Mira

Elliot has managed to find my panties. I'm willing to give them up if that's his thing... Honestly, I'm open to anything if it gets me out of this awkward situation.

"Um... Isn't that what you want?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"Well, um... You know..."

The tightening of his jaw tells me I've got this completely wrong.

"You want to leave."

It's a statement, not a question. Is he... hurt? No, surely not. Although maybe he is?

Oh my God. Apparently he fucked me so well that I've lost all common sense for the rest of the night.

"Would you like me to stay?"

It takes him at least twenty seconds to answer. Yes, I counted. I needed something to focus on so I wouldn't melt under Elliot's wary stare.

"I wouldn't mind if you stayed."

"Such enthusiasm!" I reply with a laugh.

The smile he gives me is one of my favorites: so faint I'm afraid I'll blink and miss it.

Elliot snatches my T-shirt from my hands and tosses my bra over his shoulder.

Well, that settles that.

He pulls me onto the bed and draws the comforter over both our naked bodies. I've lounged in bed with a man before, but this feels more intimate. Especially when he puts an arm around me. Who would have guessed Elliot was a cuddler?

Tonight never runs out of surprises. I'm not sure my heart can take it.

Elliot grabs the remote and opens a streaming app.

"Which version of Pride and Prejudice are you in the mood for tonight?"

"Maybe I'm in the mood for a horror movie, you know..."

"Isn't romance a subgenre of horror?"

I pinch his side, making him laugh.

"Now you're just trying to be funny."

"Trying? I seem to remember you already think I'm funny."

Elliot puffs out his chest like a shameless show-off, flashing teeth so white they're dazzling.

"Oh, I've discovered the secret to making you smile!"

"What?"

"Orgasms! Why didn't I think of it sooner?"

He throws back his head and laughs. I've never heard him laugh like that before. His entire chest shakes with it.

I like it far, far too much.

And I know that is very bad for me.

Even so, I find myself thinking of other ways to make him laugh like that.

He waves the remote under my nose.

"Choose, or I'll choose for you."

I decide this is a good opportunity to test whether Grant meant some of the things he told me. After all, he could have been lying when he said he'd watched all seventeen versions of Pride and Prejudice.

"I'm in more of a Matthew Macfadyen mood tonight."

True to form, Elliot immediately selects the right movie, confirming that he really was crazy enough to watch them all. What I don't understand is why he did it.

An irrational little voice in my head wants to draw certain conclusions, but it loses to the sensible one urging me to abandon all expectations and enjoy the present.

The Vale house is only a ten-minute walk from my apartment, so I head home on foot. When Elliot offered to drive me, I rolled my eyes, kissed him deeply, and wished him good night.

I could have let him take me home. Part of me desperately wanted that kind of attention from him. But I needed some distance and a walk to clear my head after a night of incredible sex and, even worse, great conversation. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm still not sure what he intends. Getting involved with a man like him is a dangerous game.

After the movie, we ended up in a heated debate about class struggle and the divide between rich and poor. Elliot lectured me about the problems of the upper class, and I was tempted to introduce him to my fist.

Okay, fine, I'm kidding. Violence is never the answer. But I did threaten never to sleep with him again, after which he refused to let me come until I apologized.

Elliot doesn't play by the rules. That's one of the things I learned tonight, along with,among other things,the size of his cock.

So basically, I have no idea what I'm doing with Elliot. Maybe that's a good thing? I've always preferred labels, and that approach hasn't exactly worked out for me.

On the way home, I decide to keep this casual for now because it feels good. After a serious relationship that went from zero to a hundred, I'm ready to take things slowly and let this develop at its own pace. Risky or not, I know Elliot cares about me. I have no reason to worry.

"Elise?" I call as I enter the apartment.

All I hear are a few noises from my friend's bedroom. When that music is playing, I know better than to open her door. I'd risk needing to bleach my eyes, and I'm rather attached to my vision.

Once in my room, I shower and collapse onto my bed with a smile. I drift off to the soothing sound of John Legend's voice.

The smell of bacon wakes me. Along with my roommate belting out Journey at the top of her lungs. My stomach growls, demanding food after my long night.

I find Elise in the kitchen, singing off-key into a spatula.

"Who put you in such a good mood?"

Elise jumps before turning down the little speaker.

"Mira! You're here! I didn't hear you come in."

"You were very busy."

"I have something to tell you," she announces, blushing.

"So do I," I say with a grin.

"You first," we say at the same time before bursting into laughter together.

"I met someone!" she declares. "Remember that sous-chef from the Royal Castle?"

"Yes. How could I forget the Royal Grouch?" I say emphatically.

My friend snickers as she serves us two plates of breakfast, even though it's closer to lunchtime.

"Well, she apologized."

"What? How did that happen?"

"We ran into each other at the grocery store. It was like something out of a movie."

"How so?"

"When I saw her, I panicked and accidentally rammed my cart into an orange display, and the whole thing collapsed. It was by far the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me in public."

"Impossible. Remember that time we were at a football game?"

Elise grimaces.

"Worse. She stepped on an orange and fell flat on her back."

"And how did she react?"

"I made a stupid joke,'Orange you glad I broke your fall?',and she burst out laughing."

I snort. Elise goes on to tell me the rest of the story, featuring an irate store manager and an unnecessary ambulance, and ending with dinner for two.

Honestly, I have no idea how she's still standing after the last twenty-four hours.

I offer to do the dishes while she rests on a stool.

"And you? Tell me everything!" she demands.

I tell her everything Elliot revealed last night and how we ended up in bed together.

"Please tell me he doesn't only look like he'd be good in bed!"

"Competent is kind of his thing," I say with a smile.

"Great," she replies with a giggle. "I'm glad we now know he can use his tongue for good instead of evil. It's a step in the right direction."

I burst out laughing.

"So what are you? Fuck buddies?"

Her choice of words makes me wince.

"No," she decides after a pause. "Friends with benefits, then?"

"We haven't put a label on it."

"Silly me. How could you discuss it with his dick down your throat?"

I drop my sponge into the sudsy water.

"Elise!" I protest.

"What?" she asks innocently. "Admit you walked right into that one."

"We haven't defined anything because there is no 'us.' Not in that sense, anyway. We're just Elliot and Mira. A man and a woman having a good time together."

Elise adopts a serious expression I don't often see on her.

"I don't want you to get hurt. Casual relationships aren't your thing."

"Maybe that's my problem! Victor and I rushed into something serious. Now I'd like to take it slowly."

"Well, I'm sorry to point out that you've already blown through a red light at three hundred kilometers an hour."

A little laugh escapes me.

"It's just sex."

"Yes, and he's just the guy you text every night before bed."

I sigh.

"Do you think it's a bad idea to go with the flow and not put us in a box right away?"

"Of course not. Just be careful. Don't invest your heart in someone who has no intention of returning the favor."

"For now, we'll take things as they come."

The plan sounds solid,the perfect way to protect my heart while having fun.

At least, I hope so.