Filthy Gorgeous

by Knight, Jodi

  And I can’t move. Sweet Jesus. Now she’s removing an item of clothing over her head. I’m transfixed by the peep show unfolding before me. Rooted to the spot. Screw this—you really think I’m going to let some frog-munching champagne guzzler go down on my girl? Alexander Slade is not going down without a fight.

  I slam the buzzer again.

  Bzzz.

  And wait.

  There’s still no answer.

  Jesus Christ, I have to get her attention. Regrettably, I left my boom-box back in the eighties, so I dart across the square and thrust one hundred euros in notes into Mr. Buskers’ pocket.

  He smiles. Then I grab his guitar. He’s still cussing in French as he chases my ass into the fountain in the middle of the square. He doesn’t quite catch me, so I launch as loudly as humanly possible into the first song that comes into my head: Everlong by The Foo Fighters.

  The God version.

  David Grohl, watch your back. Just kidding. Cover your goddamn ears and join in, ladies, ‘cause I’m just making this up on the spot.

  Ella

  I’ve waited here for you.

  For so long

  Right now

  I want to get out of my head

  Straight into your bed.

  This has got to get her attention, right?

  It’s her favorite song, and I’m murdering it like a dying alley cat. I repeat the first verse over and over again, because I can’t think of a second. A small crowd forms around the fountain and they start clapping along to my skills. And here comes a gendarme. Do you think he wants an autograph?

  Nope—I don’t think so, either.

  But I don’t care, because my rouse has worked.

  The drapes are open.

  There she is.

  “Ella!”

  She leans out of the window and braces her arms on the window ledge. Her voice is full of surprise. “Alex? Is that you?”

  I unhook the guitar from my shoulder, hand it back to the busker, and run to her window. Christ, this feels like our ninth grade production of Romeo and Juliet all over again. Except this time, I get to play Romeo. I wince at the memory. That corset was so tight that I had ball rash for weeks.

  “What are you doing here?”

  I look up to her with pleading eyes. “Ella, please let me in. I have talk to you.”

  She’s joined by her friend. Christ, she can’t be dating him. If Harry Potter had a goatee, you’d be staring right at him. And just look at his goddamn neck scarf. Pussy.

  “Ella, please. Trust me—you don’t want me to launch into the next verse. It’s explicit and it involves a Pink Sladie.”

  I swear I see a faint smile form over her lips. Then she says. “Okay, okay. Give me a second.”

  I wait for what feels like a millennium before a green door finally creaks open. I suck in air. Beautiful. Even when she’s wearing casual clothes her beauty never fails to take my breath away. Harry appears by her side and mumbles something in French by her ear, but she’s not listening. Her eyes are in a trance-like state, staring at me with such intensity, so much so that I feel violated.

  And I’m totally down with that.

  A droplet of rainwater falls from the canopy above and onto her forehead. It trickles down her cheek and clings to her bottom lip. I can’t help myself. I reach out and brush it away with my thumb. Did you see the way her lips parted slightly when I touched her? How she inclined her head toward my wrist?

  Scent is a powerful memory trigger. I’m wearing the same cologne I wore on our first date. That was intentional, by the way. I also sprayed it on my nut sack, just in case. I should warn you that I’m highly flammable right now. If she gets too close, my balls are going to ignite.

  Ella turns to snailsucker and starts speaking in French. I have no goddamn clue what she’s saying, but he’s eyeballing me through his spectacles.

  And then?

  He just walks away. Au revoir, Harry. Expelli-fucking-armus.

  I smirk. “First date?”

  She shakes her head. “He wishes. Forget him—I want to know what you’re doing here? As in, right here outside my apartment.”

  I lick my lips like a hungry animal about to pounce on its’ pray. “Invite me inside and I’ll tell you.”

  She raises her eyebrows. “And if I don’t, what are you going to do? Sit here in the rain and serenade me all night long?”

  I work the dimples. “You know me too well.”

  Looks like the big fella is on my side; a sudden cloudburst hastens her decision. “Okay, Alex. Come on up.”

  My shirt is so wet it’s almost transparent. Did you see her sneaky side-glance at my torso? Me too.

  I follow her inside and we climb the narrow, winding staircase up to her apartment. She pushes back the door and flicks on a lamp. Wow. Ella Bryant lives in a goddamn shoebox. There’s a Japanese-style bed pushed against the wall. It’s covered in colorful cushions and blankets. The kitchen begins at the end of a foldaway dining table. I’m pretty sure her pantry doubles up as a wardrobe.

  I raise my eyebrows. “It’s cozy, I guess.”

  She smiles weakly. “It’s a maid’s room. I know it’s not ideal, but I’m moving to a bigger place soon.”

  Ella leans against the refrigerator and a heavy silence fills the air. Awkward. My eyes scan the room, trying to find somewhere to sit that isn’t her bed. Yep, I got nothing. She conjures a fluffy pink towel from the cupboard and throws it at me. “You need to dry off.”

  As I pull off my shirt, she turns around and switches on the kettle. I watch her fingers curl around the hair at the nape of her neck.

  “How long are you here for Alex?”

  I grin. “Until you kick me out.”

  Oh, come on—she walked right into that one.

  She makes the tea and we both sit crossed-legged, at opposite ends of her bed. She’s telling me all about college. Her course is going well. And the Harry Potter lookalike? He’s just a course mate. He walked her home from class and she borrowed his sweater to shield her from the rain.

  “Alex, you still didn’t tell me how long you’re here for.”

  I shrug and finger my mug. “My father wants me to scout business opportunities over here. So you’re going to have to put up with me until I know if these opportunities are more concrete.”

  She talks as she sips her tea. “Who’s looking after Petie?” And then her eyes narrow distrustfully. “You didn’t send him to avian rescue did you?”

  As if I’d resort to such an act of cruelty.

  I put my hand over my heart. “I promise I didn’t. Actually, Raj is cock-sitting indefinitely. He moved in as I was packing. He’s was desperate to escape the parental home.”

  Ella raises an eyebrow. “Alex, is that wise? He’s dating a dominatrix.”

  Shit. I didn’t think of that. Petie’s vocabulary is going to expand considerably over the next few weeks.

  I better call Mom and make sure she stays the hell away.

  Ella looks up at me under those long lashes. “I’m kinda glad you’re here. I didn’t like the way we left things, Alex.” She pauses for a few seconds. “Won’t Kelly miss you?”

  I bend an arm around the back of my head and settle back against the wall. “What? Kelly? I doubt it. We never really, well, you know.”

  She chuckles. “First date, right?”

  I throw a cushion at her. She turns it away with a smile. I lean forward and push both hands through my hair. “God, Ella. I’m so sorry. I totally ruined your party.”

  She lets out a sigh. “I heard the bar bill was over two thousand dollars.”

  “Yeah, my team had to cover the damage for seven new barstools, a replacement window, and two rubber tiers. Seriously, I can’t take them anywhere. I’m just glad I had the sense to get the hell out of there right after you left. Apparently the ruckus rolled out onto the street.”

  She wrinkles her brow. “You didn’t go back inside?”

  “Nope. I was too pissed.
I went home.”

  “Pissed?”

  I nod sheepishly and take a deep breath. Then I tell her the truth, just like I promised myself I would. “Sure. You left me on the sidewalk, and you just seemed so damn unaffected by Kelly. I was hurt. I wanted to get a reaction out of you, but you were a like a slippery fish that refused to take the bait.”

  Her eyes widen in a way that suggests she can’t believe what she’s hearing. “So the whole sticking your tongue down Kelly’s throat episode was all an act?”

  “Of course, yeah.”

  Watch her face closely. She’s stunned, like she’s just been hit between the eyes with a stray ice hockey puck. She shakes her head. “I didn’t realize. I just assumed you’d moved on after I told you about Paris. I mean, you had a harem. It’s not a giant leap for a guy like you.”

  I put my hand over my heart. “A guy like me?”

  She looks away. “You know what I mean.”

  “You just published four pages of text blowing smoke up my ass. I don’t think I do.”

  Ella puts her mug down. She grabs a blue cushion, holds it over her lap, and twists the corners nervously. “Forget it. It wouldn’t change a thing. I really like it here, Alex. The city. The course. The food. I’m meeting new people, and I’m not coming back to New York for a long while.”

  I swallow, hard. “I know.”

  Her voice is lower now. Melancholic. “But I do miss you. Until I saw you outside just now, I guess I didn’t realize just how much.”

  Did you hear that? My dick certainly did. He’s telling me there’s still a chance. Her eyes fixate on mine. “I’ve had time to reflect since I’ve been here. And I you were right when you said I was running away.”

  “I was?”

  She nods. “When Tyler and I broke up I don’t think I was heartbroken. My sadness was just anger that I was directing at myself. We’d already grown apart. I guess, like him, I’d already checked out a long time ago. I was in denial. Then I met you and I was conflicted, you really got under my skin and I couldn’t figure out why. It was easier to just push you away, even though I was drawn to you.”

  I slide my hand across the bed and wrap mine over hers. “Everything happened so fast. Way too fast. I was … I am attracted to you. I just don’t think I can handle you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She stares down into her mug, and her feelings spill like an oil slick. “Alex, it’s impossible for you to enter a room without evoking a strong reaction from every single female, whether it is lust, anger, or … whatever. I just don’t want to have to compete.” She pauses for a few moments. “I know it sounds crazy, but seeing that stripper rubbing her breasts in your face at your party left me feeling sick. Because of what happened with Tyler. Or maybe it was the way you licked your lips, when she sat your lap, I don’t know. I felt insecure, just like I did with Tyler.”

  I take her arm. “Ella, it was butterscotch. It’s my favorite.”

  She gives me a stern look, like she doesn’t believe me. “And I hated the fact I was so jealous even though we hardly knew each other. And then the fact you had a harem.”

  I shake my head. “They’ve gone, Ella. I don’t want them. I just want you.”

  She chuckles nervously. “That very sweet, but don’t kid yourself, Alex. People don’t change so easily. Truth be told, I was terrified I wouldn’t be enough for you, not in the long term, anyway.”

  Enough for me? She’s frigging insane.

  My voice is determined now. Unwavering. “You want the truth?”

  Ella rolls her eyes, mocking me. “Sure. I think.”

  I gesture for her to come and sit beside me, but she hesitates. “Ella, you have to trust me. Come and lay beside me. I promise I won’t touch you, unless you beg nicely.”

  “Out with it.”

  I smirk. “Okay, first of all—I’m freezing my ass off without a shirt.”

  Ella stares sympathetically at my bare torso. Then she hitches up the side of the duvet. “Get inside, but keep your pants on.” Nice. I give her a scout’s salute and slide under the covers. “Better?”

  Definitely. I flash my dimples. “Kinda. My only problem now is that you’re still on the outside.”

  She throws two cushions at me and rolls her eyes. “Continue.”

  Arching my eyebrows, I issue her with a warning. “If I tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, are you sure you’ll be able to deal with it?”

  She clutches her mug tightly. “Jesus, I hope so.”

  Me too, because I’m going to tell her everything. Well, mostly everything. Risky? Sure. But if she’s going to rebuild her trust in men —in me—being open is the only way forward. I know that now. Ella Bryant is getting the good, the bad, and the goddamn ugly. It’s the only way, otherwise secrets have a nasty habit of unshackling themselves from the past when you least expect it.

  I reach my arms toward her. “Then come here. I want you close to me while I talk.” She closes those beautiful eyes for a few seconds then puts her mug down and crawls over to me.

  I wrap my arm around her and she snuggles into my chest.

  And then I begin.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  An hour later and we’re still laying side-by-side on her bed. I can’t even begin to describe how insanely awesome it feels to have her in my arms again. I’m smiling like I’ve just swallowed a clothes hanger. We’re still clothed, but that’s okay.

  I’ve pretty much told her everything, just like I told my mother, but with added spice.

  She knows all about WangGate and my daddy issues. She laughed. I told her about Parker’s advert. How she’s driven me insane with lust ever since she stepped into my office. The real reason behind my cock-a-latte. And I even told her about Renée and the swimming pool.

  She’s been silent for the past few minutes while rolling that one around in her mind. “I guess we were on a break.” Now there’s reproach in her voice. “But you were a real shit to take advantage of her after she told you she loved you. How can I be sure you won’t do that to me if —?”

  I squeeze her shoulder and smile. “If I take you in a swimming pool?”

  Ella sits up and gently punches my chest. “You know that’s not what I meant. What I mean is if I ever felt ready to date you. Properly.”

  I prop myself up on my elbows and smile. “The answer is: you can’t be sure, at least one-hundred per cent, anyway. Not that you’ll believe me after the bar incident, but I don’t want to hurt you, Ella. I never did. So you just have to put yourself out there and find out, I guess.”

  I’m starting to sound like Maury fucking Povich. I roll her onto her back and stroke her blonde hair. My voice is low—husky. “Tell me what you need from me, Ella. I’ll do anything to make you the sole member of my new harem, even the ass thing again.”

  She stares at my shoulder as she explains. “Okay. Well, first of all, I want you to know your boundaries. No matter how hard I try, I still can’t shake the visual of Juliana on her knees. It freaks me out.”

  Tell me about it—I still have nightmares. “I will Ella. I’ll do anything if we could just get back to how things were. Please?”

  She traces a finger over the bare skin of my back. “It’s easy, Alex. I just need you to be you. You, and only you. No hangers on. No harem.”

  Fine. Whatever. I lick my lips eagerly. “Okay, I can do that. But I need you to promise me one thing.”

  She fondles my earlobe. “Yes?”

  I swallow, hard. “Whatever happens in the future, promise me you’ll never, ever, make me move to East Brunswick?”

  She shoots me a confused smile. “Okaaay,” she wraps her little finger around mine. “pinky promise.”

  That’s all I needed to hear.

  Like a hungry vulture that’s been starving to death in the desert, I swoop down and burrow my hungry mouth in the nook of her neck. She doesn’t push me away, so I trail soft kisses along her jawline. Our desperate mouths find ea
ch other and I slide my tongue deep inside. God, how I’ve fucking missed this. I don’t want to let her go. Ever. Her hands are frantic as they explore my butt and I wrestle with her T-shirt.

  Why, hello there, girls. Guess who’s back?

  I squeeze her tits together and bury my face inside her cleavage. And now we’re both panting. Sweet jumping Jesus. How the hell did I last so long without these beauties? The clasp is front-fastening, and I have it off in one swift move. Her breasts spill from the black satin and I suckle and swirl my tongue around each ripe nipple like I’m licking butterscotch frosting.

  “Oh, God … Alex … I hate what you do to me …” she rasps as I bite and suck the flesh of her bountiful bosom. Delicious.

  And we’re kissing again. It’s deep and energetic. My hips grind down against hers and she wraps her legs around my waist, writhing and gasping beneath me. Then I pull back and she strokes my dick through my pants.

  Look at him—armed, and he’s ready to go.

  I pull her up until we’re both kneeling on the bed and facing each other. Fuck me. It’s going to happen. Finally. Without saying a word, I slowly work her tee-shirt over her head and let her bra fall to the bed. Perfection.

  I slide my arms around her back and pull down the zipper. Her skirt bunches around her knees, revealing her lace panties.

  This time they’re pink.

  I groan. “Fuck, Ella. You gotta let me in there right now. I’m dying here.” She smiles. It’s heavenly. Holy Hell. She crawls across the bed on all fours and tips my pants upside down. From my pocket fall a few silver wrappers.

  She glances over her shoulder and gives a half chuckle. “Eight. Really?”

  “I’m an optimist, you know that. Anyway, you may thank me later.”

  “Later?”

  I growl. “Yep. Right after you come.”

  Don’t look at me like that—I’m a glass half full guy at heart. I grab her by the hips and manage to rip her panties away. My God. I have the best view in the whole world right now.

  Leaning over her, I grab one of the silver wrappers from the floor and rip it open with my teeth. As I roll the rubber on, I brush her veil of blonde hair over her shoulders, and lick a trail along the cleft of her back until I stop between the cute dimples just above each of her ass cheeks.