Trapped in a Castle

by Katie Holland

  We laid there after holding each other, my head on his chest. I could hear his heart beat and it was reassuring. This was the place I wanted to spend the rest of my life, right here in Ellis’s arms. I didn’t want him to go but I knew it was necessary. I only hoped that I’d be able to talk to him often.

  “Will you stay with me tonight?” I asked.

  “Nothing would make me happier,” he replied.

  “Nothing?” I giggled a little.

  “Well, okay maybe a few things,” he smiled, “but I’d love to spend the night here with you.”

  “Good, now go clean up the kitchen. I’m going to take a bath.” I tried for a straight face but failed miserably. “I really do want to have a bath but since we didn’t finish dinner why don’t we have a snack, unless you have something you need to do.”

  “I do have to return a couple of emails, but I can do that while you have your bath. Let’s go have that snack.”

  And we did exactly that. By the time I was done with my bath Ellis had finished with his emails. He had a quick shower and we crawled into bed.

  * * *

  The rest of the week went by in much the same manner. We both went to work but Ellis came over every night. We would have dinner, spend time talking or just holding each other. And of course, there was the sex. It was still getting better every time.

  Friday night we went out for dinner and then Ellis took me to my phone provider and made sure I was able to make calls and text to Sweden. He even made the guy bill it to his account instead of mine. I tried to protest but Ellis was having none of it.

  We went back to his apartment and I helped him pack. I admit, I was having a hard time and a few tears found their way down my cheeks. I did manage to smile when he packed the Fifty Shades books. He told me he was going to keep me updated on his reading progress.

  Once he was packed we went over to my place. We made love to each other slowly and with all the passion of the love we felt. I didn’t want to fall asleep and waste any time I had left with him but being in his arms was so comforting eventually I did.

  All too soon it was Saturday morning. Today was going to be hard. I was taking Ellis to the airport but first we were stopping by his parent’s place, so he could say his good-byes to them. We got to the airport, found parking and got him checked in.

  We were standing outside of the security area since that was as far as I could go. I just wrapped my arms around him fighting tears. Ellis held me just as tight. He finally pulled back and looked at me.

  “I’m going to miss you Eve,” he said.

  “Me to,” I said as a few tears fell, and Ellis wiped them away. “I know I’m being silly. It’s not like you’re going to be gone forever or like we’re never going to see each other again. And we’ve really only known each other for a couple of months, I shouldn’t be this sad.”

  “It doesn’t matter if we’ve known each other for two months or two decades, it doesn’t make our love any less real. I’ve never felt like this before and I know it’s not just because it’s new or a passing thing. I think you’re it for me Eve.”

  A look of disbelief crossed my face and Ellis must have seen it because he said, “I mean it Eve. I don’t think I told you this but you’re the first woman to ever meet my parents. You are something special and I’ll be home before you know it.”

  I simply nodded and put my head on his chest and my arms around him. He put his arms around me and we stood there for a few minutes.

  It was time for him to go. He kissed me one last time. “I love you Eve.”

  “I love you too. Be safe and let me know when you land.”

  “I will,” he said and went to the security check point.

  I watched him go through security until I couldn’t see him anymore. I let the tears fall all the way back to my car.

  Instead of going home I went to mom and dads. I didn’t want to be alone and needed some comfort from them. A few hours later I got a text from Ellis.

  Ellis: Landed. At next gate. Plane leaves in 30 minutes.

  Me: Ok. Let me know when you get to Stockholm, even if it’s late. I love you.

  Ellis: I love you too

  It was the first time I’d smiled today.

  “Was that Ellis?” mom asked.

  “Yeah, he landed at his layover and will be boarding soon. I told him to let me know when he got to Stockholm.”

  “Hey honey, everything will be okay, and he’ll be home sooner than you realize.”

  “Mom, we don’t even know how long he’ll be there, what if it’s like six months or a year?”

  “Is he worth waiting for?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then there’s your answer, you wait honey. I know it’s not ideal but you two seem really good together and that doesn’t come along every day.”

  “Do you think it’s too soon to feel this strongly? I mean we’ve only been dating for two months.”

  “Is that what’s been bothering you?”

  “Yeah, kind of.”

  “Eve, do you remember the story of how your dad and I met?”

  “Dad asked you out your first weekend at college and you were together ever since.”

  “That’s right. I knew after that first date that your dad was it for me and so did he. It’s not how long you’ve been in love that matters is how much the two people love each other.”

  I had to smile at her. “Do you read little books of wisdom or something that I don’t know about?”

  She laughed. “No just years of experience.”

  “Well whatever it is, you always have a way of knowing just what to say to me.”

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  I spent the rest of the day baking with mom. We ordered in pizza for dinner. I wanted to stay there but I had to get home and take care of Molly.

  When I went to bed that night I could smell Ellis on my pillow. That was very comforting as I closed my eyes, it was almost like he was here.

  I don’t know what time it was when my phone rang, and I scrambled to answer it.

  “Hello?” I said groggily.

  “Hey there sexy.”

  I was awake immediately when I heard his voice. “Ellis.”

  “Hi Eve, did I wake you up?” he said with a laugh.

  I looked at the time. “Yes, it’s almost 4:00 in the morning. What time is it there?”

  “It’s eight hours ahead here so almost noon here.”

  “Are you just getting there?”

  “No, when I landed and got my bag someone was there waiting for me and they took me to my hotel. You should see this place, it’s almost as big as my apartment.”

  “Take some pictures for me.”

  “I will.”

  “How was your flight? Did you get spoiled in first class?”

  “That is certainly the only way to travel, especially on a long flight. How are you doing?” he asked.

  “I went straight to my parent’s place after I left the airport and hung out there all day, I didn’t want to be alone.”

  “I’m sorry Eve.”

  “It’s not your fault and I’ll be okay. What are you doing for the rest of the day?”

  “Catching up on some sleep. It’ll take me a while to get used to the time difference.”

  I yawned. I hadn’t really slept very well the last few hours waiting to hear from him. I tried to hide it, but Ellis chuckled, so I guess he heard me.

  “Go back to sleep my sweet Eve.”

  “But I want to keep listening to your voice. It makes me feel better.”

  “I feel the same but there’ll be more time to talk.”

  I was being selfish, he probably hadn’t slept at all. “Okay, you should try and get some sleep too. I’ll text you later. I love you.”

  “I love you too. Until next time.”

  I hung up with a smile. It wasn’t exactly ideal being almost five thousand miles apart but at least he was just a call or text away. I rolled over and hugge
d his pillow to me and fell into an easier sleep than before he called.

  Chapter 37

  It took a few days to fall into a new routine. Ellis would call me between 5:00 am and 6:30 am depending on how his day was going. He would tell me about the new foods he was trying and the people he was working with. It sounded like he was enjoying his time there which was good because this was probably a once in a life time opportunity for him.

  Over the next few weeks I saw Marissa a few times and I even did a lunch with my mom, Ellis’s mom, and sisters, but for the most part I was back to mostly staying home and reading.

  The highlight of each day was the call from Ellis and the texts and pictures he sent. Every day he sent me new pictures. Sometimes they might be food, buildings, or scenery. But my favorite were the ones of his handsome face, I got at least one of those every day.

  He was actually reading the Fifty Shades books. One of my daily texts was what book and the page number he was on and usually a question or a quote. Those texts always made me laugh. I don’t know any other guy who would have done that just to make me smile.

  I was starting to seriously consider the possibility of opening a bakery. I still liked my job, but I was beginning to get a little bored doing pretty much the same thing every day. I talked to my parents about it and they suggested I do some research into a business plan and areas to put one. My first thought was Corrine and her husband. I called her and met her for coffee. I asked a ton of questions and got a lot of answers. She was extremely helpful. She set up an appointment for me to meet with her husband to talk about the financial side and she even offered to help me find locations to look at.

  As exciting as opening a bakery was starting to become I didn’t want to do it without Ellis. It was his idea in the first place and I wanted to share this with him. I decided to start with a business plan. I went to the local chamber of commerce and inquired as to where I could get some help with that. They gave me some names and suggestions. This took up most of my spare time. I’d never done anything like this so I needed a lot of help.

  Ellis had been gone for two months and I was missing him like crazy. The calls and texts were great, they just weren’t enough. I missed his arms around me and the smile that was just for me. I missed his scent and his comforting presence. So, when I got his call this morning I was probably the happiest person in the building.

  “Good morning Eve,” I could hear the happiness in his voice.

  “Hi there,” I said sleepily.

  “I’ve got some great news,” he said. “I’m coming home in a week. I just found out this morning.”

  I wasn’t sure if I was still dreaming. “Did you really say you’re coming home or am I just having a great dream?”

  “I really said it. The deal is wrapping up. There’s just a few small things to finish up and I’ll be home next Wednesday.”

  “Oh my God, that’s awesome Ellis! I can’t believe it. Ahhh!” I screamed. “Sorry, I probably just deafened you.”

  Ellis was laughing. “That’s okay, I like your enthusiasm. I don’t have very much time to talk today, I just wanted to tell you the good news.”

  “I’ve never been happier to let you go. I can’t believe I’ll see you in a week. I love you Ellis.”

  “I love you too Eve. See you soon.”

  I hung up feeling like I was on top of the world. He was coming home! It was still too early to call mom but as soon as I got to work I was calling to tell her. There was no way I was going back to sleep now. I got up and went straight to the kitchen and made a cup of coffee.

  Once I showered I still had plenty of time before I had to leave for work. I hadn’t checked my email in a while, so I decided to see if there was anything interesting there. After going through a couple of pages I saw there was one from Dr. Grey. I opened it and was really surprised by what it contained.

  To: Eve Caulder

  From: Dr. T. Grey

  Sent: Monday, 9:43am

  Eve,

  I finished your book and I think it’s absolutely wonderful. I hope this is okay, but I sent it to a friend of mine who is in the publishing business. I think it has great potential to help many people. I’ll let you know when I hear back about it.

  Good luck!

  Dr. Grey

  My first thought was, wow. Then my nerves took over when I realized someone else was going to be reading my words. What if they hated it? I thought about that for a minute and decided that it didn’t matter what anyone else thought. I wrote it for me, to help me and if I can manage to help anyone else that was just a bonus.

  I closed my email and went to the kitchen and made another cup of coffee. It wasn’t even 7:30 in the morning and I’d had a full day’s worth of interesting news.

  The first thing I did after I went through my work email was call mom. The lady that worked next to me was in a meeting, so I’d have a little privacy.

  “Good morning honey.”

  “Hi mom. I’ve got the best news. Ellis is coming home next week,” I told her and squealed a little. “And Dr. Grey like my book so much she sent it to a friend of hers that’s in publishing.”

  “Oh Eve, I’m so happy for you, on both accounts. You’ve had an eventful morning, you must be so excited.”

  “Mom, you have no idea, I feel like doing a happy dance,” I said giggling.

  Mom just laughed at me. “What day is he coming back?”

  “He said next Wednesday. He didn’t have much time to talk this morning so I’m sure I’ll get more details later today or in the morning,” I heard the meeting room door open. “Hey mom, I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”

  “Bye honey.”

  My day seemed to go so slowly. All I could think about was Ellis coming back. I wondered if he’d have to go right back to work or if they’d give him a few days off.

  I was really glad to get home. The early hour I got up at was starting to catch up to me. I made a quick stir-fry for dinner and had a hot bath. I talked to mom for a little bit and read until it was time for bed. I hadn’t heard back from Ellis, but I knew I’d get my call in the morning.

  The next couple of days passed slowly as I waited for the weekend, so I could sleep in. Ellis had asked me to pick him up at the airport, so I had asked my boss to leave a little early that day. His flight didn’t get in until 5:00 in the evening.

  I woke up on Saturday morning with a smile. Only four more sleeps until I saw Ellis again. I met Corrine for lunch and then we went to her shop. She helped me pick out something really cute for Ellis’s return. I actually bought two outfits. I was planning on wearing one the day I picked him up and I was hoping we’d have a date on the weekend and I could show off the second one.

  I spent Sunday at my parents and it was back to work on Monday. I woke up on Wednesday with the biggest grin. Today was the day. I took extra time with my hair and makeup and felt very sexy when I put on my new bra and panties for Ellis.

  The minutes ticked by at work. To be honest I can’t even tell you what I did that day. I knew my co-workers could tell I was preoccupied but I really didn’t care. All I could think about was getting my arms around Ellis.

  Finally, it was time to go to the airport. It was about a thirty-minute drive from work. I was early, but I didn’t mind waiting. I saw his flight was on time. Eventually the screen changed to “Arrived”. I waited impatiently at the doors where he would come out. I knew he was travelling in first class so that meant he should be one of the first ones off the plane. I wasn’t disappointed. I saw him walking down the hallway before he saw me. I had trouble standing still. I could tell the moment he saw me. A huge smile graced his handsome face and he started to move faster. The second he was through the security door he ran to me. He dropped his bag and took me in his arms. The kiss was everything I’d been missing. I didn’t care where we were or that people might be staring. All that mattered was us.

  Ellis eventually pulled back, so he could look at me. “You are the most beau
tiful thing in the world Eve. I can’t believe I’m really here and you’re in my arms again. I missed you so much.”

  Tears started rolling down my cheeks, but they were happy tears. I hadn’t realized exactly how much I missed him until he was holding me again.

  “Let’s go get my luggage and get out of here. I need to be inside of you,” he whispered.

  That made my breath catch a little.

  It seemed to take forever to get his suitcase, get to the car, and home. The whole way back to the apartment he had his hand on my thigh and was rubbing it with his thumb. It was driving me crazy. My arousal was already heightened by him just being in the car with me but having him touch me was almost more than I could handle.

  We finally made it upstairs to our hallway. I thought he’d want to go to his apartment but when I stopped in front of his door he shook his head.

  “I want to be in your space,” he told me.

  I didn’t have words to reply so I just nodded and opened my door. I barely got the door closed before he had me pushed up against it and claimed my mouth. We were nothing but hands, mouths, and need. There was no way we were going to make it to the bedroom.

  I took off his tie and threw it behind me. Next came his suit jacket. I started unbuttoning his shirt and my fingers fumbled with eagerness. I finally got it off and started on his belt.

  He stopped me. “My turn,” he said, and in no time at all my jacket and shirt were on the floor. “I like this,” he said, running his fingers over my bra. I shivered in anticipation. He kissed me again and started walking us backwards until my legs hit the back of the couch.

  He stopped long enough to remove my remaining clothing and his. We stood there in our underwear for a moment, just taking each other in. He picked me up and lifted me over the back of the couch and placed me on the cushions. He followed by using his impressive strength to jump over the back and land gently on top of me. His weight was delicious on me.