Josephine was deep in thought, the decision was a simple yes or no answer but somehow she overthink it. Dinner? Dinner? Dinner with Elijah.Just thinking about it sounded so intimate. Yes they shared a heating kiss but dinner just sounded so confidential. Josephine switched her phone off, ignoring his question she set her phone on the table. She decided that she will reply to him once he is done with work, probably during her lunch time, that is when she will have her answer. Josephine let out an exaggerated sigh. She strolled around her desk and sank down in her chair.Pulling out her laptop from the drawer she flipped it open and waited as it loaded. Her phone rings.She stares at it in the corner of her eye. The two last digits were the same as the number Elijah texted her with. She darts her tongue out, licks her lips before yanking the phone and answers. "Hello?" She says, setting the call on speaker and placing the device on her lap. Her focus darts back to the laptop. "
"Good evening, I'm Lilly and I will be your waiter for the night. Is there anything I could get for you?" The black woman in her early 20's questioned with a warm welcoming smile. Her hair was dyed blonde and buzzed, brown eyes, light skin and petite body. Josephine read through the menu, everything she read was expensive and the way they describe each dish made her mouth wet. "I'll have the creamy goat cheese ratatouille." She announced. "Drink?" the waiter Lilly asked. "Red wine please." Josephine replied as she closed the menu and her gaze flicked to Elijah who bounty read through the menu. "What about you sir?" The waiter asked. "Sushi for me and one of your best virgin cocktails." he declared, closing the menu and handing it to the waiter. Josephine frowned. The waiter took Josephine's menu and scattered away. "What." Elijah questioned. "You don't drink?" she asked curiously Elijah simply shook his head. "Bad experience from it." he mumbled as his eyes drifted to the band
She is made of waves and honey.He wants to taste her. All of her.She laid there her eyes on him, pleading for him to stay and he did. He doesn't know why but he stayed."Let me get you out of the dress, you look uncomfortable." He gestures softly. Josephine lifts herself from the bed. She stumbles as she rises to her feet but Elijah manages to maintain her balance. He turns her around and his hands find her zipper.As he pulls the zipper down, a soft sound escapes Josephine's mouth when his hands touch her bare back. Elijah steps back. His eyes on her. Josephine turns around her eyes sparkling under the hues of the moonlight."Thank you." She whispers, darting her tongue out to lick those sweet lips he yearns so dearly.The dress now hangs loosely around her body. Elijah steps back, swallowing hard. Josephine turned to face him. "I'm going to take a shower. You can help yourself in the kitchen." she says softly, biting her bottom lip. While Elijah grew to love her habit, whenever sh
"Tonight I am claiming myself as yours." he utters. Josephine's head fell onto Elijah's shoulders, her teeth biting onto his broad shoulders as she rode his fingers. "Say I'm yours Josephine." he moans from the pleasure he is giving her. Josephine's mouth opens as she tries to find her voice other than the heavy breaths and moans. Elijah lightly pinched her throbbing clit causing her to squeal. "Say it." he demands, his voice horse and low. "You're mine Elijah..."Josephine trailed off her toes curling as her orgasm knocked on the door begging to enter. "Fuck, you're all mine-" she breaths and a satisfied smirk tugs on his lips. "Good girl." he whispers in her ear before pulling out all three of his fingers. Josephine's eyes shoot open and she glares at Elijah. Desperation and annoyance flashing in her eyes. Why is he stopping, I was so close? She thought to herself. Josephine opens her mouth to argue with him but he makes her speechless when he lifts three of his fingers that are
"Ice cream?" Josephine asks as she takes a seat on one of the kitchen stools. Her eyes followed him when he walked into the kitchen dressed in his sweat pants. After they had hot sex in kitchen Josephine took a shower and walked back downstairs to find that the kitchen was spotless. She argued with Elijah about him cleaning the mess instead of her but he told her not to worry so they not brushed it under the rug. Josephine was worried about what Elijah might wear when they go to bed she offered him to wear one of baggy t-shirts but it wouldn't fit him due to his wide shoulders luckily Elijah sometimes crashes over his brothers last minute so he always has extra close and toiletries just in case he doesn't return home from work. "Flavor of the ice cream?" He inquired, leaning against the wall next to the entrance of the kitchen. Josephine hops off the stool and padded to the freezer, opening it wide the cool refrigerator air brushes against her skin. She frowned when she realized th
"What would you like for breakfast?" Josephine inquired. After they shared a silent moment on the balcony Josephine and Elijah decided that they freshen up, Elijah wanted to take a shower with her saying that it will save more water but Josephine declined so they showered separately. Josephine wanted to feel casual so she wore her black sweatpants and a white crop top, topping her look off by wearing white Nike socks. She brushed her hair down and only applied mascara and lip-gloss. Elijah had some extra clothes in his car so he wore an oversized black and white flannel with black jeans, and his signature bean necklace. His midnight hair is natural styled into bed head as a few strands of his hair famed his face and kissed his forehead."I'm craving croissants and coffee." Josephine beams. Elijah couldn't stop looking at her, his head resting on the door frame of the kitchen as he watched her work her way around the kitchen preparing breakfast. He picks up how Josephine hums her w
She snuggled into Elijah as she continued to shape the wet clay smeared onto their hands. Elijah's glance shifted to her. He quietly observed her face as she was lost into the process of pottery. He knew he had no right to feel this intimate with her. To touch her with such gentleness. To crave her like air. but he did. Tension rises between them. They sparked with thunderous electricity. Like putting a hurricane and tornado in the same room.Elijah's soft lips pressed against her pulse. She stiffened her pulse twitching as he works his lips all over her sweet vanilla neck. "Elijah." She shudders. A remarkable gravitational pull between the two souls. "Elijah, stop..." Josephine warned again which only encouraged him to continue. He would have stopped but he knew that she didn't want him to stop. She might convince herself that she didn't want it to happen but her body told himotherwise. Elijah hands slowly glides up her arm, the wet clay trailing behind her flesh. Josep
On her way downstairs, irritation danced in her nerves.She never had visitors unless she requested them. So why this sudden person came to see her today out of all days and what's worse is that it's the very same time she about to have heated sex.When Josephine reached the door she unlocked it and pulled it open.Her heart dropped when she saw Zariah standing in-front of her apartment. Zariah is wearing a black tank top and green cargos with black heels. Her braids I tied up into a high bun. "Hey." She says.Josephine swallows hard. What is she doing here? Wasn't she mad at Josephine like three-four weeks ago. It was shocking to Josephine to find Zariah and what's worse is that Elijah is upstairs.Zariah's eyes narrowed as she stared at Josephine in confusion. "Why do you have dry clay smudged all over your body?" She questioned.Vivid memories from the pottery room invaded Josephine's mind. Heat rushed to her cheeks as she thought of Elijah's hands trailing up her body.Josephin
I’m so done for.The way I feel about Adam, after knowing him for such a short amountof time, can’t be good for me. I mean, it feels good, but it’s definitely dangerous.We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now, and I’m smitten, totally smitten. I’m a smitten kitten. And clearly a massive geek.We’re at the beach. It’s early morning, and I have to be at work in a few hours. But we’re all here this morning, surfing at the beach just outside Adam’s house. Max is out there with Grady, Base, Tad, and Paige. Adam and I quit surfing a while ago. We’re sitting up on my rock, and I’m sketching a picture of them all surfing.Adam is here, with me. He’s wrapped around me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder, while he watches me draw.His lips skim over my shoulder, and his teeth graze my skin, making me shiver. His fingers trace over the skin on my stomach where they’ve made their way under the hem of my tank top.We haven’t done anything more than kiss.He knows I’m a virgin.
Pulling my black, skin-tight, off-the-shoulder dress out of mycloset, I bit my lip. It was sexy yet elegant, even with the thigh slit, and I loved it. But I’d never worn anything like this before in front of Dane, my boss. It would feel weird.My gaze flicked to the more formal dress further along the closet rail, but then I remembered what Dane had said to me yesterday before I left o-Verve ...Don’t dress as my PA. Wear what you’d wear to go on a date, not what you’d wear to go to a business dinner.I looked back at the black dress I was holding and gave it a firm nod. Yes, this would do. I’d throw on a light layer of makeup, add some jewelry, maybe curl the ends of my hair and leave it down. First, I needed to shower.Blowing out a breath, I put a hand to my fluttering stomach. First dates were always nerve-wracking. But this wasn’t a real date, so I technically had no need to feel nervous. There was no pressure to impress, no worry that this might end up being a waste of my time,
Later that day, I parked in the lot outside my apartment buildingand switched off the engine. It wasn’t a very well-lit parking area, so I was glad that dusk hadn’t yet completely fallen. There were many times I’d needed to stay late at the office to help Dane with one thing or another, so I often didn’t make it home until it was super dark.Slipping out of my car, I locked it with the remote fob and then dug the can of pepper spray out of my bag. It was only a short walk to my building, but a girl could never be too careful.Crossing the crack-ridden pavement, I glanced around. There was no one hovering about. All I could hear were my heels clacking on the ground and the sounds of street traffic.Reaching the footpath that led to the main entrance, I neatly sidestepped the cans, wrappers, and crinkled flyers that littered the ground near the overflowing trash can.I could afford to live in a nicer neighborhood, I just preferred being near my family. Especially my father, Simon.Insi
Stopping at my desk, Hanna regarded me warily. “Uh-oh, youreyelid’s twitching. What’s wrong? Did someone mistake you for the model on the Syphilis Awareness billboard again?”I narrowed my eyes at my friend and coworker. “No. And I don’t look anything like her.” We’d had this conversation already. But Hanna liked to poke at me in that way that only one of your closest friends would.“You have the same pale blue eyes and high cheekbones. Her hair isn’t exactly the same platinum blonde shade as yours, but it’s close.”People always assumed my hair color came straight out of a bottle. In truth, I’d inherited it from my half-Swedish grandmother.“But she doesn’t have your blunt bangs or Jessica Alba-mouth,” Hanna went on because, yeah, she was a pain in my ass when bored.“Can we not talk about the model who looks nothing like me, please?”“Of course.”“Great. If you’ve come to speak to Dane, he’s not yet back from his lunch meeting, but he shouldn’t be much longer.”“I came to check on
Entering the water, I paddle out on my board, pushing through the waves. Paddling out farther, I need big waves.I need to surf Evie out of my head.I need the peace that only being out here can give me.It’s been five days since our talk. I haven’t spoken to her since. I havecaught glimpses of her on my way back in and out of the hotel as I pass by the coffee shop, but I’ve avoided going in there.I’ve had to go to Starbucks. So, now, I’ve lost my decent fucking coffee as well.I’ve been staying away from her for many reasons, and it’s not just the fact that she broke my heart. Seeing her again has screwed me up so much.I knew I wasn’t over her—I’d have to be stupid to ever think I was—but I didn’t realize how badly I’d want her again. The urge to touch her and taste her was overwhelming. Just breathing the same air as her was fucking killing me.Standing there, staring at her, I was eighteen all over again.From the moment I’d seen Evie sitting up on that rock eleven years ago, I’
My alarm is going off with an annoying insistence. On a groan, I reach over and slam my hand on it, turning it off.Time for work.Ugh.Summer has only just begun, and I’ve worked the last seven daysstraight as a favor for Grady. I can’t wait for tomorrow when I can sleep in. I’m only doing the overtime because Grady is the best boss ever—a retired pro surfer, and the Shack is his life—and he asked me because we’reshort-staffed at the moment. I’m also doing it because I need the money. Paige, who works part-time in the shop with Base and me, has been on vacation. And Tad, who does the surf lessons with Grady, has been out sick with the flu. So, Grady has been pulling Base out of the shop to help with the surf lessons. So, I’ve been manning the shop alone. But Tad and Paigewill be back tomorrow, so I’ll get the day off. Yay!For tomorrow, I was thinking, once I drag my ass out of bed, that I mightactually spend the day at the beach and lie out in the sun, read a book, swim, and may
My hands are shaking. They’ve been shaking pretty much all day. Every time I think about Adam, the shakes start. How I haven’t managed to break a cup, I’m not sure.He looks the same yet different. He looks hardened to the world. The light that used to live in his eyes has dulled. But he’s still as handsome as ever, if not even more so with age.Adam never looked like a boy. He was always very much a man, even at eighteen. But now, he’s reached his full potential. He seems even bigger somehow.Or maybe it was just his anger that made him seem bigger, more imposing.All that anger, and it was reserved solely for me.The guy I left behind all those years ago was not the man I saw today.I have to wonder if I’m to blame for that.I glance at the clock. Five minutes until the end of my shift. Fiveminutes until Adam is here, and he wants his answers.Answers I can’t give him.So, I’m going to have to lie, something I never wanted to do.I thought there was a slim possibility that I might
She’s here again—rock girl. She’s sitting up on that same big rock, a hundred yards away from my beach house, where she sits every day. Hence, the nickname, Rock Girl.God, I’m lame.With her sketchpad resting against her bent knees, her eyes are fixed on the paper like her life depends on it while her hand freely moves the pencil over the paper, drawing...I have no clue.I wish I did.I mean, I could take a wild guess and say she’s drawing the scenery—the pier, beach, sand, sky. There’s plenty of shit like that here in Malibu. But still, I want to know exactly what she’s drawing that has her so enraptured.Like, I really want to know.I’ve been watching Rock Girl for a week now.I saw her on the first day when Max and I arrived at the beach house,which will be my home for the next year. This will be my year of freedom before I have to go to Harvard, and then once I graduate, it is on to work for my father to learn the family business.Can’t wait. I have to stop myself from rolling m
Half an hour later, I’m showered and dressed for work in a suit and tie. I hate ties, but as the head of Gunner Entertainment, I have to look the part.I head into the living room of the bungalow I call home five days a week. There’s no sign of the blonde, except for the lingering strong scent of perfume.Thank God.I live in a rented bungalow at The Beverly Hills Hotel. I could get an apartment, but I can’t bring myself to put down roots here. Even though I grew up in Beverly Hills, it’s never felt like home. Home is in Malibu where my beach house is. It’s the house that Max and I rented for our year off before we headed to college. It’s the place where I met Evie and where I spent the best year of my life with her—before she left me, and my world came crashing down.The minute I graduated from Harvard and started working for my father, I was granted access to my trust fund. The first thing I did with that money was go straight to Malibu, and I offered a stupid amount of money to th