Page 70 of Tangled Hearts

“Well, it’s the truth.” I brush my thumb over the back of his hand. “You’re fucking mine, and I’ll be damned if anyone thinks they can take you from me.”

“You can’t just say stuff like that.”

I laugh. “And why not?”

“Because you’ll ruin me for anyone else.”

“Well, that’s good,” I growl. “Because no one else is getting you.”

He whimpers. A full-on breathy little whimper that goes straight to my fucking dick. “You can’t be making noises like that while I’m driving, doll.”

“Then pull over,” he whines.

“Tempting, but I want you spread out under me. And I can’t do that in here.”

“Sure you can,” he says breathlessly. “I’m small. I can lie in the back seat.”

I let out a choked laugh, my dick throbbing. “Yeah?” I glance over at him, and he nods, lower lip sticking out. He’s gonna get his way entirely too much, but not right now. “You can also wait until we get home. It’s like five minutes away. Besides, I think I’m about to kill your mood.” And mine. “Mia knows too by the way. She threatened me.”

His jaw drops. “You’re joking. How? We haven’t evenbeenthere.”

I shrug. “She said she wouldn’t say anything.”

“Aren’t you worried?” he whispers.

Kind of. Not really. Very. It’s all very fucked up in my head. I sigh. “It wouldn’t be ideal if she told someone before we were ready to, but Eli.” I pause, pulling into the driveway at home and unbuckling so I can look at him. “It’s not the end of the world if she does, okay?” He nods, wide eyes trained on me. “Let’s come up with a date to tell everyone.”

He bites his bottom lip nervously. “Okay, like when?”

“Whenever you feel comfortable.”

“Me?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. “What about you?”

I’ve pretty much already resigned myself to the fact that if this ruins my relationship with Holden, it is what it is. It would suck, but hey. Hiding makes me feel a little gross, though, like I’m no better than Silas and Leo, sneaking around. At least Eli and I being together doesn’t hurt anyone. I can’t see how it would, anyway. “Don’t worry about me.”

Eli frowns. “Okay… what about after the fundraiser? That’s a month from now. And if you decide to change your mind about me within that time, then we don’t have to risk you ruining things with Holden.”

“What?” I ask, confused by that.

Eli looks at his lap. “I’m just saying, I don’t want you to feel trapped with me. So let’s give it a month, and if you still want me then, we’ll tell everyone. And if not, that’s okay. No hard feelings.”

I blink at him as my heart cracks open in my chest. I reach across the console and cup his face, forcing his gaze back to mine. How can he even think that? “That’s not going to happen.” I brush my thumb under his eye. “I was drowning before you, doll. Then you came storming in with your shy smiles and your sharp tone and your boba addiction and text messages about how jackets work, and I was pretty fucked.”

He laughs. “Oh my God. I’mstillembarrassed about that.”

“No reason to be embarrassed. Just one of many things I find adorable about you.”

He rolls his eyes, but his little smile is pleased. “One of many, huh?”

I hum. “Yeah, how about we go inside and I show you all the many things? One by one. Real slow.”

His eyes widen, and he all but falls to the ground in his rush to get out of the car.

Chapter 24

Eli

“Hey, Nic. Can you come here really quick?”