“Anything for you.”

“You’re too good to me,” Elli said, rolling out of bed and coming towards him.

“Never. I could be better.”

“Really?” she asked raising an eyebrow as she wrapped her arms around his middle, nuzzling her nose into the middle of his chest.

“Yeah, I know there are things that drive you crazy about me.”

“Well, it does bother me the way you strip me down naked and have your way with me,” she teased as she bit his pec softly. “Other than that, can’t think of anything.”

He laughed as he gathered her closer to him.

“I’m messy.”

“Ah, you’re a dude.”

“I can’t cook worth shit.”

“That’s okay, I cook good enough for both of us.”

He smiled, biting her jaw before moving his nose against hers.

“I leave you a lot.”

“It’s your job, Shea. You’re supposed to leave,” she smiled, leaning against him more, “You always come home, and I’m here when you get back.”

“For good now, huh?”

She blushed, closing her eyes as they moved their noses against each others.

“As long as you want me.”

“Good, because I don’t see you leaving….ever.”

The next morning, Elli rolled over, snuggling closer to Shea for his warmth. He was like a heater when he slept. He gave off so much heat. It drove her crazy before, but now she couldn’t thank the good Lord enough. She moved her freezing toes under the blanket and in between Shea’s thighs. It only took a second for his eyes widen. He moved away from her quickly.

“Elli!”

“I’m cold!” she yelled back, trying to move towards him as he continued to move away from her, “Come back!”

“No, your toes are freezing!”

“Please, I’m cold!”

“Stop!” he laughed as she kept trying to put her toes in between his thighs. When Shea fell out of the bed with a loud oomph, Elli laughed so hard that she had to hold her belly because it hurt from laughing. He sat up, turning his head to glare at her.

“I’m gonna get you one of these days.”

Elli continued to laugh as Shea got up and headed into the bathroom, shaking his head.

“Go cook me some breakfast, woman!” he yelled from the bathroom.

“Go cook your own breakfast! I’m cold! Unless you’re gonna come warm me up, go on and make your own!” Elli yelled back.

Shea popped his head out, a devilish grin on his face.

“Oh, I’ll warm you up, baby, but not the way you’re asking for.”

Elli bit her bottom lip, giving him her best seductive look, “Who says that’s not the way I want to be warmed up?”

Elli stood at the stove, cooking some French toast with a grin on her face. The man rocked her world, and she couldn’t get enough. The night before was a dream, nothing like that would ever have happened to her if Shea hadn’t come along. In the past four months, she had so many firsts that her mind spun at the memories. In the last six years, Elli never felt beautiful. Now she felt like the prettiest girl in the world, all because of him.

Elli was taking some sausage out of the fridge when her phone rang. She went over to it, seeing it was Harper.

“Hey!”

“Hey, whatcha doin?”

“Cooking some breakfast.”

“At 12?”

Elli glanced at the clock.

“We got started late this morning,” Elli said with a giggle.

Harper laughed, then said, “I hear ya, what y’all got planned this afternoon?”

“I don’t know yet. Like I said, we just got out of bed a little while ago. We haven’t even talked about the rest of the day.”

“Well Jakob and I were wondering if you guys would meet us at a house we’re thinking about getting.”

“A house?” Elli asked as she paused in front of the island, leaning against it.

When did Harper want to get a house with Jakob? A condo, Elli totally understood that, but a house?

“Yeah, I told you we were looking for something.”

“You said a condo, Harper.”

“Hey, just because you have commitment issues doesn’t mean I do.”

Elli laughed.

“I don’t have any commitment issues!”

“Yes, you do. You won’t even say you moved in, when you practically already have!”

“Well, for your information Harper Allen, I am admitting it now. We are moving in together,” Elli said, as warmth filled her body.

She was living with Shea! Yes, they had not worked out all the details, but damn it, she was admitting to it!

“Liar!”

Shea came into the kitchen, giving Elli a smile before grabbing the plate she had laid out for him.

“No really,” Elli said before looking over at Shea as he sat down to eat,

“Honey, ain’t I moving in for real?”

“Ain’t? I mean, baby, you can’t throw in a few more syllables and say ‘aren’t’?” he said with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. Elli was surprised Harper could breathe with how hard she was laughing. Elli actually had to pull the phone away from her ear because Harper was so loud.

“I don’t know why you’re laughing; you say ‘ain’t’ just as much as I do!”

“Oh, I know, but it’s funny when Shea makes fun of you.”