Free Falling

11|Crave

Holy s**t. Holy s**t. Holy s**t.

Failing to keep the drool from dribbling out the corner of my mouth, I gradually scanned my eyes over Eli's muscular physique. Even the tiniest movement caused a muscle to flex, especially when he lifted his arm to dust his hair, and the s****l attraction intensified.

As his body turned slightly to the side, I noticed a small tattoo on his upper arm, and I squinted to see what it said, but the font was scribbled in fancy cursive that I couldn't decipher. My eyes lifted and came to a pit stop at the smirk curled at his lips.

"Are you okay?" he asked, humor laced in his tone.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

He stared at me for a while, and even though I was flustered to the max, I didn't let it show. He wasn't going to get the satisfaction of watching me squirm underneath his heated gaze while he was practically half-naked in front of me.

Nope.

Standing up, I forced my feet to move forward into the kitchen, shouldering past Eli who still hadn't moved from his spot. He was blocking the entryway, so as I pushed past him, my arm brushing against his bare wet skin. I sighed heavily through my nose and pretended to search in the refrigerator all the while trying not to suffocate in his presence.

He's just in a towel, Cathy. You've seen more. Calm down.

I scolded myself for overreacting and grabbed the first thing I saw.

"Yogurt?" Eli lifted a brow. "You made it seem as if you were hungry for more than just a cup of sweetened milk."

"I'm suddenly not that hungry." I turned to him, my eyes betraying me as they ran down his glorious frame once more, and immediately sat back down on the couch. Eli's deep chuckle caused a spike in my heart rate, and I clenched my teeth in annoyance.

I gulped down the yogurt to help cool my heated face and distract the tingly nerves hitting my insides. When I glanced up, Eli was fully dressed in a pair of faded jeans and a red hoodie. He was leaning against the marble countertop arching his eyebrow in my direction.

"So are we heading back to school?"

Averting my eyes to my lit phone screen, the time suggested that fourth period had ended, and we could potentially make it back for lunch, or we could seize the day.

"Let's skip," I chirped, hopping to my feet while I sent Skylar and Kenny a quick text explaining my whereabouts. A chuckle rose in my throat as Kenny warned me not to scratch up his baby. At the same time, the keys to his blue Mercedes jingled as I twirled it around my finger.

We exited the apartment and climbed into the car, me taking the driver side as Eli googled places to go when you're bored. Finally, we both agreed to just chill at my house. Kenny was low on gas and I didn't bring any money.

The ride back was quiet; a comfortable kind of quiet that eased the pounding of my heart. I settled back into the leather seat, clutching the steering wheel with one hand, eyes transfixed on the road. But even as it was quiet, the desire rumbling deep in my belly was indefinitely loud.

Where was all this coming from? This suddenly deep urge to jump Eli's bones at the mere sight of him half-naked. I wondered what would have happened if he was fully exposed, and that bothered me the most.

The only solution to my problem was Caden. He and I hadn't indulged in any fornications the past two days, causing my hormones to react to any s****l indecency. I inwardly groaned.

"You okay?"

Eli's deep voice startled me and the car swerved towards the curb before I rightened it. "I'm fine."

"Doesn't seem like it." I couldn't tell if his tone was mocking or sincere, and I didn't risk a glance his way because I knew if I did, my stomach would knot up again.

No one, not even Caden, had this kind of effect on me. I was attracted to Caden yet I didn't orgasm at the sight of him like I almost had with Eli. Anyone could attest to Eli's handsome looks and well-defined built, and they would most assuringly agree to engage in heavily s****l intercourse with him.

"I said I'm fine."

Pulling into the driveway of my house, I killed the engine and swung the door open. Just as I was about to exit, a warm hand latched around my wrist, and I looked up to see Eli staring at me with a weird flash in his eyes, an unreadable twist on his face.

"What's up?" I said casually, crinkling my eyebrows.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally spitting it out. "Thank you, for everything. You've become a great friend and it means a lot to me, as much as my relationship with the boys."

I returned his smile without a beat. "Sure thing."

The house was empty which I already expected due to the absence of cars in the driveway. I threw the car keys into the bowl on the table next to the door and headed into the living room. Plopping down on the couch, I rested my feet on the table and clicked the tv on. A few seconds later, the couch dipped as Eli settled in next to me.

We watched tv, but it felt like neither of us was paying attention to what was actually happening on the screen. His presence was nerve-wracking. It was as if seeing him undressed had caused an unknown door to open and a plethora of undesirable lust to run rampant in me. It was annoying.

I felt Eli's eyes boring into the side of my head. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from meeting his gaze and just stared at the tv. A commercial for vacuum cleaners was playing, and I focused my attention on it.

Suddenly, a memory I had pushed to the back of my mind came to the forefront. It was the night that Eli had kissed me in a desperate attempt to forget about whatever had been haunting him. We'd never spoke about it afterward, mostly because I didn't feel the need to talk about something so minuscule that didn't bring any outward feelings, so the memory was just distant.

But now as these unknown feelings slammed into me like a bulldozer, I couldn't help but wonder what his lips would feel against mine again, only this time I would indulge in the full experience, unlike last time when I pulled away.

Every day I felt numb to everything and everyone, and it was only between the sheets that I explored every intimacy, every emotional withdrawal, that clawed deep inside of me. A craving that I couldn't shove back, no matter how much I tried. Caden gave it to me, and for a while, I thought it was enough, but as that undying need scorched my insides at the near thought of Eli, maybe I was mistaken.

Maybe I wanted—no, needed more.

But I couldn't. I wasn't going to treat Eli like a s*x object, beckoning him whenever I needed a fix. Caden and I already had a compromising contract that suited well for us. I wasn't going to screw that up over a whim or a fleeting pastime.

Sighing, I took one last look at Eli.