Author's Note: Chapter 21 ends like so.
"I'd hate to resort to conventional ways to set boundaries, Lizzie, but this is personal," he tried. It was the least he could do in order to steer away from the catastrophe this conversation could be. His caution was a formality, though, and he was well-aware of it. She was not going to back down.
"Do you really wanna talk boundaries? You had every room of my house under surveillance for years. Are you trying to tell me you've never had a peek?" a triumph was achieved. She'd won yet another round.
"My partner did come. Twice, to be exact," he informed her with evident delight. Dodging the more dangerous of the two bullets was a good survival strategy. One that would give him a chance to live and see where their odd relationship would go.
"Wow," she managed with a smile. He could've misinterpreted it that as mockery, so she decided preventative damage control was best. "No, really, it's impressive. How did you make her come?" she continued.
"You're pushing it, Elizabeth," he warned her, hoping he was able to convey how much he meant it.
"So were you, by the sound of it," she giggled like the 15-year-old teenager she felt she was whenever he was around.
"Are you quite done?" he sighed.
"I hope you didn't ask her that," she laughed out loud this time, proud by her own humorous prowess. "Okay, okay, that was the last one, I promise," she surrendered, referring only to the shots she was taking at him. The questions she had, on the other hand, were, at least, a decade's worth. "Tell me," and she meant it.
He looked at her for the longest time. He was unprepared for this kind of interest.
"I went down on her. She came within minutes. The second time, she came during sex," his eyes were on her face the whole time. Like a vulture waiting for his prey to step forward and make itself available for death. She never did. She'd learned how to be composed around him, how to get whatever she was after.
"See, was that so hard?" she smiled, hoping her glee was contagious enough to cheer him up.
"Whatever this is, Lizzie, we need to discuss it in more accommodating surroundings. Tonight," she was left with no choice, but she didn't mind.
"Tonight," she repeated her agreement.
That same night, her expectations about his stamina and capabilities were exceeded.
