All Hallows' Rage (Hallows' Eve Hookups Book 3), page 1
All Hallows’ Rage
HALLOWS’ EVE HOOKUPS
BOOK THREE
KENNA BELLRAE
This publication is a work of fiction. All names, descriptions, dates, places, and events are imaginary, and any likeness or correlation to real-world circumstances is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2023 Kenna Bellrae
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner,
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or discussion.
To request permissions, contact nicole@thepalermofirm.com
Paperback: ASIN here
eBook: ASIN: B0BQZ7TVYR
First paperback edition December 2023.
Edited by Norma Gambini
Contents
1. Matt
2. Matt
3. Matt
4. Elijah
5. Elijah
6. Matt
7. Elijah
Epilogue — January 4, 2023
CHAPTER 1
Matt
THE MEETING, TWO YEARS EARLIER
My Jeep rocked slightly as I came to a stop in front of the training building and slide the gear into park. For a midsummer day, the morning had been cool, but I knew the temperature would rise to an unbearable, sweltering heat before I left. My phone was mounted on my dashboard and vibrated with a text. Grabbing it, I got out and clicked the lock button on my key fob as I walked to the massive doors of the gym.
Lane: your new partner has arrived
I stopped short of the entrance and turned back to the parking lot. Lane’s car, I noted right away, and a few other familiar cars belonging to the acrobatic team were here, but nothing stood out to me.
Matt: and you’re being nosy because?
Lane: harsh, but not as harsh as the cut of his muscles
Matt: knock it off, L
Lane: already felt the divine call, you’re welcome
Matt: nuisance
Pocketing the phone, I pushed Lane’s meddling out of my mind as I pulled open the door and stepped inside. The usual gym smell of sweat overlaid with sweat hit me as I followed the short hallway to the locker rooms. Lane’s teasing had caught up to me when I realized my head was on a swivel and looking for any sign of my new partner. With no unfamiliar faces, I shook my head and started dumping my bag.
Why am I even curious?
Gretchen had a habit of changing my partners at her discretion, even without my input. Her last few choices had resulted in shitty performances because they were so far up their own asses. Even fresh out of college and relatively young for the gymnastic world, I had better professionalism than the seasoned athletes she brought in. I didn’t kid myself about the job. The pay wasn’t grand, and Gretchen had a talent for making the workplace hell, but it was more than a stepping stone for me.
I stripped off my sweatpants and hoodie, sliding on a pair of training shorts. My phone went off again.
Lane: you’re not late, but dude, hurry up and get in here
Matt: pest
I left her with that message and threw my phone into the duffle bag at the bottom of my locker. The water bottle I brought was empty and I was in no hurry, stopping by the fountain to fill it up. I was partly convincing myself I didn’t care about something potentially temporary, but mostly enjoying the fact that my delay would irritate Lane.
She was one of the first friends I made when I started working here, and the satisfaction of riling her up was unmatched. Very much within best friend territory, she’d made it her mission to ensure I have eternal happiness. Pesky witch, I thought to myself as I sealed the lid.
People passed through the annex in hushed conversation, and while I couldn’t immediately hear them all, they weren’t this new partner that had Lane up my ass. Approaching the doors for the shared practice arena, I reminded myself that I wasn’t going to be disappointed or impressed. Chemistry and talent were a priority, and it would take time to form that judgement. Being impressed in the past had made way for disappointment, where initial disappointment left the whole practice in a sour mood. Over the years, male or female, they were immediately ready to move on before even introducing themselves. This was a phase for them, and because they’d felt that so deeply, their posture was sloppy and their executions were half-hearted. No matter how hard I compensated, in the end, it wasn’t enough.
The gym was vast, and looking around inside didn’t help that little voice telling me to find him, whoever he was. People were everywhere, doing their own stunts and routines. Gretchen mentioned that her new hire did aerials and the same stunts, so we were to practice on the duo straps today.
“Matt!” Lane’s voice broke my concentration on the pair working on their acro balance routine. When I looked over at her, she was jumping up and down while waving her hand. Her long black hair was tied back in a sleek style, and she rocked her usual alternative casual wear.
As I made my way around the floor, she slumped against the wall, pulling a snack from her shoulder bag and sliding until her ass hit the floor. Her smirk grew with each step I took until I stood in front of her and she wore an ear-to-ear smile. I crouched down in front of her and leaned in close.
“Pest,” I said with a smile. She was my favorite pest, my best friend, and I enjoyed every aspect of her personality.
“Did you see him?” she whispered. Her eyes grew wider and her brows rose.
“See who?”
“Damn,” she muttered, leaning forward and scanning the gym. “He was just out here on the floor!” I stood fully and followed her movements, but no one stuck out to me. Bodies were tumbling, flying, and flipping everywhere. A door closed behind us followed by Gretchen’s typical stern tone.
“There you are.” I turned as Lane looked behind me.
Beside Gretchen’s short frame was a man with a build like mine. His hair was shaggy and cropped. He kept the sides shaved close, but that faded into background noise when I focused on his face. Bright green eyes were alight and matched the smile he had. Pretty teeth, pretty cheekbones—just fucking pretty.
My eyes trailed down his body and confirmed Lane’s earlier assessment. Forcing myself to look away before my appreciative gaze turned lewd, I focused on Gretchen. Snickers from Lane came from behind me, and I wanted to throw her in the pond when I looked back and saw she had a straight face.
“This is Elijah, your new partner,” Gretchen said, starting the introductions. I looked back to the beautiful man who now had a beautiful name to match. “Elijah, this is Matt.”
Elijah’s hand extended for me to take. When I reached out for him, a quick jolt of static shock passed between our fingers and we flinched back. Elijah’s smile dropped for a moment before returning even bigger. I slipped my hand into his and the static electricity was replaced with a warm tingling that worked its way up my arm and down my rigid spine.
“Nice to meet you.” Elijah’s voice was soft, but strong. A kind tone that matched his features, but an underlying strength that spoke to a sense of authority almost. Authority didn’t feel like the right word, but everything had started to tilt and spiral after his touch.
“You as well. Are we ready to begin?” I had nothing. There was nothing by means of introduction that floated through my mind. I looked at Gretchen and hoped she would kick us into gear so that we could do this and I could go home to a cold shower.
She was no help as she stood there in silence, only glancing down after a beat. Lost, I followed her and realized the warmth in my palm wasn’t because Elijah had raised my body temperature.
I still held his hand.
Clearing my throat, I dropped the hold quickly. “I apologize.”
The slight narrowing of his eyes said he didn’t mind, but nothing more was spoken as Gretchen guided him onto the floor in front of the straps. I took a deep breath through my nose and released it along with the tension building in my shoulders.
A pointy, pesty elbow jammed up into my ribs. Up because the nuisance was a foot shorter and I was mostly out of her reach.
“Ow, Lane,” I said in a flat, unaffected tone as I watched them walk away. She never did any real damage.
“I saw that,” she sang out.
“Everyone here did.” I looked down at her to drive the point home. “It’s nothing to read into.” I left it there and followed them onto the floor. Saying it to her felt convincing, but as I repeated it to myself, I slowly lost faith and confidence in the words.
As I stopped near the center and kept my gaze focused on the straps that swayed in the air, Elijah gripped one in his hand as he leaned and offset his weight.
“Matt,” Gretchen started, getting my attention before handing me a small slip of paper. “Will there be any trouble lifting him?”
Her question caught me off guard. My eyebrows pinched together as I processed her words. What threw me the most was the fact she’d never asked such a question before now. My glance to Elijah confirmed he was still fucking beautiful and very much within my limits of stunting.
“None at all.” I looked down at the paper, recognizing the familiar moves, and desperately prayed for a distracting speech of Gretchen’s.
“Great, don’t drop my new star, Barrios!” Her hands clapped before she turned away and walked off the floor.
Are you fucking kidding?
My desperation turne
“I’ve never dropped anyone. I won’t drop you.” He watched me as I promised it. It was true. I’d never dropped a partner before and didn’t plan to start now. Keeping me anxious, he finally smiled.
“I know. Also, her introduction was so formal. You can call me Eli. I assume you’re taking the lead?” He released the strap he held and stepped to the side. Long fingers curved over his hips and accentuated the V in his waist as he rested his hands.
“Yeah, I can do that. I can go either way if you think we need to switch it up later.” Eli’s lips twitched in a smirk that tipped me to the realization of what I said. “Oh, that sounded like something else. I meant—”
“Take lead, Matt.”
I nodded, dropping the paper and taking my place between the straps. I wrapped them around in the needed direction and slipped my hands in the loops. The slack lessened, and I felt the tension under my hands as I braced myself.
“I’ll go in the muscle-up and transition as you—”
“Hold on,” he finished. Eli had an easygoing nature and looked relaxed every time I laid eyes on him. He hadn’t crossed his arms out of annoyance or rolled his eyes once. It felt promising.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Visualizing my body, I readied each muscle group for the lift and pushed everything else into a box to deal with later. Cool fingers slid over my traps and pressed into my back below my neck. Fuck.
Elijah was my height, and when I dared to open my eyes, we were locked on each other. His were even more vibrant up close, as golden flecks caught the light.
“Ready?” he whispered. The music reached my ears then, along with the crew’s countdown. It was the same sultry beat, and I knew the count even in my sleep.
No, I’m not ready for any of this.
We were hoisted in the air with a gradual rotation as I balanced us out. Eli’s grip was firm, but he wasn’t uncomfortable to hold as I dipped and he lowered. We were perpendicular in the air, and I was his only hold. Sweat misted my forehead as the true fear of dropping him crept in.
The room moved around us, but since the lift, everything had faded away from us. I couldn’t look away from him. In this hold, one precarious movement would send our faces clashing together. Eli held his pose effortlessly, with no sign of worry crossing his eyes. I’d lost track of how many times we circled the room.
“Drop,” he whispered, and the word ghosted across my lips. I said I wasn’t . . . The sudden descent caught my breath as Eli smiled and closed his eyes. I felt the tension return as we stopped and hovered just high enough for his feet to brush the floor.
He released me and stepped back as I flipped to unravel the straps. I dropped one for Eli to take and held my position swaying over the mat. He approached me with a slight run, bouncing just soft enough to catch the strap. Eli secured his wrist in the loop as we were hoisted again. The added moment pulled us apart as we circled around each other.
Without a missed step, he went up into his straddle switch. It was a beautiful hold as he turned down to face me and braced his leg against the strap. Synchronicity was a difficult feat for new partners, but I watched him in awe as he didn’t move around me too fast or too slow. Eli outstretched a hand for my shoulder as we pulled in closer. His arm wrapped around the back of my neck as I supported his open side. My hand slid over his neck and down his shoulder blade. Our rotation tightened, and in the dizzying moment, my imagination told me that his nose brushed along mine.
It was an instant of truly floating before Eli kicked out of our embrace and his position. The on and off touches were a tease of being impossibly close. He dropped into a standard hold before sailing back to me and falling in sync with me. I wrapped my free arm around his back, and Eli dropped his hold and freed both hands. I held him out below me as he stretched his arms out and arched his back over my hold. When Eli came back up, his eye caught the position of his strap as he took his hold and pushed away from me again.
Torture, this is fucking torture.
He didn’t stay gone for long. With a secretive smirk just for me, he twisted his back to me and fell again. I grabbed around his waist this time and in tandem, we watched the room blur around us as we lowered to the floor.
Dizziness had never affected me, but the only thing grounding my senses was the conflicting sensation of the mat. Soft and springy as you walked, but the material was rough. I released Elijah and my strap, stepping back and feeling the floor. He looked me over from head to toe. I was frozen in place when something crossed over his gentle features.
“Nice work, no need to go another way.” He was smiling and stepping forward to eat the distance between us. “I like you leading.” It wasn’t something one would usually read into, but the undercurrent was as present and palpable as the tension.
I broke away to search for Gretchen. She was always ready to give out corrections, and the confrontation with my feelings became too much. Everyone in the gym who’d been engaged in their own stunts and activities had stopped and were focused on us. On the other side, I spotted Lane with half a brownie paused midair on the way to her mouth.
My chest heaved while I read her face. I was certain anyone close enough could hear the way it thundered against my ribs. Lane had no jokes, smirks, or quips to tease me with.
“Again.” Gretchen’s voice finally came from behind us. I needed a break already.
I landed on the ground with a firm thud. Gretchen had us going round after round, trying the same things, new things, and even a set where we just played off each other. I could hear Elijah move toward me to say something again, but I walked away. It hadn’t been a particularly strenuous practice, but I was burning up on the inside. The eye contact, shared whispers, and light touches not required for the moves were piling up and putting me on edge. When I stepped off the floor, Lane popped up with her mouth open for commentary, but I held a hand up and shook my head.
Running would’ve been quicker, but it also would’ve caused a scene. If anyone cared to ask, it was the perfect time for a water break and nothing more. Perhaps I needed to use the bathroom—truthfully, it was no one’s business.
The doors fell open under my hands with a harder swing than I intended, which meant not making a scene was off the table. The walk to the locker room put me on autopilot until I heard Lane’s voice come in through the trance.
“Matt!”
I looked back and regretted it. Lane was hanging out of the open door watching me, but Elijah appeared behind her, tracking me over her head as he stepped into the hallway. I told myself repeatedly not to read into anything, but as he followed me through the annex, those thoughts were hard to keep straight.
So, I walked. Ignoring them both, I turned and kept moving.
A firm hand landed on my bare shoulder. The way my body reacted told me it was Eli. For a moment, I was still on my way to the lockers until a door opened and I was tripping into a closet and coming face-to-face with the shelving.
“I can move and lift you with little trouble, too.” He stepped into the space and closed the door behind us.
The light was pushed out and we were plunged into darkness. My grip on the shelves tightened at the thought of being forced in here. It was a small space by normal considerations, but the two of us made the air thick, and it was hard to catch a full breath.
“If you want to explain, you have the floor.” He wasn’t touching me, but he was close enough that I felt the body heat radiating off him. “Or I can rattle off my observations if you’d prefer.”
“I just need water.” I turned to face him, ready to follow the excuse wherever I could. The minuscule light coming under the door partially framed a silhouette of Eli.
“Which is why you left your water behind.”
