sense of euphoria. She smiled. Eli pulled away from her and stood, his brow furrowed with concern. Julie winced as a throbbing pain immediately replaced the fantastic feeling she had only a moment earlier. Her hand flew to her lips.
“Oh, crap!” She clenched her fingers inside her hand. “I—I can’t look at my own blood.”
Eli exhaled and cracked a smile. “Your own blood makes you faint? That’s strange. Normally a person can’t take the sight of someone else’s blood.” He held up a wet washcloth. “No worries, though. I cleaned you up.”
Julie sat up slowly, confused as she took in her surroundings. She was in her room. On her bed. Crap ! He must have carried me in! She felt the blood rush into her cheeks as she unclenched her fist. Her fingers were clean.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. I do think you should get some ice on those or you’ll end up looking like Mick Jagger.” He handed her a baggie filled with ice. “I don’t think your parents would be too crazy about that.”
Julie took the ice and placed it against her lips. She concentrated on the sting of the ice as Eli asked the question she knew was coming.
“Where are they, by the way?”
She knew the moment he stepped in the house he probably guessed it was empty. No parents. No pets. Only the ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer would have greeted him. Julie held the ice on for a moment longer, then lowered the bag. She raised her eyes to his. Anger and tears welled as she chose her words.
“My father and his lovely wife are on a cruise.” She spat the word, filling it with the venom and hatred she felt towards the woman who had her father wrapped around her little finger.
Eli sat beside her. “So they left you here? Alone?”
She breathed in, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. “Of course. It’s not like it’s the first time, so don’t worry about it. I’m used to it.” She stood, walked across the room, and stared out her bedroom window into the darkness. “You can go now.”
Julie heard Eli move across the room, then felt his presence behind her. The air between them seemed to be charged with electricity. Her heart began to thrum.
“I’m not going anywhere. You can’t be alone tonight, not with Penemue on the warpath.”
Julie swallowed and turned to him. She held her chin high, praying that her eyes and her voice wouldn’t betray her. “I’m fine. Really.” Her voice cracked as a single tear broke through, sliding down her cheek and over her swollen, split lips.
Eli took a step closer and cupped her face in his hands, turning it up to meet his gaze.
“No, Jules, you’re not.” He traced the trail of the tear down her cheek. Her lips parted as his finger brushed them, and she watched in wonder as he lifted his finger, wet with her tear, to his own lips. She shook her head slowly in confirmation as more tears cascaded down her face.
“No. I’m not.”
She knew he was going to kiss her—and she wanted it to happen—more than she had wanted anything before in her life. Her breath hitched in her throat as vivid streaks of color flickered in the sapphire depths of Eli’s eyes, like tongues of fire in the night sky. She couldn’t wait any longer. Without another thought, she reached up and entwined her fingers in the back of his hair, pulling him close.
“Kiss me, Eli,” she pleaded breathlessly.
And he did.
Eli’s breath quickened as he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her softly—almost hesitantly—at first. Julie felt a slight sting on her tender, injured lips, and then a familiar sense of euphoria soaked in as the pain melted away and passion took its place. A passion she had never experienced before. Her mind whirled as colors flew in front of her eyes, and she felt Eli respond with the same urgency she was feeling, his kiss pulling her deeper into the maelstrom of lights that now blinded her. Too soon, the colors swirled into a spiral of white light, reduced to a
“Oh, crap!” She clenched her fingers inside her hand. “I—I can’t look at my own blood.”
Eli exhaled and cracked a smile. “Your own blood makes you faint? That’s strange. Normally a person can’t take the sight of someone else’s blood.” He held up a wet washcloth. “No worries, though. I cleaned you up.”
Julie sat up slowly, confused as she took in her surroundings. She was in her room. On her bed. Crap ! He must have carried me in! She felt the blood rush into her cheeks as she unclenched her fist. Her fingers were clean.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. I do think you should get some ice on those or you’ll end up looking like Mick Jagger.” He handed her a baggie filled with ice. “I don’t think your parents would be too crazy about that.”
Julie took the ice and placed it against her lips. She concentrated on the sting of the ice as Eli asked the question she knew was coming.
“Where are they, by the way?”
She knew the moment he stepped in the house he probably guessed it was empty. No parents. No pets. Only the ticking of the grandfather clock in the foyer would have greeted him. Julie held the ice on for a moment longer, then lowered the bag. She raised her eyes to his. Anger and tears welled as she chose her words.
“My father and his lovely wife are on a cruise.” She spat the word, filling it with the venom and hatred she felt towards the woman who had her father wrapped around her little finger.
Eli sat beside her. “So they left you here? Alone?”
She breathed in, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. “Of course. It’s not like it’s the first time, so don’t worry about it. I’m used to it.” She stood, walked across the room, and stared out her bedroom window into the darkness. “You can go now.”
Julie heard Eli move across the room, then felt his presence behind her. The air between them seemed to be charged with electricity. Her heart began to thrum.
“I’m not going anywhere. You can’t be alone tonight, not with Penemue on the warpath.”
Julie swallowed and turned to him. She held her chin high, praying that her eyes and her voice wouldn’t betray her. “I’m fine. Really.” Her voice cracked as a single tear broke through, sliding down her cheek and over her swollen, split lips.
Eli took a step closer and cupped her face in his hands, turning it up to meet his gaze.
“No, Jules, you’re not.” He traced the trail of the tear down her cheek. Her lips parted as his finger brushed them, and she watched in wonder as he lifted his finger, wet with her tear, to his own lips. She shook her head slowly in confirmation as more tears cascaded down her face.
“No. I’m not.”
She knew he was going to kiss her—and she wanted it to happen—more than she had wanted anything before in her life. Her breath hitched in her throat as vivid streaks of color flickered in the sapphire depths of Eli’s eyes, like tongues of fire in the night sky. She couldn’t wait any longer. Without another thought, she reached up and entwined her fingers in the back of his hair, pulling him close.
“Kiss me, Eli,” she pleaded breathlessly.
And he did.
Eli’s breath quickened as he lowered his lips to hers, kissing her softly—almost hesitantly—at first. Julie felt a slight sting on her tender, injured lips, and then a familiar sense of euphoria soaked in as the pain melted away and passion took its place. A passion she had never experienced before. Her mind whirled as colors flew in front of her eyes, and she felt Eli respond with the same urgency she was feeling, his kiss pulling her deeper into the maelstrom of lights that now blinded her. Too soon, the colors swirled into a spiral of white light, reduced to a
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