Page 6 of Jealous God
“I’d say it’s a pretty name.” Tate leant across the small table, lifting his weight half out of his seat to thrust his hand out towards the woman who had stopped just in front of me. Her scent assaulted me. Honey and something spicier. Could you get spiced honey the same way you could get spiced rum?
“Nice to meet you, Elodie, I’m Tate.”
There was no girlish giggle that would normally follow his words. She shook his hand like a true professional. The gold bracelet on her wrist caught my attention, but only for a few seconds. I was too mesmerised by her ass that was perfectly encased in a form fitting skirt. Slowly leaning back, I allowed myself to enjoy the view: tanned legs, tight skirt that was professional but left none of her mouth-watering curves to the imagination, a pale green satiny kind of shift blouse artfully tucked in and dark hair pulled back severely into a neat bun.
She was professionally perfect. Like something out of a porno featuring a fake CEO or secretary. At least from the back anyway. What she looked like from the front remained to be seen. So, I would have to reserve judgement.
Quickly, Erik introduced her to everyone around the table. There were handshakes and pleasantries all around.
“Great to meet you all finally. I’m Elodie, but I know that’s a bit of a mouthful.” Finally, she half turned towards me, and just like I had done from the back, I took her in from feet to face. And it was just as tempting as it had been before. My eyes skimmed up over her breasts and the light dusting of freckles over the swell of them.
My tongue suddenly felt like it was glued to the top of my mouth.
Again, I let my eyes linger on the satin. I had thought it looked familiar, and now I knew why.
Fuck.
“Call me Eli if it's easier.” She stared down at me for a second, and the golden flecked eyes seemed to demand I look at her face and not her tits, which was exactly where I was staring. Slowly, I lifted my eyes to hers, but I didn’t move. I stayed exactly where I was with my legs kicked out under the table.
She looked different. Much, much different with all those curls pulled back from her face. Harsher.
Fuck.
Before I could help myself, my eyes darted back towards her breasts. Those damn freckles were going to be the death of me. I could already tell.
“Well damn, Jax.” Erik glowered at me as I continued to stare. “Talk about being a jerk. At least say hello and make the girl feel welcome.”
“’Lo.”
She didn’t smile, just nodded her head sharply. The air crackled between us, charged with something I couldn’t understand. Not desire, not exactly, although primal lust was there for sure. It was more like a mutual dislike. A line had been drawn in the sand the previous night. And that was partly my fault. I probably should have let her explain before I kicked her out. But at the same time, she had tried to slap me.
“You will have to excuse Jax, he’s not much of a morning person,” Erik carried on, totally ignoring my angry look. He knew damn well I liked mornings well enough, but just alone with my coffee. And I had neither of those things.
“Oh, it's ok, I’m the same this morning.” She smiled down at me sweetly.
“The trip over bad?” Louis asked.
I stared around at them all. How was it possible that she had walked in here and charmed them into something that resembled normal human beings in just a few short minutes?
“Oh no, the trip was fine. I like flying and driving.”
Erik’s head shot up. “Someone here made you feel uncomfortable? We have strict rules on that. Is that the reason you slept in your car?”
Slept in her car? My head snapped up. Had she really slept in her car, out there in the lot? Somewhere it wasn’t safe, even with Erik’s stringent rules in place. Anything could have happened to her, and none of us would have been any the wiser because no one but Erik knew who she was, and he hadn’t known she had arrived.
Fuck, I felt like an asshole.
“Oh, it was no one important.”
There it was — that butter wouldn’t melt smile. But I wasn’t fooled. She had looked straight at me when she had said it. I smiled straight back at her. Last night we may have drawn a line in the sand, but with those few words she had started a war she couldn’t win.
“Elodie, I almost didn’t recognise you with your clothes on.” My voice was smooth, neutral, but I watched the golden flecks in her eyes blaze to life. They were daring me to carry on and warning me not to say another word all in one pointed look.
I ignored it.
“I think you left your case on my bus last night. You know, after I found you half naked in my bunk.”
She choked, although I was pretty sure there was nothing actually in her mouth for her to choke on. Coughing and retching, her eyes scanned my assembled band mates, wide like those of a cornered animal. Erik moved first, rubbing his hand up and down her back, all the while glaring at me. A small part of me felt bad, but it was only a small part. She had started this. It wasn’t my problem if she couldn’t handle the backlash.
