crave | 16+

IX

ELIJAH

I STARE AT HER sitting across from me, next to my little brother her previous words looping in my head. You know, your little brother is much more of a gentleman than you. Perhaps, I'll give one Christ a chance and here's a spoiler; it won't be you. I grind my molars so hard against each other, I'm afraid they'll turn to dust soon.

I don't fancy her, I know I don't. I'd just rather she fancied me than my little brother who lives off his highs, not knowing how to run a business. A laugh escapes her mouth, at something Zakaria says to her and I inhale a deep breath knowing I don't have the right to tell him to fuck off. Josephine seems to notice this which only encourages her to keep going.

"Did you two call Mum today?" Malik, my older brother, asks us.

Josephine's laughter comes to a halt as pondering comes across my little brother's face. For crying out loud, he forgot his mother's birthday, yet he's better than me? I think not. Unlike the little shit flirting with my— our employee, I actually called my mother and wished her a happy birthday. I scoff at my little brother, which makes Josephine's eyes dart toward me. Oh, now she's interested?

"What is today?" she asks curiously. Malik tells her and a smile comes onto her lips as she congratulates our mum to us. I don't thank her, unlike my two brothers. I sit still watching her. I don't know what it is about her. She's bratty, has no manners, yet something about her makes me want to be next to her all the time and I fear I'll turn mad before I figure out what it is.

Perhaps it's the fact that she may be the best employee I've hired in the past 4 years, and the fact that she does it all so humbly, so humbly, that sometimes she doesn't even realise how great she fucking is. Or maybe the fact that I'd never heard her cuss, besides from the time in my office. She's like a preserved toy on a shelf just waiting for a kid to come buy and ruin her pretty packaging.

I shake the thoughts of her being ruined out of my head, before it turns into something I'll have to fix in the bathroom later.

"Why is it that we're going to the state where sisters and brothers have sex?" my older brother asks, twirling the ice in his glass filled with whiskey. A gasp escapes those pretty forbidden lips, a laugh from my little brother and a stern look from me. Malik looks up from his iPhone unbothered, still seeking answers.

"My dad is sick—"
"Her family matters—"
She and Zakaria say at the same time.

My head moves toward Zakaria.

"And you know this, because?" I ask him, a dangerous edge to my voice. It even surprises me.

Malik lets a chuckle escape him. "Careful Zakaria, keep trying on his girl and he'll have you murdered," our big brother says in our mother language, Arabic. Zakaria stares right back at me, his eyes challenging me.

"She told me."

My eyes move to Josephine a second too long. She looks like she's about to drop dead from a heart attack.

"Jealous?" Zakaria pushes.

"You're the CEO, because I allowed it. If anything she is supposed to tell me first if she suddenly leaves the office," I say to the three of them, my tone calm like the ocean before a storm. Zakaria almost deflates like a balloon while Malik full on laughs, as if he's having the time of his goddamned life.

"I'm going to the bathroom," Malik announces.

"I'll go ask the pilot how long till we're there," Zakaria follows.

I watch Josephine gulp before looking out of her window. The air leaves the room along with my brothers, and I suddenly feel myself becoming more wild. I am normally a composed man; perks of owning a business. It's a must. Never let your opponents know your next move, and by staying calm they never will.

Josephine turns her head and gives me an annoyed look, which makes my lip twitch, a smirk daring to leave my lips.

"Why're you staring at me like that?" she snaps.

I tilt my head. "Like what, darling?"

"Like you're about to bite my damned head off."

I chuckle, throwing my head back. When I look at her, her cheeks are a tint redder than they were before. "Not your head, love, but all you have to do is ask and I'll bite anything you'd like me to."

Her mouth falls open. "Perverted ass," she murmurs under her breath turning her head back to her window.

"I wasn't the one moaning your name, was I?" I tease, and watch as her face bursts into literal flames. She looks at me, all flushed making her look sexy yet adorable. It takes everything in me not to grab my phone and take a picture of her, so I'll have it forever.

"Would you lower your voice?!" she whisper-yells at me. "The entire 50 states didn't hear you!" she seethes. I simply shrug my shoulders at her pretending I have no idea what she's talking about.

"Do you know you get so adorable when mad?" I continue, causing her cheeks to set aflame once more.

"Would you please for the love of God, Shut. Up," she mutters more to herself than me.

"I can't help it. Makes me want to get over there and cool those red cheeks down," I tell her, causing her head to snap my way.

"You're talking about my ass while we're on our way to my sick father? My Gosh— I— you really are sick, like actually medically ill. Use some of those trust-fund money and seek a doctor for the love of God—"

Her ranting stops when she hears the sound of my laughter. She looks at me confused, clearly not understanding which cheeks I meant. "I meant the cheeks on your face, darling. But sure, if you're fantasising about me cooling your ass down, I can make that happen too."

She scoffs. "In your dreams."

"Take it as a promise, love."

As if on cue, my brothers return.

"Fasten your seatbelts," Zakaria says. "We're landing." 

. . . 
here's a little bonus ch in eli's pov
for my little Crave deprives sluts 🫶