second he hears an exasperated sigh and shuffling from behind him, the unmistakable sound of a zipper being yanked down. He hopes she leaves her underwear off with the yoga pants. Chelsea used to do that, so there would be no line. “How was dinner?” he asks after a minute, clearing his throat. “How’s your old man?”
Addie huffs. “Christ, are you seriously putting the moves on me again? Is this what you do?” Then, when Eli doesn’t answer, “Dinner was fine. We had stuffed shells and everyone talked about throwing a baby shower for my brother’s wife.”
Eli shifts his weight. “Oh yeah? When’s she due?” More sounds behind him, the whoosh of cotton that may or may not be her shirt coming off. In Eli’s mind she’s got that same strapless bra on, even though in reality he knows girls only wear those when they have to.
“I dunno, actually,” Addie says. She sounds closer. Eli turns around without thinking and there she is, fully redressed. “I probably should though, huh?”
“Probably,” Eli agrees. She’s in a faded sleep-shirt he’s seen on her before, all these nights at the firehouse, and the yoga pants are definitely the kind that clings. The tuck of them between her legs is enough to drive Eli insane.
“Well.” Addie shuts her locker with a clang and reaches back to redo her braid fast and brutal. It’s a sport bra, he can tell when she lifts her arms up, even with his eyes locked on hers. In the second before she scoops all that hair into the elastic it springs dark and wild around her face. “I’m not a very good sister.”
“I kind of doubt that,” Eli counters. He’s not sure which one of them is closing the distance but she’s near enough to smell now, the same faint flowers from yesterday over the mildew-bleach stink of the locker rooms. Even after a shower, her smell stuck to his skin all night long.
“Uh-huh.” Addie raises her eyebrows. “You don’t know me very well, friend.”
Eli raises his back. “Know you enough.”
“Why, ’cause we—?” Addie laughs, that now-familiar cackle, and it echoes off the metal lockers. “ Eli ,” she says, when he hooks one finger in the hem of her T-shirt. Fuck, he doesn’t hate hearing her say his name like that. “Come on.”
“Want me to stop for real?” he asks. He doesn’t think so, he’s pretty sure this is just her playing hard-to-get, that she’s having fun too, but. “Tell me to stop right now, I’ll stop, we’ll never talk about this ever again.”
“I’m pretty sure you said that last night,” Addie points out, shifting her weight just the slightest bit. If she takes another step, her back’ll be up against the lockers. “Somebody’s going to hear.”
Somebody will—yeah. Eli grins, nudging her back that last step himself. “And what are they gonna hear, princess?” He lets his hooked finger travel, running across the underside of her hem. When his knuckle brushes her stomach, Addie’s whole rib cage jumps.
“Shut up,” she tells him, but her shoulders have settled back against the cold metal, chin tilting up. Eli smirks, leaning in even farther. He can’t resist dodging at the last second though, pressing his cheek against her temple instead. Addie growls. “E li .”
“Hmm?” He traces a finger up around her belly button, thumbs the dip in a pretty blatant tease. “What do you need?”
Addie shoves at his hand—though it’s not so much shoving away , Eli notices, as it is shoving down. “Jerk,” she huffs. Those pretty boyish eyebrows are drawn together, dark and furious. She has freckles on her nose that weren’t there yesterday, faint, irregular splotches. They must have been brought out by the sun. “You’re such a jerk.”
“I am,” Eli agrees. His hand is hovering near the seam of her leggings now. He lets it touch down lightly, just the tips of his fingers.
Right away, Addie goes completely still. “Umm.” Her eyes are wide, like she didn’t expect him to
Addie huffs. “Christ, are you seriously putting the moves on me again? Is this what you do?” Then, when Eli doesn’t answer, “Dinner was fine. We had stuffed shells and everyone talked about throwing a baby shower for my brother’s wife.”
Eli shifts his weight. “Oh yeah? When’s she due?” More sounds behind him, the whoosh of cotton that may or may not be her shirt coming off. In Eli’s mind she’s got that same strapless bra on, even though in reality he knows girls only wear those when they have to.
“I dunno, actually,” Addie says. She sounds closer. Eli turns around without thinking and there she is, fully redressed. “I probably should though, huh?”
“Probably,” Eli agrees. She’s in a faded sleep-shirt he’s seen on her before, all these nights at the firehouse, and the yoga pants are definitely the kind that clings. The tuck of them between her legs is enough to drive Eli insane.
“Well.” Addie shuts her locker with a clang and reaches back to redo her braid fast and brutal. It’s a sport bra, he can tell when she lifts her arms up, even with his eyes locked on hers. In the second before she scoops all that hair into the elastic it springs dark and wild around her face. “I’m not a very good sister.”
“I kind of doubt that,” Eli counters. He’s not sure which one of them is closing the distance but she’s near enough to smell now, the same faint flowers from yesterday over the mildew-bleach stink of the locker rooms. Even after a shower, her smell stuck to his skin all night long.
“Uh-huh.” Addie raises her eyebrows. “You don’t know me very well, friend.”
Eli raises his back. “Know you enough.”
“Why, ’cause we—?” Addie laughs, that now-familiar cackle, and it echoes off the metal lockers. “ Eli ,” she says, when he hooks one finger in the hem of her T-shirt. Fuck, he doesn’t hate hearing her say his name like that. “Come on.”
“Want me to stop for real?” he asks. He doesn’t think so, he’s pretty sure this is just her playing hard-to-get, that she’s having fun too, but. “Tell me to stop right now, I’ll stop, we’ll never talk about this ever again.”
“I’m pretty sure you said that last night,” Addie points out, shifting her weight just the slightest bit. If she takes another step, her back’ll be up against the lockers. “Somebody’s going to hear.”
Somebody will—yeah. Eli grins, nudging her back that last step himself. “And what are they gonna hear, princess?” He lets his hooked finger travel, running across the underside of her hem. When his knuckle brushes her stomach, Addie’s whole rib cage jumps.
“Shut up,” she tells him, but her shoulders have settled back against the cold metal, chin tilting up. Eli smirks, leaning in even farther. He can’t resist dodging at the last second though, pressing his cheek against her temple instead. Addie growls. “E li .”
“Hmm?” He traces a finger up around her belly button, thumbs the dip in a pretty blatant tease. “What do you need?”
Addie shoves at his hand—though it’s not so much shoving away , Eli notices, as it is shoving down. “Jerk,” she huffs. Those pretty boyish eyebrows are drawn together, dark and furious. She has freckles on her nose that weren’t there yesterday, faint, irregular splotches. They must have been brought out by the sun. “You’re such a jerk.”
“I am,” Eli agrees. His hand is hovering near the seam of her leggings now. He lets it touch down lightly, just the tips of his fingers.
Right away, Addie goes completely still. “Umm.” Her eyes are wide, like she didn’t expect him to
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