Summer Hearts

Chapter 5

Eli pulled himself off out of the pool, feeling Kayla’s eyes following him.  He walked in the direction Nicole walked.  He wouldn’t have made the effort to follow her if Kayla hadn’t been there.  For some reason he didn’t want her to see him with Nicole.  It’s not like he was doing anything wrong.  They had just met.  Nothing was going on between them.  They just talked.  Maybe he had been a little more flirty than usual, but he was in a good mood. 

                “Pepperoni, sausage, and pineapple.  All large,” he heard Nicole say into her cell phone.  “Yeah, we’re at the pool again, Cassie.” 

                He grinned and snuck around the corner of the building.  Lucky for him, she was facing the other direction as she ended the call.  He stepped up behind her silently and grabbed her waist from behind.  She squealed and almost dropped the phone.  “Eli!”  He rested his chin on her head, chuckling, until she turned herself around to face him.  “You scared me,” she whined.

                “Sorry.  I couldn’t resist.  You’re so cute when you get scared,” he explained, pulling her closer to his chest.

                “You’re getting me all wet.”

                “Really?  Somebody needs to learn how to control herself.”  He winked.

                “You are so gross,” she giggled.  She looked back the way they had come momentarily.  “What was up with Kayla back there?  It really didn’t look like you were just introducing yourself.”

                “Nikki, come on.  I just met her.  Nothing was going on.”

                “It sure as hell didn’t look like nothing.”

                “Nikki, trust me.  It was nothing,” he whispered, leaning down so his face was centimeters from hers.  She was a sucker for this move.

                She bit her lip cutely and tried to avoid watching his lips, failing miserably.

                Eli smirked and stepped to the side, still holding her, and pinned her against the side of the building.  He brought his hands from her hips to either side of her head.  “Do you trust me?” he murmured seductively.

                 Nicole brought her hands up to his cheeks.  “No.”  Her arms wrapped around his neck.  “But it’s never stopped me before.”  She pushed herself up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

                He leaned back down towards her and returned the kiss roughly.  “I’ve been waiting all day to see you,” he whispered as he stared into her cerulean eyes.  Something felt…off.  On any normal day, they would have been all over each other by now.  Why wasn’t this a normal day?  There was no way it could be Kayla.  Could it?

                “Eli?”  He snapped out of his thought and looked at Nicole.  He hadn’t realized he’d been ignoring her.

                “Sorry.  What were you saying?”

                “I asked if you wanted to come over tonight.  You just aren’t into it here today.  I can tell.  I mean, it’s not like you need to come, but I just thought…” she trailed off, looking away from him.

                “I’ve got to be home by eleven.  I’ll sneak out after everybody falls asleep though.  Sorry.  Uh, I was thinking about Alison,” he lied.  “She ran to the bathroom after initiation.”  Nicole nodded thoughtfully.