She nodded in the direction of the bag he’d set down. “What did you bring?”
Brody glanced over his shoulder. “Just some dinner. Though I would understand if you’re not feeling up to it.”
Elisa almost wept—even more—with relief. His arrival could not have come at a more opportune time. “No, that sounds really good. Eating a cold sandwich by myself didn’t sound very good.” She walked to where he set the bags down and peeked inside. “What is it?”
“A chicken Caesar wrap for you and a bleu cheese burger for me. Accompanied by seasoned fries.”
The scent of the hot food wafted up from the bag and had her stomach growling, almost painfully so. She supposed that’s what she got for not eating all day.
At the same time, Brody looked just as good as the wrap he’d brought her. The crisp white shirt and navy blue slacks indicated he’d come from the restaurant. His dark hair was neatly combed, and Elisa practically vibrated with the need to thread her fingers through the strands. Every night she crawled into her empty bed, pulled the cold sheets around her, and wished he was there. If he had been, she wouldn’t hesitate to curl herself around his hard body and drift into a blissful sleep. Then maybe he could wake her up with some curl-your-toes lovemaking.
Yeah, you don’t have it bad, or anything.
The two of them unpacked their food and settled on the couch. Elisa sat on the opposite side from him, only because she didn’t trust herself around him at the moment. His scent was enough to make her want to abandon her wrap and crawl into his lap. Then she’d bury her head in his neck and go comatose. Her skin already tingled from his unrelenting gaze; it was as if he were undressing her with his eyes.
With the way she was feeling, it wouldn’t take a whole lot of persuasion on his part to get her naked. In fact, she might just start undressing for him.
Girl, show some restraint.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you how things are going with your potential lawsuit. Any response from the bastard?”
He said “bastard” like he wanted to knock the guy out. “Actually, Mr. Frank’s secretary e-mailed me a copy of the letter he sent them. Who knows if it’ll do any good?”
Brody took a monstrous bite of his burger and swiped a napkin across his mouth. “I don’t know, Steven can be pretty intimidating. A few years ago a customer burned the roof of his mouth after biting into a piece of steak. He tried to sue my father, but Steven was able to get the little shit to back off.”
Elisa paused before taking a bite. “Someone tried to sue over that? Are you serious?”
Brody nodded and popped a fry into his mouth. “Maybe Steven’s letter will be enough to get the guy to back off.”
“That’s all I ask for at this point.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes, and all the while Elisa tried to keep her mouth from watering over Brody. He kept moving around like he wasn’t comfortable in his own skin. First he sat with one leg crossed over the other, then he uncrossed the leg and stretched both out in front of him. The position reminded Elisa of how long and powerful his legs really were. Immediately, erotic images flashed through her mind, like an X-rated movie. Brody’s body on top of hers, pushing her down into the mattress. Those same strong legs in between hers, forcing her thighs apart as his pelvis ground into hers with expert movements.
A flush developed, starting at her neck and washing up to her hairline. Why couldn’t she think of anything else?
Brody wadded up his napkin and set the thing inside the Styrofoam container as Brinkley let out a low moan. Suddenly, she went from slobbering over Brody to her heart breaking all over again over Brinkley.
“I’ll go with you when you take him in,” Brody said in a quiet voice.
Elisa glanced at him, but he had his attention focused on the sick dog. “You don’t have to do that.” The idea of having him to lean on, of feeling his solid presence next to her, eased her heartache a little.
He averted his gaze to her, and his penetrating stare touched something deep inside her. “I know.”
They stared at each other for one hot moment, and the images from their last time together continued to torture her. The creak of the bed, the feel of his warm breath in her ear, how his muscles coiled like steel when he came inside her. Elisa cleared her throat and picked at the rest of her dinner, even though her stomach was too unsettled to eat.
“Did you ever get to talk to Kelly?”
He stared at her for a moment longer, like a predator stares at its prey before pouncing on it. “Yeah,” he finally answered.
When he didn’t elaborate, Elisa prompted him. “And?” she asked.
He set his dinner trash on the end table next to the couch. “She said they don’t want to move, and they’re looking for a way to transfer Louise here. But moving is a possibility, and I told her to be prepared for me to follow them.”
The possibility of Brody leaving had her heart breaking a thousand times worse than it did for Brinkley.
“You don’t want me to go,” he said into the silence.
She discarded the last of her dinner and picked at the hem of her shirt. “I think that’s pretty obvious. So is the way I feel about you.”
Something flashed in his eyes, maybe regret or sadness. Sadness because he didn’t feel the same way, or sadness at the idea of leaving her? Or maybe it was pity because she’d been stupid and fallen in love with him.
“I’m sorry, Elisa. But I can’t sit back and let my son move that far away from me. And you’re leaving anyway.”
“I know, but…” Dammit, she couldn’t finish.
“But what?” he prompted.
She turned on the couch to face him. “I’ve already committed to this job, so I have to go. But if I come back, will I have anything to come back to?” Again, there was no mention of his feelings for her. “Brody, I need to know how you feel about me. Why did you come here tonight?”
“Because I wanted to see you,” he said without hesitation.
She pulled in a steadying breath. “And then what?”
He opened his mouth, then hesitated as though he didn’t even know the answer himself. His gaze skittered to a point over her shoulder, then connected with hers again. “Then I don’t know. I told you before I care about you. But right now this is all I can give you. Should I go?”
She licked her lips and thought about what he said. His attitude toward their relationship hadn’t changed, so she wasn’t sure why she expected a declaration of love. At the same time, she was too addicted to him to let him walk away just yet. He said himself that the possibility of him leaving was slight.
But she didn’t want to come back to Trouble if he wasn’t here.
“No,” she said.
He stretched his arm along the back of the couch. His fingertips were just out of reach of her hair. “So, why are you all the way over there, and I’m over here?”
His body had been calling out to her all evening, like a homing beacon. She’d managed to resist him all through their meal, but the memory of him inside of her was too strong. She inched across the couch, her body tingling with anticipation of him touching her. Once next to him, his hand tunneled through her hair and molded to the back of her head. His fingers kneaded lightly, but with enough pressure to have her eyes crossing. His mouth was just centimeters from hers, hovering close enough that she could practically feel the pressure of those wonderful lips on hers.
He moved a little closer, and Elisa thought he was finally going to kiss her. But he didn’t. Instead he shifted again and brought his lips to her ear. “What am I going to do with you, Elisa?”
Goose bumps assaulted her skin when the words left his mouth. They held a promise of unending pleasure, one that Elisa intended to hold him to—even if this was to be their last night together.