Page 10 of Those Who Are Bound

As Lucy composed her text, Elliott asked curiously, “How long have you two known each other?”

“Huh? Oh. All our lives, from the time we were in diapers,” she answered distractedly. “Our moms are best friends, so… you know… one boy, one girl. They planned our wedding the minute I was born. So, yeah, all my life.” Giving a brief curtsey, she looked up from her phone and grinned. “I’m younger.”

Elliott nodded. His wandering eye could be explained if parental pressure was pushing them into something neither wanted. It certainly didn’t excuse his behavior. But it could explain why they hadn’t gotten hitched at twenty. Someone was dragging their feet. Elliott suspected him, even with all of Lucy’s he’s-not-a-sit-around-and-wait kind of guy.Clearly, in some situations, he could move like an Irish bog fire.

“Sent!” Lucy looked up and grinned. “He’ll be so happy.”

As they headed toward the door, her phone dinged, and she looked down, opening the message and reading it. “Oh. He said no.”

Even Elliott was taken aback and, honestly, disappointed. She mentally kicked herself. “Just no?”

Lucy’s phone dinged again, and she read, “You need to pay attention. I’m fine; I didn’t come for a field trip.” She made a huffing sound. “Make a liar out of me, Jonah.”

Elliott had to give him some credit for not trying to horn in on them, although his credit with her was starting in the negatives, so he could only go up, right? “Well, let’s get going, then.”

The property was four acres. Most of the land was manicured, but ESE, as Elliott referred to it, also owned a portion of the woods, and had no plans to develop it.

The walk, and Lucy’s questions, took another thirty minutes. Lucy’s shoes were no longer white. She’d slapped at herself more than once because of the bugs. Both were hot and had a nice sheen of sweat from the Midwest afternoon sun and humidity by the time they returned to the event hall.

Jonah had two water bottles sitting on the bar waiting for them when they entered the main structure through one of the back doors. He glanced at Elliott first, like metal drawn to a magnet, before Lucy. A slight frown drew his brows together as he noticed the satchel slung over her shoulder. “Lucy…” He came forward, meeting them halfway across the room and taking the strap from her, transferring the bag to his shoulder. “You walked around with this?”

Lucy teased, “Yeah, well. Although I’d trust you with my life, that laptop’s another thing.”

He reached out and tugged playfully at the bill of her sun visor.

Elliott looked at him warily as she passed them, noticing that the jute was gone. She had to begrudgingly admit that his concern for Lucy was touching; his taking of the laptop.If he’d joined them, she was sure he would have been the one carrying it as they had walked. Okay, a couple more points in his favor. Maybe he wasn’t a total cad, only about 90 percent. She picked up one of the water bottles off the bar, grateful for it; it was still cold but not too cold to chug. She opened it and downed about half of it as the other two approached.

Lucy reached for her bottle and then hesitated. “It’s a long ride back; I need to pee first.” She whirled and headed toward the ladies’ room. “At least, it’ll feel like a long ride back otherwise.”

Jonah chuckled.

Elliott watched Lucy walk away, wanting to grasp on to the woman and hold her there. It wasn’t a typical reaction, the jolt of uncertainty, but she didn’t want to get caught on her own with him, forced to make smalltalk. Steeling herself, she successfully locked down her nervousness. She stepped back, propping an elbow on the bar, and stared at him, attempting to appear unaffected. She sniffed loudly and watched as he bit back a grin. She was trying to project a more masculine pose, but all he was doing was scanning her curves and lips, undeterred.

She angled her body away, striving for the same level of nonchalance as she drank the rest of her water.

His contemplation of her was maddening; there was a strange energy in the air. He studied her with what he probably thought was a private smile, but she noticed it. She was aware that he tracked the movement of her neck as she drank the water, her head tilted back to accommodate the bill of her burgundy hat. She could feel a bead of sweat sliding along her ear and dropping onto her sweat-dampened T-shirt as he continued to watch. Sweat on a woman didn’t offend him—it wasn’t turning him off. He looked tempted to get closer.

Lowering the water bottle, she took another step away from him, trying to make the move appear casual. They engaged in a nonverbal battle. That’s how it felt. She would bet money he was picking up on every emotion coursing through her, his focus so intent, his head canting ever so slightly. She was confused, intrigued, and royally irritated.

Jonah moved toward her, his expression softening, a look he had probably used thousands of times to impart his trustworthiness, catching women off guard. “Have I offended you?”

Elliott shifted backward, trying not to be fooled by those striking green eyes. “Hmm.”

“Elliott, if I’ve offended you…” He extended his hand, but she contorted her body to keep him from touching her arm. He paused, studying her again, trying to read her.

“I’m not easily offended,” she said in a rush, heart leaping into her throat, wishing, more than a little, that he’d ignore her nonverbal cues and go in for the touch. It was true. She wasn’toffendedby him; her riotous responses weren’t caused by offense. “But you can keep your hands to yourself.”

Puzzled, he visually skimmed over her as though he could find the answer to a riddle written on her skin.

Elliott tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as though to ask,Really?

Slowly dropping his arm, he mimicked her head tilt and said in his low tone, quiet and calm, “There’s apparently been a misunderstanding.”

“I haven’t misunderstood anything,” she pointed out and backed away entirely from the bar.

Based on his expression, her response confused him even more.

Lucy breezed out of the bathroom door, blowing out an exaggerated breath. “Now I’m ready to refill.” She laughed at her joke as she approached them. Walking up to the bar to pick up the water, she must have noticed the atmosphere; noticed Jonah. Looking between the two of them, she asked, “What are we talking about?” She gave Jonah awhat-have-you-done?look.

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