Falling With Grace

His jaw tensed with a subtle, crooked line as his hand trailed down the wall. His hand dipped behind me, wrapped around my wrist, and pulled my arm over my chest.

He repeated the process with my other arm, crossing my arms in front of me. My stomach flipped as his left hand covered the span of my forearms, his other tipping my chin upward, his knuckle coaxing my gaze to meet his. “Like this.”

I frowned, my brows bunching together. “I-I don’t understand.”

Our breaths intermingled, his heat swarming me like buzzing honeybees flapping their wings.

What’s happening?

A softness creased his brows as he stared down at me.

“Elias…”

“Thank you.”

I tipped my head to the side, my stomach fluttering. “For wha—”

“Is he in there?” a woman said from outside, her Spanish tipped with a posh undertone. “I’ve been searching all over for him.”

Elias pulled away from me as she breached the door, her long, slender frame visible between the gap of his broad chest and muscled arms—the guard draping an arm across the threshold, stopping her from proceeding.

“There you are, I swear—dios mio,Elias.” She pressed the back of her hand against her nose and mouth with twisted brows. “What is that smell?”

The softness lacing his brows and lips hardened as he stood upright, his gaze never leaving mine. “Getting things settled. I’ll be out in a moment.”

“But what are you doing in here?” She walked inside the building and pinched her nose. “Did something die?”

I glanced down at my dingy clothing as he cast her a sideways glare, his body shielding mine. “I said leave.” Elias whistled and snapped his fingers.

The man at the door moved between her and Elias, his arms out to his sides as he wrangled her back.

She gave the shorter man a menacing glare, then pivoted on her high heel and left my cell.

Her Spanish curses flew back at Elias in rapid fire like those Mexican radio DJs Miguel would listen to, her anger latched to each one.

He turned back to me as I uncrossed my arms, dropping them to my sides, the position more comfortable, then slid them behind me once again.

“Will you release me now?”

His brows wrinkled. “Why would I do that?”

My heart sputtered to a stop, my breaths following suit in my chest. “Because you…” My belly cramped, and sweat beaded against my skin. “You said you’d let me go.”

A quick frown compressed his features, highlighting the faint wrinkles on his forehead and eyes, and then a smile quirked the corner of his mouth. “I said I’d let you out, not that I’d let you go.”

Elias adjusted his collar, snagging my hand from behind my back with a sideways glance, and then pulled me out of the door.

Fresh, radiant air invaded my lungs, chasing away the stale, pungent aroma that stung my nose, night and day. The sun beat down on my flesh, evaporating the perspiration.

His warm strong hand pulled me faster, my wobbling knees a hindrance to his pace.

I glanced around at the familiar setting. It was the same as before, the difference being a car in the driveway, a fancy blue, four-door BMW.

“Let’s go.”

My evaluation faltered as his deep voice penetrated my discoveries, forcing me to glance at him as we walked over the pristine green lawn.

“Where are we going?”