Read Online FRAGILE: Part 1 by Kimberly Malone - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberly Malone
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gold.”
And you’re melting that heart, I think. I give him a smile, dizzy with desire and joy. I still can’t believe that Eli’s taking me to his place again. Maybe our relationship is more than professional? I wonder. At the very least, Eli wants to see me again, and that alone makes my heart soar.
We arrive at the skyscraper where Eli’s condo is, and Eli escorts me inside and up to his place. It’s weird for me to be back here; it’s as fancy as it was when I left it, but this time I feel way out of place in my jeans. The only way I could feel even more out of place is if I had shown up in pajamas, and even then, I have some pajamas that would fit a romantic evening lounging in a place like this better than what I’m currently wearing.
No sooner do we step inside and the door closes than Eli pulls me in close and kisses me. There’s a slight energy in his kiss that I recognize, and a tremor of passion runs through me, making me weak in the knees. After a long time, Eli leans back, letting me catch my breath.
“Ruby,” Eli whispers, “I’m going for a hike tomorrow.” He kisses me on the lips again. “Would you come with me?”
“Yes,” I say.
“Do you want a drink?” Eli kisses my cheek.
“Yes.”
Eli unzips my jacket, as he kisses my neck. “Do you want me?”
“Yes.”
My shirt disappears, and Eli’s mouth moves down from my neck.
“Yes,” I murmur, even though Eli hasn’t asked anything. I wrap my hands around his head, my fingers playing with his locks of hair, and I close my eyes. “Yes.”
CHAPTER 4
Eli’s idea of a hike is my idea of a hike—a six-mile, partly rock-climbing expedition, complete with a packed lunch and a backpack with supplies just in case we get adventurous and become stranded out there. It takes us a little over an hour to drive to the trailhead (via a cab at Eli’s suggestion, and I don’t mind the opportunity to sit beside Eli and chat with him). The entire time we ride out to the park—and while we hike—I play a game of edging Eli with questions until I sense he’s about to shut down, and then I talk about myself.
I find out Eli’s been the CEO of Marnvell Jewelers for four years, and that for two years prior he worked for Marnvell Jewelers in another position—although he won’t go into much more detail than that. I also discover that he has parents and a younger brother, but Eli definitely doesn’t like talking about them. Still, it’s something.
“So why Marnvell Jewelers?” I ask at one point when we stop for water. It’s a rather humid day, but at least it’s fall, and not quite as hot and heavy as it is in the summer. My curls don’t care, however, and they’re sticking out every which way behind my head despite the purple bandana I’d put over them to help hold them down.
Eli’s lips purse, a sign that I’m getting into territory he’s not sure he wants to discuss. Then, he looks at me, and his face relaxes again. “It seemed like a great option for me six years ago,” Eli says.
“What about long-term?” I ask.
“I actually really like it,” Eli says. It’s the first time he’s admitted to enjoying his work. “I often worry whether I’m doing a good job though.”
I chuckle. “You? I haven’t looked at your numbers recently, but based on everything I saw before, and our numbers through Marnvell Jewelers, suggests you’re doing fine.”
“I don’t have the passion you do,” Eli says. He gives me a longing look. “I like what I do, but it’s not the same as how you love your work.”
“What do you get excited about?” I ask.
“You.”
My cheeks heat up, and I wag my finger at him, grinning sheepishly. “I asked for that one. But you know what I mean.”
Eli looks off down the rocky hillside we just climbed. He looks incredibly appealing with the sweat dripping down his forehead, his gray t-shirt tight against his muscular chest.
“I don’t know,” Eli says.
Silence hangs over us, as we
And you’re melting that heart, I think. I give him a smile, dizzy with desire and joy. I still can’t believe that Eli’s taking me to his place again. Maybe our relationship is more than professional? I wonder. At the very least, Eli wants to see me again, and that alone makes my heart soar.
We arrive at the skyscraper where Eli’s condo is, and Eli escorts me inside and up to his place. It’s weird for me to be back here; it’s as fancy as it was when I left it, but this time I feel way out of place in my jeans. The only way I could feel even more out of place is if I had shown up in pajamas, and even then, I have some pajamas that would fit a romantic evening lounging in a place like this better than what I’m currently wearing.
No sooner do we step inside and the door closes than Eli pulls me in close and kisses me. There’s a slight energy in his kiss that I recognize, and a tremor of passion runs through me, making me weak in the knees. After a long time, Eli leans back, letting me catch my breath.
“Ruby,” Eli whispers, “I’m going for a hike tomorrow.” He kisses me on the lips again. “Would you come with me?”
“Yes,” I say.
“Do you want a drink?” Eli kisses my cheek.
“Yes.”
Eli unzips my jacket, as he kisses my neck. “Do you want me?”
“Yes.”
My shirt disappears, and Eli’s mouth moves down from my neck.
“Yes,” I murmur, even though Eli hasn’t asked anything. I wrap my hands around his head, my fingers playing with his locks of hair, and I close my eyes. “Yes.”
CHAPTER 4
Eli’s idea of a hike is my idea of a hike—a six-mile, partly rock-climbing expedition, complete with a packed lunch and a backpack with supplies just in case we get adventurous and become stranded out there. It takes us a little over an hour to drive to the trailhead (via a cab at Eli’s suggestion, and I don’t mind the opportunity to sit beside Eli and chat with him). The entire time we ride out to the park—and while we hike—I play a game of edging Eli with questions until I sense he’s about to shut down, and then I talk about myself.
I find out Eli’s been the CEO of Marnvell Jewelers for four years, and that for two years prior he worked for Marnvell Jewelers in another position—although he won’t go into much more detail than that. I also discover that he has parents and a younger brother, but Eli definitely doesn’t like talking about them. Still, it’s something.
“So why Marnvell Jewelers?” I ask at one point when we stop for water. It’s a rather humid day, but at least it’s fall, and not quite as hot and heavy as it is in the summer. My curls don’t care, however, and they’re sticking out every which way behind my head despite the purple bandana I’d put over them to help hold them down.
Eli’s lips purse, a sign that I’m getting into territory he’s not sure he wants to discuss. Then, he looks at me, and his face relaxes again. “It seemed like a great option for me six years ago,” Eli says.
“What about long-term?” I ask.
“I actually really like it,” Eli says. It’s the first time he’s admitted to enjoying his work. “I often worry whether I’m doing a good job though.”
I chuckle. “You? I haven’t looked at your numbers recently, but based on everything I saw before, and our numbers through Marnvell Jewelers, suggests you’re doing fine.”
“I don’t have the passion you do,” Eli says. He gives me a longing look. “I like what I do, but it’s not the same as how you love your work.”
“What do you get excited about?” I ask.
“You.”
My cheeks heat up, and I wag my finger at him, grinning sheepishly. “I asked for that one. But you know what I mean.”
Eli looks off down the rocky hillside we just climbed. He looks incredibly appealing with the sweat dripping down his forehead, his gray t-shirt tight against his muscular chest.
“I don’t know,” Eli says.
Silence hangs over us, as we
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