Page 23 of Passing the Red Line
“That way she can finish her game. It’s not like I have anything to do in the morning,” I add as to explain, because why else would I want to give the girl that I’ve been bickering with all night. It’s not like I want to explore her naked body or anything.
Sarcasm, my brain is filled with sarcasm.
“Wouldn’t that be out of your way?” Miguel asks, raising a dark eyebrow at me. Why does he care what I do with my gas? He’s not paying for it.
Does he have a thing for Eliana? Is that why he’s so eager to take her home?
I never wanted to beat up my friend, not when we were kids or when we were teenagers. I suddenly have a strange urge to do so right this very moment.
Calm down. They work together. They are friends. There is nothing more. You have no reason to get jealous.
I’m not jealous.
I clear my throat and my headspace and finally answer Miguel’s question.
“No, not at all,” I say, keeping my voice even as possible.
My friend gives me a head nod before turning back to face the woman that I should be letting him take home. “Are you okay with Chris taking you home?”
Eliana looks from my friend to me, narrowing her eyes for a split second before she answers him. “As long as he promises to not chop me up into little pieces and throw me into a dumpster.”
This woman has a dark sense of humor. I would never tell her, but I’m liking it.
“Why would I throw you in a dumpster? It would be better to spread you all over the mountains, that way nobody will ever find you.” The smirk I throw her way only causes her eyes to narrow even more.
We stare down for a minute or so, neither one of us wanting to back down. Eventually, though, she’s the one that breaks it.
“Fine, but at least dump one of my hands in the ocean. That way my body will never be fully discovered, and I can still haunt you every time you step into your beach house,” she says with so much sass in her voice that my dick starts to twitch.
Eliana is affecting my dick way more than I want to.
“As long as you don’t touch anything below the belt in your ghost form, we’ll be fine,” I throw back at her, crossing my arms across my chest.
“I guess I can withhold from cutting off your precious penis in your sleep.”
“Jesus, you two are weird as fuck,” Miguel says, taking us away from our back-and-forth banter. “I’m going to head out. Try not to kill each other on the way home.”
Miguel waves to Eliana and I and starts making his way out of the bar. We both watch him until we can’t see him anymore. As soon as my friend is out of sight, I turn to the woman that will no doubt try and murder me in my sleep if I say the wrong thing.
“Color me surprised,” I say, closing the distance between us.
“And why is that?” She says, popping her hip a bit and crossing her arms. As much as I try not to, my eyes travel to her chest for a split second. Even through her shirt, I can see that they would feel heavy in my hands.
Fuck. I need to stop checking her out on top of thinking anything sexual.
“You told me you hated me a time or two. I for sure thought that you were going to tell me to go fuck myself for even offering to give you a ride. Yet, you accepted.” I raise an eyebrow at her, my hand itching to touch her.
“It’s not like I had a choice,” she throws at me.
I can’t smile at her lie. “You had a choice, hermosa. You could have left with our mutual friend. He was eager to take you home, yet you chose to stay behind with me. Are you planning on choking me to death on the drive home?” A grin forms on my lips as I tease her.
My teasing earns me an eye roll. “Maybe I didn’t like my other choice.”
“Is that so? And why is that?” I close the remaining distance between us, leaving not even an inch of space between my body and hers. All I need to do is place my hand against her hip and I’d be able to feel her curves against my body, but I don’t. I’ll keep my hands to myself. For now.
“I don’t have to explain anything to you,” she says, looking up at me with an expression that she wants to come off as annoyed but it’s anything but.
“Okay, then. Have fun walking home,” I tell her, about to walk around her to leave, but she stops me.
