Nicole Edwards - Entrusted

“Thank you,” Sam told him when the waitress delivered their drinks. “For the drink.”

Elijah grinned, glancing away from Sam and down to his drink now sitting in front of him, thankful for the shadows that partially hid his face. He didn’t know what Samantha might read in his expression, but he knew it would likely be enough to send her running in the opposite direction.

Elijah had absolutely no idea what it was, but his response to Samantha was... God, it was fucking unexpected. That’s what it was.

“My pleasure,” he told her, his gaze sliding up to meet hers once again.

Logan had mentioned more than once just how incredibly beautiful his wife was, but Elijah knew men did that all the time. In a husband’s eyes, his wife should be the most beautiful woman in the world. From experience, Elijah had expected Samantha to be pretty. He had not, however, expected her to be quite as resplendent as she was.

The woman was magnificent when she was naked, – something he had learned last night – but she was even more radiant in that short, shiny dress.

Ok, so maybe Samantha wasn’t drop dead, super model gorgeous, but she was incredibly attractive. More so than her outer beauty, there was something in her eyes, something that had reached out and grabbed a hold of him by his shirt collar. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he’d be damned if he knew what to do about it.

When he’d arrived at Devotion tonight, he had half expected to find out that he had imagined all of it. The way she had pulled him under her spell with just a look. It had been real. Very real.

“Tell me a little about yourself,” Sam said, her eyes darting over to Logan and then back to him. “I’m afraid my husband hasn’t told me anything about you.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Elijah said softly, smiling back at her. “I just met him last week.”

“The two of you just met?” Sam asked dubiously, her voice rising an octave or two as she glanced between the two of them.

“Technically, yes,” Logan answered ruefully. “However, I’ve known of Elijah for quite some time.”

Samantha laughed. “Well, that makes it all better then.”

“You could say we’re business associates, although we hadn’t met face to face until last night,” Elijah provided, smiling back at her.

“You’re…” Sam’s eyes widened as her sentence trailed off.

Elijah raised his eyebrows, encouraging her to continue.

“Elijah Penn.” Sam said his name, a hint of recognition in her tone as she looked at Logan who merely nodded. “Ahh, interesting. You’re with Virtual Impact.”

Interesting?

“I am.” Elijah wasn’t sure he needed to add anymore to that.

Sam’s smile confirmed it. “Well, it’s nice to put a face with a name. I’ve known of you for quite some time too.”

“I hope what you’ve heard has been good,” he teased.

“That depends,” Sam offered teasingly. “If XTX got the deal they were looking for, it was wonderful. If not… Well, you understand.”

Elijah laughed. Yes, he understood all too well. It was business. “I guess since you aren’t running from the table, it wasn’t bad enough to make you send me on my way.”

“If it were, I wouldn’t be sitting here now.”

Elijah believed her. Just the look in her pretty green eyes told him she didn’t say things she didn’t mean. And if Samantha didn’t like him, he already knew she wasn’t the type of woman who would sit there and pretend that she did.

“I guess it goes without saying that you’re a member of Devotion?” Again, Samantha glanced back and forth between him and Logan.

“I didn’t have to jump anyone at the door to get in, no.”

Samantha laughed, a hearty sound that sent an odd shiver down Elijah’s spine. What was it about this woman?

“Since you’re a member, I don’t have to assume that you’re interested in… What are you interested in, Mr. Penn?”

“Call me Eli, please,” he replied. Lowering his voice just a hint, he leaned in a little closer. “I’m interested in whatever you’re willing to offer.”

Samantha’s sharp inhale made his body harden. She wasn’t offended, that much he could tell.

“Since you obviously enjoy watching,” Samantha began, her voice lowered the same way his had been, “I’m wondering whether you like to participate.”

“Is that what you’re offering?” he asked bluntly.

“If I am?”

“Then I’d say I’d love to participate with you.” Elijah glanced up at Logan then, noticing the other man was smiling. He was trying to hide it, but it was there.

Returning his attention to Samantha, he added, “And after watching such a magnificent scene last night, I will admit I’m quite anxious.”

Not that Elijah would actually make a move tonight. Tonight was about meeting her, getting to know her a little. Then, if things went well from there, he’d be in touch with Logan tomorrow. Or vice versa.

As far as he was concerned, he was ready to go home with them tonight.

And wasn’t that fucking crazy?

Sam was still a little in shock. And the fact that her equilibrium was slightly askew had more to do with Elijah and the fact that Logan had clearly set up this little introduction. Only he’d intended for them to meet last night.

Nice way to be introduced. Naked, while a man watched her husband give her an explosive orgasm.

Wait. “Question. If you’re so interested, what happened last night? I can only assume that we were supposed to be officially introduced after you stumbled upon us.”

She’d learned a long time ago to always expect the unexpected from Logan. After all, that’s how she’d been introduced to Luke and Tag, respectively.

Elijah looked away briefly. When his eyes met hers again, he looked contrite. “I hope you’ll forgive me for my behavior last night. I panicked.”

“Panicked? Because I was naked?”

Elijah laughed. “Not at all. In fact, I’ve never seen anything hotter.”

Even the memory made her body temperature soar. Taking a sip of her drink, she tried to cool herself somewhat while she waited for him to continue.

“I just got a little lost in my thoughts. That’s all.”

Sam had no idea what that meant, but she didn’t want Elijah to feel as though this were an interrogation so she opted to let it go. For now.

“I take it the two of you have talked a little more than in passing?” She already knew the answer and it absolutely explained Logan’s anticipation about last night.

“We have,” Elijah answered. “Your husband speaks his mind.”

“When I find something I want, I tend to go after it,” Logan admitted. “And when Sam wants something, I pull out all of the stops.”

Sam leaned slightly into Logan who was standing behind her. “I’m not fooled,” Sam told Elijah. “He’s very protective of me. Despite his present excitement, I know this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision.”

“I doubt it was either,” Elijah stated as he glanced behind her to Logan.

Sam couldn’t help but notice the slight hint of an accent, one that had little to do with being in America and more to do with somewhere else entirely. “Where are you from?” she found herself asking curtly.

“I was born and raised in the UK,” he confirmed.

Yep, undeniably a British accent. Or at least what was left of one. “You’ve been in the US for a while, huh?”

“Since I was twenty-three.”

Sam nodded as she tried to decipher just how old that would make him. Since she had nothing else to reference, the math wasn’t going to work out. By the way that Elijah’s golden brown eyes twinkled, she figured he knew what she was aiming for.