Chapter Six
JULES
The next afternoon,I was knee deep in payroll when Eli sauntered through my office door, his artfully disheveled dark-blond hair still damp. A waft of clean scent like fresh rain drifted toward me, letting me know he’d just showered after his ocean adventures. I tried not to notice how good he smelled.
He leaned casually against the wall. “Hey there, Jules. Working hard or hardly working?”
I bristled at the nickname, my fingers tensing on my keyboard. “I go by Julianne while at work. Because unlike some, I take my responsibilities seriously.”
Eli’s grin widened. “Come on, Jules. Why the secrecy? What’s the story behind that nickname, anyway?”
I exhaled slowly, willing myself not to rise to his bait. “If you must know, my mother gave me the nickname as a child, as a nod to Jules Verne. I used to devour his books when I was young.”
“No kidding?” Eli’s teasing tone softened, curiositycreeping in as he moved to inspect the books in my bookcase.
“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seawas my favorite growing up,” I continued. “Something about exploring the unknown always called to me. I dreamed of having adventures like that.”
“So what happened to that adventurous spirit?” Eli asked, settling into the chair across from my desk.
I stiffened, kicking myself for revealing even that small tidbit. How did he manage to slip past my defenses? “Life happened. The need to be a responsible adult and find a career. I went to Ohio State for accounting, and it was a good choice for me.”
“You’re a Buckeye, huh? So where did Jules grow up?”
I was tempted to respond with something icy and acerbic, but despite him using my nickname, I couldn’t detect anything other than curiosity in his manner. “Columbus,” I replied neutrally. “Not exactly a hotbed of adventure, you know.”
“Maybe not, but it sounds like you had a pretty lively imagination,” he said, crossing one ankle over the other knee. “What was it like growing up there?”
I could see the flicker of interest in his eyes, and it unsettled me. I didn’t trust this sudden interest, but it couldn’t hurt to be on more civil terms. “It was fine. Lots of books, a best friend, one younger sister.”
“How come you left Ohio?”
I stilled, and when I saw my fists had clenched over my keyboard, I forced them to loosen. I wasn’t about to get into that story with Eli Coleridge, of all people. “I was ready for a change. I’d had enough snowy winters to last a lifetime, so I chased the sun and it led me here. Why are you so friendly all of a sudden?”
He smiled, though there was an edge to it. That dimpleappeared on his cheek again. It made me want to grind my teeth. “I’m a friendly guy, Jules. You’re the only one who has never seemed to notice that.”
I sighed. “You’re not going to call me Julianne, even if I ask. Are you?”
“Nope.” Then his smile softened, became something almost endearing. Almost. “Besides, we’re spending more time together, right? Time to bury the hatchet and all that. Using your nickname is just my way of getting to know you.”
“Huh. And I could have sworn it was to get under my skin and irritate me.”
“Are you irritated?”
Admitting that would be a huge mistake. I straightened my blotter. “Irritated? No, Eli, I’m just marveling at your ability to turn every conversation into a comedy sketch. It’s truly a unique talent.”
His grin became devilish. “Oh, I’m just getting started. Stick around, and you might even get a front-row seat to my one-man show.”
“A front-row seat? Not if we were the last two people on earth. I’m sure watching paint dry would be far more entertaining.”
“You know, Jules, for someone who claims to be uninterested, you’re surprisingly good at keeping this conversation lively. Admit it, you’re having fun.”
“Fun would be a stretch. And there’s my nickname again. Guess I’d better get used to it.” It really was a miracle that Chase had kept it from him all this time. Lacey’s brother was a paragon. It was baffling how he and Eli could be best friends.
“Oh, absolutely.” Despite his exaggerated casualness, there was no denying he spent many of his work hours in hard, manual labor. It showed.
Dammit. Why couldn’t he be physically repulsive?
“I can live with it if you can.” I shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “But if we’re admitting to being surprised, I guess I should say that you’re a much more prepared and professional instructor than I anticipated. That introductory document you sent was very thorough.”
