Heat spread to my face and a lump dropped into my stomach. Are you kidding me? This had to be some sick joke fate was playing on me. She wanted Eli and me to work together? We could barely be in the same place for a minute without venom shooting out of every word we uttered to each other. I felt Eli’s gaze on me, making my pulse quicken and my insides twist and roll around, ready to choke off my air supply.
“Y-You want me to run the ropes course with him? Are you sure?”
“I won’t make you. You’ve had too many people force you into things, but I do believe you would be really good at this,” she said. “And I have a feeling you and Eli will work really well together.”
“May I speak to you alone, Marisol?” Eli said tersely.
Mrs. Sanchez frowned, but then nodded. “Ember, will you just step out for a moment?”
I stood up, my own rebuttal dying on my lips as I looked over at Eli. His angry, determined face was the opposite of my humiliated expression. I flushed as I walked out of the room. Mrs. Sanchez’s office had a long window next to her door. I situated myself so I could see what was happening, while not looking too obvious that I was spying on them.
Watching Eli trying desperately to change Mrs. Sanchez’s mind made something deep within my soul ache. The more she shook her head, the more adamant Eli became. I bit my lip, trying to keep back the tears. Why was I so upset? I didn’t want to work with him any more than he wanted to work with me. Another gush of heat flooded into my face. By now I had to be purple. How dare he make me feel like this! Like clockwork, my hurt and embarrassment transformed into anger.
It was a few more minutes before Mrs. Sanchez called me back to her office. Eli sat in a chair with cool resentment, which sent chills down my spine. He kept his gaze on Mrs. Sanchez with a reserved hostility meant for me.
“I apologize. Eli and I had to just work out a few details.” I knew she was lying, and she knew I knew, but it was a lie everyone in the room was going to play along with. “I guess I should have asked first if you both wanted to do this. I hoped, since it was either this or picking up trash on the side of the road, you’d be happy with this choice.”
“I am. Thank you,” I said as pleasantly as I could.
Eli scoffed beside me.
There was no way Mrs. Sanchez could have missed the strange animosity between us. On the other hand, maybe that was the reason she was doing it—thinking if we worked together, we’d work out whatever problems we had. I watched her, trying to decipher her motives, but her implacable expression revealed nothing. I would not let the jackass next to me control my life, and I certainly wasn’t going to run and hide from him. He could glare and say snarky things all he wanted; I would just smile more.
“I’m happy to do the ropes course,” I said sweetly.
“Great. I’m so glad.” Even now she didn’t smile, but there was something warm in her voice and in her eyes that made you believe she really was thrilled.
The door to Mrs. Sanchez’s office opened, and Mrs. Holt’s head popped in. “Marisol, I’m sorry to interrupt, but there is someone out here who needs to see you right now. It should only take a moment.”
“Of course.” She stood up, all sixty-two inches of her. “I’ll be right back.” She walked out, closing the door behind her.
Eli continued to look forward. I exhaled my irritation, my anger growing. His head jerked my way, but at the last moment, he averted his gaze again. I leaned over my lap, propping my elbows on my legs, cupping my head in my hands. I will not let him get to me. I will not let him get to me. I repeated to myself. But I couldn’t deny that one side of my body felt every molecule of his next to mine. Heat radiated off of him like a furnace and I hungrily ate it up. Sighing again, I fiercely rubbed my temples. Why did this guy make me feel so baffled, frustrated, and emotional?
“Problem?” Eli’s voice had a cruel taunting tone to it.
Picking my head up, I gave him a sharp look. “You’re fucking kidding me, right?”
“I don’t kid about fucking.”
I flushed under his steady gaze. The last thing in the world I wanted was to show him that he could embarrass me, especially with his sexual innuendos. I pressed my lips together, fighting back the heat rising in my body. “You may not, but I’m sure most of your girlfriends found it a joke,” I shot back.
“Ouch.” A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “So, I’m gathering you have a problem working with me?”
I let out a bitter, crazed laugh. He was enjoying getting a rise out of me as if I were his personal voodoo doll he could needle. This guy could seriously provoke me. I sat up looking him directly in the eye. “Listen, I’m not any happier about this than you, but I’m going to try to make the best out of this situation.”
“I know a few ways you could make this situation better,” he said, leaving me guessing at his meaning. My cheeks were already flushed from the earlier implication, and the imagery still rocketed in my head. I couldn’t let myself linger on it for too long.
“What? Like running to Mrs. Sanchez and crying like a little girl?”
His face darkened as his eyes locked on mine. Dread and dizziness swept over me as I realized pissing him off was not the brightest idea. Not that I could help pissing people off, especially him. It seemed to come with the territory of being me. He moved in closer, stopping only inches from my face.
“I didn’t run,” he said through clenched teeth. “I skipped.”
It took a second for his words sunk in, and then a nervous laugh bubbled up. “Wow, you really need to work on that skip of yours.”
“How can you say that?” He moved back in his chair. “It was beautifully executed.”
“You seriously have to be bipolar or something,” I muttered, still confused by his changing moods.
The door opened and Mrs. Sanchez came in. “I apologize. Now, where were we?”
She went through all the details with us. Since it was still considered winter, they only had the ropes course on weekends, but during the week, on Mondays and Thursdays, she wanted us to prep for the upcoming season by installing an obstacle course and a paintball area. In a few weeks they would be hiring more people and switching to their summer schedule.
Mrs. Sanchez wanted us to stay late the next evening to go through some basic ropes training. “Jason is a professional trainer who goes around preparing people to lead the ropes course. I’ve used him several times before. He’s a great guy and is able to fit you in at the last moment. I understand this is very quick, but I’m just going to throw you two into the deep end and hope you can swim.”
After she excused us to go, we both raced for the doors that lead to freedom. But then I did something I wasn’t expecting. Right as we came to the front doors of the building, I stepped in front of his path, blocking his exit.
“Truce?” I asked abruptly. “Just ‘til we get through this.”
He stared down at me in silence, making my heart race. He looked like he was seriously debating with himself about whether he wanted to be civil to me. Finally, he nodded stiffly. “Truce.”
I felt a weight, which I didn’t even know was there, lift off my shoulders. I sighed with relief. There was a peculiar buzzing that throbbed between us, making my heart beat faster. We were standing extremely close, staring at each other. Just the way he stood motionless intrigued me. Was I that typical—drawn to the bad boy? Was that all it was, the woman’s tendency to think she will be the one to “tame” the beast? I hadn’t thought I was that kind of girl but, obviously, I was wrong. It seemed no matter how dangerous or scary he was it just made me want to know more about him.
We watched each other skeptically, our eyes fixed on the other. Words were not spoken, but I felt I was on the verge of understanding his eyes again, like earlier. But that understanding quickly dissipated as he jerked his gaze away from mine. Like a door slamming in my face, he became hard and aloof once again.
Thirteen
Mark looked relieved when I tol
d him I had to stay late the next day and that Ryan and Kennedy would be picking me up. I also told him I would be taking the bus in the morning. He nodded in agreement. Work was really starting to get hectic and stressful so he didn’t argue with me.
The next morning I was re-thinking that decision when I had to get up over an hour early. I dragged myself to the bus stop, still half asleep, with my coffee container in hand.
The day passed quickly enough. I was feeling a lot more comfortable and was beginning to find a rhythm. It was a normal day, so for me that meant it was an abnormal day. The only thing that struck me as odd was Sam seemed to move away from me whenever I was near. At first I thought I was just imagining things, but when Eli did the same, I wondered if it was more than just a coincidence. Was this his version of a truce? Yeah, he was going to be so much fun to work with.
I walked into the lunchroom where we would be training for the ropes course. A guy with a bluish-black and red striped Mohawk and eyebrow piercings stood at the far end of the room. Tattoos covered both his arms and neck, but they were partly hidden by a t-shirt that said “Rock the Rope.” Mrs. Sanchez told us he was also an extreme sports enthusiast. Jumping out of planes with a snowboard and insane stuff like that. I had tried bungee jumping and really liked it, but I was nowhere near an extremist.
I waved to get his attention. He looked to be in his mid-thirties but definitely had a young skateboarder-surfer vibe about him. He loped over to shake my hand.
“Oh hey, I’m Jason. I guess you must be Ember? Cool hair.” He smiled at me.
He stopped shaking my hand, but continued to grasp it as he looked back and forth between my eyes, seemingly transfixed by them. He leaned, so close I could see the tiny stud on his eyebrow ring. “Holy shit, man, those are the most freakin’ unbelievable eyes I have ever seen. They’re wicked!”
“Yeah, and if you get any closer to them, you might get a wicked view of my fist,” a voice growled behind me. I spun around to see Eli leaning against the doorframe. His arms were crossed over his toned chest. He looked like he was relaxed and carefree, but I knew it was all a façade. I could see in his relaxed poise, he was tense and ready to pounce. His green eyes glinted brightly.
He looked between us apologetically. “Oh, uh, sorry man. I-I wasn’t . . . I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, well now you do.” Eli pushed himself off the wall and lumbered up to us.
My mouth was agape. “There’s nothing to know. We’re not together.” I turned to Eli. “What the hell is your problem? Is being a jackass just another one of your many hidden talents?” I glared at him.
“I won’t deny I’m good at it, but it’s definitely not one of my many hidden talents. Or so I’ve been told.” His expression revealed nothing, but there was no doubt as to what he was hinting at. My cheeks turned a deep shade of pink and I quickly turned away from him. I didn’t miss the smirk cutting across his face.
“T-that’s not . . . I mean . . . I wasn’t insinuating . . .” It usually wasn’t easy to turn me into a stammering mess, but he seemed to do it effortlessly.
“What’s wrong, Ember?” A cruel, smug smile tugged at the corner of Eli’s mouth. “You don’t strike me as the type who gets thwarted so easily.” Eli’s bright eyes penetrated so deeply into mine it made me feel as if all my inner thoughts and feelings were being unveiled.
“Thwart suggests you defeated or outwitted me.” My eyebrows arched in a mocking response, challenging him. A slow, unsettling grin spread over his face, but he stayed silent. “What’s wrong Eli? You don’t strike me as the type who gets surmounted so easily.”
You want to play vocabulary? Fine, bring it, I thought.
His eyebrow cocked, and I immediately wanted to slap myself. Oh, you idiot. Why did you have to use that word?
“It’s a little early in our relationship for us to be ‘surmounting,’ but, hey, I’m game if you are. I’ll even let you be on top.” He looked directly at me, a coy smile playing on his lips.
Whenever I thought I had the upper hand, Eli seemed to be able to pull my legs out from under me, knocking me off my game. I grappled for any kind of thought not including images of this boy’s naked body or his fingers against my bare skin. I shook my head, trying to rid my mind of the vivid images playing out in my head.
He moved in closer, causing warmth to flare through me as he brushed my arm. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, his hot breath slipping teasingly down my neck and spine. “I’ll be waiting eagerly for a good retort from that wicked tongue of yours. I’m sure you will come back with some mind-blowing licks for me.” He stepped back away from me. Watching me flounder for words and the chagrin spreading over my cheeks only widened his smile.
He was toying with me. He enjoyed the power he got from watching me lose my defenses. Everything about him scared me, infuriated me, and intrigued me—an exceedingly dangerous combination. Absolutely nothing good would come of this. I needed to run in the opposite direction of anything having to do with Eli Dragen.
I really should have listened to my own advice.
The ropes trainer’s mouth hung slightly open as his gaze flickered between Eli and me.
I cleared my throat. “Uh, sorry about that. Putting us in the same room should come with a warning label: Will cause a pain in the ass.”
“O-kay . . .” He put on a polite smile. “Shall we continue?”
“Yes. Please continue, Jason.” I turned back to him, letting my flirty smile out. Anything that would piss Eli off would make me happy. I smiled brightly. “What are you going to teach us tonight?”
“Oh, right. Yeah man, come on over and I’ll show you guys the basics, the safety tips, how you get in and out of the harness, and how to check the equipment properly.” Jason waved us over to the table piled with ropes and harnesses. For the next hour and half he took us through all the safety precautions and basic rope protocol.
“Okay, now I’m gonna have you take turns clicking each other onto the lead and adjusting the tension.”
He sprang towards the rope hanging up in the room from end to end. Eli shot me an inscrutable look before spinning on his heels, heading toward the rope.
Speaking of adjusting the tension, I thought as I followed.
“Okay, Ember, I’ll have you go first.” Jason handed me a clip for the rope. Eli stood with his legs apart, parallel to his shoulders, and his arms crossed over his chest. The harness fit snuggly over his button-fly jeans. The weight of the harness pulled them down, exposing more of his hips and lower torso. As low as they dipped, I saw no hint of underwear. No, don’t go there. I swallowed and shifted my gaze to the floor as I walked up to him.
My fingers nervously fumbled with the clip and the front loop of his harness. I twisted my hand to get a better angle, and my knuckles brushed up against the exposed patch of his soft, toned skin. My hand and his body jerked back in response.
Embarrassment colored my face. His eyes held mine with a steady, critical gaze that I couldn’t really decipher before I returned my focus back to the harness. I clipped him into the rope and adjusted the tension, and then took several steps away from him.
“Awesome.” Jason nodded his head approvingly. “Now it’s your turn, Eli.”
I tried to calm my thumping heart as his eyes locked onto mine, the room becoming hazy and out of focus. Eli held the clip in one hand, his fingers flicking the clasp open and closed as he stepped up to me. With the other hand, he curled his fingers through my harness loop, purposely letting his thumb skim the space between my jean line and t-shirt hem. My skin burned where he touched me.
He yanked me closer to him, our bodies becoming aligned. My breath caught in my throat as he swiftly hooked the clip in the loop and gave it another strong tug to make sure it was secure. He stepped back, adjusting the tension of the rope, his eyes never leaving mine.
My body trembled. I hadn’t realized I had stopped breathing until tiny, dark spots impeded my vision and the room decided to get a little u
nstable on me. I let go of my breath, hoping he wouldn’t notice my reaction. From the fraction of a smile glinting in Eli’s eyes, I was not so lucky.
I nodded at him. Well played.
He shrugged. I thought so. Are you sure you really want to dance with me, little girl?
I crossed my arms. I’ve heard the Samba is enjoyable.
He smirked. You are out of your league.
Don’t underestimate me.
Tango it is then.
“Wow, awk-ward.” Jason clasped his hands together trying to break the tension between Eli and me. Jason’s voice snapped me back into the room, and I looked up, startled. I had almost forgotten he was there. That was a bad sign—a really bad sign.
We finished the rest of our training and, as soon as I was unhooked, I thanked Jason and bolted out of the room. My phone showed a text from Kennedy saying they’d be here at six-thirty. That gave me ten more minutes. I walked outside, wanting to escape into the open air and the dark shadows hanging from the building. My body still buzzed with adrenaline, and my skin, where his thumb had touched me, zinged with heat. I leaned against the cement wall and closed my eyes, taking in a slow breath of cool air, trying to calm myself.
Someone barged out the front door of the building. My eyes flew open with a start. I froze as I saw Eli barreling towards the parking lot, his hand continuously running over his face and through his hair. He reached his bike and threw down his bag angrily, profanity hissing out of his mouth. He leaned over his bike. He looked to be gathering himself together, his fingers digging into the leather seat. I didn’t move a muscle, afraid he’d turn around and see me.
The front door creaked again as someone else pushed their way outside. “Eli?” A girl’s voice echoed over the night air, which I immediately recognized as Samantha’s. “Eli?” She walked towards him. I pressed myself harder into the wall, hoping I’d become part of it.
“What?” He sounded irritated.
“I was waiting for you.”
Darkness Of Light (Darkness #1) Page 8
