Chapter Five
Eli lay on his bed with one hand under his head and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn’t believe the day he’d had. He was a new part-owner of a security business, he thought the other partners were great and would be fun to work with, and he knew he’d be happy there. He’d called Travis to get one of the condos so he’d have a place to live. He also got most of his office set up, and the best part was meeting Kinley.
He remembered being in the elevator before the meeting, disappointed that he hadn’t found the right woman, and not ten minutes later, she practically dropped into his lap.
“What have I done right to get this kind of luck?” he asked himself and grinned.
Everything about her appealed to him. She was not only beautiful and incredibly sweet, but she was also wicked smart.
Travis told him the condo was already furnished, which was perfect for him since he could use the stuff for however long he wanted it. He was thinking about donating most of his furniture back in Virginia except for his grandfather’s desk and a few other family heirloom pieces. So, all he’d have to do was box up everything else. But that could wait for a while. There was nothing he needed at the moment.
He didn’t want to go right away if he started a relationship with Kinley. He’d wait until he could take her with him. He felt the odds were in favor of them building something because they both had the attraction, and she already trusted him.
For one, he didn’t like the idea of being away from her for a week, and secondly, if it worked out, he really wanted his family to meet her.
God, he knew he was rushing into things and had to keep reminding himself to slow down, but he felt this urgency to get her tied to him so no one else could take her. He didn’t know how to do that without scaring her or making her run from him.
He turned on his side and closed his eyes. The next time he opened them, it was morning. He glanced at his clock. 5:00 AM. It was like clockwork. No matter how tired he was the night before, his body woke up at five every morning. Most of the time, he liked it, but frustration would hit when he’d fallen into bed at two or three in the morning.
Fortunately, he was able to take naps when he was desperately tired.
He rolled out of bed and pulled on his sweatpants, a t-shirt, and jogging shoes, and made his way down to the hotel gym. Travis told him that when he moved into the condo, he could use the personal gym on the first floor that only the partners and their women could utilize, and he was looking forward to using that every morning.
After a five-mile run on a treadmill while watching a morning show and the news, he did a round of the equipment before heading up to his room to shower.
No matter how much time passed, every time he got a look in the mirror of his chest, face, and neck, it startled him. On the whole, they weren’t horrible. He’d received a few third-degree burns on a small area on his body, but he’d also been hit with shrapnel. The lower part of his body hadn’t received anything because he’d been behind a car. Although Rick had been right next to him, he hadn’t been as lucky. A piece of metal had torn into his neck, and he’d bled out very quickly. Since Eli was passed out, he couldn’t have helped him, but he’d still felt guilty until the doctor told him that even if he were in the hospital, Rick wouldn’t have survived. The damage was too extensive.
The plastic surgeon Eli’s father brought in told him he could fix a lot of the damage, but Eli refused at the time. He felt that since he was living while Rick died, he should pay some price.
The doctor told him to go to him when he was ready.
He thought about getting the scars taken care of, but he didn’t stress about it every day. He figured when he was ready, he’d know it.
He showered and was up at his office before eight. As he got off the elevator, he glanced at his phone and noticed Kendra had called a few times the night before and twice already that morning. He didn’t know what he was going to do with the woman because he’d hoped the move would end it.
He started working on the room and reading the memos someone had sat on his desk that had come the night before. They all shared a few secretaries, so he didn’t have his own, which was fine with him.
A throat being cleared got his attention.
“Good Morning, Don,” Eli said and walked to him to shake his hand.
“Good morning. I thought I’d drop by before the floor started getting hectic.”
“I’m glad you did. I didn’t know for sure if you’d get my note.”
“I did. What do you need?”