between the two of them. “I can take-“
“No.” Tessa shook her head, wrapping an arm around Penny's shoulders and drawing her up against her side. “I don’t think I want to be around you right now, Harper. So I would like Elijah to take us home.”
She didn’t know what she was doing. All she knew was that Harper had blindsided her and it pissed her off. Tessa knew that she would probably be over it by morning but he had hurt her so now she wanted to hurt him. And Elijah was the only way she could think to do it. Besides, it wasn’t like she was going to hear any objection from Elijah. The man was practically grinning his ears off.
“Fine.” Harper's voice was tightly controlled, his hands curled into fists at his sides. He turned back to the crowd. “I officially call this bonding to a close and thank you once again for joining us. You’re more than welcome to stay as long as you like. Drinks are on the house.” With that, he glanced at Tessa once more before disappearing into the back.
“You’ve done it now, darling.” Tessa slowly turned to face Elijah.
“What’s that?”
“Pissed him off. I don’t know whether to be happy or offended that you’re using me to get back at him.”
“Let me know once you figure it out.”
“Will do. Shall we, ladies?”
Elijah accompanied the two women all the way up to the apartment under the disguise of ‘seeing them home safely’ which Tessa knew was code for ‘I want a moment to talk to you alone.’ This was fine with her. She needed someone to talk to. Someone who would hopefully be more forthcoming with information then Harper had been lately. Although Elijah had been pretty tight lipped earlier in the evening.
After seeing that Penny was safely tucked away in her bed, Tessa led Elijah back out into the hall and up to the roof of the building. There was a small greenhouse that was overrun with wild flowers and choking vines that had fell into disrepair when its former gardener had apparently moved, leaving his hard work to turn untamed. But Tessa had never minded. She always thought it had a sort of feral beauty to it and occasionally came up her with a glass of wine and a book to relax during her pre-blood days.
Tessa pulled off her mask and let it drop to the ground while simultaneously kicking off her high heels and sighing as her bare feet touched solid ground. It took her a moment to realize that Elijah had hung back in the shadow of the door, watching as she tried to get more comfortable.
“What are you staring at?”
“Isn’t it obvious? You.”
She was unbelievable. Not in a crazy sort of way but a ‘do you really exist?’ sort of way. It was starting to drive Elijah a little mad. He had watched as she’d helped her friend out of her dress (looking away during the naked parts of course) and into her bed, absolutely enthralled with the tenderness and love evident in Tessa's eyes. Normally, it would have taken quite some time to get that particular part of Tessa back after the change and it astounded him how easily she’d adjusted to her new life. The fact that her roommate was a human and she hadn’t killed her in the bloodlust yet? Amazing.
Now, with the moonlight shining on her hair, he couldn’t take his eyes of her. He’d had to stop from following her onto the roof and taking her in his arms by clutching the doorway they’d come through. Every inch of him was screaming at him to do it. To sweep her up into his arms and run. But he couldn’t.
Not yet.
‘Luckily, with Harper's little stunt tonight, things might be a little easier for me at least.’ Elijah stared as she kicked off her shoes, a little smile teasing the corners of his lips.
“What are you staring at?” He drank in the sight of her greedily. The way her hair shone like diamonds and her skin glowed pale gold in the night. The curves of her hips that he was dying to run his hands over. He could almost imagine what it would feel like but Elijah wanted
“No.” Tessa shook her head, wrapping an arm around Penny's shoulders and drawing her up against her side. “I don’t think I want to be around you right now, Harper. So I would like Elijah to take us home.”
She didn’t know what she was doing. All she knew was that Harper had blindsided her and it pissed her off. Tessa knew that she would probably be over it by morning but he had hurt her so now she wanted to hurt him. And Elijah was the only way she could think to do it. Besides, it wasn’t like she was going to hear any objection from Elijah. The man was practically grinning his ears off.
“Fine.” Harper's voice was tightly controlled, his hands curled into fists at his sides. He turned back to the crowd. “I officially call this bonding to a close and thank you once again for joining us. You’re more than welcome to stay as long as you like. Drinks are on the house.” With that, he glanced at Tessa once more before disappearing into the back.
“You’ve done it now, darling.” Tessa slowly turned to face Elijah.
“What’s that?”
“Pissed him off. I don’t know whether to be happy or offended that you’re using me to get back at him.”
“Let me know once you figure it out.”
“Will do. Shall we, ladies?”
Elijah accompanied the two women all the way up to the apartment under the disguise of ‘seeing them home safely’ which Tessa knew was code for ‘I want a moment to talk to you alone.’ This was fine with her. She needed someone to talk to. Someone who would hopefully be more forthcoming with information then Harper had been lately. Although Elijah had been pretty tight lipped earlier in the evening.
After seeing that Penny was safely tucked away in her bed, Tessa led Elijah back out into the hall and up to the roof of the building. There was a small greenhouse that was overrun with wild flowers and choking vines that had fell into disrepair when its former gardener had apparently moved, leaving his hard work to turn untamed. But Tessa had never minded. She always thought it had a sort of feral beauty to it and occasionally came up her with a glass of wine and a book to relax during her pre-blood days.
Tessa pulled off her mask and let it drop to the ground while simultaneously kicking off her high heels and sighing as her bare feet touched solid ground. It took her a moment to realize that Elijah had hung back in the shadow of the door, watching as she tried to get more comfortable.
“What are you staring at?”
“Isn’t it obvious? You.”
She was unbelievable. Not in a crazy sort of way but a ‘do you really exist?’ sort of way. It was starting to drive Elijah a little mad. He had watched as she’d helped her friend out of her dress (looking away during the naked parts of course) and into her bed, absolutely enthralled with the tenderness and love evident in Tessa's eyes. Normally, it would have taken quite some time to get that particular part of Tessa back after the change and it astounded him how easily she’d adjusted to her new life. The fact that her roommate was a human and she hadn’t killed her in the bloodlust yet? Amazing.
Now, with the moonlight shining on her hair, he couldn’t take his eyes of her. He’d had to stop from following her onto the roof and taking her in his arms by clutching the doorway they’d come through. Every inch of him was screaming at him to do it. To sweep her up into his arms and run. But he couldn’t.
Not yet.
‘Luckily, with Harper's little stunt tonight, things might be a little easier for me at least.’ Elijah stared as she kicked off her shoes, a little smile teasing the corners of his lips.
“What are you staring at?” He drank in the sight of her greedily. The way her hair shone like diamonds and her skin glowed pale gold in the night. The curves of her hips that he was dying to run his hands over. He could almost imagine what it would feel like but Elijah wanted
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