“Yeah,” Eli cut in. “Me neither. It just happened.” Hepaused and shook his head as if to clear it. “But we need to focus on the gear situation. It’s urgent, Jules.”
I bit my lip, weighing the options. The accountant in me screamed about budget constraints, but a bigger part—the part still tingling from Eli’s touch—wanted to help him. I was glad we’d stepped back from the brink, but the last thing I wanted was to go back to being adversaries. “Look, I can’t promise anything, but… I’ll see what I can do. Maybe we can reallocate some future charges or buy it on credit somehow.”
Relief washed over Eli’s face. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I warned, but I couldn’t help a small smile. “I’ll look into it and get back to you.”
As I turned to leave, Eli’s hand brushed my arm. The touch was light, but it sent electricity through my body. “Jules,” he said softly. “About what happened…”
I shook my head. “Let’s just focus on the dive kit for now, okay?”
He nodded, understanding in his eyes. I turned and almost stumbled out of the classroom. My legs were wobbly.
I pushed open the door of the dive shop, welcoming the cool drizzle that hit my face. My mind replayed the intense encounter with Eli over and over. All of it. The kiss, the passion, the way my body had responded without hesitation. It was all so unlike me.
“Forget it,” I muttered, rubbing my still-tingling lips.
The rain picked up, soaking through my crisp button-down shirt. I hardly noticed. My thoughts raced between expense allocations and the feel of Eli’s hands on my waist. The hardness between us as we ground together. There were a million reasons to keep my distance, to maintain that professional wall I’d so carefully constructed.
And yet…
I couldn’t deny the pull toward him or the desire to help him out of this jam. It wasn’t just attraction, though God knows that was there. His passion for his work, his unwillingness to compromise on safety, resonated with me.
By the time I reached my office, I was drenched and disheveled. I sank into my chair, wiping raindrops from my face with trembling hands. My reflection in the computer screen showed flushed cheeks and wild eyes. I barely recognized myself.
With a deep breath, I woke up my computer and pulled up the resort’s financial records. “Okay,” I whispered, fingers flying over the keyboard. “Let’s see what we can do here.”
I threw myself into the task, grateful for the distraction. Numbers were safe. Numbers didn’t make my heart pound or my knees weak. So I combed through line items and juggled figures. Two hours later, a plan began to take shape. My phone buzzed with a text.
Eli: Any luck?
I stared at the message,my resolve wavering. It would be so easy to give in, to let myself fall. But I couldn’t. Eli and I were as opposite as two people could get. Not long ago, we couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other.
So I typed back.
Jules: Working on a solution. Give me through tomorrow, okay?
His reply came almost instantly.
Eli: You’re amazing. Thanks.
I set the phone down, my hand still shaking slightly. Tomorrow. I had until the end of tomorrow to get my head on straight and face Eli with a solution.
God help me.
