“It’s alright, I don’t really want any. I have to study tomorrow,” I say quietly. I can’t stand the tension. I wish it was just me and Landon. I suspect he organized this dinner to get on my father’s good side, and yet it’s not working and all it’s doing is keeping me and Landon from getting to know one another.
“Alright,” Landon says, handing the glass to my father instead. “No problem.”
There’s another long silence as he pours the wine. Meanwhile, Jenny serves up the food with an amused smile.
“Well, you’re not as chatty as I expected, come on, let’s get this party started, huh?” Jenny smiles at me. “I can already tell it’s going to be super fun living next door to you guys.”
I can’t decide if I love her or hate her. She’s clearly loving all this tension between us all, but she’s also the one person in the room who’s acting like she doesn’t care about what happens next. I can tell she’s not going to be judgmental of me and her brother’s interest in one another. Maybe she just wants to see him happy, no matter what. Why can’t my dad be that way? Why can’t he understand that he’s trying to stand in the way of something that could be amazing?
One thing is for sure, this night is going to be long if it keeps going this way.
CHAPTER FOUR
Landon
Dinner is so uncomfortable that I keep wishing for it to be over. This was a mistake. It hasn’t achieved anything. All it’s done is make me want Elena even more. I keep glancing at her across the table, my body responding to her involuntarily, my cock aches to be deep inside her tight pussy. I want nothing more than to be with her right now. I want to grab her and make her mine right here and now.
But if I do, then I’ll never have her. Her father is always going to try and stand in our way. He keeps glaring at me, knowing now that I’m the biggest threat he’s ever faced. He knows she wants me as much as I want her, and he can’t handle it.
But she’s mine. She might be his daughter, but she’s so much more to me. I feel this connection between us like we’re just meant to be together. It’s like I’ve come alive for the first time. She’s woken something inside me that makes me need her like I need to breathe.
And nothing is going to stand in my way.
As I’m clearing up the dinner plates in uncomfortable silence, Elena stands and starts helping out.
“Let me help,” she says. Her father’s lips tighten.
“You’re the guest, Elena. Sit down,” he says.
“I want to help. They made dinner, I should at least help to wash up,” she says firmly, following me to the sink. We’re only a few feet away from her father and still in his eye line, but when she drops her voice to a whisper, I know he won’t overhear us.
“I want to see you,” she whispers. “Tonight.”
I have to keep myself from growling in anticipation. She knows exactly how to get me going clearly. And now that I know she’s as into this as I am, there will be no stopping me.
“I’ll be there,” I growl. Nothing will keep me from her now. All I was waiting for was her permission, and now that I have it, there doesn’t need to be any more games. No more dancing around the subject. There’s only one goal at the end of this, and it’s her. But I won’t end this night empty-handed.
“Well, I guess I’ll get dessert ready!” Jenny says, standing up with a smile. John shakes his head.
“No, it’s okay. We’ll be leaving now.”
Jenny’s face falls. “You will?”
“Yes,” he says, standing up too. “Thank you for dinner, but we should be getting back. I have to be at work early tomorrow.”
Anger surges through me. We all know he’s lying, but we can’t say that out loud. He’s being rude, but we’re not allowed to say that either. I desperately want to put him in his place, but if I do I’ll never get away with seeing Elena again. In fact, this is a good thing. The sooner they leave, the sooner I can sneak over to see her.
“Thanks for coming,” I say gruffly, reaching out to shake his hand. He takes it reluctantly.
“Thank you for having us,” he says, but I can tell he doesn’t mean it. Jenny tries to remain cheery.
“You should come again!” she says with a smile. John glares at me darkly.
“I don’t think so,” he hisses. Then he grabs his daughter’s arm and guides her toward the door. Still, I get one last glimpse at her dark doe eyes as she looks back at me. They’re full of passion, full of lust, full of want. She’s telling me to hurry over to her.
And I don’t need to be asked twice.
Jenny jumps a little as the front door slams behind our guests. She looks up at me with sad eyes.
“Oh, Landon. I’m sorry. I’m guessing that didn’t go as planned. Maybe you just have to accept that it’s not going to happen.”
I shake my head. She doesn’t understand. I’d do anything to make this thing happen. It’s not some pathetic crush. It’s raw and fiery, and desperate. I’ve never been desperate for anything in my life. My career fell into my lap. Friendships come easily to me. Women have fawned after me all my life. I could’ve had any of them, but I waited. I was waiting for Elena.
And nothing can stop me from having her.
“It’s going to happen,” I growl. “Just you wait and see.”
Elena
I haven’t spoken to my father since I got home. I can’t believe the way he acted at Landon’s house. Sure, I understand why he doesn’t like him. He can see the sparks flying between me and him so blatantly that he feels he
