Breaking Him(44)

I was already wet, just from that touch alone, ready to jump him if I got half the chance, but instead my mouth dropped open. “Did you just crack a joke, Elijah Hays?”

He grinned wider, flashing his straight white teeth, and my knees nearly gave out. “Looks that way.”

“I never thought I’d see the day…”

He grabbed my butt. “You’re very sassy for a girl walking around with my handprint on her behind,” he said, a wicked glint in his eyes.

I threw my hand up to my chest and faked shock, stumbling back against the truck. “Another one! My heart can’t take it.”

His chuckle was low and sexy as all hell. “Get in the truck before I throw you over my knee again.”

I smirked. “Promise?”

He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath, which is when I noticed his impressive hard-on. “Maybe I’ll think of some other way to punish you.”

Damn, now I was turned way the heck on and there was no relief in sight. But I was having fun teasing him, so I poked the bear a little more. “Does that mean you’ve been on the computer again, big guy?”

“Jesus,” he rumbled and walked around to open my door. He gave my butt a smack as I climbed in, making me squeak, then walked around and climbed in beside me.

I grinned over at him.

He shook his head.

I poked my tongue out.

His eyes widened.

I burst out laughing.

When I stopped with the giggles, I looked over at him again. He was watching me in a way that made goose bumps lift all over my body. It was warm and hungry, affectionate, and it made my belly swirl with delight.

“Love the way you laugh,” he muttered.

“Ditto.” I smiled again, and I knew he could see all the things I’d seen in him reflected right back, because he sucked in a sharp breath, murmuring my name before he started the truck and headed down the road toward town.

I hadn’t allowed myself to think too hard about what people’s reactions would be to us after Kyle had opened his big trap. But it became obvious when we walked in the bank to deposit the check from the horse sale that word had spread among the gossips. Everyone was staring at us like we were the main attraction at a freak show.

Every muscle in my body stiffened, my racing pulse loud in my ears. My skin flushed hot with anger, with betrayal. They were turning on me, on us, and it was an agonizing blow to my heart.

As we were leaving the bank, Mrs. Simms actually had the nerve to shake her head and mutter, “Stupid, reckless, girl.” And she wasn’t the only one who had something to say.

An unwelcome feeling swirled in my belly, behind my ribs, something alien, its weight growing heavier and heavier with every step we took. I’d seen these people—my people—do this to others…God, to Eli.

I’d never in a million years thought they’d do this to me. I couldn’t believe they had the nerve to say things like that, of course not to our faces, just loud enough we’d hear. I’d known most of them all my life. They’d been nothing but friendly and open to me.

Eli was stiff and tense by my side, and the sense of helplessness, the pain I was feeling for him, intensified. I wanted to scream at them on Eli’s behalf. I wanted to tell them to leave him alone, not to treat him like this. It was killing me, every minute he was subjected to their scorn. I didn’t want that hate directed at him. My natural instinct was to protect him, defend him, not because I thought he was weak or couldn’t look after himself but because I felt that way about everyone I cared for. Instead I kept my lips zipped. I knew after the last time, he wouldn’t welcome it.

So with my only thought to stop the stares and hateful comments, I moved a little away from him, putting more distance between us. When we walked into Coopers, instead of sitting down to eat, Eli grabbed us a muffin each and coffees to go. He was paying when Joanna, a girl I used to go to high school with and who had worked at the diner ever since, asked, “So it’s true, what Kyle said? You two are together?” She motioned between the two of us with the money Eli had given her, eyes bright with excitement. The prospect of getting the details from the horses’ mouths too much for her to contain.

I ignored her question and looked up at Eli. “Right, we better get going.”

I grabbed the muffins, and her eyes stayed locked on me, like if she looked long enough, I might break and spill all my secrets to her.

“He seemed pretty certain,” she said, pushing as she worked out Eli’s change and handed it to him.

My palms grew sweaty, the sick feeling in my belly growing more intense. I couldn’t take it anymore, their judgment, their looks. The way they were treating Eli like he wasn’t a human being. Like they had a right to what was in our hearts, our minds. The way we felt about each other. Just waiting for the chance to dissect something so personal and beautiful and turn it into something sordid. I wasn’t going to give them that.