“What’s up?” she greeted Lily.
“Oh my god! I’ve started to think you’ve forgotten about me! How come you never called me?” Lily squeaked, then pouted.
“I'm sorry. I've been so busy lately,” she replied with a heavy sigh. “How's Bali?” she asked, feeling a momentary pang of regret for the summer she could have had if she'd gone traveling with Lily instead.
“It's so boring here. I'm heading to Ibiza in three days. I hear the party scene is better there anyway,” Lily said, rolling her eyes.
“Oh, I see,” Meredith responded, not the least bit excited about it.
What happened to you? You should be more ecstatic that there’s another place where you can party ‘till you drop!
“What’s up with you?” Lily asked, narrowing her eyes.
Meredith tried to play dumb. “What?”
“You’re not acting like your usual self, Mer. Come on, you can tell me anything.”
“There’s nothing to tell, really.”
Lily pursed her lips. It was obvious from her expression that Meredith had failed to convince her of this.
“This is about Elijah Scott, right? Go on, spill the beans.”
Meredith froze. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell Lily about everything. It was just that she wasn't sure where to start.
She took a deep breath.
“Something is going on between us,” she said slowly, feeling a lump growing in her throat. “And… Actually, I just snuck out of his room.”
Lily gasped, genuinely shocked. Meredith instantly regretted telling her, at least like this. She'd wanted to talk about this in person.
“Really?” Lily asked with gleaming eyes.
“Really,” she repeated in affirmation.
“You slut! I can't believe you finally gave up your V-card!”
Meredith blushed. She was still embarrassed.
“Y-Yeah, I did.”
“And?” Lily urged, wanting to get a few more juicy details.
“It was worth the wait, Lily,” she answered honestly.
In fact, she thought it had been a whole lot better than what she had expected. It was not just a night to remember. It was – and would always be – a cherished moment.
Her first time had been a blast!
“You think you guys could be an item? Am I going to see you in the paper soon?” Lily asked excitedly. She was acting like a giddy teenager, anticipating the next episode of her favorite romantic sitcom.
Meredith swallowed hard.
“I… We haven’t really talked about that. I don’t know,” she spoke in almost a whisper.
Lily gasped.
“Wait, so you two are doing it in secret?” the woman asked with an eyebrow raised.
“You make it sound so tawdry, Lily,” she answered defensively.
“I'm just concerned for you, that's all. You waited all this time because you wanted it to be special and perfect, but now what? I don't like the idea of you being some politician's dirty little secret, Mer.”
Meredith was taken aback. She hadn't expected Lily to be so blunt.
Was she going about this the wrong way?
Shrugging off the idea, Meredith shook her head. “It’s not exactly like that.”
“Well, what is it then?” Lily challenged.
“It’s still so new. I don’t want anything to disturb it,” she muttered while pulling a face. She hated it when her best friend had a point.
Lily rolled her eyes like she'd just heard the stupidest joke of the year. She was openly showing her dislike of the situation.
“Whatever you say,” the woman spoke dryly.
Meredith sighed.
“Listen… you never told me about that party on the yacht. How was it?” she asked, trying to change the subject.
As much as Meredith wanted to catch up with her best friend a little longer, she couldn't stop thinking about Lily’s words. She knew Lily only wanted the best for her. And she knew the woman was right.
Sooner or later, she and Eli would have to put a label on whatever they were doing. And she didn’t have the slightest idea how that would even happen.
But the real question was, would they even reach that part?
Dirty little secret.
Lily's words echoed in her mind until they said goodbye. She couldn't deny she was bothered by them. But she hoped things would get better soon.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
After a successful campaign rally in Michigan, Eli attended yet another donor event. Sosie had been nagging him about optics, and he'd agreed to shake hands with everyone he met and kiss every baby he saw. The reporters followed him around as usual – snapping photos, taking notes, and asking questions.
He hadn't expected to enjoy the event. He'd never been fond of children. But today was different. He felt good around them for some unknown reason. He started to seriously entertain the idea of having kids of his own someday. He wondered if they'd have his eyes, or Meredith's...
What was he thinking? Lately he'd been thinking about things like settling down. This wasn't at all like him.
As he talked with a few people, his gaze traveled to Meredith again and again, unable to get enough of her. She looked so beautiful in her white floral skirt and black top. She looked like a runway model instead of a reporter.
He watched her laughing with colleagues as they sat in one corner to get some rest. And before he could even look away, she looked at him then smiled, sucking the end of her pen.
He blinked – stunned by the naughty gesture, making him forget what he was saying. A sudden rush of heat disturbed his thoughts, and she grinned when he looked at her again.
Damn. The woman really knew how to get under his skin.
Before sunset, the affair was wrapped up and they headed back to the hotel. Elijah desperately searched for Meredith’s figure and when he found her, he pulled her into his limo, quickly rolling up the partition so the driver couldn’t see them.
Without saying a word, he seared her mouth with a passionate kiss, pinning her down against the leather seat. Despite her shock, Meredith responded to his kisses with the same intensity. It was as if they hadn't spent the night together.
They just couldn't get enough of each other.
His hands traveled down her legs, caressing her soft skin. She squirmed underneath his touch, catching her breath as he pulled away, breaking their kiss. He cupped her breasts, her nipples hardening immediately as he brushed his thumbs over her peaks.
Meredith whimpered while watching him, her blue eyes full of desire.
She pulled off her top and quickly unhooked her bra. She moaned as his wet and warm mouth closed over one nipple, and he rolled the other between his thumb and forefinger.
He closed his eyes as he focused on sucking at her gorgeous tits, enjoying her delicate feminine taste. She tasted wonderful with the mixture of sweat and the traces of rose-scented soap on her skin.
She writhed under him as she released a muffled moan. He inhaled sharply, sliding his hands down to her ass. Her cheeks were bare, and he loved the way she felt in his hands.
“You're so wet,” he whispered in her ear.
Meredith batted her lashes and arched her back in response, an invitation for him to do something about it.