05

Why was he even trying to prove himself to a stranger that he only knew through teaching ?

« I’ll leave you and Elijah alone if that’s what you want. » He compromised.

Rainy rose a brow, stunned that he was actually willing to listen to her and leave them alone. « Oh, » that was a lot easier than expected, « thank you, I can totally see why Elijah speaks so highly of you now. » She tried to butter him up with a feigned smile.

« Stop that. » He said bitterly, seeing straight through her formalities. « Get out. »

The conversation was well and truly over.

Elijah felt her hands make their way slowly through his hair. She waited until he kissed her first, using a hand at the back of his neck to guide him up to her face. He groaned lowly, the noise in the back of his throat enough to make her wet. The skilled woman wrapped her mouth around his, her tongue flicking out to trace its way across his lower lip.

His own lips opened hungrily, welcoming her tongue into his mouth. He bit at her bottom lip gently, the pressure sending a pulse through her. A tingle erupted within her stomach, making her moan into his mouth. Pushing her tongue roughly against his own. He matched her with a roll of his jaw, the movement applying a new sensation against her lower lip.

They pulled apart slowly, reluctantly, both sucking in the air but not simply out of breathlessness. The kiss was enough to leave her panting, she moved to feel him against her. Rainy wanted him. All of him.

The sensation she felt between her legs irritated her, making her want to desperately capture his lips with her own.

He was an amazing kisser.

« Not to be a mood killer or anything but do you guys mind not doing that while I’m here ? » A disgusted voice broke the two lovebirds apart. Rainy found herself blushing hard as she looked over at the pink-haired girl standing across from them.

They hadn’t even made it out of the car yet and were already making out. Eliza gave Rainy a sweet smile, reaching in to place a soft kiss upon her cheek before her eyes fell on her twin brother. « You know Eli, I like Rainy. A lot. Just not enough to ever see you practically have sex with her outside of our beautiful family beach house. » Placing extreme emphasis on the word family.

Elijah chuckled letting go of Rainy who was now busy twiddling her thumbs and avoiding any type of eye contact. He looked over her head to see the rest of his family pulling their luggage out of the cab. After a long flight and and even longer car ride, they had finally arrived to Palm Springs.

« You’ve never seen a kiss before virgin ? »

Eliza mocked him whilst rolling her suitcase behind her. She purposely knocked into him, shoving him backwards. Elijah tripped over his own feet a little before finding his balance again. Rainy stifled a laugh watching the way the look of annoyance sketched onto his features.

« Bitch. »

« Thank you. » She beamed, flicking his shoulder and nodding over at Rainy. « See you both at dinner. » She winked, the freckles on her face marrying in with her tan. She had a small button nose and plump lips that fit her face perfectly.

Eliza was truly beautiful.

Rainy marvelled at her beauty, wondering if she had gotten her good looks from her mother or father. Two people she would meet soon enough.

Elijah had mentioned to her that his Aunt and Uncle and the kids usually did their own thing on spring break. So when the kids ran past them through the double doors on their numerous electronics and the parents moodily trotted behind them with bags piled up in their hands, Rainy simply smiled and moved to the side.

« Move ! Everybody get out of my way ! » Lisa yelled loudly, all three pairs of eyes finding her immediately. Her bleach blonde hair was the first thing they spotted, she had on a big straw hat and sunglasses that hid her hangover well. She was wearing a long white summer dress and dark sandals that matched her sunglasses.

Lisa was more than just hungover. She was cranky.

Who could blame her though, the car journey with two kids under seven and six sweaty cramped adults was enough to put anyone in a bad mood.

The thirty one year muttered curse words under her breath as she wheeled her cases along the concrete ground. « Your stupid uncle is good for nothing I tell you, nothing. Don’t even bother asking him for any help, the only thing he knows how to do is pick his nose and leave all of his unwanted mess around. » She huffed, blowing the strands of loose hair from her face. « Oh and if you want to know his real party trick, he can sniff special sugar with his nose kids. »

Special sugar ? Like cocaine ?

Was she talking about coke ?

The peaceful silence only lasted a good few seconds before another deeper voice retaliated, biting back at the frustrated woman in an equally sarcastic tone.

« Why don’t you go and take a nap already Lisa ? The bitch in you is showing. »

Eliza let out a laugh at the sound of her aunt and uncle bickering in the background, she gave Rainy an apologetic smile patting her on the shoulder. « Good luck, those two never stop arguing. And don’t worry Uncle Silver isn’t actually a crackhead. » With that, she brushed passed the couple and made her way inside the massive beach house. If it wasn’t obvious to her by their uncanny resemblance, then it most certainly was now. Rainy made the link between Lisa and Silver.

So that was how he was related to Elijah ?

He was the brother of Aunt Lisa and Aunt Felicity (who were also twins) which meant that he was Elijah’s maternal uncle. Thus also meaning he must’ve been the younger brother to all three, well she assumed he was by the way Lisa seemed to be shouting at him across the car.

Only the last borns were yelled at like that, she would know she was one herself.

« Asshole ! »

Lisa angrily pushed her things up the pathway leading into the house, she didn’t bother to say a word to Elijah or Rainy.

The entire situation was enough to make Elijah sigh and turn to face the amused girl standing next to him. He took her hands in his whilst his lips turned downwards into a frown. « I’m sorry about all of this, I did tell you my family were a lot. » He grumbled clearly embarrassed at what had gone on in the last twenty minutes.

She looked up into his enticing eyes, her own glinting with joy.

« I love them, » She tiptoed up to place a soft kiss upon his lips. « and I love you. » Before they could kiss they heard the sound of someone coughing

« Now I think you’re forgetting to introduce a special someone to us Elijah. We’ve been waiting for you both to get here all day and we won’t be kept waiting any longer. »

Ripping her gaze away from her boyfriend, Rainy pulled a face when she looked up to see a fairly tall man with grey hair standing in front of them. Next to him stood a grinning shorter lady with bright red hair that reached well below her waist, the petite woman looked youthful with big frames perched upon her freckled nose and bright red lipstick to match her hair.

So that’s where Eliza got her beauty from.

And her clear liking towards coloured hair.

Rainy’s eyes widen as she straightened up, holding her hand out for the older man to take first.

« Oh, » Rainy’s voice came out breathless and she recoiled inwardly. She cleaned her throat and tried again bestowing a warm smile with her dimples appearing. « Mr and Mrs Banks, it’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Rainy, I’ve heard so much about you both. »

« Only good things I hope. » Elijah’s father said with an animated eye roll though before he could say anything else his wife excitedly cut him off. « Oh don’t be silly darling, we prefer hugs in this family. Bring it in ! » She insisted, with a southern twang to her words. Very different to the New Yorker way of speaking that she was so used to hearing.

For the second time that day, she felt her breath being knocked out of her lungs as she was smothered into a bone-crushing hug.