she was doing it on purpose. He didn’t know if it was to keep from answering because she wanted to keep it private, or if she was fucking with him. He figured it was the latter.
“ Ashton. Anything you need to tell me about?”
“ He’s not a security risk, believe me. He probably heard I rented my house out for another year.”
“ In DC?”
“ No, I was living down near Virginia Beach when I was teaching. But, when Dad got sick, I moved up to DC and rented the house out.”
“ I assume this Ashton didn’t like that?”
“ We’d already broken up at that point.”
When she didn’t continue, he didn’t ask again She apparently didn’t want to answer the questions. He didn’t blame her. What bothered him was that he wanted to know more. He wanted to know why they were broken up. Well, he knew why. Crysta might have a good heart, but he knew without a doubt she wouldn’t put up with cheating. How could a man cheat on a woman like Crysta?
“ I need to brush my teeth and get my hat and boots.”
He nodded and let her go. He didn’t know what to think of his reaction. He rarely cared about a woman’s past. Only thing he worried about was the here and now. Unless she had something that was going to come after them at some point, Eli didn’t care.
And when had he become a man who stood around a kitchen thinking about a woman. Especially one he wasn’t sleeping with.
He shook his head. Lack of sleep and the stress of the last couple of months were starting to get to him. He dumped the little bit of coffee he had left, and went out to get the horses ready.
* * * *
Crysta drew in a huge breath of sweet Hawaiian air and sighed. They’d ridden for about half an hour before stopping. She couldn’t believe the beauty of the land. Over the years, she’d read about Hawaii, seen it in movies and on television, but living there, being right on the land just blew her away. It was like she was in a whole other dimension. No picture could relate the feel of the air against the flesh or show the colors as vividly as they were in person.
“ Our land goes just over that last hill there,” Eli said pointing out over the horizon.
She looked out to where he pointed. When she thought of Hawaii, she thought of “Hawaii 5-0” or maybe “50 First Dates”. She didn’t expect to see the wide expanse of land before her now. Joe had told her about it, but it still took her breath away.
When she glanced over, she found Eli watching her. He did that a lot, but it didn’t really bother her. Not really. Okay maybe a little. It made her feel awkward. She knew he was a Dom, and knowing that made her hot inside. And that was how sad she had become. She was lusting after a man who was definitely off limits and, as Ashton proved, way out of her league. If she couldn’t handle Ashton, she definitely couldn’t handle Eli.
“ It’s weird to be looking out over the land like I’m on Bonanza or something.”
He chuckled. “It’s more than I ever expected.”
“ How did you end up here, Elias St. John?”
He didn’t say anything right away. It was as if he was trying to figure out what story to tell her. Or, maybe that was her being cynical after her episode with Ashton.
“ I grew up in Perth, foster kid.”
That much she knew.
“ Please, stop talking. I’m overwhelmed.”
His lips curved as he urged his horse forward. “Not much to tell. Went right into the military, then got out and met Joe.”
“ Yeah, he told me that much,” she said following him. “Hey, you don’t want to tell me more, that’s fine.”
“ Really?” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
She laughed as she came up even with him. “Yeah. Really. I’ve always been sort of a busy bee as Dad called me. I always had to know what was going on.”
“ And probably why you were a good teacher.”
She glanced over at him. “Yeah. But how would you know I was a good teacher?”
“ I doubt Crysta Louise Miller—”
“ Oh, I hate that
“ Ashton. Anything you need to tell me about?”
“ He’s not a security risk, believe me. He probably heard I rented my house out for another year.”
“ In DC?”
“ No, I was living down near Virginia Beach when I was teaching. But, when Dad got sick, I moved up to DC and rented the house out.”
“ I assume this Ashton didn’t like that?”
“ We’d already broken up at that point.”
When she didn’t continue, he didn’t ask again She apparently didn’t want to answer the questions. He didn’t blame her. What bothered him was that he wanted to know more. He wanted to know why they were broken up. Well, he knew why. Crysta might have a good heart, but he knew without a doubt she wouldn’t put up with cheating. How could a man cheat on a woman like Crysta?
“ I need to brush my teeth and get my hat and boots.”
He nodded and let her go. He didn’t know what to think of his reaction. He rarely cared about a woman’s past. Only thing he worried about was the here and now. Unless she had something that was going to come after them at some point, Eli didn’t care.
And when had he become a man who stood around a kitchen thinking about a woman. Especially one he wasn’t sleeping with.
He shook his head. Lack of sleep and the stress of the last couple of months were starting to get to him. He dumped the little bit of coffee he had left, and went out to get the horses ready.
* * * *
Crysta drew in a huge breath of sweet Hawaiian air and sighed. They’d ridden for about half an hour before stopping. She couldn’t believe the beauty of the land. Over the years, she’d read about Hawaii, seen it in movies and on television, but living there, being right on the land just blew her away. It was like she was in a whole other dimension. No picture could relate the feel of the air against the flesh or show the colors as vividly as they were in person.
“ Our land goes just over that last hill there,” Eli said pointing out over the horizon.
She looked out to where he pointed. When she thought of Hawaii, she thought of “Hawaii 5-0” or maybe “50 First Dates”. She didn’t expect to see the wide expanse of land before her now. Joe had told her about it, but it still took her breath away.
When she glanced over, she found Eli watching her. He did that a lot, but it didn’t really bother her. Not really. Okay maybe a little. It made her feel awkward. She knew he was a Dom, and knowing that made her hot inside. And that was how sad she had become. She was lusting after a man who was definitely off limits and, as Ashton proved, way out of her league. If she couldn’t handle Ashton, she definitely couldn’t handle Eli.
“ It’s weird to be looking out over the land like I’m on Bonanza or something.”
He chuckled. “It’s more than I ever expected.”
“ How did you end up here, Elias St. John?”
He didn’t say anything right away. It was as if he was trying to figure out what story to tell her. Or, maybe that was her being cynical after her episode with Ashton.
“ I grew up in Perth, foster kid.”
That much she knew.
“ Please, stop talking. I’m overwhelmed.”
His lips curved as he urged his horse forward. “Not much to tell. Went right into the military, then got out and met Joe.”
“ Yeah, he told me that much,” she said following him. “Hey, you don’t want to tell me more, that’s fine.”
“ Really?” His voice dripped with sarcasm.
She laughed as she came up even with him. “Yeah. Really. I’ve always been sort of a busy bee as Dad called me. I always had to know what was going on.”
“ And probably why you were a good teacher.”
She glanced over at him. “Yeah. But how would you know I was a good teacher?”
“ I doubt Crysta Louise Miller—”
“ Oh, I hate that
Similar Books
