“Good morning, Hannah. Surprised to see you here. To what do I owe this honor?” She completely missed his sarcasm. Before she could spew the well prepared speech she’d planned about her family inviting he and Grace to their home for Thanksgiving dinner, Riley spoke up.
“Hey, Eli aren’t you going to introduce us? All of us?” He looked at Hannah then that devious glint returned to his eye. “Riley Quinn, this is Hannah Freeman. Hannah this is my partner and friend Riley.” Riley nodded to her, taking in her lime green twin set, perfectly coiffed ponytail and tight jeans. She wore four inch stilettos and enough lip gloss to glaze a ham. She looked strictly country club soccer mom to him, not at all Eli’s type. She gave Riley a brief once over, the smile plastered on her face.
“Pleased to meet you Riley.” She spoke through the smile and Riley became instantly uneasy.
“Nice to meet you, Hannah. Would you like some coffee? What about Doc? Think she wants coffee?” Riley asked his eyes on Hannah. He rocked back and forth on his heels, like a child, his hands clasped together at his chin. “No worries, I’ll go see for myself.” Riley excused himself and headed up the stairs at lightning speed, glancing back at Hannah a few times, before shaking his head.
“You have company?” Hannah’s smile seemed strained as she tried to hide her curious disappointment.
“Yes, a friend. She had a little accident last night. I let her stay until she felt better, so right now isn’t a good time. Thanks for stopping by, I’ll call you later,” he explained as he steered her towards the door, she stalled, moving quickly from his grip.
“Sure, but I came to invite you to Thanksgiving dinner. I know that Grace and Boogie are your only family in town, and I was hoping you would join us. Daddy would be so happy to meet you face to face. I talk about you so often; he’s beginning to think I made you up.”
“That’s great; I’ll try to make it. Text me the specifics, okay.” Again he pointed her towards the door. Again, she avoided his grasp, and spun to face him, her back nearly against the door as she spoke.
“If I didn’t know better, Eli, I’d think you were trying to get rid of me.” She laughed nervously, a harsh high pitched sound that reminded Eli of a cat in heat. Her laugh faltered as she looked at the figure descending the stairs; her face froze in slowly seething anger. He was trying to get rid of her, she realized, and now she knew why. Eli turned to see what had caught Hannah’s attention.
His heart began to beat a little faster at the sight of her, and he inhaled deeply, her scent filling the room. CeCe was coming down the stairs, zipping her jacket, her dark hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. She looked radiant, she glowed, her skin dewy, her lips still kiss swollen. She looked like a woman who’d just made love. Hannah’s smile faltered as it dawned on her why Eli had been in such a hurry to get her out of there, and why he’d come down the stairs half dressed with a major hard-on.
CeCe looked up, her smile falling as her eyes rested on Hannah, her expression tightening. She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she stared at the woman at the bottom of the stairs. She slowed her pace, her hands on the zipper of her jacket. Then she smirked a little and continued her slow almost deliberate descent.
“You have a guest so Riley will take me to my car,” she said. The expression on her face was something Eli had never seen before. Her nose twitched slightly and he smiled. She was jealous and for some juvenile reason, he found great satisfaction in that knowledge. CeCe stood before him her back to Eli as she extended her hand and a sugary sweet smile to the other woman.
“Hi, I’m Dr. C. Keegan Kent.” She gave Hannah’s hand a polite shake.
“Hannah Freeman.” The other woman smiled just as sweetly, her voice dripping sugar.
“Nice to meet you, Hannah. I was just leaving,” she turned to look at Eli. “I- thanks for your help.” she mumbled and took a step back. He snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her to him his lips brushing hers.
“I told you not to move,” he teased.
“I have to go, Eli.” Her face grew hot at the feel of his body going hard the moment he crushed her breast to his rock hard chest.
“No.” The word came out in a loud bark, “I’ll take you. We weren’t finished-”
“I think we are,” she mumbled, her cheeks growing hot. Eli’s gaze on her face was openly wanton. She avoided his eyes but the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as he stroked her back.
“Not even close,” he mumbled, his erection pushing harder against her stomach.
SEVEN
Before she could protest, the front door opened, pushing Hannah forward until she nearly collided into the back of CeCe. She gasped as a form filled the doorway, blocking the sunlight and casting a wide deep shadow across them. He was so tall that he had to bend over enter the foyer, and so wide he had to angle himself sideways to get through the door. He wore black jeans with chains looped through the belts loops, heavy dark biker boots, and a dark leather jacket over a thick black sweatshirt, the hood of which hid his face. His monstrous hands were encased in black leather fingerless biker’s gloves. As he entered, CeCe shook her head and exhaled.
“Briar,” she said without needing to turn around and look at him.
Briar stepped fully into the room, closed the door behind him and removed his hood. He was a massive man, with the face of an angel. Eli knew that like CeCe, this man was much older than he appeared.
His eyes were a bright crisp emerald green, his skin as smooth and clear as pale marble with a smattering of light freckles. He had a straight nose and even, white teeth except for the curiously sharp canines, and when he smiled his eyes lit up. There was two days’ worth of stubble growing on his chin, giving him a slightly roguish look. He looked like, in all honesty, a Celtic God. He had short spiky auburn hair and two long thin braids the hung past his shoulder. His eyes scanned the room coming to land on CeCe and sighed.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Sarge.” His heavy Irish brogue was slightly musical and held a tinge of laughter.
“How did you find me?” She asked, turning to face him, a worried expression crossed her face. He smiled even wider. “Well, it’s my job isn’t it? To find people.”
She nodded her agreement. That was his job. Sighing in exasperation, she rephrased the question.
“What are you doing here?” Briar looked at the other people in the room; all standing slack jawed at his appearance, then looked at CeCe and said something in a language Eli had never heard before. He looked quickly at Eli, then at CeCe who nodded. Her response was in the same unfamiliar language and when the giant began to protest, she held up a hand and repeated her request. Briar looked at the others, the smile fading from his eyes as he nodded curtly, bowed at the waist.
“As you wish,” he said in English, turned on his heel and walked out, just as quietly as he had arrived.
They stood in stunned silence for a moment as CeCe watched Briar leave. She turned to look at the three standing together. Hannah, who had eased closer to Eli, had a terrified grip on his arm. CeCe thought that the entire terrified damsel act was just the excuse Hannah needed to get closer to Eli. As she stared at them, Hannah gave her a sly smile and molded her body against Eli, who stood like a block of stone, his jaw clinched. He narrowed his eyes and stared at her suspiciously, and she looked down at her feet. Riley stood on the stairs slack jawed. No one spoke, or blinked for that matter, for a full minute.
“What the fuck was that?” Riley asked breaking the awkward silence. CeCe sighed heavily.
“That was Briar,” she said, avoiding the questioning gaze of Eli.
Riley raced down the stairs, threw the front door open just in time to see Briar mount a monster of a Harley. He looked like something out of a nightmare all gleaming black metal and polished chrome, his head encased in a helmet designed to look like a flaming skull with a long red Mohawk. He glanced at Riley and winked before lowering the visor then tore off down the street.
“What the fuck is a Briar?” He spun CeCe around to face him, his face beaming with excitement. “And where do I go to get one?” Riley chirped excitedly.
***
They rode in silence for a while, Eli not really sure how to broach the subject of what had happened the night before or what happened this morning. The giant who’d come into his house and spoken to her in what was that language? He sighed heavily and pulled to a stop at a red light. She sat beside him, her face turned away from him, her shoulders slumped.
After the shock of Briar’s visit and the interruption of Riley and Hannah Freeman, Eli had insisted that he bring her to her car.
“Don’t move,” he’d said to CeCe through clenched teeth. “You have got a lot to explain.”
She hadn’t said anything, only stood silently waiting. Hannah had been ushered out of the house by Riley as soon as Eli had gone to get his shoes and a jacket. He’d made a point of letting her know that Eli, no matter how nice, was not interested in her. CeCe, who stood shaken, was surprised when Riley engulfed her in a bear hug.
“Whatever is going on, just know, he cares about you,” he’d whispered in her ear. “So do I.”
She didn’t know why she was crying. That was a lie, she knew why, she was falling in love with Eli and she had no idea what to do about it. If he knew who she was, what she was, he would run screaming. She couldn’t stop the sudden flow of tears, as she clung to Riley for a moment, enjoying the comfort of his embrace. It had been so long since she’d been hugged without some sort of sexual connotation. She snuggled closer, feeling safe and cared for in Riley’s arms. After a moment, he held her at arm’s length and gave her a smile.
“Okay, you even cry pretty. How is that fair?” He teased, wiping away her tears. As Eli approached, Riley backed away and disappeared into the kitchen.
“I’ll see you when you get back, E,” he called to Eli.
Eli stared at the back of her head, and then slowly reached for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. She turned to face him, sliding closer to him in the bucket seat of the SUV. She rested her head on his shoulder. He was thinking about what to ask first, how to ask without sounding like an ass. He wanted to know who Briar was to her and just how he knew where to find her. He wanted to know if she had any idea what had happened between them the night before and what the hell was the language she spoke to the mountain she called Briar and why had he called her Sarge? He wondered.
“I don’t know what that was last night. Briar works for Jonas. He has a talent for locating people and things. Anything. He calls me Sarge because he says I was a drill sergeant in a former life. And it was Gaelic,” she said and felt him jump in his seat.
“I forgot you can do that,” he mumbled. She sat up and looked at him, studying his profile. For a moment he couldn’t tell what she was thinking, her thoughts were jumbled and confusing nothing was coming across clearly.
He pulled the car into the parking garage where she’d left her car the night before. There were still traces of their last visit. Several of the cars were getting new windshields and windows; a few had scorch marks from the sparks from the bursting lights. The light fixtures were all being replaced, and glass was being cleaned from the floors by rather disgruntled looking workers. Eli parked near her car and turned off the engine, before turning to look at her.
She was staring out of the window in deep thought. Again, he reached for her hand, drawing her closer to him, kissing her until she melted against him. When he released her, she rested her head on his chest, her hand over his thundering heartbeat.
“What is your earliest memory, Eli?” She whispered.
The question was completely out of the blue, and he looked at her curiously, before answering. “I don’t know. I suppose junior high school-” He was silent for a while, as he realized that he didn’t really remember anything before junior high school. No birthday parties, or playing in the yard, riding bikes with his friends, little league, nothing. There was a void where his childhood should be. It was as if his life didn’t start until he was in his early teens.
“Don’t you find that to be a little strange? Most people can remember as far back as three or four years of age. I can remember as far back as my second birthday. Why can’t you?” He couldn’t answer. He really hadn’t thought about it. He hadn’t realized that there was gap, no one had brought it to his attention before, but his past was a huge question mark.
“Have you ever met someone who seems to know you but you can’t remember them? Someone you went to high school with? Or says you look like someone they know. Or have you been somewhere and felt as if you’d been there before?”
“That happens to everyone,” he grumbled.
“But it happens to you more than most, I’ll bet.” He didn’t answer, but he had to admit that she was right. It happened to him at least three times a week, but he’d thought nothing of it until now. “I also bet women come on to you like crazy. You can’t go anywhere without women flirting with you and throwing themselves at you, right?” She asked, her finger tracing intricate designs across his chest.
“I’m sure you get even more attention than I do.” He kissed the top of her head. “I have boobs Eli. Even if I didn’t have a head, I would get attention just because of that.” He chuckled, the deep rumbling in his chest making her tingle. He had the best laugh, she thought, deep and hardy, fully male. They were silent for a while, snuggled together in the front seat of his SUV. She didn’t want to move; she had the horrible feeling that if she moved, she might never see him again. But wasn’t that what she wanted?
“What do you know about the supernatural?” Outside the sky had become overcast and gloomy, fitting her suddenly sullen mood. Rain was in the air, which meant Thanksgiving Day would probably be a damp depressing affair.
“Like ghosts and goblins?”
“Like that thing that attacked Nicky.” And like you, she thought. She chewed her bottom lip, her face sorrowful as if she were dreading the words coming out of her mouth. When Eli didn’t respond, she pulled away from him and got out of the car, slowly sliding off of her seat and closing the door with a resounding slam. Before she made her way around the back of the car, Eli was standing beside his own closed door, his hands in his pockets. He looked incredible standing there, watching her with something close to bewilderment. That aw shucks look he was giving her was melting her resolve. She walked quickly past him, hoping to avoid a confrontation. That was nearly impossible, because their cars were parked so close together. He grabbed her arm, pausing her progress.
“I’ve disrupted your life enough. We can say goodbye right now. I’m pretty sure your girlfriend will be relieved.” She said the word girlfriend as if it were a vulgar term. And she felt as if she were going to cry, which made no sense to her. She shouldn’t be crying over this man, she’d only known him for a few very bizarre days.
“Girlfriend?” He was completely at a loss. Then it slowly dawned on him. “You mean Hannah? Hannah’s not my girlfriend. I wouldn’t even call her my friend.”
“Really? Because she was throwing off a very strong back up bitch vibe,” she said.
He shook his head, and started laughing.
“How cute, you’re jealous,” he said, and continued to laugh while she fumed.
“I don’t get jealous.” She growled and folded her arms across her chest. He laughed even harder.
“Stop it.” She stomped her foot like a spoiled child and could feel her face getting hot. “I‘m not jealous,” she yelled.
They both knew that was a lie, her eyes were narrow slits of dull blue grey, and her lips were pinched so tightly that they were nonexistent. Eli stepped closer and she took a step back, angry at herself for being jealous of a woman who was simply talking to Eli. It’s not like he was hers or anything. But they had shared something, something electrical and sexual. He had planned on making love to her that very morning. He’d kissed her until she was breathless and when he’d touched her- the thought of
it made her body react in a way that frustrated her. He was hers; she was startled by her own thoughts. When had he become her anything?
“Hannah is definitely not my girlfriend. I don’t even know how she found out where I live. Believe me; she doesn’t even register on my radar.” He stopped laughing, his hand moving to stroke her cheek.
“All I see is you.” He leaned closer, his mouth next to hers she looked at him, her head tilted as she studied his expression.
“Just-forget it. Forget me. Okay? ” ‘Before things get to deep,’ she thought. ‘Before I fall completely in love with you.’ She chewed her lip nervously, and he seemed to dissolve, his face softening.
“I know that you’re already wet just thinking about me.” He was kissing her before she realized what was happening, her back pressed against the passenger door of her car, his hands in her hair. She felt him pressing against her stomach, and the fire began again. His hands moved down her torso, under the thin material of her t-shirt until he was caressing her breasts. She moaned into his mouth her hands pressed against his chest.
“No, not okay. I can’t forget you.” He said, matter of factly. His next kiss seemed to drain all of the fight out of her and she yielded, her arms circling his waist as she swiveled her hips against him. He whimpered softly, his hands moving down to hold her hips hard against him. He wanted her, right there hidden between the two parked cars. Or so they thought. A car rolled past, the driver honking his horn.
“Get a room!” He shouted before speeding out of the parking lot.
“I’ve got to go,” she whispered and slipped out of his arms and into her car.
“We’re far from over, Doc.” He said and she stared at him for a moment before starting her car. He was right of course.
The First to Fall: A Fallen Novel (The Fallen Series) Page 13