Her Touch(11)
“She can’t date,” Eli fires back, like the idea of me dating is preposterous. Maybe it is to him since he looks at me like a little girl. I narrow my eyes at him.
“That’s not really up to you.” I raise my chin. His eyes narrow on me, and I wish I could see jealousy there. Instead I know what this is about. It’s about the first time he met me and caught me with Nick in the backyard.
“Maggie.” I hear Alice’s soft voice and whirl around. She’s standing in the open garage door. Her long red hair is blowing in the wind. She looks a little different today, and I wonder if she plans on meeting someone at the mall. She has some make-up on, which isn’t normal for her, and her hair is down. Not only that, but she’s wearing a dress that hugs all her curves. Normally she tries to hide her figure, which is something I don’t get. I know she has curves in all the right places. I’d kill to have a chest and hips like hers.
“Crap, is it two already?” I glance at the clock over on the wall. “Give me a second to change.”
I slip past my dad, ignoring the fact that Eli is probably staring holes in the back of my head.
“You look pretty today, Alice,” I hear my dad say. “Not that you don’t always. I mean.” I hold back a laugh at my dad trying to make polite conversation. He’s not used to being around anyone but Marines and me. I dart up the stairs and jump right into the shower. I wash quickly before drying off and going to find something to wear. I dig to the back of my closet and find a cream-colored dress. It’s strapless, hugging tight to my top but flaring out at the bottom. I pull my hair down from my ponytail and fluff it a bit, then grab some lip gloss and slip on a pair of flats.
I give myself one last look in the mirror, all too aware that I’m wearing a dress in spite of what Eli said.
“Ready?” I call as I walk back into the garage and everyone turns to look at me. I smile like I’m not up to something.
“I’ll take you,” Eli cuts in before Alice can say she’s ready.
“Alice can take us.”
“I need to go to the mall anyway, and after we can stop at the store and get stuff for you to make pasta salad for dinner.”
I should put up a fight, still be mad about his comment, but I can’t. I want to spend as much time with Eli as possible. He’s like an addiction I don’t want to overcome.
“Fine.” I fake annoyance.
“Grab one of those jacket things before we go,” Eli tells me, pulling off his shirt and sliding on another. I can’t stop myself from staring at his hard chest. Little marks and scars cover his skin and are still visible through the light layer of chest hair, and tattoos cover so much of his exposed skin.
“Jacket thing?” What is he talking about? I lost my train of thought for a second.
“The cloth things that have, like, flowers on them and stuff. You got like ten of them in different colors.” He picks up his keys and wallet from next to the workout bench.
“Cardigan?”
“Sure, if that’s what it’s called.”
“I’ll be inside.”
“Malls gets chilly.”
“Really? I mean—”
“He’s right, bug. Go grab one, and get Alice one, too,” my dad cuts in. I shake my head and go back into the house. I grab two cardigans. I’m not arguing with my dad. I never go head to head with him unless it’s something worth fighting for.
“Let’s roll,” I say, returning to the garage and seeing Eli must have changed into jeans real quick.
“We need to get the steaks, too, Major?” Eli asks my dad.
“Yeah, grab an extra. I’m sure Alice would like to join us.”
“You wanna stay over?” I ask Alice. She does sometimes. I don’t think she likes being at home. Her parents fight constantly.
“Sure,” she says so softly I almost don’t hear her. I link my arm with hers and pull her toward Eli’s truck.
As I take each step, I know Eli is hot on my heels.
Chapter 6
Eli
“Rule number one, no texting while driving.”
Maggie turns her head to me and gives me that look that makes me want to pull her onto my lap and squeeze her close to me.
“The key isn’t even in the ignition,” she says before returning her attention to her glowing phone. I give her a second, and when she’s finished she tucks her phone in her purse down at my feet. “Alice said she was on her way to my house, but I said you were giving me driving lessons. I told her the Major is home and he can let her in until we get back.”
I start to say something about that, but she holds her hand out expectantly.