~Elli~
“Elli, you’re so fucking beautiful.”
If someone asked me ten minutes ago what my favorite sound was, I would’ve said something stupid like the ocean.
But now, I know without one shred of doubt my favorite sound is my name coming from Raiden Michaels’ lips.
The way he says it with a hint of disbelief makes me feel unbelievable.
I’m blushing and I’m speechless, my thoughts racing a million miles an hour.
Raiden Edward Michaels is a fucking god.
I thought I was going to faint when I clicked accept on the Skype call just from sheer anticipation, nervousness, and curiosity.
Then I was sure I was going to pass out when he filled up my computer screen.
His eyes are so like mine, but deeper, more masculine, like the Atlantic Ocean, so blue and so endless.
His dark eyelashes are on the longer side, adding to the melt factor.
His hair is closely cut and dark, but long enough to where I could run my fingers through it if I wanted to, and God, I so want to.
His jaw is strong and dusted in a light stubble, which completely hikes up the melt factor, leaving me in a big pile of female hormones.
Just as I’m admiring how handsome he is, he does something so simple, that cranks up his perfection tenfold.
He brings his hands up to rest behind his neck, his big biceps flexing and effectively making my mouth water. It’s then that I get to study some of the many tattoos he has running up and down his skin.
I make a mental note to ask him about them later.
I can’t make them out perfectly, but they’re intricate and there is nothing more I would like to do than trace each and every one with my tongue. At this, I blush hard, surprised at my train of thought.
I have to speak. I have to do more than just stare at him like a horny teenager, as much as I could just stare at him for eternity.
Sigh.
Of course, I go for the most awkward question I could think of.
“Raid… why are you so sweet to me?”
I cringe, knowing how weird that sounded but hey! I am genuinely interested in this.
He smirks and brings his arms down, much to my dismay, moving to lean in closer to the web cam so I have an up close and personal view of his handsome face, making me feel hot all over.
“Because I can’t help myself.”
He looks down at his hands for a beat then looks back up, searing me with his gaze.
Ugh, the smolder.
“You make it easier being over here.”
A whoosh of air leaves my lungs and just like that, I’m speechless again.
It’s right then that I have another epiphany.
I can be myself with him, I can flirt, I can show him I care, this is allowed, I am a single woman for crying out loud!
“Well, you know what? You make it really hard being over here.”
I adjust my purple reading glasses on my face and smirk, trying and failing, unable to keep a stern look.
He starts laughing, something that is already becoming one of my favorite sounds.
“So Elli, now that you know what I look like, what do you think?”
He winks, and if my panties weren’t already on fire, that would have done it.
Spontaneous combustion much?
“Well…” I look down, trying to be playful, “I guess you’re like okay or something…”
I hide my mouth behind my hands so he doesn’t see the uncontrollable smile threatening to give me away.
He narrows his eyes at me and cocks an eyebrow.
“Okay or something?”
I can’t help it, I bust up laughing, falling over onto my side on my bed.
Meanwhile, Raiden just stares at me, a look of utter amusement crossing his face.
“Raid, come on, you’re to fucking die for.”
My eyes get big at my confession, way surprised with how frank I was with him, which then causes me to blush even harder, pretty embarrassed.
With my face hidden in my hands, I hear chuckling and when I look up, I see him doubled over laughing.
“Well, pretty girl, I am so glad you think so.”
Cue another panty melting smile.
“Now, how about you tell me about your day.”
He asks me all the right questions over the next twenty minutes and in that time I learned he actually tolerates tofu, likes to grill with his shirt off (no complaints if that ever happens when I’m around), and his favorite car is a ‘69 Chevy Camaro. Which makes me laugh because even though my Mustang is the newest model, we are both clearly into muscle cars.
I got to stare at him while he spoke, so full of life, using hand gestures and smiling, his deep voice bounding from the screen.
I told him about how much I love being a paramedic, but how different it is after not working very often over the last two years. Garrett’s pension from the military kept me afloat when I was too unstable to work and it almost allowed me to wallow longer, knowing I wouldn’t lose my house.
But working at the VA proved to me how much I missed working and how helping people was my passion.
He even holds still long enough for me to get a picture of him.
But, the time comes when he has to go.
“I have to get going, need to get at least a little sleep,” he says it on a sigh, and I feel bad for keeping him up, but also touched that he took time to Skype me.
“Go get some sleep, handsome.”
At that comment, his lips tip up in a sleepy smile, all for me.
So I do something for once without completely overthinking it.
I bring my fingertips to my lips, kiss them and then blow them at the computer screen. He catches it in his fist and brings it over his chest where he flattens his hand, pressing my kiss right into his heart.
Cue all the melts.
“Be seeing you, sweet girl.”
He smiles at me one last time, absolutely wrecking me, and then signs off.
God what just happened.
I have never felt like that just by seeing someone.
I mean Garrett was handsome, but even compared to my husband, Raiden is so…so much more.
I feel a twinge of sadness for thinking these thoughts, but quickly push them down. I’m allowed to feel like this, I’m allowed to think Raid is gorgeous.
This is the new me and the new me is awesome, this is going to take some time but this feels like the direction I am supposed to be heading.
I flop back on my bed, looking once again at the glow in the dark stars on my ceiling. I let out a deep happy breath. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much, just talking to Raiden can change my whole day.
I still can’t believe I blew him a kiss… and him pressing it to his heart, ugh, I just about died.
I pull out my phone and look at the picture I took of him, setting it as my background, glad that I’ll have a piece of him to carry around with me.
Lost in my daydreams, I feel a cold nose against my temple, about startling me half to death. “Okay baby girl, let’s get you outside for a walk, huh?”
Dahlia leaps off the bed and sprints down the stairs. I trail behind her, still unable to think of anything but a drop dead gorgeous Marine that makes my entire heart soar.