narrowed. “Don’t challenge me.”
Eli simply quirked a brow and
sat back, waving a hand.
Carmen’s palms hit the table
and she moved as though she would rise. His fingers curled around her wrist.
Their eyes met.
“Don’t.”
“Then stop making me want to,” she whispered. “I prefer you
when you’re behaving like a goddamn adult. This cocky football captain shit
isn’t a turn on, Elijah. Not in the least bit. Either cut it and show me what I
saw last week or leave me to my original plan because believe it or not, I can pretend like you don’t exist.”
Eli slowly released her,
sitting back with a hard breath. He was acting like a twat and she was right to
call him on it. The whole point of Carmen’s ignoring him for so long was
because of the very thing he was exhibiting right now—arrogance. The problem
with that Carmen Sanchez was not a
sure thing. She never would be. Predicting what was crossing her thoughts was
about as easy as predicting when he’d die—impossible. He’d gotten so accustomed
to women doing whatever they could to get and keep his interest that he’d
fallen back into the same routine: a flirtatious smile, a few compliments and
comments birthed from pure egotism. Losing the little ground he’d gained with
her was right on the horizon if he didn’t remind himself of who he was dealing
with at the moment.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, clenching
his hands.
“What?”
He swallowed, caught her eyes
and enunciated, “I’m sorry.” He
nodded to her seat. “Would you please sit back down and tell me the first place
you’d like to go tonight?”
She eased back into the chair
almost warily, like she was waiting for Hyde to return with a vengeance.
Eli gripped one leg of her seat
and pulled it until she was directly beside him. She shot him a look but he
simply grinned, placed her cup in front of her then slung an arm across the
back of the chair.
Looking thoroughly annoyed with
his antics, she told him, “Well, Addie was looking through the resort’s
activities and apparently tonight kicks off the first in a line of decade
themed parties they’re supposed to be having at one of the clubs.”
He sat back a bit. “Mak told me
about that. This one is supposed to be the 70s right?”
She nodded and tucked a
fly-away-piece of hair behind her ear. “I packed some stuff I found in the back of my mom’s closet.”
Leering, he
said, “Did you now?”
Carmen pinched
his nipple through his shirt. “ No hay
fantasías enfermizas sobre mi madre!”
“Ow!” He
rubbed the now sore spot. “English, woman! Speak English! And don’t do that again unless we’ve established a
clear safe word!”
She pointed a
manicured finger in his face. “My mother is not here for your perversions.”
Eli tucked in
his lips. “But I have a crush on her. And she does funny things to my—okay,
okay! I’m kidding!” He reached out to pull her back to his side. “Calm
yourself, female. While I find Miss Angie attractive, she frightens me. And not
in an amusing way. I literally wouldn’t
close my eyes around her.”
Smirking, she
retook her place. “As you shouldn’t.”
He buried his
nose in her hair. “I’d close my eyes around you though. But only if I were really tired… and sure that no blunt or sharp
objects had been left in your presence.”
She grinned.
“That’s so sweet.”
“Really? Sweet
enough that you’d let me feel you up right now?”
“You’re
pushing it, Aaronson.”
Sighing, he
replied, “A man can dream, Sanchez. A man can dream…”
***
“Land!” Addison cried. “Glorious, beautiful land!”
Maikao’s head dropped forward. “The dramatics, stop them.”
She shook her head, stopping to spin in a circle. “You don’t
understand! After being confined for an eternity—”
Carmen and Maikao shared a look as he corrected his fiancée.
“You mean seven hours?”
“Eternity!” she bellowed.
He blinked. “Right… I’m just going to go to
Eli simply quirked a brow and
sat back, waving a hand.
Carmen’s palms hit the table
and she moved as though she would rise. His fingers curled around her wrist.
Their eyes met.
“Don’t.”
“Then stop making me want to,” she whispered. “I prefer you
when you’re behaving like a goddamn adult. This cocky football captain shit
isn’t a turn on, Elijah. Not in the least bit. Either cut it and show me what I
saw last week or leave me to my original plan because believe it or not, I can pretend like you don’t exist.”
Eli slowly released her,
sitting back with a hard breath. He was acting like a twat and she was right to
call him on it. The whole point of Carmen’s ignoring him for so long was
because of the very thing he was exhibiting right now—arrogance. The problem
with that Carmen Sanchez was not a
sure thing. She never would be. Predicting what was crossing her thoughts was
about as easy as predicting when he’d die—impossible. He’d gotten so accustomed
to women doing whatever they could to get and keep his interest that he’d
fallen back into the same routine: a flirtatious smile, a few compliments and
comments birthed from pure egotism. Losing the little ground he’d gained with
her was right on the horizon if he didn’t remind himself of who he was dealing
with at the moment.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, clenching
his hands.
“What?”
He swallowed, caught her eyes
and enunciated, “I’m sorry.” He
nodded to her seat. “Would you please sit back down and tell me the first place
you’d like to go tonight?”
She eased back into the chair
almost warily, like she was waiting for Hyde to return with a vengeance.
Eli gripped one leg of her seat
and pulled it until she was directly beside him. She shot him a look but he
simply grinned, placed her cup in front of her then slung an arm across the
back of the chair.
Looking thoroughly annoyed with
his antics, she told him, “Well, Addie was looking through the resort’s
activities and apparently tonight kicks off the first in a line of decade
themed parties they’re supposed to be having at one of the clubs.”
He sat back a bit. “Mak told me
about that. This one is supposed to be the 70s right?”
She nodded and tucked a
fly-away-piece of hair behind her ear. “I packed some stuff I found in the back of my mom’s closet.”
Leering, he
said, “Did you now?”
Carmen pinched
his nipple through his shirt. “ No hay
fantasías enfermizas sobre mi madre!”
“Ow!” He
rubbed the now sore spot. “English, woman! Speak English! And don’t do that again unless we’ve established a
clear safe word!”
She pointed a
manicured finger in his face. “My mother is not here for your perversions.”
Eli tucked in
his lips. “But I have a crush on her. And she does funny things to my—okay,
okay! I’m kidding!” He reached out to pull her back to his side. “Calm
yourself, female. While I find Miss Angie attractive, she frightens me. And not
in an amusing way. I literally wouldn’t
close my eyes around her.”
Smirking, she
retook her place. “As you shouldn’t.”
He buried his
nose in her hair. “I’d close my eyes around you though. But only if I were really tired… and sure that no blunt or sharp
objects had been left in your presence.”
She grinned.
“That’s so sweet.”
“Really? Sweet
enough that you’d let me feel you up right now?”
“You’re
pushing it, Aaronson.”
Sighing, he
replied, “A man can dream, Sanchez. A man can dream…”
***
“Land!” Addison cried. “Glorious, beautiful land!”
Maikao’s head dropped forward. “The dramatics, stop them.”
She shook her head, stopping to spin in a circle. “You don’t
understand! After being confined for an eternity—”
Carmen and Maikao shared a look as he corrected his fiancée.
“You mean seven hours?”
“Eternity!” she bellowed.
He blinked. “Right… I’m just going to go to
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