Read Online Combustion by Elia Winters - Free Book Online Page A

easily. His reaction, though, had been quite surprising. He’d been so forward.
    Remembering his initial confusion, Astrid found herself smiling. Despite her intimacies over the years, she’d never shown any of her wares to men before. Women, yes, women who were surprised and nervous and ultimately very, very happy, but never men.
    She spotted him crossing the street, drawing his scarf a bit tighter around his neck against the early morning wind, grinning as he saw her waiting for him. Why did he have to be so handsome? It would be easier to continue disliking him if he didn’t have those cheekbones, those deep, dark eyes, that bright smile. He jogged up to her.
    â€œHave you been waiting long?”
    â€œNo, not long. Are you ready?”
    â€œYes, let’s get this taken care of.” The queue was shorter at this hour of the morning, and they didn’t have to wait long before they were inside the bank building. Sideburn Man was still staffing the table. Did he ever go home?
    â€œEli Rutledge.” At the sight of Astrid’s companion, Sideburn Man stood and took Eli’s hand in both of his. “So good to see you, sir. I was hoping you would turn up.” His gaze fell on Astrid. “Ah. Back again, miss?”
    â€œShe’s with me, Reynold.” Eli extricated his hand. “Astrid Bailey, this is Reynold Halstead of the IFCT.”
    Reynold shook her hand, the gesture perfunctory as he never looked away from Eli.
    Eli took the papers from Astrid. “We’re here to turn in paperwork for the World’s Fair.”
    â€œI see.” Reynold adjusted his glasses and drew some paperwork toward him. “And will this be a booth registration, or only for the contest?”
    Eli answered again. “Both.” Astrid knew he would run the booth for his own shop, but the contest invention would be all hers.
    The rest of the conversation took place between Reynold and Eli, and Astrid herself might have been invisible. Her annoyance at being excluded was overshadowed by curiosity, though, as she watched the process unfold. After Reynold had reviewed all the information and collected Eli’s cheque, he handed Eli a written confirmation of their entry.
    â€œAll entries will be confidential until the Judges’ Viewing on May 27th.” Reynold shook Eli’s hand, then Astrid’s. “Best of luck to you both.”
    Once outside, Astrid snatched the confirmation paper out of Eli’s hand, her elation laced with anxiety. This was it. Everything was official.
    â€œI believe we’re in business.” Eli turned up the collar of his greatcoat against the wind. “Now, are you finally going to show me this shop of yours?”
    Astrid’s flat lay just beyond the outskirts of London proper, at the edge of what could be considered a decent neighborhood. Astrid kept expecting Eli to make snarky comments about his surroundings or remind her that he was accustomed to better living arrangements, but he only looked around at the tenements and remarked that he’d never been to that part of town before.
    â€œNo, I imagine not. It isn’t exactly the city.” Her key jammed in the lock, as usual, and it took a bit of force to unstick it before she could let him in. “I’m up on the fourth floor.” As they climbed the stairs, her heart quickened with more than exertion from the climb. This was the first time she’d taken a man back to her flat. Her dalliances over the years always happened at her partner’s home. Although her relationship with Eli was strictly business, she couldn’t help but imagine the opportunity for more as they climbed the stairs. He might be insufferably arrogant, but he was also strikingly handsome, and she would probably enjoy taking him to bed if she didn’t try never to mix business with pleasure.
    â€œAll right, this is it.” Astrid unlocked her front door. Eli crossed past her, looking