She shook her head.
“I did. I really did, I just didn’t know what attraction felt like until I met you so it confused me at first.”
Her hand came up and she tugged my face closer.
“I want you so much and I hate that I’m hurt so you won’t do anything.”
Her lips brushed against mine. My resolve was at breaking point. She kept pushing.
“Please,” she whispered. “I’m so wet at the thought of having you inside me.”
“Is that what you were thinking about when I was on the phone?”
She nodded, a blush rising up her cheeks. I bit my lip.
Fuck. Fuck this. I can’t keep saying no. Not when she’s looking at me like that.
I let go of her hand and tucked mine under the covers, dipping underneath her shorts and finding the truth of her statement when my fingers met her pussy.
“Shit, Ellie,” I groaned. “You have no idea how much I want you.”
“Then take me.”
I was fucking done. Pulling back, my hands went to my jeans, unbuttoning them and tugging them down.
“Bottoms off, sweetheart.”
Her smile was electrifying. She shifted out of the covers and pulled her shorts off, her underwear following suit. I tugged my cock from my boxers, stroking it.
“Come here,” I told her, putting my other hand out.
She moved towards me and crawled into my lap, straddling my thighs. My other hand went between her legs, stroking her clit. She moaned, gripping my shoulders as her good eye met mine.
“Good girl. Now show me what you want from me.”
Shifting closer, she went up on her knees as I held my cock for her. I grunted when she started to sink down on it. My hand went to her hip, guiding her lower. Her pussy was so hot and wet. Fuck, I’d missed being inside her so much. My sweet, submissive girl. It had only been days since we’d first slept together, but hell, if it hadn’t left an impression on me.
Her hands tightened on my shoulders when the last inch slipped inside her, a low moan escaping her lips.
“Is that better, sweetheart? Did you just need my cock? Need me to fuck you?”
“So much. I’ve wanted you inside me for days. I was stupid to think I could be without you.”
I smiled, pulling her closer so I could kiss her. She slowly rose and fell on me with my encouragement. I didn’t want to aggravate her chest too much so I thrust my hips up in time with hers.
Shit, this felt so good. Being inside the girl I was falling for. This beautiful being who completely enraptured me. We knew each other’s darker parts. There were still so many things we needed to share, but there was time for that. Time to learn what made each other tick.
It wasn’t a frantic rush to the finish line. We rocked against each other, one of my hands on her hip and the other wrapped around the back of her neck, holding her close to me.
“I’m not letting you go,” I told her, my voice low. “You’re mine now.”
“Yours,” she breathed.
I’d never been a possessive person. I’d never make Ellie do anything she didn’t want to or stop her being who she was. But that fucking beast urging me to claim her took over. The part of me feeding off her submission.
“My girl.”
She kissed me. It was all tongues and lips devouring each other. I momentarily lost control of my fucking senses in her until I felt the metallic taste of her blood. Her split lip had reopened slightly. I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth, trying to stem the flow. She moaned, her movements becoming more erratic as she rode me.
“Please, oh fuck, please, James.”
My hand left the back of her neck and fell between her legs, finding her sweet spot and stroking her there until she fell off the edge. Her eye rolled back in her head. I released her lip and watched her in the throes of ecstasy as she came all over my cock. Her pussy was clenching so damn hard around me I could barely breathe let alone hold on.
“Fuck,” I grunted. “Fuck, Ellie.”
I shoved her down, making her take all of me as I came deep inside her tight heat. Panting, I reached up and pressed her forehead to mine. Nothing and no one would keep me from this girl. Protecting her was my only priority. Keeping her safe from her father and anyone else who tried to harm her.
You’re mine now, Ellie Kirkwood. All mine.
Chapter Twenty
Ellie
James sighed as he sat down on the sofa next to me with a letter in his hands. He raked his hand through his hair and fiddled with it for a moment. I wasn’t sure whether to ask him what it was or not. I’d been sat watching a drama on Netflix whilst he was taking a phone call regarding work. It wasn’t like I asked him to take the day off or anything.
“You okay?” I asked, not liking the weird vibe I was getting from him.
“My dad keeps writing to me.”
My heart sunk. I knew how he felt about his father and the shit the man had put him through.
“What does he want?”
He tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter.
“For me to visit him in prison.”
“You going to?”
“No, but I’m getting fed up with this. He keeps writing all this shit and it’s getting in my head.”
I put my hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. He looked over at me, a sad smile on his face. His dad’s words affected him deeply. Prolonged verbal abuse did that to people.
“I’m sorry, you shouldn’t have to put up with it.”
He handed me the letter.
“Will you read it for me?”
I stared at him for a moment.
“Why?”
“Reading this shit is hard for me. This is the fourth one. I’ll give it to Dante when he gets here. He’s been getting rid of them for me.”
Even though I was wary, I’d just about do anything for James so I spread the letter out and began to read it to him.
Dear James,
I take it from your lack of response you do not want to communicate with me. I understand you’re still angry. You expect me to ask for forgiveness for what I’ve done. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. Regrets are worthless and for the weak. None of you are grateful for the things I’ve done for you. You grew up with every advantage and yet you all banded against me and left me to languish in prison. Yes, I pled guilty because I did all those things to you. There was no denying it. It was useless to do so with all the evidence stacked against me.
You all think I deserved to be punished and perhaps I do. Are you going to punish me for the rest of my life? You can hate me all you want. I’m still your father. Nothing you do or say will change that fact.
Just come see me, James.
Let’s talk.
Your father
I put the letter down on the coffee table, my hands trembling. His father’s intention was to manipulate his son. Wear him down until he snapped and went to visit Zachary in prison. I couldn’t imagine what that was like for James. To have to put up with the constant belittling and now this.
I shuffled closer to him. He seemed to sense what I was doing because he hooked an arm around me and allowed me to curl both of mine around his waist. I lay my head on his shoulder, ignoring how it aggravated the bruises on my chest which now ached in protest.
“You have some shit people in your life,” I said, keeping my voice low.
He snorted.
“That’s one way of putting it.”
“Have the rest of them been like that?”
“Kind of. It’s all bullshit really, but I still find it hard not to let it get in my head.”
I looked up at him.
“How does it make you feel?”
“What? When he says that shit?” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “Honestly, I sometimes just feel worthless. He’d constantly tell me I was a disappointment. Allowing my brother to fight my batt
les for me was weak. It was like nothing I did was right. I began to believe it, that I really was nothing. I hated myself for having his traits, at least the ones I associated with him. I kept those buried instead, all of them because I didn’t want to be anything like him. He’s cruel and manipulative. He’s never going to change and yet I still wanted to be better for him, be someone he could be proud of which is fucking ridiculous. That’s why I always felt so pathetic. I don’t care if he’s proud of me now. He can rot in prison.”
I shifted, wincing as I crawled into his lap and straddled his legs. Cupping his face, I stared down at him. His blue eyes were curious.
“You’re not weak or pathetic. No one who knows you could ever think that about you. You’re amazing and if you can’t see that, then I’ll tell you it every day until you believe it.”
He graced me with a smile.
“What if you tell me every day anyway?”
I rolled my good eye.
“Don’t push your luck.”
His hands disappeared under my t-shirt, stroking across my back with the gentlest of touches. I couldn’t help arching into him. He made me feel alive.
“No? Not even if getting compliments from you makes me happy?”
I leant towards him, stopping just inches from his mouth.
“I’m going to take back what I said if you’re not careful.”
He looked horrified for all of two seconds before I kissed him. One of his hands left my back to tangle in my hair. This felt so right. Being with him. Getting to touch him and kiss him whenever I wanted. Knowing he was mine.
Everything had changed so quickly between us, but I was trying not to let that scare me. Besides, it’s not like I could run or hide from the way I felt. Not now we were together and I’d finally let go of the things holding me back from being his.
His hand left my hair and landed on my thigh, slipping higher towards where I wanted his fingers. Where I wanted all of him if I was honest. He’d awakened all my senses and now I craved him. Craved the high he gave me. The desire which pulsed between us was potent. I imagined this is how it was meant to be. How attraction was supposed to play out. I hoped it was normal for me to want him as much as I did.
His fingers were about to reach in between my legs when the buzzer rang through the room. I pulled away as he cursed loudly. His blue eyes were pools of darkness, blazing with lust and need.
“Guess it’s time you met my family properly,” he said, releasing me.
I climbed off him, rubbing my side. It ached like a bitch. He frowned as he got up.
“I think it’s also time you took some more painkillers.”
I nodded before he walked off into the hallway. He came back a few minutes later with a glass of water and pills in his hand which he gave to me. I swallowed them down and set the glass on the coffee table before standing. James took my hand and I walked with him to the front door just as the bell rang.
He opened it, revealing five people waiting outside. I could see from his expression he wasn’t expecting them all. I shifted behind him a little, feeling self-conscious about my face. My eye was still swollen and my busted lip throbbed.
“Since when did this turn into a family gathering?” he asked.
His brother shrugged and walked in, his wife trailing behind him along with James’ twin sisters and another man I semi-recognised from the wedding. James shut the front door and shook his head. He looked over at me, still half hiding behind him. I wasn’t good with people. He knew that, but I couldn’t avoid this. I stepped out beside him and tried to smile, but I imagined it wasn’t very convincing.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice low.
I nodded, but the look in his eyes told me he didn’t believe me. He squeezed my hand before turning back to his family.
“I’ll make this quick, Ellie, this is Dante, Liora, Jennifer and Fiona… oh, and Brent. Um, this is Ellie…” He looked at me again. “My girlfriend.”
My heart did several backflips in my chest. Having him tell his family we were together chased away some of my lingering doubts.
Dante was the first one to step forward and shake my hand. He was roughly the same height as James and they were very similar in appearance. Their blue eyes and dark hair matched except Dante’s was shorter and he was slightly stockier than his brother.
“It’s nice to meet you,” he told me even though his neutral expression didn’t match his friendly tone.
I was then bombarded by the three women, all wanting to say hello and lastly, the man with hazel eyes shook my hand, giving me a grin.
“Don’t mind me, I’m just the help.”
I looked up at James, a little confused.
“Brent is Dante’s bodyguard and friend,” he whispered in my ear. “He lives in their basement.”
All of us piled into the living room with everyone sitting except me, James and Liora. She looked over at me.
“I’m going to start on dinner. Why don’t you come help me and we can let them talk?” she said, giving me a bright smile.
James gave my hand a squeeze. I think he felt me trembling next to him.
“Okay,” I replied, giving her a nod.
I turned to James who smiled and leant towards me, placing a chaste kiss to my lips.
“She’s nice,” he whispered. “You’ll be okay.”
I nodded again, allowing him to release me and walk over to where his family was already making a lot of noise. Following Liora out into the kitchen, I fidgeted nervously as she started pulling stuff out of the fridge and cupboards.
“Um… what can I do?” I asked.
She gave me another bright smile. Liora was beautiful, her short blonde hair falling to her chin and green eyes the colour of an evergreen forest.
“Oh don’t worry, you don’t have to do anything. I just wanted the company. Dante told me what happened so I’m sure you need rest, not to strain yourself further.”
I leant against the counter, unsure of what to do now she’d said that. James said she was nice, but I hadn’t really expected this.
“Your wedding dress, it was really beautiful,” I said, wanting to smack my head the moment the words fell out of my mouth.
I wasn’t lying. It had been this floaty, lacy number which clung to her in all the right places.
“Thank you. Dante appreciated it. Jen and Fi helped me pick it out since they know what he likes.”
“You picked it because it’s what he likes? Isn’t it usually the other way around?”
Her cheeks went a little red as she started chopping an onion.
Oh shit, I’ve embarrassed her. Me and my big mouth!
I knew they had a different dynamic having overheard it at their wedding, I just didn’t think she’d openly admit it.
“Dante has impeccable taste in clothes. They all do. You’re not telling me you haven’t yet experienced James in full designer mode?”
I smiled despite myself.
“Oh no, I’ve been in their offices a couple of times. He’s kind of intense with that stuff.”
She laughed. Liora had a sort of singsong lilt to her voice and a Scottish accent.
“You’re telling me. Those boys love their fashion. Dante got worse when he took over Bensons. I swear he brings me home something new at least once a week. Our wardrobes are overflowing now. It’s ridiculous. I work at London Zoo part time so I rarely wear anything fancy.”
“The zoo?”
She nodded, smiling again.
“Yes, I’m a zookeeper. I used to just volunteer, but a part time position opened up just before the wedding. It’s been my dream since I was a kid.”
I honestly hadn’t expected her to be an animal person, but what did I know?
“You like animals.”
She’d moved on to frying up mince now. From the assembly of ingredients, I assumed she was making spaghetti bolognese with homemade garlic bread.
“Oh yes,
we’re getting kittens in a few weeks. Brent isn’t happy because he’ll be on kitten duty when I’m at work.”
“What’s the deal there?”
She moved over to the sink with a pot and filled it with water before bringing it back to the stove.
“With Brent? He’s Dante’s best friend. He takes care of a lot of stuff for us.”
Her voice was hesitant so I was pretty sure there were things she didn’t want to say, so I left it at that. I felt bad not helping her with dinner, but it seemed like she had everything under control. Making conversation with other people wasn’t really my strong point. I had no trouble with James but he was different.
“How are you feeling? I mean with all the bruising?” she asked.
“Oh… I’m okay, it’s sore, but James is making sure I take my painkillers.”
She smiled.
“Dante wasn’t very good at taking his after Zach hurt him. Your injuries are similar to his, but Dante had a cracked rib.”
I shifted on my feet. It can’t have been fun for her to deal with that nor Dante having been beaten up by his dad. Sadly, I now knew what that was like all too well. It was enough having been physically abused by other men, but it being your own family made it worse.
“I’m sure you looked after him though.”
“When he let me. He hated it, being unable to do things for himself and me fussing over him. He’s always the one in control so it being the reverse didn’t sit well with him.”
Oh, I can imagine it wasn’t. Not when he’s clearly her Dom.
I wasn’t about to comment on that for fear of making her uncomfortable. Talking about your sex life with a complete stranger, let alone your brother in law’s girlfriend who you’d only just met would be so awkward.
“I’m glad James met you,” she continued. “He said you’re special and he needs the right person in his life. Don’t get me wrong, I like his friends, but it’s not the same as having a partner in crime.”
I felt my cheeks burning. He told her I was special. I shuffled my foot on the floor, looking away.
Promises Page 21
