Page 15 of Strings Attached

I force myself to look away from his newly revealed physique and focus on the task at hand. "Right. Well, shall we go get our kite?"

We make our way to the registration table where Lilian is handing out kites to the participants. Her eyes widen as she takes in Evander's transformation.

"Well, well, Mr. Prescott," she says with a grin, "who knew you were hiding all that under those stuffy suits?"

I feel a surge of irrational jealousy at Lilian's open appreciation of Evander. Which is ridiculous, because I have no claim on him. He made that perfectly clear.

Evander, for his part, looks uncomfortable with the attention. "Yes, well. The kite?"

Lilian hands us a brightly colored kite with a knowing smirk. "Have fun, you two. And remember, it's all about teamwork."

As we walk away, I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks. "Sorry about Lil," I mutter. "She can be a bit... much sometimes."

Evander shakes his head. "It's fine. She seems... enthusiastic."

We find a spot on the beach and start to unwind the kite string. I'm acutely aware of how close we're standing, of the way Evander's arm brushes against mine as we work.

"So," I say, trying to break the tension. "Have you ever flown a kite before?"

Evander shakes his head. "Can't say that I have. It wasn't exactly a priority in business school."

I laugh, the sound carrying on the ocean breeze. "Well, you're in luck. I used to fly kites all the time as a kid. I'll teach you."

I step behind him, reaching around to guide his hands on the string. I can feel the heat of his body against my chest, smell the faint scent of his cologne mingling with the salty air. It's intoxicating.

"Like this," I say softly. "You need to feel the wind; let it guide the kite."

Evander tenses for a moment before relaxing into my guidance. Together, we launch the kite into the air, watching as it soars higher and higher.

"We did it!" I exclaim, grinning up at him.

As we watch our kite soar through the sky, I can't help but feel a sense of joy. Evander, too, seems more relaxed than I've ever seen him, a small smile playing on his lips as he maneuvers the kite string.

"You're a natural," I tell him, grinning. "Are you sure you've never done this before?"

He chuckles, a sound that sends warmth spreading through my chest. "Beginner's luck, I suppose. Or maybe I just have a good teacher."

Our eyes meet for a moment, and I feel that familiar spark of electricity between us. But before I can dwell on it, a strong gust of wind catches our kite, pulling it sharply to the left.

"Oh no!" I exclaim, instinctively reaching out to help Evander control the string. In my haste, I forget about my injured arm and wince as pain shoots through my wrist.

"Mireille, be careful!" Evander says, concern evident in his voice.

But it's too late. In my attempt to grab the string with my good hand, I lose my balance on the soft sand. I stumble forward, crashing into Evander's chest. He tries to steady me, but the momentum is too much. We both go tumbling to the ground, me landing on top of him in a tangle of limbs.

For a moment, we just lie there, stunned. I'm acutely aware of every point where our bodies are touching—his firm chest against mine, our legs intertwined, his hands on my waist where he tried to catch me.

I lift my head to apologize, only to find Evander's face mere inches from mine. His blue eyes are wide, pupils dilated, and I can feel his heart racing beneath my palm.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, but I make no move to get up. "Are you okay?"

Evander nods slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. "I'm fine. Are you hurt?"

I shake my head, suddenly very aware of how close our lips are. The tension between us is palpable, electric. I see Evander's gaze flick down to my mouth, then back to my eyes.

And then, before I can think better of it, before I can remind myself of all the reasons why this is a bad idea, I close the distance between us and press my lips to his.

For a heartbeat, Evander freezes. But then, with a low groan, he's kissing me back. His hand comes up to cup my face, fingers tangling in my hair as he deepens the kiss. It's passionate, urgent, filled with all the pent-up longing we've been trying to ignore.

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