“Stop what?” He feigns innocence and begins to dig his fingers into my ribs.
I laugh so hard no sound comes out. Kira giggles along with us as I strain to get away from his strong hands.
He stops suddenly and jumps up from his seat. “So, you have how long?”
“An hour maximum before we have to go.”
“I can bring her up again next week during the semester break.” Kira shrugs and I honestly want to kiss her.
“Really?”
“Yep.” She tucks her hair behind her ears. “It’d be nice to get away. We could go out!”
“We’ll stay the night!” I exclaim, jumping up too and looking at Isaac. “Is that okay with you?”
“Fine with me.” He clears his throat and checks his watch. “Let’s go out. I’ll drive.”
“Go out where?”
“No idea,” he responds and moves towards the doorway. “You coming?”
Kira and I follow eagerly. She stops me with her hand on my arm. Her cheeks look slightly pink as if embarrassed by something. With a hushed tone she says, “Do you mind if I sit in the front? I get severe motion sickness whenever I sit in the back.”
Of course I want to sit with Isaac but I’m not going to deny her after everything she’s done for me, especially since she seems so embarrassed by it. “Sure.”
“Thanks,” her relief is evident in the way her shoulders sag. “I’m so used to sitting in the front now, I just can’t handle it.”
“No problem,” I tell her and take my seat in the back. Isaac looks at me curiously but doesn’t protest.
“So, Isaac, you used to teach in Cambridge, right?”
Isaac’s eyes comes to mine in the rear-view mirror. “Yeah, best years of my life.” Ouch. “Before Eloise, that is.”
I don’t accept his quick rebuttal. It was nothing more than a quick response to his own error.
“Yeah, my girl is the best.” Kira grins, twisting around to wink at me.
I give her a shaky smile but don’t hide how badly his words hurt me. She reaches behind her and pinches my leg.
I give in to a giggle.
“That she is.”
“I’m really sorry about your mum,” Kira continues and I wince, hoping the subject doesn’t put Isaac in a bad mood.
Isaac
“Thank you,” I respond and shift in my seat as we turn a corner.
“My grandmother had Alzheimer’s. It was awful. I can’t say that I know your pain as I didn’t know her well before she got ill; I was young. But I remember it like it was yesterday.”
“I’m sorry; did she pass?” Poor girl, nobody should have to experience a loved one going through this cruel disease at such a young age.
She nods, looking solemnly out of the window. “Heart attack in her sleep, two years ago.”
“That’s awful.” I look at her and see the anguish in her eyes. Elle places her hand on her shoulder.
“Honestly, it was kind of a relief for everybody. Don’t get me wrong, we loved her and did everything for her, but she… well she wasn’t her anymore, you know?”
I blow out a breath. “I hear you.”
“Anyway, less of that. Where are we going?”
I only grin mischievously in response.
“Oh my god, this is so freaking cool!” Kira shrieks as she’s suited up with a face mask and overalls.
Eloise gives me a thumbs up, also geared up. I’ve never seen anybody look so sexy in overalls before. I just want to tear them off her like a wrapped gift and explore the glorious frame hidden beneath. My body heats just thinking about it.
We load our guns with the balls of coloured paint. Mine are pink… Eloise made me.
We listen carefully to the rules of the game before being released into the trees. It’s every man for himself, but the girls seem to be sticking together.
Fucking women.
I creep around trees and through bushes, mindful of my steps as the girls are nowhere in sight.
It’s Eloise’s red hair that lets her down. I take aim and shoot at her as she runs through the dense woods, swerving in between trees as she goes. I miss; she’s fast.
It’s not until I feel three hard hits to my back that I realise she was a diversion.
That fucking hurts.
I spin, shooting in every direction, but Kira is nowhere in sight. Their laughter echoes around me like something from a horror movie. It’s disorienting, bouncing off the trees and floating around me, making it impossible for me to decipher which direction it’s coming from.
I should have invited Tony.
A flash of red appears in the distance. I hide this time, my back pressed against a tree.
A flash of black comes from the opposite side.
Fuck. This was a really bad idea.
I’m nailed with pellets from both sides. I shoot to the right, getting Kira in the chest, before aiming for Eloise again.
“Boo,” she giggles, appearing inches from my left. I curse as she begins to hit me with paint pellets at point blank range, laughing like a maniac as she goes.
I return the favour and after the third hit she falls to the ground.
Panic consumes me when I hear her sniffle. “Shit, Elle… I’m sorry.”
I drop my gun and move to her side, rubbing the paint from her chest and stomach with my gloves fingers.
“Fool,” she shrieks like a banshee in heat and hits me repeatedly on my thigh until I lurch back away from her. “Give up?”
“Fuck you, little girl.” Oh this is so on.
Behind the clear plastic of her mask, I see her eyes widen and she scrambles across the ground to get away.
I grab her foot before she can shuffle out of my reach. She lets out a yelp as I drag her back towards me, my gun back in hand and now pointing at her thighs. “Any last words?”
“You look so sexy right now,” she pants, dropping her gun to the ground and grabbing mine with both of her hands. She tugs and I stumble forward onto my knees.
Her hands flip up our masks before her arms wrap around my neck and tug me to her.
I kiss her hard, plunging my tongue into her mouth as I lower her onto the ground, not caring who sees. I want this girl. I want my wife. I want to be inside her.
She growls a little in her chest as I grab her breast through her overalls. Her body writhes beneath mine, clearly needing me as much as I need her.
Fuck… The ache below is unbearable. I can’t cope.
I grind against her, making it worsen.
“Isaac,” she pants, her voice a breathy whisper against my lips. “Kira…”
I groan and drop my forehead to her neck. My body tingles and pulses with my arousal. I have no idea how I’m going to get over this.
With a smile and a wink at the woman I love, I pull my mask back on and stand, before offering Elle a hand and tugging her to her feet. She giggles as I adjust myself, the slightest touch of even my own hand making my cock twitch angrily.
“Ten seconds,” I say, nudging her mask with my own. “That’s all I’m giving you.”
She squeals a high note and runs back into the thick of the trees.
We leave the paintballing session battered and bruised. The girls both have paint in their hair but they don’t seem to mind. We had a great time and I still have twenty minutes left with my girl. I wish I could spend it napping in bed with her, but that would be rude.
“Anyone hungry?” I ask as we drive home. All of us yawn in sequence, starting with Eloise and ending with Kira. Now I’m concerned about their drive home.
“Starving,” Eloise responds and I wink at her via the mirror. “You, Kira?”
She nods. “Just a bit. I need coffee too; that really took it out of me.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t drive back tonight.” I frown, now even more concerned.
“I can totally handle it.” Kira waves off my concern. “I’m not that tired; I’m more… what’s the word?”
“Fatigued?”
“That’s the one.”
Eloise leans between us and presses her temple to my shoulder. “I had so much fun.”
“Me too.”
“Me three,” Kira chimes in, flicking my hand which rests on the gear stick, with the tip of her finger. I catch her eyes and see something flicker in their light blue depths, I just can’t fathom what. “Thanks for that, Isaac. It was a really good idea.”
Eloise kisses my cheek before sitting back in the middle of the back seat. “It was an epic idea.”
I shift in my seat again. I’m still extremely fucking hard.
Chapter Twenty
Eloise
I pad over to Professor Franklin, my bag heavy on my shoulder and my eye lids heaviest of all.
Christ I’m so tired.
I yawn loudly, proving that fact.
“Eloise, you came.” He smiles warmly and motions for me to sit before flipping his folder shut.
I do as I’m told, relieved to see another student from class sitting in the seat across from me, although he is deep into whatever it is he’s writing in his notebook.
I wonder where the rest of the students are.
“Will.” The student across from me extends his hand and I take it quickly, although his eyes narrow on me suspiciously. I respond with a meek “Eloise.”
He smiles a small smile and pushes his thick glasses back up his nose. “Struggling with economics. You?”
I shrug. “Something like that.” I turn to Professor Franklin. “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
Franklin grins at me, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. I can kind of see what Kira sees. He’s still not better than my Isaac though. “Is there a problem?”
I glance at Will, who seems to be packing away his things. I thought he was here for this meeting too?
“Umm…”
“See you later, Professor.” Will throws his bag over his shoulder, salutes me and walks away. My palms become sweaty against the table top as I watch him leave.
“N… no.” I pull my things out and spread them out in front of me, even though I’m feeling a whole new level of discomfort right now. “I’m struggling with the assignment you set last lecture.”
Where is everybody else?
He nods and takes the seat opposite, totally keeping his distance. As time progresses I almost feel guilty for feeling uncomfortable to begin with. He stays away from me, explains the subject in a way I can understand, helps me set out a plan of action and then sits and spins a pen on the table as I work. The entire time he becomes more and more tired and I’m wondering why he’s doing this overtime for me.
“I have to get to work,” I tell him when my watch hits six. Luckily it’s only a fifteen minute walk from here.
He stretches, blinking himself awake. “No worries. Same time next week?”
I shake my head. “This has been amazing. I really appreciate you helping me, but I’ve sponged enough of your time already.”
He chews on his lip before lifting his bag and checking his watch. “It’s nothing, Elle. There’s usually a few of us, but the rest don’t seem to have been able to make it tonight. I don’t mind at all. I’ll see you next week.”
Fuck.
“Can I give you a ride?” He asks politely, checking his watch again.
“Umm…” What the hell is wrong with my speaking abilities today? “No, thank you. I work at Rouge; it’s only around the corner.”
“If you’re sure.” He looks me up and down before leading me to the door. “Thank you for coming, Eloise. It’s a shame nobody else turned up.” He seems genuinely disappointed about this and I actually feel bad for the guy.
Oh.
“Oh well.” He holds the door open and I step into the cold night air. “Be safe.”
“You too.”
I don’t like walking around in the dark. It’s creepy.
Isaac
Petal throws her head back and laughs as Tony stumbles into my kitchen, almost dropping the pizza box.
I snatch it from him and place it carefully on the side. I am so hungry right now.
“Give me some,” Petal begs and then hiccups.
We’re all a little bit drunk, having started at six this afternoon. It’s now ten and I am buzzing with happiness that only a cold pint of lager can induce.
I hand her a slice before taking my own and biting into the soft dough, covered in sauce and cheese. So good. “Best pizza ever.”
“Amen,” Petal sighs as Tony grabs his own piece and throws his free arm around Petal’s shoulder. “You are drunk.” She shoves him a little, her eyes coming to me.
“And you are gorgeous,” he mumbles, swaying against her slightly.
I laugh and pull him away from her, wincing when he falls back a few steps and crashes into the fridge.
“You break anything, my wife will kill you,” I point out, or I try to… I can’t quite keep my head still.
“Let’s watch a movie,” Petal suggests, leading us all into the room. “Wow… cool fireplace. It’s a romance novel waiting to happen. All you need now is a fur rug.”
That’s exactly what I thought when I first saw it all of those months ago. “It is brilliant; I won’t lie.”
“Can we light it?”
“I’m on it!” Tony, forever the gentleman, yells and falls to his knees in front of the open fireplace. He stares at it for a few moments and Petal and I silently stare at him, before giving each other a questioning look.
“Umm…” She’s about to say something when Tony suddenly pushes his hand towards the coals and yells “FLAME ON!” His hand remains suspended in mid-air and his serious gaze doesn’t falter. “S’not working.”
I begin to laugh and Petal joins me. We laugh harder when Tony slumps sideways and hits the ground, his mouth falling open with a loud snore.
“Oh my god,” Petal giggles, pulling the throw from the chair and laying it over him. “He’s so funny.”
“Yeah, he’s a character,” I agree, yawning loudly.
“More pizza?” Petal asks.
Shaking my head, I sink into the couch and shiver a little. That’s a huge downside to having an open fireplace; it makes your house colder.
“How are you doing now? After everything?” She asks, sitting beside me, a little too close for comfort.
I look for space to move into but I’m already against the arm of the couch. “Better.” I run my fingers through my hair, my anguish at my past mistakes no doubt evident on my face. “I’ve been doing better.”
“You seem a lot happier than you were. Are you going to bar yourself?”
Am I? “I don’t think I need to. I’ve learned my lesson.”
Have I?
She takes my hand in hers. “I’ve seen too many good people get drawn into this world of gambling addiction. I really wish you’d put a ban on yourself.”
I clear my throat, feeling even more uncomfortable now she has a hold of my hand. “I… umm…”
“Sick,” Tony blurts and Petal jumps up as he races from the room to find the toilet.
She turns to face me, giggling a little. “He’s so fucking funny.” When the sound of his vomiting seems to subside, she shouts up the stairs, “You okay, Tony?”
He grumbles something unintelligible back as she retakes her seat beside me.
“How is Eloise?”
“She’s fine.” I hope she is anyway; I haven’t spoken to her much this week. My thoughts drift back to our paintballing session and my cock twitches angrily, still upset that we didn’t get to sink into Eloise before she went back to Cambridge.
“She’s very beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Yawning loudly, she stretches her legs and arms and then slumps into a more relaxed position, her large, round eyes on me.
“Think he’s okay?” I ask, not liking the look in her eyes as she stares intently at me. “You don’t think he’s drowned in the toil…” My words are cut off when I feel soft lips again
st mine. My eyebrows shoot up and for a second I’m unsure how to react. I don’t want to embarrass her or hurt her feelings. “Petal…” My hands at her hips start to push her away.
She seems to take this as an invitation and I feel her tongue at the seam of my unmoving lips as her hands tangle in my hair and her leg slides over my thighs until she’s straddling me.
I panic and reach up to grab her wrists as she moans low in her throat.
What is she doing? We were just talking about my wife twenty seconds ago.
The front door slams shut, jolting us both.
Petal dives off my lap looking flushed and out of breath.
“Tony?” She calls and it’s then we realise that he’s gone. She stares at me with wide, frightened eyes before chasing after him.
Serves her right.
I lock the door behind her and in my drunken stupor I stumble up the stairs and collapse in my bed, inhaling the scent of Eloise as deeply as possible. Christ I miss her.
Chapter Twenty One
Isaac
My head is killing me.
I have a quick shower and pull on my work gear as the kettle boils and the bread toasts in the toaster. I haven’t felt this shitty in a long time.
My brain swims with random thoughts of the previous night. I had fun, until the ending. What the hell was going through Petal’s mind? I should speak to her about it. She’s a good friend and I don’t want to lose that for the sake of a mishap. I just hope Tony finds it in his heart to forgive her. They would make a great couple.
Sighing, I make myself a coffee and quickly eat my toast in record time.
Tony should be here soon. That’s if he managed to get up on time.
I gulp down my coffee and make my way to the door. The sky is still waking up outside. I don’t blame it for taking its time.
Tony pulls up in the van outside, meaning we’ll likely be on housing duty today. How dull.
Isaac: I miss you. I’m going to come and see you tomorrow; how does that sound?
Destruction: The Distraction Trilogy #2 Page 25