got her every night. And they
spent every evening together, either cooking at his house or having
supper at the diner in town. They watched movies sitting on his
couch together and usually never made it to the end of the film
before they were touching each other and were out of breath and
naked.
He never complained about her job, but he did
ask her leading questions that at first seemed innocuous. But the
more nonchalant the question was, the more she knew the answer
meant to him. Finally she threw up her hands and told him he had no
reason to be jealous. She only wanted him . She saw that
statement sink in and a calmness come over him that was almost
tangible.
He still brought her back to her aunt's home
every night. He usually became tense but he never verbally
attacked. He never criticized, but he would stand erect, rigid, and
Elaina knew he was never happy to take her home.
But he did, and she gave him points in her
head.
She was immensely happy. He was going out of
his way to please her, and she knew why. He wanted her. Completely.
And he was trying to prove it to her.
He was going for her.
Totally.
For the win.
****
Three wonderful weeks later, Elaina was
heading back to the bank at the end of her lunch break. She'd spent
most of the hour in the small, county library with a yogurt cup and
granola bar, using the internet for nothing more important than a
bit of online shopping.
She was walking past the only grocery store
in town when Trevor opened the door, walked out and bumped into
her.
He reached out to steady her at the same time
he realized who he had in his arms.
His grin was infectious.
"Hey."
"Hey."
They grinned at each other a moment before he
spoke again with the smile still in his voice as he studied her.
"Raul Vega? Seriously, Elaina?"
A small laugh erupted from her throat. "Yeah,
seriously."
Trevor sobered. "He's a good man."
"Yeah, he is."
"Even though you could have had all this," he
lifted his hands from her and motioned to himself like he was a
chocolate donut with cream filling.
" Right ."
They laughed and chatted a few minutes. She
looked at her watch. She was going to be late if she wasn't
careful. "Later, dude, I need to get back to work."
Elaina turned away from him and kept walking
as he went in the opposite direction.
She was still smiling when she came to the
entrance of the bank and saw Raul leaning against the front of the
building, arms crossed, a frown on his face, watching her.
Her insides quivered and her legs trembled
from the shock of him appearing out of the blue when she wasn't
expecting it. "What are you doing here?"
She came to stand within a foot of him as he
answered, "I bank here, Elaina. It's the only bank in town." His
voice was strained.
She bit her lip against the unintentional
grin that began encompassing her face. She motioned with her head
in the direction she had just come from and asked him, "Did you see
all that?"
His eyes narrowed on her and his lips
flattened. "Yeah."
The smile won and took over her whole
expression. "Really? You saw Trevor? You saw the whole thing?"
His nostrils flared. "Yeah. The whole goddamn thing," his voice hissed out.
Elaina walked the last few inches toward him.
She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. She
studied his handsome, virile face and the smile fell from her lips
as a deeper emotion took hold of her. "I love you."
His hands wrapped around her jaw line and
sifted through her hair until he was holding her by the scalp.
" Jesus . Finally." His eyes searched hers. "I love you,
too."
He leaned down and put his mouth on hers in a
kiss that sealed her fate.
Epilogue
Five years later
"Happy birthday, baby." It was just past
midnight when Raul came up behind Elaina and wrapped his arms
around her. She turned away from the twin bed and snuggled into his
arms.
He kept his voice purposefully quiet. "Is she
asleep?"
"Yeah, she finally exhausted herself."
He reached down and around his wife
spent every evening together, either cooking at his house or having
supper at the diner in town. They watched movies sitting on his
couch together and usually never made it to the end of the film
before they were touching each other and were out of breath and
naked.
He never complained about her job, but he did
ask her leading questions that at first seemed innocuous. But the
more nonchalant the question was, the more she knew the answer
meant to him. Finally she threw up her hands and told him he had no
reason to be jealous. She only wanted him . She saw that
statement sink in and a calmness come over him that was almost
tangible.
He still brought her back to her aunt's home
every night. He usually became tense but he never verbally
attacked. He never criticized, but he would stand erect, rigid, and
Elaina knew he was never happy to take her home.
But he did, and she gave him points in her
head.
She was immensely happy. He was going out of
his way to please her, and she knew why. He wanted her. Completely.
And he was trying to prove it to her.
He was going for her.
Totally.
For the win.
****
Three wonderful weeks later, Elaina was
heading back to the bank at the end of her lunch break. She'd spent
most of the hour in the small, county library with a yogurt cup and
granola bar, using the internet for nothing more important than a
bit of online shopping.
She was walking past the only grocery store
in town when Trevor opened the door, walked out and bumped into
her.
He reached out to steady her at the same time
he realized who he had in his arms.
His grin was infectious.
"Hey."
"Hey."
They grinned at each other a moment before he
spoke again with the smile still in his voice as he studied her.
"Raul Vega? Seriously, Elaina?"
A small laugh erupted from her throat. "Yeah,
seriously."
Trevor sobered. "He's a good man."
"Yeah, he is."
"Even though you could have had all this," he
lifted his hands from her and motioned to himself like he was a
chocolate donut with cream filling.
" Right ."
They laughed and chatted a few minutes. She
looked at her watch. She was going to be late if she wasn't
careful. "Later, dude, I need to get back to work."
Elaina turned away from him and kept walking
as he went in the opposite direction.
She was still smiling when she came to the
entrance of the bank and saw Raul leaning against the front of the
building, arms crossed, a frown on his face, watching her.
Her insides quivered and her legs trembled
from the shock of him appearing out of the blue when she wasn't
expecting it. "What are you doing here?"
She came to stand within a foot of him as he
answered, "I bank here, Elaina. It's the only bank in town." His
voice was strained.
She bit her lip against the unintentional
grin that began encompassing her face. She motioned with her head
in the direction she had just come from and asked him, "Did you see
all that?"
His eyes narrowed on her and his lips
flattened. "Yeah."
The smile won and took over her whole
expression. "Really? You saw Trevor? You saw the whole thing?"
His nostrils flared. "Yeah. The whole goddamn thing," his voice hissed out.
Elaina walked the last few inches toward him.
She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. She
studied his handsome, virile face and the smile fell from her lips
as a deeper emotion took hold of her. "I love you."
His hands wrapped around her jaw line and
sifted through her hair until he was holding her by the scalp.
" Jesus . Finally." His eyes searched hers. "I love you,
too."
He leaned down and put his mouth on hers in a
kiss that sealed her fate.
Epilogue
Five years later
"Happy birthday, baby." It was just past
midnight when Raul came up behind Elaina and wrapped his arms
around her. She turned away from the twin bed and snuggled into his
arms.
He kept his voice purposefully quiet. "Is she
asleep?"
"Yeah, she finally exhausted herself."
He reached down and around his wife
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