Trouble in Sudden Falls: A Sudden Falls Romance by Elizabeth Bemis Read Free Book Online

Eli came back.
    “Did you hear what he said?”
    She shook her head. “Bad?”
    He nodded.
    “How bad?”
    He hesitated.
    “Are we talking naughty bad or downright reprehensible?”
    “The former. The problem is, the kid has the kind of imagination the mafia gives scholarships to.”
    “Dennis Leary, The Ref . Give him a break. He’s been shuffled from house to house for years.”
    “I’m pretty sure his comment was aimed at you.”
    “What did he say?”
    “Something about there being a donut’s chance at a Weight Watcher’s convention before he’d let me dress him at the Gap and perhaps I should start with a makeover elsewhere.”
    She eyed his khakis and polo shirt, her gaze lingering on his broad shoulders, trim waist and belly without meaning to. Good grief, he was in good shape. She shook her head a bit to refocus her attention. “I don’t think that was aimed at me, but you’ve got to admire his ingenuity.” She tried to shrug off-handedly. “A least he’s bright.”
    Eli said something else, but Maddie’s attention was still back on his shoulders. This was definitely not good.
    “Can I help with the dishes?” She rose to her feet before she said or did something she’d regret. Without waiting for an answer, she picked up her plate, stacking it with Rogan’s and then gathering the silverware.
    Eli stood up and helped her carry the rest to the sink. She fought the urge to race out the front door to the safety of her own house while they cleaned up after dinner. Having Rogan around all day had helped alleviate some of awkwardness she felt around Eli. However, now that Rogan was hiding in his room and she and Eli weren’t distracted by the effort of boxing and packing her parents’ junk, she felt the oppressive weight of their three-year hiatus from one another and her continued attraction to him.
    Eli started the dishwasher and then grabbed the bottle of wine from the table. “More wine?” he asked.
    Maddie shook her head. “I should probably get back.”
    “You’ve worked hard all day. It’s too late to do any more and too early to go to bed. What are you going to do—sit around and watch TV all night?”
    Maddie shrugged. That had pretty much been her plan. But when Eli said it, it sounded kind of pathetic.
    Obviously sensing her inevitable acquiescence, Eli picked up their wine glasses from the counter. She knew, even as she followed him into the living room, this was a very bad idea.
    Eli flipped on the stereo. Clapton’s “Layla” played quietly in the background.
    What the hell? Clapton was—and always had been—Eli’s make-his-big-move music. No jazz or top-forty for him. Classic bluesy-rock. He’d probably left the CD in the player after the last time Veronica was over. She shuddered in distaste.
    He indicated the couch with his index finger “Sit down. You’re making me nervous. I promise, I rarely bite.”
    “Rarely?” She raised one eyebrow.
    “Only if you ask nicely.” He grinned.
    Maddie swallowed, her stomach dipping at the idea. She’d tried asking nicely once. It hadn’t gone that well. Settling into the end of the couch, she tried to forget the details. Every single humiliating one.
    Eli handed her a glass and sat down next to her. They weren’t quite touching, but Eli could easily have sat farther away at the other end of the sofa.
    He swirled his wine in his glass then looked up at her. “So are we going to talk about it?” he asked.
    Her dinner considered a strategic retreat. She swallowed hard. Throwing up might make for a dependable diversion, but she wouldn’t go there deliberately. “About what?”
    “The elephant that’s been sitting in the room for the past two days.”
    She inhaled slowly. “Sleeping elephants, when disturbed, will trample you. Let’s let him be.”
    “Maddie…” She could hear the frustration in his voice, which caused panic to bloom through her chest as she tried to get him to back off. Her legs tensed and she