DISCLAIMER: Characters of Veronica Mars, the canon events of their storylines, and recognizable dialogue belong to Rob Thomas.

A/N:

* Chapter 9 through Chapter 12 were posted within a month of each other *

Chapter 9 = Homecoming dance [posted on 4 May 2018]

If you haven't read that chapter, click back before continuing to read below.

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WARNING: Chapter 10 & 11 could be titled "The Agony and the Ecstasy"– with the ecstasy taking place first, the agony following after.

Chapter 10

On the surface, it seemed like any other weekend with Dad out of town to take care of business. When I woke up in the morning, Dad had already left for the airport to catch his flight. Checking my phone, I had found a text from him requesting that I email him some documents he forgot to take with him, as well as a text from Weevil requesting that I call him as soon as I got up.

The moment I heard Weevil's voice on the phone, it was clear this was not an ordinary Saturday morning. He told me that he had already talked to Bri. They didn't have any guests this weekend, because Ben was doing some repairs. But she said that it was okay for us to come for a visit. One of Ben's projects would be easier if he had an extra pair of hands. Since we had planned to go separately anyway, Weevil would get on the road after we finished talking so that he'd have time to assist Ben before I arrived.

As I was about to say goodbye, he asked if I still wanted to stay for dinner and spend the night – or if I just wanted to spend the afternoon on the beach and then head home. I assured him that I hadn't changed my mind and said that I'd text him before I left.

When I had said, "See you soon," his reply was "Not soon enough, cariño."

That reply had put a silly smile on my face. That smile remained in place while I showered and took my time shaving, while I painted my toe nails and put on my makeup, while I picked out my clothes and packed a few things for my overnight stay, while I scanned the papers for Dad and ate a quick lunch before leaving. That smile even remained on my face when I stopped at Mac's house to give her a key so she could take care of Backup while I was away.

The drive was almost over – less than ten minutes away from seeing him – and that silly smile was still plastered across my face.

[

When I arrived at the bed and breakfast, Bri was behind the reception desk. She came around to give me a hug, explaining that they had finished working on the hot water heater. After telling me that Ben had moved on to something else on his list, she added, "Eli went up to take a shower. I suspect he's taking a nap. Sounds like you guys had a late night."

He had apparently told her about going to the homecoming dance. However, she wanted to hear details from me later.

Mere minutes after I had entered the B&B, I was on my way up the stairs to the suite on the third floor. Nervously, I stood at the door – my hand raised, but not quite ready to turn the knob. I shifted the weight of my overnight bag on my shoulder and took a deep breath. Finally, I opened the door.

Before I had even crossed the threshold, I saw him stretched out on the bed, lying on his stomach. His eyes were closed, but I wasn't sure if he was sleeping or not. I sat down next to him, admiring the tattoos on the back of his shirtless torso. Even as I touched his skin to trace the outline of one of the tattoos, I wasn't entirely sure if he was awake or asleep.

It wasn't until he said, "Can't keep your hands off me, can you?" that I was certain.

He rolled onto his side and pulled me down for a kiss. One of his hands landed on my thigh – the hem of my coverup had slid up when I sat down. He pulled back from the kiss and took in my appearance. Prepared for a day at the beach, I was wearing a bikini underneath a loose dress that hit above the knee when I was standing.

The look in his eyes changed in an instant. Before I could process what was happening, he quickly moved to stand beside the bed. Taking me in his arms, he kicked my bag aside, crossed the room to shut the door, and pressed my back against it.

His eyes locked onto mine as he put two fingers into his mouth and then reached down. He groaned and said, "You were thinking about me during the drive here."

I slowly nodded my response as his left hand lifted my right leg, placing my foot on the chair next to us. His right hand continued to build my arousal. The tender skin heated under his touch. Warmth spread through my body until I was on fire. The hormones being released into my system were awakening the strongest desires I'd ever had.

Just as I began to climax, memories began to flood my mind. Memories of the night we were at Club Mojo. On the dance floor. At the table. In the bathroom. My back pressed against the stall divider. And all the things he made me feel that night.

In much the same way as that night last spring, my head tipped back against the door and my hands splayed out next to me. My knees felt like they would buckle any second.

Finding my voice, I said, "I remember."

When he didn't reply, I wasn't sure if he had heard me. I lifted my head away from the door and opened my eyes. Looking at his expression, it seemed that he had been having the same memories.

Removing his hand from between my legs, he put his fingers in his mouth again, sucking them clean. "Just like I remember. You taste like cheesecake."

"I do? Wait … how would you …?" And then it hit me, he had licked his fingers that night when he turned away from me to get his things off the counter.

He didn't answer my unfinished question. Instead, he kissed me. I found it surprisingly arousing that I could taste myself on his tongue.

A few moments later, he dropped to his knees before me. "I've been wanting to do this since that night." After sliding my bikini bottom down my legs, he put my right leg over his shoulder and his tongue took over the task that his fingers had been performing a few minutes earlier.

My fingers moved to his smooth scalp. Not that he seemed to need encouragement to continue, but I knew that he liked my hands on his head – really, he just liked when I touched his bare skin. Not only did I have no complaints about that, I enjoyed the contact as much as he did.

When I touched him – particularly his neck and head – it felt intimate. Not always in a sexual way. But I felt closer to him somehow. Back when we were just trading favors, I would not have touched his head. It would have felt like I was crossing a line somehow. However, during the conversation we had at the beach after Logan kissed me at the Camelot, I had put my hand on his head and neck to get him to look at me, to open up to me. And he had. When I woke up in the hospital after the bus crash, I reached out for him – touching his head, needing for him to know what I was feeling. And his eyes had mirrored my emotions back to me.

In this moment, the man I had fallen for … had fallen before me … lavishing his affection on my body. This man was a leader of many and a servant of none. He had never demanded anything of me physically. Yet here in this room, he had gotten on his knees, giving freely before taking anything. It was instinctual for me to touch him in a way that felt most intimate to me – to stroke the shaved skin on his head.

What was happening right now was not just a sex act; he was making love to me. And by the looks of it, he planned to take his time. As my arousal approached fever pitch level, my mind flipped back to something he had said once about "thorough follow-through." In my hazy state, I couldn't seem to remember when he had said it, but I could see his face and hear his voice in my memory.

This must have been what he was talking about. For damn sure, he was being thorough now.

My head felt like I was getting drunk. I couldn't believe the effect he had on me. My mind was mush and I didn't have the ability to control my volume. Boy, was I glad there weren't any other guests staying at the B&B.

Shortly after the white light flashed behind my eyelids, he stood and said, "The most amazing cheesecake I've ever had." Then, he began kissing me again.

Several minutes later – after my head cleared and I could feel my legs again – he suggested we go out on the beach for a while. On our way through the main floor, Bri mentioned that she and Ben were going to go out to eat and see a movie, adding that she could serve our dinner before they left.

After spending some time in the water and taking a walk on the beach, we ate dinner out on the deck, enjoying the salt air and the setting sun. Our mouths were occupied with the delicious food, so we didn't talk that much during dinner. At one point, his eyes met mine and refused to let go.

"How much do you remember?"

"The night at the club? Everything … I think. Right down to the sound of his zipper and the trash can scraping on the floor."

"Not exactly the response I was hoping for."

"I just meant that all the details seem to be there. Obviously, the important part is …"

"The important part is … what?"

"The way you made me feel."

"And how did I make you feel?"

I could tell he was expecting me to comment on his prowess and the orgasm I'd had as a result of said prowess. But what I said was this: "Cared for. And protected." Then, as a thought flitted through my mind causing me to blush, I added, "And desirable."

"You are. All of those things." Reaching for my hand, he said, "I'm glad more of your memories are coming back."

After we took our dishes into the kitchen and locked the door to the deck, we went upstairs.

Crossing the threshold into our room, the intensity of the moment hit me. Although I had been with Duncan, this would be the night I would look back on as my first time. That thought sent a wave of butterflies nervously fluttering through my abdomen.

When he suggested taking a shower to wash off the salt and sand, I just nodded, not trusting my voice. The time we spent together in the shower made me feel more comfortable. More comfortable with his body being up against mine, with nothing in between.

Skin on skin. Hot water spraying down, washing over each of us. Our lips dancing as we stood there in one another's arms.

The way he looked at me. The way he said my name. The way he touched me. Nothing had ever felt this right. We fit together perfectly.

After drying off, he led me to the bed. Foreplay eventually transitioned to the main event. What started as discomfort quickly turned to pain, but soon, the pain gave way to pleasure. He took my hands and moved them to the slats of the headboard. He instructed me to hold on, adding that he couldn't hold back anymore.

I wanted to remember every detail of our time together, but I couldn't think straight, couldn't make myself focus. Finally, I just gave in and let the sensations wash over me as he took me over the edge with him.

If I'd known how good it would feel to have him inside me, I would have seduced him long ago.

Wrapping a blanket around us, we went out onto the private deck attached to the suite. There in his arms, listening to the waves, all I could do was sigh contentedly.

"What's going on in that head of yours, V?"

"When you said legendary, you weren't exaggerating."

I was prepared for some quip like 'You ain't seen nothing yet,' but he remained silent and placed a kiss on top of my head.

We must have nodded off at some point. When Bri and Ben came home, I woke up. A short while later, it seemed they had gone to bed.

Weevil's growling stomach sent him down to the kitchen in search of food. He returned with sandwiches, bottles of water, and a can of whipped cream.

We stayed awake for a few more hours giving and receiving pleasure, reveling in the freedom to be alone like this – uninhibited, no worries about anyone walking in and interrupting us. We knew it was a vacation from reality. A fantasy weekend in the midst of chaos that demanded to be dealt with. But for now, we both put on blinders and chose to see nothing but each other.

With my head resting on his chest, he said, "I like having you all to myself." He was quiet for a moment. "You know I love you, but … for a long time now … I've wanted you to feel … what I feel for you."

Lifting my head, I teased, "Oh, I definitely felt it. But wait. Go back. You … what? What exactly do I know?" I wasn't sure if he had intended to say it.

Realizing what I was asking about, he looked directly into my eyes as he said, "I love you, Veronica. Should have said it a long time ago. Es tuyo mi corazón." After planting a possessive kiss on me, he added, "Eres mía. In fact, I think that's what I'll call you from now on … Mía."

All I could do was stare at him. I tried to find words, but failed. Instead, I chose to kiss him until I could gather my thoughts. I had never expected to fall so hard for someone at such a young age. I certainly never expected it to be the boy my father had arrested numerous times before high school. But I had fallen for him. Completely. There was only one thing I could say: "Estoy enamorado de ti, Eli."

I wasn't in the habit of calling him that very often. But in this moment, in this room, he wasn't Weevil, leader of the PCH Bike Club. He was Eli, the man I had fallen in love with.

As I drifted back to sleep, I felt like I was floating. Like I had indulged in a vat of bliss. I wanted more – more of this, more of him – but that would have to wait. Because I was exhausted.

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When his phone alarm went off at 10 a.m., he reached for it and then reached for me.

With his chest against my back and his arm around my waist, he placed kisses just behind my ear. "Morning, beautiful."

After a few minutes of snuggling, I tried to wriggle free of his embrace.

"Where do you think you're going, Mía?"

"I want to take a shower before we go down to eat breakfast."

"Food. Good thinking." He picked up his phone, his expression changing as he started to scroll through messages. "I'm gonna give Felix a call while you're in there."

They didn't have much of a chance to talk on Friday because of the dance. Although I had a rough idea what they would need to talk about, they had been leaving me out of their recent planning sessions. I hoped the phone call would not alter his good mood.

I'm not sure how long I was in the shower. My mind kept wandering to memories of the previous night. When I finally made it back out to the bedroom, he was pacing back and forth with the phone to his ear.

Turning to look at me, he shut his phone and said, "He left a voicemail late last night and told me to call. But he's not answering." His concern was obvious as he gestured to his phone, adding, "I've got a bunch of missed calls from my grandma. I'll need to call her after we eat."

After tossing the phone on the bed, he took a few steps in my direction. "Mía." His voice was filled with desire. He grabbed my hips to pull me in for a kiss before saying, "Be back in a few minutes."

We had both turned off our phones last night. We didn't want to be interrupted and figured there couldn't be anything that important going on. When I turned mine on, I had a sinking feeling that we had been wrong about that. Before I could deal with the missed calls on my phone, there was a knock at the door.

As I opened it, I saw Bri standing there with a tray of food.

She and I had a few minutes to talk before he came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

Taking one look at our faces, he asked, "What's going on?"

Bri glanced at me before starting to talk. "Eli, I need to tell you something. You might want to sit down. I had a call this morning."

"Abuela?"

"Nothing happened to Aunt Letty. She's fine. In fact, she's the one who called me. She tried your cell, but you didn't answer. She got a call in the middle of the night. Actually, early this morning … from Felix's mom."

As he lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, I moved over to take his hand. "There's no easy way to say this. He was stabbed last night. He's out of surgery, but she didn't say much more than that about his condition."

"What happened?"

Since she had talked to Letty, Bri fielded this question. "All she knew was that Felix was out with your guys ... Late last night, someone was driving across the Coronado Bridge and found two people lying on the pavement." She paused briefly. "One of them was Felix. The other guy had a knife in his hand. He threw the knife off the bridge and fled the scene without talking to the witness."

He looked back and forth between us before his eyes settled on mine. "What else? What aren't you telling me, V?"

"I just got off the phone with Leo. He said the license plate the witness gave belongs to Logan's SUV. There's a warrant out for his arrest."

Before he could respond to that, Bri interjected, "I'm not sure when you were planning to go back to Neptune, but I think you need to take some time … before you get on your bike."

He glared at her.

"She's right," I said. "First, we have some things we need to talk about. And you need to take some time to process what happened … before you face everyone … today at the hospital and tomorrow at school."

He dropped his towel to the floor and started to get dressed, apparently not caring that his cousin was in the room. "I don't want to process. I don't want to talk. I want to pound him into oblivion." His voice rose as he grabbed his jacket and his phone.

Stepping in front of him, I placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

Bri blocked the door and said, "I can't let you drive like this."

"Felix would be there for me. I need to get there. There are … things to deal with."

"Yes," I said as calmly as I could. "And we will deal with them. But not right this second. Not when you aren't in control of your emotions."

His jaw was set. His eyes were hard and cold. His tone was harsh as he said, "V, move. I'm leaving. Now."

First, Bri cleared her throat. Then, she said, "Actually, you're not. I had Ben lock up your bike … at Letty's request. I'm the only one who knows where the key is. And I'm not letting you drive until I believe you'll be safe."

He snapped at his cousin, "Go unlock my bike. Now."

"Sorry. Can't do that just yet." Before leaving our room, she looked at me and said, "I'll give you some privacy. Let me know if you need anything."

A/N:

Like I said, agony and ecstasy. This is as painful for me as it is for you.

WARNING: Buckle up. Bumpy road ahead.

The good news: I won't leave you with a cliffhanger. The next chapter will be up soon. A total of 5 more chapters will be posted between now and the end of summer.

Thanks for reading! Until next time …

~Jen

2 June 2018

cariño = sweetheart / darling

es tuyo mi corazón = my heart is yours

eres mía = you're mine

estoy enamorado de ti = I'm in love with you

abuela = grandmother