Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
JULES
I blinked hard, trying to refocus as the lines on my screen swam out of focus.
Staring at my empty coffee cup, I contemplated a refill.
Even though it was afternoon. This was ridiculous.
Budgets were my bread and butter. Fiscal responsibility was practically my middle name.
And yet here I sat in the same old office, staring at my temperamental computer screen, yet my mind was a million miles away from quarterly projections.
My brain was fixated on one thing and one thing only.
Eli Coleridge.
The man who’d rubbed me the wrong way since the moment we met. The man who had walked me home Friday night and who I’d opened up to. The man who had almost kissed me.
I dropped my head into my hands. What was wrong with me? I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since Friday night, but I couldn’t get him out of my head. This was exactly why workplace romances were forbidden at Sunset Siesta. They led to nothing but distraction and disaster.
A soft ping sounded from my computer. New email. Probably another tedious request from the PR company asking for approval for their bloated ad budget. I glanced at the sender and my heart skipped a beat.
From: Eli Coleridge
Subject: Need to meet ASAP
Jules,
Can you swing by the dive shop when you get a chance? Something I need to discuss with you.
Thanks,
Eli
I reread the terse message twice, my curiosity piqued. Eli rarely emailed and had never asked to see me like this. What could be so urgent? And why did the thought of seeing him again send slow tendrils reaching through my abdomen?
Before I could think, I was on my feet and striding out my door.
I stepped out of the resort’s main building, my mind so preoccupied I barely registered the dreary weather.
The rain pattered against my face and dampened my blouse as I rushed down the path toward the pier.
Dammit. My raincoat hung forgotten on its hook by my office door.
At least the storm had lessened this afternoon.
It had been pouring buckets when I drove to work.
My heels clacked a staccato rhythm on the damp wood as I hurried along the pier, my thoughts a whirlwind. What could Eli need to discuss that couldn’t wait? And why did the thought of seeing him again make my heart race like I’d just sprinted a 5K?
I reached the dive shop, pausing for a moment to catch my breath and smooth my rain-soaked hair into some semblance of order. As I stepped inside, I glanced around for Eli. But Andrea looked up from behind the counter, her usual cheerful smile tight-lipped.
“Afternoon, Andrea. Where’s Eli?”
“Hey, Julianne,” she said, her voice strained. “He’s in the classroom. But, uh… heads-up. We had a rough one out there this morning.”
My footsteps paused as I headed toward the hallway. “What do you mean, rough?”
Andrea shook her head, glancing toward the classroom. “You’d better hear it from him. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing.”
A knot of apprehension formed in my stomach as I nodded and continued.
I stepped into the classroom, my eyes immediately drawn to Eli.
He stood in front of a computer terminal, his usually relaxed demeanor replaced by a tense, almost rigid posture.
His sun-bleached hair was a chaotic mess as if he’d been running his fingers through it.
When he looked up at me, his eyes were stormy with frustration.
“Jules. Thanks for coming.”
I stopped before his teaching table. “Sure. What’s going on? Andrea mentioned something about a rough morning.”
He exhaled sharply and rubbed his tired-looking eyes. “Yeah, you could say that. We had an accident during the dive. Everyone’s okay, but…” He paused, jaw clenching. “A diver panicked at the surface, and we lost a full scuba kit. It’s at the bottom of the ocean now. We have to replace it.”
My heart sank. “Oh, no. Is the diver okay?”
He nodded distractedly.
“Are you okay, Eli?”
A fleeting smile cracked his face. “I’m fine. He just lost his head, and I had to rescue him and tow him back to the boat.”
“I’m glad you’re both all right.” The situation was another reminder that there was much more to Eli Coleridge than I’d ever given him credit for.
But it didn’t change the current facts. “This is terrible timing, especially after the dive computer expenses. How much are we looking at to replace it?” I chewed my lip, mental calculations already running through my head.
Eli turned to the computer and pulled up a page. “I just looked it up. It’s going to be around two thousand dollars. He was using one of the new dive computers, of course.”
The blood drained from my face. Two thousand dollars! “Eli, I’m sorry, but there’s no way we can swing that right now. The budget is already stretched thinner than a rubber band as it is.”
His eyes flashed. “Jules, this isn’t optional. I’ve been cobbling together gear for months. Hell, years. We don’t have any spares, okay? If we don’t get a new set of gear, we’ll have to start canceling divers. That’ll cost us even more in the long run.”
My practical side warred with my sympathy. “I understand that, but I can’t just magically make money appear. We’re barely staying afloat as it is.”
“Believe me, I know. But we’ve got to come up with it somehow.” He looked me up and down, his gaze appraising. “Look, I know you’re damn good at your job. I might not have admitted that out loud before, but I’m aware of it. So I need you to wave your magic wand, okay?”
Ignoring the warmth that wanted to spread over my abdomen at his compliment, instead, I planted my feet and squared my shoulders. “Eli, I get it. I do. But we can’t just throw two grand at this without considering the bigger picture.”
His jaw set hard as he straightened to his full height. “The bigger picture? Jules, I am. Without proper equipment, we don’t have a dive operation. No dive op, no dive charters. It’s that simple.”
“Nothing about running this resort is simple,” I shot back, my voice rising. The dive operation was one of the resort’s strongest earners, but it wasn’t the only area I had to worry about. “Every department is screaming for more funding. I’ve already bent the rules for you, so where does it end?”
Eli stepped closer. “This isn’t about bending rules. It’s about safety.”
“There’s no room to carve out an expense this big.”
He raked a hand through his messy hair. “I’ll have to charge it on my own card, then. It’s pretty much maxed out, but—”
“Absolutely not.” I was shocked he’d even suggest that. “That is strictly against policy. And Harper would never sanction it. Neither would I.”
“What the hell are we supposed to do then?” His voice was rising. “This expense will increase revenue, dammit.”
My breath caught. I’d never seen him like this, all intensity and determination.
Except the other night. Goose bumps rippled down my arms. Part of me wanted to keep arguing, to stand my ground.
But another part—a part I was trying to ignore at the moment—was finding this passionate version of Eli extremely attractive.
My heart hammered, and not just from the heated discussion.
I quickly shoved that back. My attraction to him didn’t matter right now.
I swallowed hard. “It’s not about future revenue. Your request isn’t unreasonable, but—”
“No buts,” he interrupted. “We replace the gear or we start canceling divers. And guests. Those are our options.”
I stepped forward, my frustration boiling over. “Goddammit, Eli! You’re right. I am damn good at my job. Because I’m fair. I do the right thing, even when it pisses people off. You can’t just demand things, Eli. I’m not going—”
That was the last word I got out. Eli closed the distance between us in two swift strides. He gripped my shoulders, and before I could process what was happening, his lips crashed into mine. For a split second, I froze. The clock ticked on the wall. His lips were so warm, so smooth.
Then something inside me snapped.
I threw my arms around his neck, kissing him back with a ferocity that shocked me.
His tongue swept into my mouth, and I groaned, pressing myself against him.
I plunged my fingers into his hair, the thick strands sliding between my fingers as I pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.
The taste of him was everything I’d been fantasizing about, and I couldn’t get enough.
Eli’s hands moved from my shoulders to the small of my back, pulling me flush against him. His body was hard and warm, radiating an energy that made my head swim. I could feel the tension in every muscle as I rubbed my hands across his shoulders, down his back.
In one fluid motion, I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist. Eli grunted in surprise, his hands moving to support my ass. He spun us around, pinning me against the wall with a thud that knocked the breath from my lungs.
“God, Jules,” he panted against my mouth, grinding his hips into mine. The friction sent shockwaves through my body, and I arched into him, desperate for more contact. My fingers closed in his hair, gripping him as I devoured his mouth, all thoughts of budgets and propriety forgotten.
Andrea’s voice rang out from the main room. “Hey, guys, I’m heading to the gear room to check on those tanks I’ve been filling!”
Eli sprang back as if electrocuted. My feet hit the floor, and I stumbled, chest heaving. Eli’s eyes were wide, his hair even more of a mess from my hands. We stared at each other, the realization of what we’d just done crashing over us like a tidal wave.
“I… uh…” I stammered, smoothing down my skirt with trembling hands. My lips felt swollen, and my whole body hummed with desire.
Eli was wide-eyed as he cleared his throat, looking equally shell-shocked. “Right. I, um, didn’t expect to do that.”
I nodded mutely, unable to form a coherent thought. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.
“We should probably…” Eli gestured vaguely.
I took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of composure. “I-I shouldn’t have done that,” I said, working to keep my voice even. “It was completely unprofessional and—”
“Yeah,” Eli cut in. “Me neither. It just happened.” He paused and shook his head as if to clear it. “But we need to focus on the gear situation. It’s urgent, Jules.”
I bit my lip, weighing the options. The accountant in me screamed about budget constraints, but a bigger part—the part still tingling from Eli’s touch—wanted to help him.
I was glad we’d stepped back from the brink, but the last thing I wanted was to go back to being adversaries.
“Look, I can’t promise anything, but… I’ll see what I can do.
Maybe we can reallocate some future charges or buy it on credit somehow. ”
Relief washed over Eli’s face. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I warned, but I couldn’t help a small smile. “I’ll look into it and get back to you.”
As I turned to leave, Eli’s hand brushed my arm. The touch was light, but it sent electricity through my body. “Jules,” he said softly. “About what happened…”
I shook my head. “Let’s just focus on the dive kit for now, okay?”
He nodded, understanding in his eyes. I turned and almost stumbled out of the classroom. My legs were wobbly.
I pushed open the door of the dive shop, welcoming the cool drizzle that hit my face. My mind replayed the intense encounter with Eli over and over. All of it. The kiss, the passion, the way my body had responded without hesitation. It was all so unlike me.
“Forget it,” I muttered, rubbing my still-tingling lips.
The rain picked up, soaking through my crisp button-down shirt.
I hardly noticed. My thoughts raced between expense allocations and the feel of Eli’s hands on my waist. The hardness between us as we ground together.
There were a million reasons to keep my distance, to maintain that professional wall I’d so carefully constructed.
And yet…
I couldn’t deny the pull toward him or the desire to help him out of this jam. It wasn’t just attraction, though God knows that was there. His passion for his work, his unwillingness to compromise on safety, resonated with me.
By the time I reached my office, I was drenched and disheveled. I sank into my chair, wiping raindrops from my face with trembling hands. My reflection in the computer screen showed flushed cheeks and wild eyes. I barely recognized myself.
With a deep breath, I woke up my computer and pulled up the resort’s financial records. “Okay,” I whispered, fingers flying over the keyboard. “Let’s see what we can do here.”
I threw myself into the task, grateful for the distraction. Numbers were safe. Numbers didn’t make my heart pound or my knees weak. So I combed through line items and juggled figures. Two hours later, a plan began to take shape. My phone buzzed with a text.
Eli: Any luck?
I stared at the message, my resolve wavering. It would be so easy to give in, to let myself fall. But I couldn’t. Eli and I were as opposite as two people could get. Not long ago, we couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other.
So I typed back.
Jules: Working on a solution. Give me through tomorrow, okay?
His reply came almost instantly.
Eli: You’re amazing. Thanks.
I set the phone down, my hand still shaking slightly. Tomorrow. I had until the end of tomorrow to get my head on straight and face Eli with a solution.
God help me.