Taking Shots (Assassins) (18 page)

“
Hey, are you going to that party tomorrow?” Elli looked up at Harper; she was picking the paper off her beer.

Aw, she was nervous.

“
Yeah, are you?”

“
I was thinking about it, Jakob ask me a while back, but I told him no, and of course, he won’t accept no and won’t quit harassing me about it. I really don’t have anything to wear, though.”

“
We can go shopping tomorrow.”

“
Yeah, maybe.” The curtain pulled back and Jakob came through, a big smile on his face. Shea came in behind him, looking extremely tired, but when his eyes met Elli’s, he smiled and came towards her, kissing her lips softly. After parting, Elli scooted into the booth beside Harper, who was, making eyes at Jakob.

“
Hey, Jakob,” Elli said. Jakob looked over at her, red dusting his cheek.

“
Hey, Elli, how are you?”

“
Good thanks and you?”

“
Great now,” he said before kissing Harper’s cheek, which caused her to giggle.

Elli rolled her eyes, before looking over at Shea. He was smiling at her. He leaned towards her, moving her hair behind her ear before whispering, “You know you owe me, right?”

“
I know,” she mumbled, causing him to smile before nibbling on her neck.

The waitress came back and the guys ordered some beer and then everyone ordered their food. The dinner was nice; it was fun hanging out with Harper and Jakob. They were too stinking cute together and no matter what Harper said, they were a couple. Shea held Elli’s hand through the whole dinner, rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, or he would move hair off her shoulder just to place a kiss on her neck. It was intoxicating.

“
Are y’all ready for dessert?” The waitress asked as she picked up plates.

“
No, can we get the check?” Elli asked. Everyone looked over at her. “What, y’all are tired, you need to get home and rest, not stay out with us all night.”

“
Elli,” Harper sneered.

“
What?” she asked innocently.

“
Elli’s right. I’m tired as hell. I’m gonna head out.” Shea handed his card to the waitress “The whole bill is on that, please.” The waitress nodded just as Jakob started to complain about paying. “You paid last time.”

“
Yeah, for you, this is all of us,” Jakob complained.

“
Doesn’t matter.”

“
I got the next dinner.”

“
Fine,” Shea agreed. “Can you give Jakob a ride home, Harper?”

“
Of course, straight to my house,” she cooed to Jakob, which had him grinning. Shit, there was no way Elli was staying at Harper’s house now. Not with Jakob coming over for sexcapades.

“
Can you still take me to my car?” Elli asked. Harper nodded as she kissed Jakob’s neck.

“
I’ll take you, babe,” Shea said, Elli smiled.

“
Are you sure?”

“
Of course,” he said as the waitress brought back his bill and card. They all thanked the waitress and headed out to the parking lot. After saying bye to Harper and Jakob, Elli jumped into Shea’s truck and as she leaned back in the seat, she yawned loudly.

“
Tired?” Shea asked as he started to truck.

“
Yeah, if I knew that Jakob was going over to Harper’s, I would have just skipped dinner and gone home.”

“
Huh?” Shea asked. She looked over at him. He looked confused.

“
I was supposed to stay the night with Harper, but since she has a studio condo, there is no way I’m gonna stay there with sexcapades going on,” she said with a laugh, “but it sucks cause I’m so tired.”

“
So stay with me.” Elli’s head whipped around.

“
Say what?”

“
Come stay at my house. I’m right down the road, we can be asleep in thirty minutes tops.”

“
Huh?” Elli was confused, did he really think she was gonna sleep with him? Didn’t they just have this discussion two days ago?

“
Come stay at my house, sleep in my bed. Nothing’s going to happen, one, you aren’t ready; two, I’m tired, so it’s cool. If you don’t want me to sleep in the bed with you, I’ll endure the couch. But when I lose the game on Friday, its because you made me sleep on the couch. Anyone who has ever slept on it can tell you that thing is hell on your back.”

He was rambling, probably because she was looking at him like he was an alien.

“
You want me to sleep in bed with you?”

“
Yeah, I don’t want you driving home this late, babe.”

“
Oh, okay,” she said looking down at her hands. It was just to sleep, no big deal. “Can we drive by my studio so I can get my bag?”

“
Sure, babe.” He looked so tired as he turned down 23
^rd
to get to her studio. When they pulled up, Elli jumped out and ran to her truck, opening the back to get her bag and dress bag. Hopefully, he wouldn’t mind letting her hang up her dress in a closet. He had to have a closet she could use. He popped the trunk and got out, helping her put her stuff in. After that, they got back in the truck and headed over to his condo. Shea insisted on carrying her bags as they walked up the stairs and into the condo.

“
Do you have somewhere I can hang up my dress?” she asked as he laid his keys in the basket by the door.

“
Sure, come on.” She followed him through the house. It was messier than it was last time and it made her smile to think that he had cleaned up just for her. They came to the same bedroom that she had high tailed it out of not even four days ago; it seemed bigger now that she stood in it. The windows that lined the western wall were so clear; it looked like nothing was there. Just the night sky with the batman building’s silhouette. His bed was huge, the biggest bed she had ever seen. The color scheme was a real clean, black with red accents. “You can hang everything in my closet.”

Elli didn’t move. That seemed kinda private?

“
Your closet?”

“
Yeah, I’ll make room,” he said, going into the spacious walk in closet. Elli watched as he pushed things around, leaving a good space for her to hang her things. She looked down to where he was kicking shoes and had to suppress the giggle that was about to escape. He had more shoes that she did! “There you go.” Elli looked up, and he was stretching his arms over his head. He had played a hard game and was probably dog tired.

“
You can go to bed, Shea. You don’t need to wait on me.”

“
I don’t mind, I’m good,” he said leaning up against the wall as she hung her outfit for tomorrow and her dress for tomorrow night. She took her makeup bag out and put it above the dress on the shelf, and then she pulled out her PJs, which was a pair of boxers and a tank. She wished she had packed something else, but what the hell was she going to do?

“
Okay, well I’m gonna go change,” she said as she went to past him in the door, but he blocked her, smiling down at her.

“
You owe me, Ms. Fisher.”

“
I know,” she moaned as she finally got past him, she threw him a grin over her shoulder as she went into the bathroom. Elli shut the door and then turned, getting the full force of the bathroom.

“
Good golly, Miss Molly!” she stammered as she looked around. The bathroom was massive! Shea had a walk in glass shower with what looked like 900 jets, a claw foot tub, and two sinks with a huge plasma TV hanging on the wall. “Gosh,” she muttered as she looked around. She threw her bath bag on the black marble counter and started washing her face. After she was done, she changed into her PJs, nervous as hell. She looked at the mirror and rolled her eyes. Of course her tits were about to fall out and she looked like a hussy! She took a deep breath, blowing it out. Well, damn.

Elli opened the door and went out, laying her bag on the dresser as she passed. Shea had already turned the bed down, so she climbed in, and sunk into it.

“
Oh, good God,” she muttered as she nuzzled into the down comforter, pulling the blankets to her chin. She was never leaving this bed. She heard the closet door open and Shea came out, fully clothed, something she knew for a fact wasn’t the way he slept. Elli had read in an article once that he liked to sleep naked, but why was she complaining? This was a good thing; she wouldn’t be able to handle seeing him naked!

“
You sleep fully clothed?” Elli found herself asking anyways, as he walked towards her. He gave her a sheepish grin.

“
No, I usually sleep naked, but I’m not gonna scare you with all this,” he said, waving his hand in front of his body. She giggled, and looked away.

“
I’ve seen your half naked body, Shea. I think everyone has.”

“
Ah, the Jockey ad, that shit was so fake.”

“
Huh?”

“
Yeah, they photo-shopped my body left and right.”

“
Really?!” She asked. He didn’t have the abs? The v-cut? Was all that fake?

“
Yeah, I’m ripped, but I have a bunch of scars and shit,” he said as he climbed into the bed on the left side.

“
Scars?”

“
Yeah, I was a busy child and I got hurt a lot in my younger years.”

“
Oh.”

“
Yeah, so you being self-conscious about your body, shit, you should see mine,” he said with a shake of his head as he pulled the blankets over his body.

“
You’re self-conscious? Shea Adler? You?”

“
Yeah,” he said with a shrug, “I get nervous when I take my clothes off in front of women, I’m afraid they’ll think I’m a freak. My scars aren’t pretty.”

“
I wouldn’t think you’re a freak,” Elli whispered as she played with her nails.

“
And I wouldn’t think your fat.”

“
Whatever.” Shea reached over, pulling her against him.

“
So when do I get to see those undies?” Elli laughed, trying to get away from him, but he wasn’t letting go.

“
Shea! Let me go!” she giggled as she fought against him; he got on top her, pinning her legs down with a shit eating grin on his face. He folded his arms across his chest, and looked down at her.

“
I won’t touch I promise,” he said with a smirk.

“
I’ll show you my panties, but only a little, you ain’t seeing my bra though, since I would have to show you my tummy.”

“
Fine, get on with it,” he said with a wave of his hand, Elli rolled her eyes, then bit her lip as she brought her hands to the top of her boxers. Her tank went over the top of her boxers so she knew her tummy was covered before bringing them down to show him the big purple six that covered her mound. A slow sexy grin went across his face as his eyes skimmed her body, what little she showed at least.

“
The logo is on my butt; above it says ‘Adler’.”

“
Mm…that’s hot, babe.” She giggled, biting her lip harder.

“
Is that a hockey stick?” he said looking down at the tattoo that covered her hip, she smiled.

“
It is.” He smiled as he looked his fill. He then rolled off her to her side. Elli pulled her shorts up, and turned to face him.

“
Show me a scar?” she asked. He thought for a second, then lifted his arm, pulling the tee up so she could see a jagged scar with holes where stitches had been. “Oh, my,” she said, running her finger over it.

“
Yeah, I broke my shoulder when I was ten; this kid slammed me into the boards, hard. It sucked.”

“
They all look like that?” It was gruesome, but she didn’t care.

“
Yeah, I got this really bad one across my stomach. I was playing one on one against this bad kid in my neighborhood. We wagered hockey cards to the winner, and well, I won. He had broken his stick on the last shot he had tried and he ended up stabbing me with the stick.”

“
Shut up!”

“
No, really, it was bad. Grace was screaming; my mom was freaking out. When my dad found out about it, he went after the kid’s dad. It was really scary.”

“
Oh, my goodness,” Elli said with wide eyes, “How old were you?”

“
Sixteen.”

“
Wow.”

“
Yeah,” Shea said with a nod. He looked down and smiled, so she looked too, seeing her breast practically hanging out. “Nice.”

“
Ass!” she gushed, smacking his chest as she pulled her tank up some. “I didn’t plan on sleeping here, thank you, or I would have worn footed PJs.” That had him laugh and she soon joined in. “Okay, go to sleep,” she said closing her eyes.

“
No goodnight kiss?” Elli opened her eyes and Shea was grinning at her. He slid his hand to her ass and brought her closer to him. “Please.”

“
I guess,” she muttered just as their lips met. It was a sweet kiss that ended faster than Elli would have liked, but she knew they were both tired and things had to stay G rated. He gave her a small smile before wrapping her up in his arms and closing his eyes. Elli watched him for a moment, his eyelashes touching his high cheek bones, his crocked nose, and the dusting of hair of his hard jaw.

God, he was gorgeous.

Elli smiled and closed her eyes, thinking just how great it was to be lying in bed with Shea Adler.

Shea woke up to Elli walking across the bedroom, fully dressed. Something was wrong with this picture. The way he imagine it was that she would be lying beside him, all sleepy and sexy, but nope, she was fully dressed, ready to go. She glanced over at the bed and gave him a sheepish smile.