Divining Elise_Granite Lake Romance Page 15

  “Good morning,” Elise said from across the room.

  She stood in front of Allison’s swing and vibrating seat at the end of the kitchen island. Colton sat on a stool, eating what looked like French toast. Elise’s gaze traveled over his body so quickly he almost missed it. There was a knowing gleam in her eyes, then she dropped those lashes so he couldn’t read her. It was probably for the best since he didn’t need a hard-on in front of her kid.

  “I made coffee and French toast. I hope you don’t mind.” She reached for the mug on the counter and cradled it against her palm.

  He recalled how skilled her palm was and swallowed. Envious of a coffee mug is something new.

  “Did you... Is the baby with you?” From where he stood he couldn’t see the contoured seat of the swing. He walked over and saw his daughter enjoying the soft vibration of her padded multi-function contraption.

  “You were sleeping so soundly, I thought I’d watch her while you slept. Colton and I were awake anyway.”

  Rob wanted to take Elise in his arms and kiss her long and hard. The needed rest, the blow job, and everything else that happened through the night was a wet dream and a vacation rolled into the most precious gift he’d ever received. But Elise made him promise not to act weird the “next day” and her kid sat six feet away. Even though he couldn’t hear what they said, he had eyes like a hawk and could sometimes read lips.

  “You’re quickly becoming my favorite house guest of all time,” he said, and returned the look she’d given him a moment before by looking at all of her, especially her curves. She wore her hair braided this morning, rather than the messy pile on top of her head, and she was already dressed in tight jeans and a snug T-shirt. He could just see the peaks of her nipples pressing against the cotton shirt. Damn it. He was doing it again. Thinking about her in ways that would embarrass him in front of Colton if he didn’t stop immediately. Their gazes met and held. If only small children and infants weren’t in the room. Screw the French toast. He wanted to eat her out right there on the kitchen countertop.

  Elise licked her full luscious lips, and he swore she glanced knowingly at the counter before turning away. Rob moved into the kitchen and found a glass. He downed about a liter of water, dousing all explicit thoughts, then made a plate of French toast and filled a mug with coffee. He took his breakfast to the island and sat next to Colton.

  “Is it good?” he signed.

  Colton had only a bite or two left. He gave a thumbs up and grinned. He signed something, but Rob didn’t understand. He looked to Elise for translation. Apparently, she’d been watching.

  “He would like some more juice.”

  This time, Rob nodded. Before he could rise to refill the juice glass, Elise reached for it. “I’ve got it.”

  She gave him the most demure, cat-ate-the-canary smile he’d ever seen and Rob held back a groan. He wanted to bury himself in her like he’d done last night and watch those sexy lips smile at him again—and again after that.

  Elise set the juice down in front of Colton. “I don’t mean to rush you, but is there any chance you can take us back to my place this morning? I need to check on my apartment and the store for more water damage.”

  Rob finished chewing his bite of toast before answering. “Is there anything you can’t cook? This toast is amazing. Is that vanilla and...” He couldn’t distinguish all the flavors pinging around his mouth and taunting his taste buds.

  “Vanilla? Yes.”

  “But what else? What did you do to this bread?”

  “I could tell you, but a woman doesn’t divulge all her secrets at once,” she said with that damned demure smile again. “About the ride?” she asked.

  “Yeah. Sure. Of course.” He blinked, glanced out the windows to help break the spell she cast on him then cut another bite of the toast. “Let me finish this and we’ll go.”

  The storm had passed and the sky had returned to blue with only a few trailing clouds.

  “I’ll watch Allison if you want to shower first. It’s not a huge rush. I’m just a little anxious to check on everything.”

  “I’d like to have a look at my building, too,” he said.

  Rob parked behind the bookstore and followed them to the backdoor. “Do you want me to come inside and help you look around?” he asked.

  Elise unlocked the door and signed and spoke to Colton. “Go upstairs. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Rob hoped that by sending him inside before she entered, meant he could kiss her goodbye and thank her for the incredible night. The door hung open and she waited until Colton’s feet disappeared up the staircase.

  He began with, “Thanks for last night. And this morning.” He stepped into her space and caught the scent that drove him wild.

  She put a hand on his chest to stop him. He backed off but only an inch.

  “Thanks for the warm house and the electricity. I’ll see you around.” Elise took half a step back.

  She put the brakes on and he tried not to be insulted or hurt. “Call me later?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  The playful sparkle in her eyes said she was toying with him, but that didn’t change the words coming from her mouth.

  “One night stand, right?” he said, stalling for another second.

  She gave the tiniest of indifferent shrugs.

  He stepped forward again and she backed into the hallway. He placed his hand against the wall, boxing her in. He lowered his face until his mouth was near hers. The tip of her tongue moistened her lip. She lowered her lashes and her breasts rose and fell in shallow breaths. She was just as turned on as he was when they were this close to each other.

  “You’re really messing with my head, Elise.”

  “Am I? That’s too bad.” Her words came out breathy and strained.

  “Are you going to see me again?” he asked.

  “No.”

  Of course, she turned him down. It was like a reflex. He lifted his hand and ran a fingertip over the side of her perfect breast. She sucked in a breath and held it. Rob watched her nipple harden and strain against her shirt.

  “Why not? It’s obvious this chemistry between us should be explored further.”

  “I can’t. But—”

  “But what?” He hated that she wouldn’t just say yes like any other horny woman that wanted in his pants. He’d known enough of them to read the signs. The fact that she stood there and didn’t make a move to leave told him she liked what he was doing. If she wanted to get away, she would already be locking the door behind him.

  “But you and your brothers are invited to our grand reopening on the twenty-fifth.”

  “You’ll only see me if I come to your business event?” he said.

  “Yes.” She paused as if considering something only she would ever know. “No weirdness, remember? You promised.” Elise ducked under his arm and reached for the open door. She held it open for him to leave, squared her shoulders, and lifted her chin.

  “I did.” Rob stepped aside, then out the door.

  Her hand brushed over his low back as he passed by.

  We’re definitely not done exploring our compatibility, he thought.

  “Thanks for the ride.”

  Sixteen

  TWO WEEKS LATER, Rob and Bodie dressed in respectable attire and walked into the Mountain of Books & Coffee grand reopening party. Respectable party clothes meant different things to the Everett brothers. Rob wore a dress shirt and slacks, but Bodie looked like he was ready to go on an emergency at any second. He even wore his scanner on his belt, which meant he was on call. Bodie’s clothes were clean and pressed, so Rob refrained from mentioning that cargo pants, Search and Rescue polo style shirt, and boots might be a little informal for their evening. They were introduced as co-owners of Black Bear Brewing and mingled with other business owners and local residents. It didn’t surprise Rob that Shane didn’t put in an appearance.

  “This is an excellent beer,” Rob said.

&
nbsp; “I’m glad you like it. I know this great little brewery that makes small batch handcrafted brew. I believe the one you’re drinking is aged in an oak whiskey cask that gives the beer an incredible smoky flavor.”

  Rob took a drink of his beer and continued the word play with Elise. “I can definitely taste the different layers of flavor and the subtleties are unique.”

  “The brewers are local and an interesting group of gentlemen. I was told they’re brothers.”

  Rob lifted his glass and watched Elise as he took another drink. She looked amazing in her black cocktail dress and heels. The neckline dipped low and showcased her tantalizing cleavage. It physically hurt to refrain from staring at her, but he managed to control himself. Outwardly, at least. His mouth began to water and it wasn’t because of the talk about his beer.

  A week earlier, she met with Bodie in the parking lot at the brewery and bought Bodie’s friend’s car. According to Bodie, the all-wheel-drive hatchback was in great shape, had low miles, and was priced below wholesale. The car even had heated seats which Autumn insisted Elise needed to survive the winter weather. Elise thanked Bodie and his friend for the great deal on the car, then placed the order for the cases of beer. She wanted to serve something local for the grand reopening of Mountain of Books & Coffee. Rob heard all about her meeting with Bodie, but didn’t understand why Elise had gone to his brother and not him regarding the beer order.

  “I believe you could have scored a better deal if you’d gone directly to the oldest brother,” he said.

  “Is that so?” she asked, and then continued before he answered, “We’re not looking for a discount. We’re happy to support the local businesses in town.”

  “As are we,” he said, noting her dismissal at his attempt to ask why she didn’t come to him for the beer order. “Tonight is a great turnout. I’m really happy for you and your store.”

  Elise glanced around at the party. “Autumn and I and our staff have been preparing non-stop since I last saw you. Even with the minor water damage, everything for our grand reopening has fallen into place exactly as we hoped it would.”

  “Is that your way of explaining why we haven’t seen each other in two weeks?”

  “Maybe. I’ve thought about you, if that makes a difference. It’s been a busy time for us booksellers.”

  He nodded, gauging her honesty and forthrightness. The innocent smile didn’t hide the deviling glint behind those damned sexy eyes. She-devil came to mind and Rob was equal parts frightened and aroused.

  She leaned in, the softness of her breasts brushing against his arm. “Would you like to know what I was thinking about exactly?”

  Rob narrowed his eyes and tried to staunch the flow of blood heading below his beltline. Now wasn’t the place or time. He had been seriously deprived of human interaction over the last couple weeks. The party was his first evening out for the sole purpose of enjoyment since the baby entered his life. Throw in alcohol and incredible catering, and Rob was feeling a bit looped. Not to mention that Elise didn’t only look fantastic, she smelled like a fucking aphrodisiac. He may need to step away soon, or he could very well humiliate himself by tasting her in front of everyone at the party.

  “I’m not sure.” Warning bells sounded somewhere inside his gut as her magic spell penetrated deeper into his intoxicated bloodstream.

  Elise continued to wear the pleasing smile that was full of mixed signals. Her red lips were like plump cherries and he was going to test them out if she stood there much longer.

  “Come with me.”

  Was there an innuendo in that request? An order? A challenge? God, he hoped so. Rob took a deep breath. How many people at the party would notice if he backed her against the bookshelf and ravaged that sexy-as-hell mouth of hers? Elise slipped to the side and out of reach.

  “I have something to show you.” She strolled toward the far wall of the room, her ass swaying side to side.

  He let his gaze travel over her curves to taut calves above narrow ankles and sexy velvet high heels. Watching her walk away was worth the missed opportunity to reacquaint his lips to hers.

  “This is our local history section.” Elise stood in front of a tall bookrack. She reached for a book and opened to a bookmarked page. “I think I’ve found your ghost.”

  Rob blinked at the page, reorganized his brain, and said, “Are you serious?”

  “I am. There’s quite a history to your building.”

  “And let me guess. A down on his luck gold miner was wronged, sought revenge, and died in a shootout or some such western tale of adventure and betrayal,” he said.

  “That sounds pretty cynical, Mr. Everett. Are you not a fan of the frontiersmen and the American West?” Elise said, fluttering her lashes.

  “They just come across as very predictable and I’m still not one hundred percent sold on the ghost from the past haunting my brewery.”

  “Fair enough. And you’re not entirely wrong, but there’s more to the tale than just betrayal and a shootout.”

  “Hmm,” he said skeptically and finished his glass of beer.

  A waiter from the catering company chose that moment to swing by. “May I refill your beverage?” he asked.

  “No, thank you.” Rob handed his empty glass to the waiter.

  “Anything for you, Ms. Martinez?”

  “No, thank you,” she said.

  The caterer moved on to a different cluster of guests.

  “You’ve put on a top rate party,” Rob said.

  “We tried our best. This is Autumn’s baby, and she nailed it. We have special events planned all weekend for the customers, too.”

  “The food is perfect. The beverages are even better and the hostess is by far the showstopper of this soirée.”

  “I’ll pass along your compliments to my boss. Is this your way of diverting the conversation away from your lost spirit problem? I’ve been doing a lot of research. Don’t you want to know any of it?” she asked.

  “I’m distracted.” Rob bent down close to her ear. “It’s the dress, Elise. I’m dying to get my hands on it.”

  “Is that so?” she asked, maintaining a businesslike facade of interest in his words.

  “Yes.” He kept his voice low so only she could hear. “I want to shove it out of my way so I can see your gorgeous tits, then spin you around, grab your ass, and have my way with you from behind.”

  She lifted her gaze and stared at the embossed tin ceiling tiles as the tip of her tongue moistened her lower lip. Rob thought for sure he was about to be kicked out of the party, or more likely, kicked in the family jewels. At this point, he didn’t care. He’d spent a good part of the last two weeks fantasizing about Elise and thinking about the night they’d spent together. If she didn’t want him there, all she had to do was say so.

  It took all of his willpower to keep from running a finger along her sculpted collar bone and follow the plummeting neckline of her dress.

  Elise glanced over her shoulder at the mingling guests. The mixed conversations, laughter, and clinking of plates and glasses droned on behind them, but all he could focus on was her.

  She shelved the history book and said, “Give me ten seconds and meet me by the back door.” Elise smoothed her dress over her hips, flashed him an unreadable look, and moved into the crowd.

  She was definitely going to boot him from the party. His drunken swagger was about to be stomped on and crushed. He didn’t even mind as long as she was the one doing it.

  Rob eyed a few of the book covers, pretending to read their titles, then turned for the exit. He almost let himself out when he reached the door. The idea of sleeping off the beer buzz inside his truck before picking up the baby from the sitter didn’t appeal to him in the slightest. Hanging out inside the brewery and having a conversation with his “ghost” wasn’t the most optimal solution, either.

  Then he felt her approach. The distinct feeling of eyes on his back, only the sensation didn’t raise the fine hairs on the back of th
e neck. It was more like a caress of warm breath tickling his ear. He turned in time to see her tilt her head toward the stairs to her apartment in lieu of an invitation. Wordless, she ascended the stairs, high heels clicking against the wood. Rob glanced at the party, saw no one watching, and followed without comment.

  Elise walked down the hallway that led to her bedroom. Rob’s member stirred at the sight of her extremely round ass swaying in time to her every step. But she entered the bathroom instead of the bedroom and he hesitated for a half second. Elise spun on those gorgeous fuck-me heels and crooked a finger at him.

  “Aren’t you joining me?” she asked as she ran a hand over her breast and stroked her nipple with her fingertip.

  She may as well be leading him by the cock. His mind went utterly blank as all available blood rushed south.

  Rob closed and locked the door behind him.

  He kept his distance and let his eyes rove over every inch of her, something he wanted to do since arriving at the party.

  “The bathroom?” he asked, his voice suddenly low and rough.

  “People have been taking self-guided tours of the building all night. I thought the privacy in here might be for the best. Now, what did you want to do with my dress?” One eyebrow quirked and a seductive challenge sparkled in her eyes.

  Rob stepped forward and captured her back with one large hand. He pulled her forward, pressing his hips against hers.

  “How about this?” He used his free hand to slide the slinky fabric over her shoulder exposing more of her satin-soft skin. His hand kept traveling downward until he palmed her ass. With her bra strap exposed, he lowered his mouth and used his teeth to move the strap out of his way. His lips traced a path over her bare shoulder, but there was still entirely too much black fabric covering her. With regret, Rob let go of her backside to release the clasp on her bra. He freed her glorious breasts from the encumbering clothes.