Page 42 of Bound By Earth (The Nature Hunters Academy 1)

“Lucky guess. So, why’d you let me in if you thought the situation wasn’t safe?” he asked again. His eyes narrowed as he shifted forward, uncrossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. The confident way in which he moved and the smoothness of it wasmesmerizing.

Tara had to force herself to keep her attention on his face despite the intensity of his gaze. She decided to tell him the truth. Tara might be a lot of things, but one of the things she wasn’t was a coward. And like the words of the poem she wrote, she wanted desperately to not be a prisoner to her anger and fear. “Because I wanted to see you,too.”

There was a subtle shift in his demeanor. Something possessive flashed in his eyes but was gone when she blinked. The silence between them was filled with such thick tension that Tara felt as if she could reach out and grab it with her hands. She didn’t understand what the pull between them was orwhyit was, but she knew it was frustrating the ever-loving-crap out of her. Was it one sided? Was she the only one feeling this crazy attraction? He said he wanted to see her, wanted to talk to her. Was it because he was attracted to her as well? Was it because she was in his every thought, driving him as mad as he was drivingher?

She was about to ask him a question—one she wasn’t even sure she wanted an answer to—but then her phone beeped. Tara looked around for it and remembered Elias had slipped it into his pocket after having hung up on Shelly.She turned back to Elias when she heard a deep grumble, like a growl come fromhim.

He clutched her phone in his firm grasp, his knuckles white from squeezing the device. He stared at the screen as if it had somehow personally offendedhim.

“Can I have my phone back?” Tara asked as she held out herhand.

His eyes flicked up to her and then back down to the phone. Tara felt something cold rush over her at the anger she saw reflected in those sea blue eyes. Whatever he saw on her phone was enraging him. The tension she’d felt moments ago had changed into a force pressing down onher.

“Elias,” she said, trying to make her voice sound firm despite the fact she was feeling anything but confident. “That’s my phone, and whatever you’re reading isprivate.”

“You’re going on a date,” he began and let out a slow breath before continuing, “withhim?”

“What?” She’d had enough. She slipped off the bed with more effort than it should take and reached forward, wrapping her hand around the top of the phone. Tara tugged. He didn’t releaseit.

“Answer me,” he said in a dangerouswhisper.

Tara’s fear turned into anger. She knew he was talking about Tucker. What she didn’t know was why he thought she was going on a date with him. She hadn’t agreed to that, and even if she had, what right did Elias have to be angry over it? Did hewantto have a right to be angry about it? Didshewant him to have the right to be angry? Bloody hell! Why, whenever she was aroundhim, did she start psychoanalyzing her thoughts and playing twenty questions withherself?

“Yes,” she blurted out simply because he was pissing her off. “I’m going on a date with him. Now give me my damnphone.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Tara,” Elias said, as he used his free hand to lift her chin so she had to look at him. “Cursing isn’t ladylike.” The anger was still in his eyes, but it had faded from his voice. Now there was something else, something that felt very much likeseduction.

Tara sucked in a quick breath and tugged at her phone again. He finally released it, and she dropped her eyes to the screen as she headed back to the bed and some much-needed space from the intensity that was Elias Creed. Taking a moment to collect herself, she read the text that had obviously put the idea in Elias’s head that she was going on a date withTucker.

“I’m picking you up Friday at 7. Call it a date, call it two friends going out. IDC. I just want to hang out with you and your specialness. Xoxo -T

What the hell?Xoxo? What was that about? Tara wanted to frown at the screen, but she could feel Elias’s eyes on her and knew he’d be reading into her every tiny movement no matter how subtle. Did she want to go on a date with Tucker? No. But did she want to irritate Elias because she was so thoroughly annoyed that he affected her so intensely? Abso-freaking-lutely.

She sent a quick textback.

Fine.I’ll call it coerced fun with a not-quitefriend.

A second later,her phonebeeped.

Ouch.But I’ll take it. Night. Xoxo -T

Unable to help herself,she rolled her eyes and set her phone behind her, out of Elias’s reach, in case he got any ideas. When she finally looked at him, she was surprised to find he wasn’t watching her at all. He was staring at what must have been his own phone. Had he gotten a text, too? Was it from a girl?Good grief! Nope. Not goingthere.

“Why are you home alone?” Elias asked, not taking his eyes off his phone. Tara found this irked her but that was stupid because, well, it justwas.

“Carol is a nurse and works night shiftsometimes.”

“Carol?” he asked and finally looked up at her. “Notmom?”

She shook her head. “Carol is my foster mom. And you should know that since you read my aptitude test,” she pointedout.

He ignored her statement and asked, “Howlong?”

“Since I was thirteen.” Which he should also know, but there was no sense in pointing it out again. He’d probably just ignoreher.

“Are your parents alive?” He finally looked up from his phone, turning the intense attention back onher.

Tara shook her head. She saw understanding in his eyes before hespoke.

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