Free FRAGILE: A Billionaire Romance (Part Two) by Kimberly Malone Page B

close call, but I’m not sure. Eli avoids my hand when I reach out for him, and he keeps his head down, staring at his feet as the countryside turns into city.
    I feel like I’m so close to figuring out a puzzle with Eli, but the last handful of pieces are behind a wall that I can’t break down—and the door won’t open. Try as I might, I can’t get a conversation started with Eli, and when I finally give up, I see the cab driver eyeing us in his rear view mirror.
    “Thanks for the hike,” I say when the cab driver stops the car. “I had a lot of fun—besides the accident.”
    Some light comes to Eli’s face, and he tells the driver to wait. He gives me a small smile, as he walks out and escorts me to the front entrance of the complex, my penthouse at the top. “I had fun too, Ruby.” He stares at my hands in his. “I’m sorry if I seem distant; I just have a lot to think about,” Eli says.
    I smile and kiss him on the cheek. “You’re always thinking, but I understand. That was pretty scary back there. You were a hero.”
    Eli stares at me. “You helped, too,” he says softly.
    “Eh, I didn’t do much, but thanks,” I say. “Maybe clumsy sidekick?”
    Finally, Eli gives me a truer smile. “Beautiful sidekick.”
    I grin. “Thanks.”
    “Rest well, Ruby.”
    “You too.”
    Eli pauses, still holding my hands. Then, he drops them and turns, walking back to the cab with slow, deliberate steps, pausing once, almost as if he were having a fight with himself. However, he makes it to the cab and gets in. I wave, and he lifts his hand once before the cab takes off.
    I exhale and make my way into the complex, pressing the passcode for the elevator and heading up. Being around Eli makes it difficult for me to breathe, but I hate when I’m away from him. I’ve never felt like this around a guy before, and I’m dazed as I make my way back up to my penthouse.
    Is this love?
    The thought came out of nowhere, and I stare around at my bright and cheery penthouse as I close the door. I want to blame the rush from the day’s events on my feelings, but I’m not so sure.
    I’m just exhausted, I think. My brain’s all muddled.
    Buttercup, my fluffy yellow cat, an older dear that I’d gotten from a rescue shelter a few years ago, comes running up, rubbing between my legs, and I give her a good pet. Turning on the sound system in my penthouse, which is wired throughout the place, I head to the bathroom. I take a long, hot shower, glad to get rid of the dirt and sweat and fear from the hike and the incident, but less happy to lose Eli’s scent from my skin.
    Slipping into my green silk robe, I’m so tired I decide against making dinner and instead treat myself to a couple scoops of strawberry ice cream with a hot fudge topping, curling up in front of my computer and checking email while Buttercup sits on my lap. There’s nothing pressing, and I browse the web briefly. Out of my own curiosity, I type “Eli Richardson” into the search bar, but I can’t find anything besides a small bio on him on their company website, and there isn’t even a picture of him.
    I rub my forehead, tired of the persistent headaches that have been coming more frequently, wondering where my energy’s gone to lately, and wishing I could make sense of Eli, the mystery that surrounds him, and my heart.
    Feeling pensive, I pick up a sketch pad and a pencil, and I sit out on my balcony, Buttercup following me out. A breeze gently blows my hair into my face, and I fix it as I stare out at the city below, listening to the music from inside my home. The sun’s just about to set, and it casts a glow over everything.
    My thoughts are everywhere, and I idly begin to draw. I’m the creator and owner of Ruby’s Jewelry, a multi-billion dollar jewelry company, and things have been going great for the business. However, I also haven’t had a new idea for a jewelry line in forever, and I’m getting anxious about it.
    I can feel the strain in