Tess is now snoring in the backseat after continuing to cuss Eli out for another four minutes or so. I study his handsome face and a giggle leaves my lips as I think back at the things she slurred at him. It was uncalled for but she is funny, I have to give her that.

"What are you giggling for?" Eli questions and lays his large hand on my jean-clad thigh, effectively making my mouth snap shut.

"Nothing," I quietly mumble while staring at his hand. The heat from his skin easily travels through the thin fabric of my jeans, resulting in a pool of heat gathering in the pit of my stomach. Ugh Romy, now is not the time for horniness!

As is Eli senses my thoughts, his hand squeezes my thigh gently. My thighs clench in response, the heat now traveling down to the area between my thighs. "You can go to sleep if you want, I'll wake you when we're home," Eli tells me.

"I am not tired," I lie.

"You wanna try again?" Is all he says to my lie, his right brow arching up on his forehead.

"Okay. I don't want to sleep." I change my answer.

"Why not?"

Acting on need and instinct only, I quickly unbuckle my seat belt and lean over the center console toward Eli's broad body. My lips find the side of his neck where I place a chaste kiss before moving up and whispering into his ear. "Because I'd much rather do this."

I softly bite his earlobe before continuing my assault on his neck. His hand squeezes my thigh again, this time not as gentle anymore. A warning.

"Romy," Eli practically growls.

"What?" I ask as innocently as I can muster. My tongue pokes out between my lips and I lick his prominent jawline which flexes hard in return.

"Put your fucking seatbelt back on. Now." His tone is very serious and I consider his demand for a quick second before I decide that what I am currently doing is much more fun. My hand reaches out for his shirt collar and I pull the garment down to expose his collar bone and a part of his muscled shoulder. His grip on my thigh becomes harder and harder and I can't help another drunken giggle escaping me before I softly kiss the dip above his collar bone and then, not so softly, bite into his shoulder. The giant man lets out a hiss followed by a rushed and low "Fuck!" before he pulls over to the side of the road and slams on the breaks. My body surges forward with the sudden movement but his arm shoots out and pushes my back against my seat, the air rushing out of my lungs upon impact. After the initial shock, I start laughing.

Eli is fuming as he turns to me, his narrowed eyes dark and his lips in a thin, angry line. Uh oh, someone's mad.

"That is not fucking funny, Romy! You could've gotten seriously hurt. Are you that stupid when you're drunk? That you think it's funny to risk your health like that?!" He seethes.

"Okay, calm down. I was just trying to have some fun. You seemed to enjoy it, too." I try to ease the tension.

"That's not the point! Don't ever do that again, you hear me?" His voice now calmer but not any less angry. He sounds almost hurt.

In an attempt to crack another joke, I ask with a smirk "What? Kiss you?" but one look from him wipes the smirk off my face and has me cowering in my seat.

"Alright, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to make you angry, I'm sorry," I admit, wanting to be on his good side again. I decided I don't like him mad at me. For obvious reasons. He is pretty scary when he's actually mad.

"Put your seatbelt on."

I immediately do what he says and then take a look at the backseat. For reasons unknown, Tess is still fast asleep in her seat. I suppose that's a good thing. How could I have been so reckless?

Eli goes to put his truck into drive but I speak fast before he can change the gear.

"Wait!" His movements halt but he doesn't turn to me.

"Look at me, please?" I plead and slowly he complies with my request.

I take both of my slightly shaking hands and frame his face so he cannot look away. Looking deep into his eyes, I go to explain myself. "Listen, I am truly sorry, okay? I wasn't thinking. Well, I wasn't thinking about anyone but myself. I shouldn't have put you, us, into a dangerous situation like this. I promise I won't do it again." His eyes soften at my words. "I know it's no excuse but you were looking so handsome and the way you squeezed my thigh and I was getting so flustered and the alcohol was giving me a confidence boost and I just thought that I ha-"

My rambling is abruptly silenced by his hot lips sealing themselves over mine. Before my mind could truly register the kiss, he already broke it again.

"It's okay, beautiful. You know it was wrong and won't do it again so don't worry about it anymore." I smile shyly at the gorgeous man that has his hand tangled in my hair. He tilts my head back quite far and looks me dead in the eye. "Also, I am not at all against making out in a car, just leave your damn seatbelt on for as long as we're driving, understood?"

I try to nod but that proofs to be quite difficult with Eli holding my hair in a vice grip.

"Yes, understood. Crystal clear." I rush out.

"Good." He nods before releasing my hair and pulling back onto the road.

The next morning, I wake up in my bed, clothes still on and my makeup smeared all over my pillow. I don't remember getting into bed, I must've fallen asleep in the truck.

Shit, the truck! Eli's truck! Oh god, I was being so stupid last night. What the hell has gotten into me? I need to be put on a leash around Eli because it seems I have a hard time controlling myself. Or making smart decisions. At least while being drunk.

I shake the nagging thoughts away and sit up in bed. My head slightly throbs but that's about it. I don't think I deserve to feel this good after what happened last night but I'll gladly take it; with a load of gratitude. It's already 11am so I quickly slip into the bathroom to get ready.

After freshening up, I make my way downstairs. Entering the kitchen, I am greeted by the sight of Ben and Tess bickering. Ben makes fun of her for having a major hangover, saying it serves her right after letting him fret so much yesterday. She just tries to hush his onslaught of words but he doesn't ease up on her.

"Good morning." I greet them. Looking around, I don't see Eli anywhere.

"Good morning?! How come you feel like this is a good morning and I feel like it's the shittiest morning of my entire life?" Tess complains.

"Morning, Romy." As Ben comes closer, he whispers, "Thanks for letting me know via Eli that you guys were fine."

I just wink at him and join my miserable best friend at the table.

"Where is he anyway?" I ask Bennett, trying to sound nonchalant.

He just points his finger towards the ceiling.

"Still in bed?" I question.

"Yup," Ben confirms, popping the p extra loud. Tess throws a deathly glare at him.

"I'll be at the lake all day, please don't talk to me, thanks." She announces before sauntering off. Only then do I notice that she is already in her bikini. I decide to let her have her peace and quiet at the lake before I will join her later. Turning towards Bennett who is leaning against the counter, scrolling through his phone and munching on a piece of bacon, I wonder if Eli has told him yet. He acts normal toward me so maybe he hasn't. I'm not sure. Before I can open my mouth to start a conversation, Bennett looks up and points his finger at me.

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You wanna come on a run with me?"

"Uhh... no thank you, not today. I am nursing my own little hangover."

"Okay, suit yourself." He shrugs and leaves the house, jogging away.

With a plate of fruit and toast in one hand and a steaming cup of coffee in the other, I use the heel of my foot to lightly bang against Eli's bedroom door. I don't hear any sounds coming from inside the room so I make the executive decision to enter without explicit permission. I'm a daredevil, I know.

I quietly open the door and peek inside. The room is dimly lit, the curtains across the window not drawn completely so the sun is casting a soft glow across the furniture. Backing up into the door carefully, I close it with a soft thud and go over the bedside table to place Eli's breakfast there. My gaze wanders across the -mostly tidy- room before landing on the bed. Eli is laying on his stomach, his head turned away from where I am standing. Both of his strong arms braced on either side of his head, his hands hidden beneath the pillow. The dark duvet pulled up to his waist, his bare back on display. His torso moves up and down with each heavy inhale and exhale of his breath, telling me that he is still asleep.

I lower myself down on his mattress in a sitting position and reach my hand out. It gravitates towards his skin, his broad shoulders, and neck but I pull myself together and don't grope the sleeping man. Instead, I let my fingers disappear in his unruly dark hair and begin to gently scratch his head. Not long after, I feel him stir beneath my hand, and a mix between a moan and groan sounds throughout the otherwise quiet room.

"Good morning," I whisper with a smile. I don't get an answer and he makes no move to turn to me so I take that as a hint that he wants to continue sleeping. My hand slips from his hair and a disapproving noise promptly follows.

"Don't stop." Oh dear God. His voice is all raspy and rough, laced with sleep and I don't think I've ever heard anything this beautiful and sexy at the same time.

My hand quickly goes back to what it was doing.

"I brought you some fruit and toast. And a coffee." I inform him, desperately hoping this will get him to turn around.

"Hmpf."

"Not very talkative this morning, hm?" No reaction. Okay, then. "I, um," I clear my throat. "I also wanted to apologize again. For, you know, yesterday." My voice has a nervous wobble to it and I hate it.

Before I can think about my voice too much, Eli's hand shoots out from under the pillow, grabs my own that is massaging his head, and pulls me over his body and into the bed. A surprised shriek escapes me but it's quickly muffled by my face being pressed into a warm, and very naked, chest. One of his arms is tightly holding me against him while the other is pulling the blanket out from under me and then back over my body. My breathing -almost violently- hitches at the feeling of being so close to Eli while he is wearing such little clothing. Oh, and he is sporting a massive erection. I can feel my face flushing deep red and as I peak up at his face, I see his eyes are still closed. Did he go back to sleep?

"Eli?" I shyly ask, biting my lip in anticipation.

"Hmm?"

Okay, so he has not fallen back asleep. Do we just lay here now? I just wanted to apologize and bring some breakfast as a piece offering. Now I am in a whole different situation that I did not plan for. My left hand is placed on his chest and my right just awkwardly rests on the side of my body. What do I do with my other hand? Where do I put it so it doesn't come off as clingy or needy?

As if he can feel my overthinking, Eli starts talking again.

"What did tell you in the car yesterday?" That raspy voice of his is gonna be the end of me.

Ah damn, he said a lot of things. I just gotta take a guess, then. "To put my seatbelt on?"

"After you apologized, Romy." His arm that isn't holding me to him by my waist, sneaks around my neck, pulling me even closer into his body.

"Uhh... I don't remember," I sheepishly admit.

"I told you it's okay and to not worry about it anymore," He clarifies.

"Right," I mumble into his chest. "Are you going back to sleep?"

"I was trying to, but a little, annoyingly curious woman keeps talking and asking me questions."

"Ha ha, very funny." I retort and my right hand leaves its undecided position to lightly pinch the skin on his ribs. He doesn't even flinch but I like the new position my hand has found so I leave it there. I let my fingers dance over his skin while my thumb moves in a back and forth motion.

Eli hums in appreciation before murmuring lowly, "Damn woman, why do you gotta be so fucking tantalizing all the time?"

"You're one to speak." I retort in a hushed whisper and peck his chest while squeezing his waist. Then I look up at his face again to see he has finally opened his beautiful green eyes. And they are dark and filled with emotion. With curiosity, with frustration, with adoration, and with lust. So. much. lust.

Oh god, Romy. What have you done?