Fly with Me (27 page)

Hell yeah.

“I’m glad it’s
normal.” Elissa gestured to where Del, Kirk and Scott stood.
“Otherwise I’d be worried.”

Her words
helped him gather his thoughts, the definite coolness of them
making him study her anew. She was angry at him. Okay, what’d he
do? Apart from eat her with his eyes, that was?

It also made
him aware once more of everyone watching them. Shit, he’d never
acted like that before with any woman.

That smile
remained fixed on her face. Okay, he’d play along for now, but
later… He smiled easily. “They can be entertaining to watch,
though.”

“No
doubt.”

Looking over
her head, Simon narrowed his eyes slightly at Scott and Kirk.
Immediately they turned and started berating Del. That cheeky chit
looked like she was going to say something more, but Scott stuck
his finger under her nose. That got her attention.

Ash and Molly
cast Elissa and Simon a look before gathering the paper plates and
plastic cutlery, and starting for the doorway to the hall.

Swiftly Elissa
followed, picking up the bags of food that Ryder and Dee had placed
on the table. She cast Simon one irritated glance before leaving
the room.

That deserved
an explanation, because as far as he knew he’d done nothing to
warrant it.

Ryder looked
at him, that damned glint still in his eyes, but Simon glared a
warning at him. Far from deterring his friend, it brought out a
huge, shit-eating grin. Bastard was really enjoying this and no way
was he finished with Simon yet. Sooner or later he’d be up in his
face demanding answers.

Moving into
the hallway, he met Elissa returning. She avoided his gaze but as
they drew level, he stuck his arm out, barring her way.

She looked up
at him, her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Later,” he
promised her silkily, “you’re going to explain that look to
me.”

“Is that
right?”

“Oh yeah,
sweetheart, that is dead right.” The sound of Del, Kirk and Scott
approaching from the kitchen, still arguing loudly, made him drop
his arm but not before he said with quiet force, “Later.”

She looked him
right in the eyes, then holy crap, she tossed her head and stalked
right past him.

He didn’t know
whether to curse or laugh. Mostly he just wanted to drop everything
and turn in pursuit. Damn, that haughty toss just did it for him.
Really did it. Called to every primal instinct hidden inside him,
pulling it forth to almost sweep over him.

Damned if he
didn’t have to push that primal instinct down, and not just because
his friends were now in the hallway with Ryder telling him to move
his arse, but because what he wanted to do to Elissa just wasn’t
appropriate to be done in company.

But there was
always later.

Smiling,
laughing, joining in the light-hearted conversation, Simon helped
put everything on the large coffee table. He knew every time Elissa
entered the room, unable to help following her with his eyes,
forcibly dragging his gaze away as soon as he became aware of what
he was doing, but even then he knew where she was, could see her in
his peripheral vision.

Didn’t help
that Ryder was smirking, whispering into Dee’s ear. Pair of loons
were exchanging some kind of information.

Jesus, was he
that transparent? He really had to get control.

Everyone sat,
some on the L-shaped five seater sofa, some on the floor. Seeing as
Del, Dee, Ash and Molly had the sofa, placed firmly there by the
men, Simon was fully prepared to sit on the floor at Elissa’s feet.
Not that there was room for him elsewhere anyway, not when Scott,
Ryder and Kirk were already on the floor positioned in front of
their wife and fiancées. That suited him just fine.

Elissa
obviously knew his thoughts because she took one look at him and
dropped to the floor, announcing when Scott started to object, “I
like sitting on the floor. I do it all the time at home.”

Simon’s
eyebrows rose in the air. Did she seriously think he was going to
take the sofa and leave her on the floor? “Elissa-”

“Don’t fret,
there’s a spare armchair over there.” She nodded to the armchair in
the corner of the room. “Just drag it forward.”

That was a
blatant challenge, he could see it in her smile and the warning
glint in her eyes. She was so sure he would do it and not risk
causing a scene.

Everyone
pretended to be talking, but Simon had no doubt they were all
watching him covertly, wondering what he’d do.

Okay, the
polite thing to do would be to drag the bloody armchair forward and
sit in it. No big deal. Except that her subtle challenge had his
primal instincts come surging right back up. Not to mention the
desire to deliciously dominate her in such a way that wouldn’t
crush her spirit but would let her know that he had the upper hand,
was in control. Was determined to be with her regardless of what
she planned.

Smiling just
as easily, he said, “No worries, Lis, I can be just as comfortable
right behind you.” With that, he swung one leg around behind her
and dropped onto the sofa, making Ash bounce beside him.

Oh yeah. This
position was great. Now he was sitting with his thighs parted, his
legs each side of Elissa where she leaned back against the sofa.
Her head was tipped back as she gawped at him leaning over her.

With a laconic
grin that in no way reached his eyes, he patted her head. “Now
we’re all comfortable. Hand me my drink, would you?”

Seeing as she
was now trapped between the coffee table, her calves on the floor
under the table and the sofa at her back, and he’d just made an
announcement that everything was basically okay, he knew he had her
trapped in another way.

Elissa had two
choices - make a scene and get up and move, or stay where she was
and suck it up like a grown-up.

She sucked it
up like a grown-up. God, she made him proud. Also horny, but no one
else needed to know that. She, however, would find out later.

She leaned
forward, snagged his tin of light beer, handed it to him without
looking. “There you go.” Her tone said ‘take it and die’.

He swallowed
his laugh.

“Let’s get
stuck into the food,” Ryder announced. “I’m starving.”

Simon was,
too, but for the first time in his life it was for something else.
Someone else. God, if they were alone he’d lay Elissa out on the
floor and feast on her. Couldn’t do that now, so he’d just enjoy
the view of her sitting between his legs.

Hell yeah.

Whoever was
sitting on the floor filled the plates with whatever those sitting
on the sofa wanted, to prevent anyone tripping over them in their
quest of getting food. God, it just kept getting better and
better.

Leaning
forward again, he inhaled deeply of the shampoo scent of the glossy
hair below him and asked cheerfully, “Could you please get me a
plate of food, Lis?”

There was no
doubting the stiffness of her shoulders. “Sure. What would you
like?” Turning to look up at him, her face averted from the rest of
the group, she whispered so only he could hear, “Poison?”

Oh boy, she
had no idea the opening she’d just given him. He took it without
shame.

Bending
forward, he placed his face close to hers, his posture helpful, his
intent anything but. “Pardon? Could you repeat that?”

“I,” she said
softly, “am going to kill you later.”

“Oh,
sweetheart, what we’re going to do later is so very far from
that.”

“I will grind
you to powder beneath my foot.”

“You have a
cute foot. I like your pink socks.”

“Simon…” Her
jaw clenched.

“Later, baby.”
Straightening a little, he said, “Just a bit of everything,
thanks.”

It was a
wonder her head didn’t explode. The fire in her eyes spat, but give
the woman credit, she was good at hiding it. Right before his eyes
she took a deep breath, threw those shutters down over the fury,
smiled sweetly and turned around. Within minutes she handed him a
heaping plate of food.

He grinned
widely as he took the plate.

She smiled
back just as sweetly, then, out of sight of everyone, reached out
and gave the inside of his thigh a hard pinch.

He almost
dropped the plate. Holy shit, he’d have a bruise there for a week.
He narrowed his eyes at her, she just dropped her gaze demurely and
turned back to face the front.

Jesus, the
woman had attitude when she wanted it. Just made him burn for her
more.

Grinning, he
started eating.

“Are you mad?”
Ryder pointed the fork at him. “The fat fart hasn’t been in to yet
to decide where she wants to sit.”

“She’s not a
fat fart,” Scott growled.

“She’s not a
skinny one, that’s for damned sure.”

“Everyone lift
your plates,” Kirk said. “Here she comes.”

Sure enough,
Tilly appeared in the doorway. She looked around the group, her
nose in the air as she sniffed the food and surveyed her subjects.
Only then did she come into the lounge, her tail slowly going from
side to side.

Patiently,
everyone waited as she walked across their laps, sniffing and
discarding each of them as unworthy seats for her fat little arse.
Jumping up onto the sofa, she trod on Simon’s lap, narrowly missing
his family jewels, and sedately promenaded across the women’s laps.
When she got to the end, she turned around and repeated it.

“For crying
out loud, Tilly,” Ryder said. “Decide, will you?”

“Don’t rush
her,” Scott said immediately. “You’ll upset her.”

“We wouldn’t
want that, would we?”

“No,
you
wouldn’t.”

“It’s
sickening the way you give in to that cat.”

“I heard how
you slept without a pillow because Jezebel had yours.”

“I’m not
talking about me, numb nuts. Don’t change the subject.”

A soft laugh
came from the woman sitting between his legs, the dulcet tone
catching his attention. Or it would have done if Tilly hadn’t
stopped on his lap, eyeballed him with the air of a queen deciding
if he was worthy, then obviously deciding he was, she settled
herself.

“Thank God.”
Ryder lowered his plate.

Elissa turned
her head to glance sideways at Tilly, who leaned forward to sniff
her hair. The long braid she had the silky curls confined in didn’t
allow Tilly to nuzzle into it, so with a disgruntled air, the cat
laid her head on her paws, heaved a very put-upon sigh and closed
her eyes.

Seeing the fat
tabby curled on his lap, her warmth through his jeans, had Simon
thinking about old Arthur with his one eye, tattered ears, and
determination to do it all on his own. Did the poor old thing
realise yet that his Mum wasn’t coming back, that he was alone in
the world except for Simon?

A hand touched
his arm and he looked down into Ash’s gentle eyes from where she
sat beside him. “You’ll get Arthur, Simon, I know you will.”

“I will.” He
nodded. “Yeah.”

“I’ll help you
catch him tomorrow.”

“He’d likely
scratch you.” No wonder Scott loved his gentle fiancée so much, she
was a caring soul. “I’ll be fine, Ash. I’ll get Arthur sooner or
later.”

“The nights
are getting colder,” she echoed Ryder’s earlier words.

“I know. Don’t
fret, I’ll get him.”

“Okay. But I
can help.”

“If I need
you, I’ll call, okay?” At her troubled gaze, he smiled
reassuringly. “You worry about your wedding and getting Scott to
the altar without embarrassing us all, and I’ll worry about
Arthur.”

“Hey,” Scott
said. “I’m right here.”

Ash gave his
head a loving pat. “I know, darling.”

“Jesus,” said
Ryder. “His eyes have gone all dreamy. Any second he’ll start
purring.”

“Jealous?”
Scott asked.

Ryder grinned
wolfishly. “Wanna go there?”

“No,” Dee said
immediately. “We don’t.”

“I’d just be
bragging, babe.”

“Not if you
want to do more than purr in the future.”

“But, babe-”
Ryder eyed the fork wagging in front of his nose. “Okay.”

“Whipped.” Del
made the cracking sound of a whip while flicking her wrist as
though wielding one. “Ryder, man-whore of Gully’s Fall and beyond,
every mother’s nightmare - or wet dream, go figure - tamed!”

“You need
taming,” Ryder shot back. “One day you’ll get your come
uppence.”

“Yeah, you
wish. Nobody tames me, boy. I’m my own woman.”

“Every woman
can be tamed.” Ryder eyed Dee’s fork which had once again appeared
before his nose. “Or not.”

Del made the
same gesture.

“Children,”
Molly said. “Are we watching the movie or fighting?”

“Depends what
the movie is,” Del replied.

“The latest
Halloween movie.”

“Yes!” Del
wriggled on the spot. “Thank God you have better taste than
Simon.”

“Thank Kirk,
he chose it.”

Kirk grinned.
“I am the best.”

Simon flipped
him the bird.

Molly pressed
the play button and the movie started.

Relaxed back
on the sofa, eating delicious food, Tilly purring on his lap, the
woman he wanted sitting between his legs, and his friends around,
Simon was so content it was a wonder he wasn’t purring himself.
This was the life. People might argue it, might seek more
excitement, seek more glory, fame or money, but this was what he
wanted, what he chose. Simple life, simple pleasures.

Disposable
plates and cutlery were stuffed into the waiting plastic bag and
left beside the coffee table as everyone finished eating and got
more immersed in the movie, Kirk turning off the light to make the
room darker and add to the atmosphere of anticipation and
tension.

Slowly but
surely Elissa relaxed back against the sofa, and as she became more
caught up in the movie, her arm slid around one of Simon’s legs,
her hand spreading out on his jean-clad shin. When something
particularly gory or unexpected happened, her hand tightened on his
jeans until her fingers held the tough material bunched in her
hand.