept.”

“I guess you really needed the sleep then.”

She walks closer to the table. “Yeah. Have you eaten yet?”

“No. I can heat up the food and we can still have a late dinner.”