Free Loveless by N. Isabelle Blanco

open.
    “Um . . . hi.” Feeling like an utter ass for jumping to conclusions, I pull my arm out of Elijah’s grip and shake Sophie’s hand.
    “How do you guys know each other?” Sophie asks.
    “Work together,” is Elijah’s quick response. Too quick.
    Sophie raises an eyebrow slowly. Very, very slowly. She doesn’t speak but her expression is total “Is that so ?” and then some.
    Did Elijah tell her about our deal? My face burns hot.
    Sophie turns back to me. “Did you just get here or are you heading out?”
    “Heading out. Was supposed to climb with my cousin but she couldn’t make it. So, yeah.”
    Elijah’s best friend claps her hands together happily. “You can hang with us!”
    Elijah throws his head back and sighs.
    “Uh . . . it’s okay. I don’t want to intrude.” Obviously, he doesn’t want me hanging out with them.
    His head snaps down and in my direction. “You wouldn’t be intruding,” he says in a low voice, trying to reassure me. Which is nice of him. Really nice. But his reaction was unmistakable. 
    Sophie stares at Elijah out of the corner of her eye, a weird, sly smirk on her face. “You heard him, girl. You’re with us.” She grabs my hand and yanks me forward, heading toward one of the smaller boulders.
    Elijah follows us. “Sophie, can you not be so overbearing for once?”
    Sophie stops before the boulder and throws back over her shoulder, “Can you go suck your own dick for once? Yes?”
    I slap a hand over my mouth, trying to muffle my surprised laugh.
    Elijah pauses next to me, his eyes flickering to my tight black yoga pants. “Oh? You think she’s funny, huh?” The threat behind his soft tone stops my laughter.
    God, he’s staring at me like he’s imagining me naked. Like he’s ready to spank me for laughing at him.
    And I like that. Lord help me, I really do.
    Swallowing, I force out a response, knowing that Sophie is watching our interaction with blatant interest. “Elijah, I’m sorry to break it to you, but anyone that tells you to go suck your own dick is hilarious.”
    His mouth falls open.
    Sophie practically guffaws. “Love her already!”
    When we all turn and head up to the boulder, Elijah is right behind me, his heat penetrating my clothes. He leans down to whisper in my ear, “Keep that up and I’ll end up punishing you.”
    “What kind of punishment?” I whisper back, chest racing. How am I supposed to climb anything when my lungs are already functioning at way below normal capacity?
    He doesn’t answer, just walks around me with a small smirk on his face.
    Bastard.
    He begins the ascent first, easily finding the right hold, his body leaving the floor in a matter of seconds, every muscle in his arms and back flexing as he climbs.
    Sexy, irresistible bastard.
    Liquid heat rushes through me, heading straight for my pussy, leaving me pounding.
    Correction: how am I supposed to climb with both malfunctioning lungs, and a swollen, throbbing clit?
    “You coming girl?” Sophie smiles down at me, climbing as easily as Elijah is.
    This was just a warm up for them. They both clearly have expertise at this.
    And obviously, Sophie just caught me ogling her best friend.
    Blushing, I find a spot and begin climbing, determined to not let myself get caught having anymore sexual fantasies about Elijah. Especially by his best friend. No doubt, Sophie will tell him just how far gone my hormones are, and that man’s ego is large enough without adding that to it.
    Although, really, I should have refrained from coming all over his boxers on Monday if I really wanted to keep his ego in check.
    We all climb three separate boulders, each one larger than the last. By the time we get to the second boulder, Elijah insists that I need to go first.
    And that he has to be right behind me, watching out for my safety and all that.
    I almost take complete offense, thinking he’s criticizing my climbing technique, but then Sophie coughs into her closed fist, something that