Taking Shots (Assassins, #1)(53)

“Baby, its fine,” he said as he found one of his old JR League shirts, he handed it to her, not really looking at her as he went toward the closet. He stopped at the door. “Do you need to take a shower?”

“Yes, please, if that’s okay.”

“Absolutely, I’ll take one after you.” She looked like she might cry, which wasn’t what he wanted. “I’m gonna go get a drink, catch some highlights while you’re in there, let me know when you out.”

She nodded then hurried into the bathroom. Shit. He mentally kicked himself as he went into the kitchen to get water out of the fridge. Elli drove him crazy. He wanted her so bad, but he had to get himself in check before he scared her away, made it where she would never talk to him again. That would be hell, since, now that she was in his world, he couldn’t imagine her not in it. The thought actually made it hard to breath. He couldn’t fathom it.

Shea went into the living room, turning the TV on as he sat down on his leather couch. He heard the water running in the bedroom as he turned ESPN on. He watched the highlights and it actually calmed him. He had been in overdrive since the beginning of the night and watching his favorite thing, sports, made him feel better. He was so nervous about how to act around Elli that it was driving him mad. He didn’t understand it, really; no woman had ever done this to him. A woman who didn’t want to have sex with him, fine, on to the next, but he didn’t want the next, he wanted Elli. What if after he has had her he didn’t want her anymore? The thought scared him so badly, he had to turn off the TV and cover his face with his hands. What if this was about the chase, because she said no.

But it couldn’t be, because when she was away, he missed her, and when she was with him, he felt so good. He didn’t need the sex, he just needed her: her smiles, her country twang, her giggles, her, Elli. When they finally did it, it would do nothing but make whatever was going on with them stronger, yeah, that’s it. There was nothing to worry about, nothing…he hoped.

Elli came into the living room just as Shea stood up, putting the remote on the table. “I’m done,” she said, he then saw that she had a pillow and blanket from the bench at the end of his bed.

“What’s that?” he asked, nodding his head toward her hands.

“Oh, I was gonna sleep on your couch.”

“Elli, I told you, this couch is hell on the back, call anyone, they’ll tell you.”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“Fine, don’t sleep on the couch because I want you to sleep with me.”

“Shea..”

“No, stop, when you walked through my door, where did you think you were sleeping?” She kicked the floor, looking down at the bundle in her hands. “With me, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay, so I asked if you’re ready to fool around, you say no, and that causes you to sleep on the couch?”

“I just don’t want to disappoint you anymore, Shea, I feel like that’s all I do. I’m not like the girls you would date, I won’t put out, I mean, I suck!”

“You do not. How many times do we need to do this, Elli?” He hated that he was getting mad, but she was pissing him off and she started yelling first. “You are the girl I want, I mean, yeah, I would love for you to put out, but I’ll live until you’re ready!”

“I just don’t know if this is going to work. I think I’m f*cked in the head, and I’m sorry, but I just don’t know.”

“This is going to work Elli. Stop thinking so much, we’re fine. Now when I get out that damn shower, you better be in my bed or I’ll come in here and sleep on this God awful couch with you,” he said stepping towards her, “Because if you are in the same place I am, I will be beside you.” He kissed her hard before going down the hall to the bedroom. He grabbed his night clothes and went into the bathroom. After getting cleaned up, and using the bathroom, he threw his clothes on and went out of the bathroom to see Elli laying in the bed, watching TV. He smiled to himself as he hung up his suit before coming back into the room, climbing into the bed with her. He laid on his side, looking at her as she turned off the TV.

“Why was Harper mad earlier?” he asked, she looked down at him, and smiled, as she put the remote on the night stand.

“Jakob called her his girlfriend. She didn’t like that much.”

“I thought they were?”

“No, Harper is really weird; she’s all about sex and only sex.”

“Jakob isn’t like that.”

“He knows she is, though, he thinks he can change her, but Harper Allen will never change.” He took her hand in his, playing with her pink nails as they laid in the silence. He felt so good, so complete. Elli did this to him. He wanted more. So much more with her.

“When I introduced you to Mary Ann, I wanted to call you my girlfriend, Elli,” he looked up at her to see her eyes were wide, “I’ve never had a girlfriend, so I’m not sure if I’ll do the boyfriend/girlfriend thing right, but the thought of you being with someone else, or me with someone else, actually hurts my gut, so I guess what I’m trying to say is,” he took a deep breath, this was huge, and he thought he sounded stupid but with the way her eyes were glazing over, maybe he was doing this right. “I was wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend.” She smiled at him lovingly, cupping his face in her hands.