Annabel

Chapter 10

Eli stood there before me, his hands and clothes covered in grease, little smudges underneath his eyes where he must have touched his face while working. He looked so cute with a cocky smirk spread across his plump lips, arms crossed firmly over his chest. He looked into my eyes and I could have sworn that they changed colors, a lighter—almost honey in tent—brown.

"I fixed it."

"You did?"

"Yep. One of your belts was bad and I replaced it...She runs great now."

I smiled, motioning for him to come in and watching as he carefully stepped through the threshold and into my foyer, treading lightly like he was stepping foot into the President's house...or Graceland. Either way, he was extremely careful, taking an extensive amount of time wiping his boots off. I walked to the kitchen counter to get my wallet, quickly opening it as I glanced up to meet his eyes again.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked, proceeding to pull some bills out.

His large hand grabbed my small one, moving it away. I pulled out some money anyway, shifting my body weight to one leg as I reached up to push some long strands of hair away from my face. I felt like a hot mess before him and despite his appearance—his stained clothes and face smudged with grease spots—I still somehow managed to feel completely unattractive in his presence.

"At least let me give you..."

He gently pushed my hand away once again, dark brows knitting together which caused a long crease to etch into his forehead.

"Eli, you have to let me pay you in some way." I insisted and for a long time, he looked right into my eyes and I squirmed under his gaze, finding him intimidating when he tried to look into my soul like that. It was as if he were trying to learn everything just by staring into my eyes. I felt thoroughly analyzed.

He smirked, the smile lopsided and more attractive than I remembered. His lips were plump and extremely pink, almost unnatural but still, more beautiful than I could ever imagine lips being.

"Just come with me and go easy on me when we bowl tonight."

I smiled, feeling my insides quiver with excitement at the informal invitation to go with him to Cliff's hideout again. Something about him wanting me to spend my nocturnal nights with him made me so giddy. I would feel heat rise in my cheeks as a warmth erupted in my belly and spread to the very tips of my limbs.

"Oh, so this is a deal...or a bribe? You fix my car in exchange for winning a game at the bowling alley?"

He shrugged, leaning against my wall.

"How does that sound?"

"Unfair to you." I answered honestly, taking a tentative step closer.

He leaned against the bar, crossing his legs and resting his forearms against the countertop. He looked so cute still covered in grease from my car and my hands were itching to clean the black spots from his face. Still, nothing could make Eli Caulder unattractive, not even grease smudges.

"So...what do you suggest?" he asked.

I touched my chin with my index finger, trying to appear deep in thought. However, I wasn't in deep thought but merely instable under his intense gaze. I began to wonder if my squirming was as noticeable as it felt. I just couldn't stop fidgeting and I may as well have been drunk the way I was losing my balance every five seconds.

"Cash money still seems like the best offer." I croaked.

"I'm not taking your money."

I smiled, now knowing that Eli was just as stubborn as I was, but I liked it and this almost flirtatious moment had me more excited than I ever expected to become. It was cute how he kept shaking his head in protest, refusing my money after he'd been so quick to indulge in an extremely generous act, all for me.