"NOW WHAT THE hell is this?"
To say that I was stunned would be an understatement. I blinked a few times, though the image before my eyes wasn't changing.
Elijah was outside of my apartment with a cat in his hands. A goddamn cat.
It was roughly around two months old, and the most beautiful maincoon I've ever laid my eyes on. It had tiger stripes, and pretty green eyes.
Elijah, on the other hand, had a smug look on his face. He eyed me up and down and waited for a reaction, and I tried as much as it was possible to remain passive.
And this was definitely the first time I'd seen him out of his suits. A casual black t-shirt with a pair of black pants. It looked too good on him.
"A cat." Elijah stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I rolled my eyes and the little thing meowed, "I can tell. Why is it here?"
Elijah's face split into a wide grin, "I bought you a cat."
I stepped aside, allowing the man to enter my apartment. He was moving slowly, and I didn't like that. Somehow it was getting on my nerves that I had to wait for him to move past me.
I couldn't really tell why I was getting all flustered and anxious and him being there didn't help at all. Especially when he had a little cat in his hand.
" Why did you buy me a cat?" I asked.
"Well because I found out that you wanted one so I got you one."
I hummed. "And how did you know I wanted one?"
He rolled his eyes and the little animal was released to the floor. In an instant, it was running around in my apartment and making a mess wherever it could.
"I ran into Cora and she happened to mention it, it's not a big deal."
Of course it was a big fucking deal. Frankly, I was terrified of having a pet. What if I was unable to take care of it properly? I wouldn't want for them to have anything but the best life.
"Well, thank you." I said with a smile, allowing all of the worries to settle far back into my head. Elijah made himself comfortable in my living room and that was when it hit me.
It was the first time he'd visited my place, and I haven't given him the address. How the hell did he know where I lived? It crossed my mind that since it was in my work contract, that was where he must've seen it.
"Would you like to drink anything?" I asked him, remembering the manners only after the man had made himself comfortable already.
He shook his head slightly, "No. I'm not here to grab a drink with you."
His eyes were eating me up. Glancing up and down, multiple times with a small smirk on his face. He noticed the way I was dressed, or truthfully, the lack of the clothing on my body. Just a simple oversized shirt. Nothing more.
For a moment I had forgotten the way I was trembling with anxiety and anticipation. Why was Elijah here?
"Then, why are you here?"
As he was sitting on the couch, he chuckled softly before patting his knee, "Come here."
He didn't have to tell me twice. Before I was able to comprehend my movements, I was already on his lap, facing him with rosy cheeks.
He brushed off a fallen strand of my hair and gently caressed my cheek, "Why are you flustered, little fox?"
I could hear teasing in his voice and it made me blush even more. Hiding my face in my palms to hide the embarrassment, it didn't take him long to remove my hands.
"Look at me, Freya." It was as if he had put me under a spell, as I found myself unable to deny his request, "There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I don't want you hiding from me, ever."
I nodded my head and averted my eyes. The burning look in his gaze was piercing through my soul and it was difficult to breathe.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
He smirked, "Well, I am here to gift you a little cat." He paused for a moment, "and because I missed your flushed face."
"Thank you for the cat."
As the words slipped past my lips, I heard a bang coming from behind me. The little devil was now licking her paw, standing on the kitchen counter as if there wasn't a smashed glass on the floor on her left. Unbothered, she moved away and found a chair to rest in.
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
Elijah responded quickly, "A girl."
I was trying to figure out the perfect name for her, but I couldn't figure it out. All of the pretty names were only pretty, none described her personality.
"Does she have a name?"
"No, I left that task up to you. Though, the two of you definitely look alike."
My eyebrows narrowed, "How so?"
"You're fierce, and a troublemaker. You're wrecking havoc everywhere you go, yet it's always done with elegance and grace. One of a kind, definitely."
I blinked as his words settled in. I was finding it hard to breathe and to understand the meaning behind his words. Elijah was the kind of a man who was affectionate, though it wasn't as... straightforward. I liked the way he was careful with me, and the way he didn't need to speak certain words for me to know he's felt them.
But now? He spoke something that wasn't as deep or meaningful, yet it was burned into my memory.
"Ah, thank you." I said as I cleared my throat, smiling softly at him.
In the next moment, his lips fell on mine. It was filled with urgency, passion and greed. His tongue fought mine for dominance though it was a lost cause on my part long ago.
As his hands were mingling in my hair, tugging on it softly while he explored every inch of my mouth, a small moan slid off my lips.
Elijah took it as a sign to kiss me deeper, rougher and with more power. Just as the words he'd used to describe me, my mind was throwing back at him. He was definitely one of a kind, in many, many ways.
Some of which I was yet to figure out.
One of his hands lowered and rested on my hip. Slowly, he made circles with his thumb and brought shivers down my spine with a mere, simple touch.
The effect this man had on me was insane and at the same time, incredible. I couldn't remember the last time I was feeling so good with just a kiss.
My fingers locked with his soft hair and a groan slipped past his lips. He bit my bottom lip and it made my whole body tremble with excitement.
Elijah definitely left a print on my hip as he gripped it, tightly. All meanwhile trying to bring me closer to himself. There was no distance between us, and it was such an erotic experience.
He was the first one to break apart.
I was breathless, and he was breath taking.
We stood there, in silence for what seemed to be hours. His lips were puffy, swollen and red. His eyes were heavy and the slightest smile played down on his face. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever looked at.
"Come here." It was a command I wasn't going to disobey. His hand was on the back of my neck as he lowered my head onto his chest.
The steady beat of his heart brought peace to my mind. My eyes closed on their own accord and soon enough, our hearts were beating in sync.
A small smile tugged on the corners of my mouth as I completely relaxed in his embrace. I felt warmth, inner peace and safety. His hand was on my back, trailing many designs under the shirt. Tingling sensation spread throughout my body.
Then, my heart skipped a beat at the thought of this being a regular occurrence.
It was most likely not going to happen, but I didn't care. I allowed myself, for a moment, to feel it overwhelm me. And oddly enough, I didn't even care if this man was going to break my heart. None of it mattered if I could only get a few more moments like this with him.
And the weirdest part, after I'd woken up from my nap, he was still there, just in my bed, alongside me, hugging me tightly to his chest.
If this feeling was meant to be my undoing, so be it.
Because I knew that I had no chance of meeting a man like Elijah twice in my life, and I was going to make sure all of our experiences turned out to be a good memory, even if it meant we would go our separate ways.