Chapter 11: Chapter 11

Eric paused for a moment before speaking again. "Ana?" he prompted.

"I have to go," she repeated as her fingers tightened on his shirt.

"Yes. I believe you said that once," he reminded her huskily.

Her blue eyes were a blend of confusion and desire; the rise and fall of her chest caught his attention as she struggled to breathe.

"You can't get enough of me," he teased with a smirk.

When her eyes flared with anger, Eric suppressed a chuckle.

"Us," he amended. "You can't get enough of us."

"You are such an arrogant—"

"Hey!"

The both started at Elliot's boisterous greeting. There were a handful of moments growing up that Eric had wanted to punch his brother (only once had he given in,) but none more so than now. "Elliot," he ground out.

"What are you doing here?" Elliot asked as he smacked him on the back. "I thought you had an all-important, can't-miss meeting in the morning."

"It was cancelled," he answered through clenched teeth; the triumphant grin Elliot was sporting hadn't escaped his attention, and Eric couldn't help but wonder if he'd been set up.

"Ana?" Kate said in bewilderment. "Are…you…aware…that you're clinging to Elliot's brother's shirt?"

Eric turned to Kate and flashed a heartfelt grin. "She really didn't have a choice," he admitted sheepishly. "She tripped over…well, I'm not sure what." He turned to Ana and covered her hands with his and pried her fists open. "Your own feet?"

She nodded dumbly as her hands dropped to her sides.

"You must have been the only two in the place who didn't see it," he lied smoothly.

"Imagine that," Elliot returned caustically, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Eric refused to rise to the bait.

Ana was grateful that Eric was able to keep a clear head; otherwise she probably would have had to come clean with Kate. That was something she wasn't ready to do yet. She still hadn't wrapped her head around the fact that her one night stand had waltzed back into her life.

Of course, his ability to think on his feet meant that she wasn't having the same effect on him that he was having on her. She wasn't sure she liked that. Shouldn't her presence knock him off his game at least a little bit?

"Should we sit?" Kate suggested as she made her way to the booth and moved as close to the wall as she possibly could.

Before Elliot could even move, Ana darted in front of him and practically dove into the spot next to Kate. When he gave her a confused look, she felt her cheeks pinken. But she wouldn't budge. Ana needed her head to be as clear as Eric's was, and having his hands in her pants was sure to hinder that. Sure, she might have been wearing jeans, but she had a feeling a simple button and zipper wasn't about to stop Eric Miller.

"Does anyone else need a drink?" Elliot offered.

"Yes," Ana replied quickly. "Rum and coke, please." She turned to Eric and lifted her brows at him as if she dared him to object. The bastard was holding back a smirk.

"Bottled water," he told his brother. But his eyes never left hers.

Elliot, as it turned out, was quite the conversationalist when he wasn't glued to Kate's side. It had been question after question in an effort to get to know his new girlfriend's best friend, and it hadn't been easy trying to sidestep them. Ana was exhausted.

She didn't want to reveal too much about herself in front of Eric. Not yet, anyway. It wasn't clear whether he simply saw her as a one night stand—she certainly hadn't proved to be much of a challenge in the alley—or a bit more. She held back a yawn as she looked at the time.

No. It was better to keep him guessing…at least a little bit.

"Why do you keep checking your watch?" Eric practically barked.

Ana looked up, surprised by his tone. "My ride should have been here a little while ago," she informed him. "I'm just hoping everything is OK."

"It is," Kate cut in sharply; Ana saw her throw Eric a dirty look. "There's José now."

Ana looked up to see him approaching the table. "Hey," she said in greeting once he was close enough to hear her. Relief flooded through her entire body at the sight of him.

"Hey," he returned, grinning as he held his hand out to her. "You left this at my place."

Eric scowled as the young man passed Ana her cell phone. He didn't like the way this 'José' was looking at her. She wasn't a meal, for God's sake. The boy should have a bit more respect.

Eric barely spared a nod as introductions were made; he felt his blood pressure climb when Ana rose from the booth and left with the bastard.

The elevator doors slid open, and Ana stepped off, fumbling through her purse for her keys. When she finally found them, she pulled them out and lifted her head...and froze.

She watched as Eric, who'd been crouched down outside of her door, came to his full height.

"What are you doing here?" she breathed.

"I wanted to make sure you made it home all right," he answered.

Ana tried to remain casual as she continued to her front door. "Of course I did. José brought me home."

"And he couldn't even be bothered to walk you up?" he asked as he stepped in front of her door.

"And what if I had invited him up?" Ana goaded. "What would you have done then?"

She swallowed past the lump in her throat as Eric lifted his hand, gently pushing her hair back over her shoulder and resting his palm on the side of her neck in a possessive gesture. "I would have asked him if had knew what it was like to fuck you," he answered in a low voice.

Stunned, Ana gasped.

"I would have asked if he knew what it was like to wrap his hands around your hips and bury himself inside of you. Does he know how tight you are, Ana? Does he know how good it feels to explode inside of you?"

Ana laughed in disbelief. "You tell me I have to earn my way back into your bed—which by the way, I have no idea how to do—"

"You're doing better than you think," he informed her wryly.

"And then when I don't hop right to it, you start stalking me?" she continued accusingly.

"I'm not stalking you," he said firmly. "I'm pursuing you."

"Is there even a difference?" she shot back.

"Beats the hell out of me," he answered as he stepped forward, his hand lifting to the back of her head as his fingers tangled in her hair. He gave her locks a soft yank, pulling her head back until their eyes met.

His lips came crashing down onto hers, and he ran his tongue forcefully over the seam of her lips. Ana's mouth parted instantly and she sucked his tongue inside. An urgent groan made its way up her throat as she lifted her hands to his chest; her fingers twisted into the fabric of his shirt. Why did he have to taste so damn good?

His tongue stroked hers roughly as his hands fell to her hips; after a gentle nudge, she turned so her back was against the wall. He tightened his grip on her and lifted her feet off the floor, thrusting his knee between her thighs. Her fist squeezed his shirt in an effort to keep herself steady, and Ana began to rock her hips gently back and forth over his thigh searching for some sort of release. Her panties were instantly saturated, and Eric grunted as he pulled away.

"Fuck, Ana," he growled.

Her breathing hitched as she looked up at him; his eyes were almost black. Trapped between Eric and the wall, she felt powerless with her feet dangling in the air. She swayed her body to the side in an effort to reach the floor, but his hands seized her hips once more.

"If you don't stop, I'm gonna have to fuck you right here," he warned.

"Promises, promises," Ana taunted breathlessly.

"Oh, Ana," Eric said as he lowered his forehead until it was resting against hers. "Are you going to invite me in?"