Sunlight irritated my eyes. I rolled around in bed until I found a dark spot. All I wanted to do was sleep, but I couldn’t find a comfortable position. Irritation pulsed through me as I sat up in bed.

Oh shit. This wasn’t my bed. Where was I?

I glanced around, taking in the sparse decor and dirty clothes tossed all over. This was Eli’s bedroom. I was still in his trailer. Memories of last night came rushing back. Eli and me. Skin against skin. Hot kisses and tender touches. Our souls connecting.

Us imprinting with one another.

Eli was mine, and I was now his. Forever.

Delicious tingles slipped up and down my spine as everything about our beautiful moment together flooded my senses…until I remembered Alec.

I had to let him know about Eli and me. He needed to be told today. It was cruel of me to continue stringing him along. Maybe it always had been, but I’d found reasons to make it all seem okay. Good enough reasons for me to believe them.

Now, there wasn’t a single reason. Alec deserved to know about Eli and me. I owed him that much.

I smoothed a hand over my face. Where was Eli? And how did I end up in his bed? The bits and pieces I remembered from last night didn’t involve a bed. They involved a comfy couch I’d never be able to look at the same way again.

I glanced around Eli’s room. The sheets were crumpled beside me as though someone had left them recently. Had he gotten up to use the restroom or for a sip of water? What was I supposed to do? Stay where I was until he came back?

I pulled my knees up to my chin as I thought about the only other time I’d been in his room. I remembered wondering then what it would be like to sleep with Eli, but I’d been quick to push the thought away. My lips quirked into a smile because it seemed silly to push any thoughts of Eli away now.

A noise captured my attention. I silenced my racing thoughts as I focused on the sound and moved to the edge of the bed. Eli was close. I could feel him. His presence was strong, and the magnetic pull I’d felt toward him had intensified tenfold since last night. He was a part of me now.

“I know you’re awake,” Eli shouted. Was he in the kitchen? “I can hear you wiggling around in the bed. Come to the kitchen and eat. I made us breakfast.”

I arched a brow. Eli had cooked?

“I’m coming,” I said as I slipped out of bed. It was then I realized I was still naked. While I’d love to walk into Eli’s kitchen in my birthday suit and surprise the hell out of him, he didn’t have mini-blinds on his windows. There was no way I wanted to give Mr. Russell a show this morning.

“Hearing you say those words will never grow old,” Eli called out to me. I didn’t have to see his face to know a grin was hanging on it.

“I’m sure,” I said as I scanned his bedroom floor, searching for my clothes.

They weren’t in here. All I saw were Eli’s discarded dirty clothes. He wasn’t kidding when he said he’d had an aversion to laundry lately. From the piles scattered across his floor, I wondered if he knew how to use a washer and dryer.

A folded T-shirt on top of his dresser caught my eye. I wasn’t sure if he’d set it out for me or if it was the last clean article of clothing he owned, but I picked it up and slipped it on. Eli’s scent—masculine and musky with a hint of woods—floated to my nose, sending a sense of comfort to wash over me. I was home again.

The thought jolted me. When had Eli become home?

My guess was last night, but as I thought about it, I realized somewhere deep inside there had always been a piece of him that made me think of home. Last night had only made it come to full bloom.

I left his bedroom and started down the hall. The scent of something peppery lingered heavily in the air. He definitely wasn’t cooking macaroni and cheese for breakfast.

“What are you cooking?” I asked as I stepped into the open living room and kitchen area. When I reached him, I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my face against his bare skin. The only thing he had on were the athletic shorts I remembered from last night. I placed a kiss to his skin and then glanced over his shoulder to see what he was cooking. A piece of bread with an egg sunny side up sizzled in the hot pan. “What’s that?”

“An egg in a basket,” Eli said. “Haven’t you ever had one before?”

“No, I can’t say that I have.” I released my grip on him and moved to lean against the counter. “Do you have any juice?”

“I have coffee,” Eli said as he placed a kiss to my temple. My heart pounded in a needful rhythm wanting more of his lips on me.

“I don’t drink coffee,” I admitted. “I’ve never been able to get over the taste. It’s always bitter. No matter how much sugar or cream I dump in it.”

“I’ll have to remember that.” He flipped the piece of bread with the egg nestled inside over. “I’ll get juice for the next time you spend the night.”

“Who said there’d be a next time?” I asked as I shifted to face him fully. His arm snaked out, and he pulled me into him.

“Me.” His lips brushed against mine, causing my knees to grow weak. I pulled away, breaking our kiss all too soon because all I could think about was how horrible my morning breath probably was. Eli trailed his lips along the side of my neck, unfazed by my reluctance to kiss him first thing in the morning. “And your body. It’s definitely telling me there will be a next time.”

Damn him.

“Are you ready for a repeat of last night?” he asked. His voice had grown low and husky. Sexy.

I opened my mouth to say yes, but my stomach grumbled painfully loud.

“Umm, I think I need breakfast first,” I said as my lips curved into a slight smile.

“Which is why I got up to make you something.” He released me and went back to his abandoned pan.

“How did I end up in your bed last night?” I asked as I hoisted myself on the counter beside where he was cooking. “I don’t remember walking back there at all. The last thing I remember was the couch.” It was amazing how the words could come out of my mouth without my cheeks heating from the topic of conversation.

“I carried you,” he said with a shrug of his shoulder as though it wasn’t a big deal. “I wanted to make sure you were comfortable while you slept.”

“Aw, that was sweet of you.”

“I know.” He grinned. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did.” In fact, it was the most peaceful sleep I’d had in forever.

“I did too.” He reached into the cabinet beside the stove and grabbed two paper plates. “All right, breakfast is done if you want to grab a fork.”

I slipped off the counter and stepped to the silverware drawer to grab us each one. Eli handed me a plate, and I handed him a fork before hoisting myself back up onto the counter to eat. The entire exchange of silverware and food seemed incredibly domesticated, yet it felt normal to be having breakfast with him in his place.

It was amazing how things could change so quickly. If someone had told me a month ago I would be wearing only a T-shirt while sitting on Eli Vargas’s kitchen counter, eating breakfast with him, I would’ve told them to go home because they were drunk.

“When are you going to get a dining room table?” I asked as I debated how to eat the egg thing he’d made.

“Probably not for a while,” Eli said. I watched as he stabbed his fork into the center of the yolk, busting it. He cut the corner of the bread off and then dipped it in the yoke. “You could always sit on the couch if you wanted.”

“No way. That couch is not for eating on.”

“And why is that? You don’t like to mix pleasure with food?” He arched a brow.

“No. It’s just too pretty,” I said as I mimicked what he’d done with his yolk and bread. “I wouldn’t want it to get dirty. I can be a messy eater.” As I said this, a drop of yolk dripped from my fork and landed on the front of his shirt I was wearing.

“I can see that.” He chuckled. “I’ll try to get us a table, then.”

Us? Had he really said us with the implication we were living together? Or had he meant for when I came over to eat with him again?

“Don’t look so scared. I’m not asking you to move in with me…yet.” He grinned. “But you have to know it will come eventually. You’ll get tired of sleeping alone at your Gran’s, and you’ll be begging me for a key to my place.”

I glared at him. He was so sure of himself it was almost comical. “You really think that’s what will happen?”

“Oh, I’m positive.” He winked.

“Want to make a bet?”

“I’m not really the betting type of guy, but in this situation, I might be.” He licked his lips, and it was all I could do to not lean forward and kiss him. “Give me the details of the bet.”

I thought for a second before answering, trying to come up with something good. Nothing fantastic came to mind, so I went with the first thing I thought of instead. “Okay, if you ask me to move in first, I get to repaint this place in colors of my choice.”

“Okay,” he said with a slight nod. “What if you ask me first if you can move in?”

“Umm, don’t you think you should get to decide what you get? I don’t think you understand how this works,” I said with a chuckle.

“Oh, I understand. I just thought you wanted to be the one setting both wagers.”

“Nope, fair is fair. I set mine, now you set yours.”

“All right, if you ask me if you can move in before I ask you, then I get tomato soup and grilled cheese at least once a week made by you…naked.”

Of course, he would turn this into something sexual. He was a guy, after all.

While I wasn’t big on cooking, I thought I could handle his wager. “Deal.”

I held my hand out so we could shake on it.

Eli gripped my hand in his. “I think I like this betting thing, especially when it involves you.”

“Don’t look so smug. You haven’t won anything yet.”

“Yet being the operative word.” He winked as he let go of my hand and picked up his fork again.

We finished our breakfast in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. I imagined Eli was thinking of his betting terms. I was sure it was obvious I was thinking of mine.

In my head, I was repainting the walls of his trailer, searching for a color that might fit with his beautiful gray couch.

“I should get going.” I tossed my paper plate in the trash and my fork in the sink once I’d finished my egg in a basket, which happened to be delicious. It was such a simple breakfast, but so good. “I’m sure Gran is wondering where I’m at. Gracie, too.”

“They won’t care you’ve been away once you tell them you were with me.” A smug sense of satisfaction dripped from his words.

“You’re probably right, but I still need to head home.”

Eli tossed his paper plate in the trash and started for the sink. After he chucked his fork in it, he reached for me. His arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me close. I licked my lips in anticipation of his kiss, knowing one was coming.

“I wish you’d stay, but I understand,” he said.

“Is this you wishing I’d move in?”

His eyes twinkled as a wide smile spread across his face. “I’m not asking you to move in. I’m asking you to stay longer,” he clarified.

“Okay, just checking,” I said before brushing my lips against his.

Eli took control of our kiss. His lips worked over mine in the fiery way they had the night before and lust sparked to life inside me.

Holy hell, becoming imprinted had definitely intensified things between us. Like times one hundred.

Eli pulled away all too soon. “I guess I’ll let you head home. Remember though, we’re meeting with Dorian at noon to go over the game plan so we’re all on the same page before heading to Peter’s house today.”

The mention of Dorian and Peter killed the moment for me. It also reminded me of what today was—Drew’s funeral.

“Yeah, I remember,” I muttered as I headed to the couch to gather my clothes.

Once I grabbed them, I went to the bathroom and changed.

“You didn’t have to change,” Eli said as I emerged from his bathroom. “I liked the sight of you in my shirt.”

“I’m sure you did.” I held the shirt out to him. “But I think this is the only clean article of clothing you own, and it’s not even clean now that I dripped yoke on it.”

A wicked grin twisted across his face. “You’re probably right about that. I need to figure out this whole laundry business.”

“Laundry 101, coming up.” I headed back to his bedroom. Eli followed me.

“What are you doing?” he asked as he watched me from the doorway while I buzzed around his bedroom, scooping up his dark clothing first.

“Gathering a load of laundry so I can teach you how to use your washing machine.” I glanced at him from over my shoulder. “You do have laundry detergent, right?”

“Yeah. My mom gave me some as part of her moving out present.”

“That was sweet of her,” I said as I picked a few more dark articles of clothing off the floor. “Here, take these to the washer.” I handed him the clothes I’d been holding and then bent at the waist to grab a few more dark T-shirts.

I started down the hall and spotted Eli at the washing machine off the kitchen. He lifted the lid and crammed his clothes inside. At least he had enough sense to spread them around instead of keeping them lumped in one spot. There was hope for him yet.

“Okay, so here’s what you do first,” I said as I tossed the clothes I held into the washer as well. “Gather clothes, place them in the washing machine, pour a quarter cup of detergent in, close the lid, and press this button. Done. Wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“Why did you grab all the dark clothes? Do they really have to be separated like that?”

“If you want your colors to keep their colors, then yes. Don’t ever wash whites with darks. You’ll end up with a mess. Trust me.” I’d learned that the hard way last summer when I ruined my favorite pair of white shorts.

“What about lights and darks? Can those be mixed?”

“No. Not unless you want faded colors quick. At least that’s what Gran says.” I looked through the cabinet above his washer and dryer, searching for dryer sheets. A box of them caught my eye. Thankfully, his mom had given him everything he needed to do his laundry. “Once the machine goes off, you move all of the wet clothes into the dryer and put one of the sheets in. Clean the lint trap. Press this button and voilà, clean clothes.”

“Sounds easy enough. Thanks for the lesson.” Eli smirked as he pulled me into him again.

“You’re welcome.” I brushed my lips across his. “I need to go, though.”

The longer I stayed, the more awkward it would be when I walked in the door at Gran’s.

“I’ll see you at noon,” Eli said as his fingertips dug into my hips. It made him seem unwilling to let me go. I loved that.

“Noon. Got it. Are we meeting here?”

“Yeah.”

“You better have lunch waiting then.” I slipped out of his grasp and headed for his front door. “A grilled cheese would be nice. It would be even better with tomato soup, though.”

“Hey, you’re the grilled cheese master. Not me.”

“You were there when I cooked them last time. You know my method. See you at lunch,” I said as I slipped out the door.

I wasn’t expecting him to cook me a grilled cheese with tomato soup; I was only teasing. However, it would be a nice gesture if he did.

Gravel crunched beneath my sandals as I started toward Gran’s trailer. I had no idea what time it was, but I knew the sun was growing higher in the sky by the second and the slight chill that always seemed to dampen the air on summer mornings had already started to dissipate.

The clanking of a glass caught my attention as I neared the Bell sisters’ trailer. I cringed as I spotted them on their porch, sipping a yellowish-orange liquid out of champagne flutes.

“Good morning to you, Mina,” the oldest Bell sister said.

I plastered a smile on my face and wondered if I’d be able to play it off as though I’d come from a walk at the lake instead of Eli’s. Probably not. The sisters would most likely smell Eli on me.

“Coming from Eli’s so early in the morning, are you?” the youngest of the Bell sisters asked. Her knowing tone made my heart beat out of its normal rhythm.

It wasn’t that I was embarrassed to have been caught leaving Eli’s trailer early in the morning, I just didn’t like the way she was looking at me. All smug and condescending.

I opened my mouth to say something in response, but caught sight of Gran carrying groceries into our trailer. “Looks like Gran just got back from the store. I should help her carry the groceries in. Have a good morning, ladies.”

I rushed toward Gran, not caring if she noticed I was coming from Eli’s after having spent the night, talking with her about it would be better than talking with the Bell sisters.

“Morning,” I said as I walked up to her and reached into the bed of my dad’s truck for the remaining groceries bags. “Let me help you carry these inside.”

“Thank you.” Gran stared at me. Her eyes soaked in every inch of me. Would she be able to spot something different? Would she know something had changed? “I thought I heard someone leave last night around three. Was that you?”

“Yeah. It was me. I couldn’t sleep,” I said without meeting her eyes.

“And you’re just now getting home?” She turned toward the trailer to start up the stairs. Was she really doing this? Was she really going to make me say I’d been with Eli?

“Yeah. I went to Eli’s to talk to him but ended up staying the night,” I admitted, trying to make myself sound as though it wasn’t a big deal.

Gran glanced at me from over her shoulder. “Oh. Okay.”

She opened the door and stepped inside without another word. I didn’t know what I’d expected her to say, but that wasn’t it.

“Okay? That’s all you have to say?” I asked as I followed her through the door. I closed it behind me with my foot.

“What more do you want me to say? I’m sure you don’t want to go into details about your night with Eli. Do you?”

“No, but I figured you’d have something else to say besides okay.”

“Like what?” Gran asked as she set the groceries on the counter.

“I don’t know,” I said as I placed the bags I’d carried inside beside hers and tossed my hands up. “Maybe I told you so. Maybe I’m glad you finally gave Eli a chance. Maybe the two of you were destined to end up together or some other woo-woo response. Anything besides just okay.”

Gran shifted around to face me. She placed her hands on my shoulders and looked me directly in the eye. “I’m glad you finally gave Eli a chance. I always knew the two of you were destined to be together. The heart wants what the heart wants. I’m glad you finally gave your stubborn side the boot where it concerns him.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes.

“There, now that’s out of the way, why don’t you put these groceries up?” Gran insisted. “You might want to take a shower afterward because you reek of Eli, which is something I don’t think your father will want to wake up smelling on you.”

I pursed my lips together. Yeah, that might not be the best idea. While I knew he would find out Eli and I had imprinted soon enough, I didn’t think he’d enjoy learning about it within the first two minutes of waking.

I rushed to put the groceries up and then hightailed it to the shower.