“How is La Vienne Rose personal to you?”
I dropped my hands to the tabletop, and grabbed my ink pen fidgeting with the cap. No man had ever asked me these kinds of questions before. They were more interested in getting me out of my clothes, rather than the fact that I was a prominent clothing store owner.
“My middle name is Vivienne, and my grandmother’s name was Rosalie. After trying a few name combinations, suddenly there it was in bold letters.”
“I like the name—it’s pretty.”
“Thank you,” I said, leaning forward in my chair. “It was dumb luck on my part the French origin in the name also gave me a niche. I started buying my favorite French brands that were hard to come by in London and it . . .” I laughed, feeling foolish. “Sorry you must be terribly bored.”
His eyes landed on mine. “Nothing about you bores me.”
His words were warm, and the way he was looking at me sent heat racing down my belly, settling between my thighs. I shifted, feeling uncomfortable at the tingles that decided to have a dance party in my vagina.
I sound ridiculous.
“How many places are left on your list?”
“Two,” I said, expelling a deep sigh. “I hope one is the future home for La Vienne Rose.”
The worry and stress had built tension in my neck and shoulders. My muscles felt as tight as a taut rubber band. I closed my eyes, and attempted to ease pain in the back of my neck, kneading the knots with the tips of my fingers.
“You okay?”
“It’s no big deal, but I have a headache,” I said, pushing to my feet. “I think I’m just going to go up to my room and take a nap.” I gathered my things and shoved them into my bag.
Alex lifted my handbag and laptop bag from the table.
“I can carry my own bag, Alex.”
“You’re completely capable. I get it,” he replied, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth. “But I’m here so let me help you.”
“If you must.” I smiled, bumping his arm with mine. “Thanks.”
I found it beyond impossible to say no to Alex, especially since he had been incredibly helpful where my real estate endeavors were concerned. I wondered if this was indeed part of his job description. We’d spent nearly eight to ten hours together. Lunch, afternoon coffee, and we’d had dinner together the last two evenings. Now he was carrying my laptop bag. It all felt very intimate.
As we walked to the bank of elevators, I heard someone yell my name. I spun around to find Gavin Lacourt striding towards me. Tall, dark and devilishly handsome. Along with being one of the top fashion photographers in the world, he was one of my closest friends.
In the past five years, Gavin had been my rock. He’s been there through the good, the bad, and truly horrible. When I needed a shoulder to cry on, or someone to commiserate with, Gavin was there. When I needed help paying my rent, he’d given me work, assisting him with photoshoots. In the friend department, besides Nabila, there was no one I trusted more than him.
“How’s my girl?” Gavin’s strong hands rested on my shoulders, as he kissed both my cheeks.
“I’m good . . . but, I’m surprised to see you here,” I said, stumbling back from Gavin’s embrace feeling Alex’s hands latching onto my waist.
Gavin’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “I flew in this morning to meet with the Features Editor of Belle Magazine. They want me to shoot an upcoming editorial.”
Not so subtly, Alex drew his arm up from my waist and draped it around my shoulders, pulling me away from Gavin and right against his body—his very taut and muscled body.
I craned my neck to look up at Alex. His eyes were narrowed and glaring at Gavin. Confusion washed through me. I needed to diffuse the situation before it became any more awkward.
“Introduce me, babe,” Alex said, his warm breath fanned against my ear.
Babe? What the bloody hell?
Admittedly, the possessiveness in his tone made my knees weak. Alex was under my skin, it was both unnerving and completely intoxicating. Shit! I was slipping into deep trouble. That kind of trouble that you know will lead to no good, but you so want to see how far you can take it.
Danger! Danger, Ella! The words screamed in my brain, tormenting and teasing me all at once.
“Alex Robertsen, meet my friend, Gavin Lacourt.”
Alex outstretched his hand to Gavin. “Friends, huh? How are you two acquainted?” Alex drawled.
Gavin gave a hint of a smile, as he shook Alex’s hand. “Yes, Ella and I have been dear friends for many years, Mr. Robertsen,” he answered, in his elegant voice.
“We met years ago at a Fashion Art Exhibit in London, and we’ve been friends ever since,” I interjected.
The elevator dinged, and a mass of people rushed out. A man in a khaki trench coat bumped into my shoulder, shoving me into Alex. His grip tightened, holding me firm. Gavin’s wide eyes landed on mine. There was no mistaking his look, he must have a thousand questions running through his mind.
“Are you two going up?” Gavin asked, nodding towards the empty elevator.
“We are,” Alex answered. “Ella isn’t feeling well. She needs some rest.”
Again, Alex had laced a possessive vibe to his words. He wasn’t being rude to Gavin, by any manner, but he might as well have pulled out his dick and pissed, marking me as his. Alex released the hold he’d had on me as we stepped inside.
After pressing the button for the mezzanine level, Gavin turned back to face me and said, “Well then, you should rest, and then call me when you’re feeling better.”
“I will, I promise.”
Waves of nausea crept up from my stomach. The bright light from the elevator stung my eyes and my head throbbed with an aching pain. I needed to get to my room and take a pill or get into a hot bath.
I caught Alex’s reflection in the door. His eyes were focused and forward, much like they were the day he was introduced to me as my bodyguard. The elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened.
“It was nice to have met you, Alex.”
“Likewise, Gavin.”
“Au revoir, my pet.”
My heart stuttered. That twat, he’d said that on purpose. The doors shut on him, leaving me standing alone with Alex.
“What the hell was all that territorial behavior nonsense?” I spat, spinning around to face him, headache nearly forgotten. “Calling me babe. Honestly, Alex, what the fuck was that about?”
“Lower your voice,” he said firmly.
We arrived on my floor, and I turned and pulled my laptop bag from his strong hands. His scent wrapped around me, and I inhaled deeply. He smelled divine. So divine that I closed my eyes for a moment to take in his masculine scent, a tantalizing mix of aftershave and bergamot. As pissed off as I was, my body didn’t seem to share my emotions.
“I’m not your property, Alex,” I said, as I stepped into the corridor.
My breathing was heavy with every step I took. Alex followed closely behind me. I pulled my keycard from my bag, and inserted it into the slot. The green light flashed, and I pushed forward, but came to a sudden halt when my shoulder crashed into the door.
I looked up to find Alex’s hand wedged between the door and its frame, holding it firmly in place. His body loomed over me, every muscle in my body froze. I tried to speak but nothing happened. No words. No sounds. Nothing.
He took a step towards me, pinning me against the door. “I don’t know what came over me downstairs. For whatever reason, seeing another man with his hands on you drove me out of my fucking mind,” he said, his voice was firm, but not angry. “And I didn’t much care for the way Gavin was looking at you.”
I held his hazel eyes, the glowing flecks of amber drawing me in, like moth to a flame. His other hand came up to the side of my face, his thumb smoothed over my lips. And I fucking melted on the inside. Sweet Christ.
“Why . . . why are you acting this way towards me?” The question left my lips in a shaky whisper.
> He shrugged. “I can’t help myself. I don’t know how to act around you, Ella. There is a clear attraction between us.” His hand drifted to my hair, where he tucked a strand behind my ear. “And I know you’re having a difficult time being around me as well.”
“Oh and exactly how do you know that?”
“Part of my skill set is to gather information and evaluate the facts of a given situation. In this particular case, I can see it in your eyes and the way you respond when I touch you.” Leaning down, he teased my lips with his by brushing them over mine ever so slightly. Those lips . . . his lips, oh how I missed them and I loved how they felt against mine.
Kiss me. Please don’t tease me, Alex.
In the next breath, as if he’d heard my inner thoughts, he granted my wish crushing his lips to mine.
I registered the echo of my laptop bag and purse hitting the floor as Alex’s hand glided over my ass. My arms snaked around his neck, and he slid his tongue into my mouth. I moaned when he settled his knee between my thighs. As he pressed his big frame harder against me, I felt the solid length of his cock pressed against my stomach. I shoved a hand into his dark hair, holding him tight as I sucked on his tongue. He groaned. The sound was deep and pleasurable making the pressure between my legs tighten. I ground my pussy against his thigh as his fingers dug into the curve of my hip.
My eyes flew open, at the sound of the door opening, and I pulled back from our embrace.
“I . . . I can’t do this with you,” I managed to choke out, breathless from our kiss.
A frown marred the space between his brows. His eyes darkened, as he pinned them on me with confusion.
Smiling, I smoothed my palms down his chest. “What I meant to say was that I can’t do this with you in public. Paparazzi or whatever, who knows who is watching us.” I tossed my head towards the gentleman who was standing in the hallway a few doors down.
“I see,” he said. “I guess we’ll have to be more careful.”
“Alex, I . . .”
He pressed his finger to my lips and shook his head. “Don’t say anything. Get some rest and we’ll talk later.” With his foot wedged between the door and its frame, he scooped my bags off the floor and handed them to me. I could only stare as he walked away, leaving me stunned. I had a serious desire to run after him and drag him back to my bed and finish what we’d . . . he’d started.
My lips still tingled from our kiss. My knees wobbled and shook as I faltered across the threshold and into the hallway of my suite. The pain in my head, along with the deep ache between my thighs, was beginning to unravel me.
Once I closed the door, I sagged against the cool metal. Unsure of how long I stood there, somehow I managed to revive my jellied limbs and move towards the seating area. I placed my bags on the desk, and checked my phone for messages. Staring at the screen, my fingers hovered over Alex’s name. No, don’t call him.
As I walked into the bathroom, I couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss. After turning on the water, I added some lavender bubble bath to the deep soaker tub. I stripped out of my clothes, and then turned on the sound system to a light classical station.
Sitting at the vanity, I pulled my hair into a messy bun, and my mind replayed everything that led to that moment in the hallway with Alex. This thing between us, I didn’t know what it was exactly. I suppose it could be described as a sharp itch in need of scratching or a sweet craving that needed satisfied.
Alex had called it an attraction.
The last time I acted on my feelings of an attraction for a man, I ended up making the front page of the gossip tabloids. The cherry on top was having my heart broken. He said he wanted to be with me forever, but in the blink of an eye, our forever turned into over.
A wall surrounded my heart, there was nothing but darkness. It sounded all very lame and cliché. Understandably, I know I am not the first woman who has suffered a broken heart. But, I just hadn’t let anyone in, in a long time. Not one man since him had been able to break the wall down.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. I pushed to my feet and leaned over the tub to turn off the water.
“One moment please.” I called out, slipping my silk robe on over my shoulders. My bare feet hit the marble in the entryway sending a chill up my spine. I pulled open the door to find room service breezing past me with a large basket.
My eyes narrowed, as the tall dark haired man arranged the basket on the table. “But, I didn’t order anything,” I announced, folding my arms over my chest.
“No, miss, this is a gift from Mr. Robertsen,” he answered handing me an envelope.
I peeled open the card and read the message from Alex: Here are a few things to help you get well soon. P.S. You have an in suite massage scheduled in about an hour.
My fingers danced over my lips, and my heart leapt in my throat after reading his sweet note.
“Is there anything else I can get for you right now, Miss Connolly?”
“No, thank you,” I answered, tucking the note back inside the envelope. He let himself out, and I half-skipped, half-walked over to the basket of goodies. There was a silver eye mask, a pair of fuzzy socks, an icepack, some chamomile tea, B2 vitamins, a box of Italian chocolates and an aromatherapy candle. The scent was bergamot.
I stood there feeling my cheeks heat, as I clutched the envelope to my chest. How in the world did Alex have time to put all this together? The thoughtfulness of the gift was certainly heartfelt and flattering. And he’d scheduled a massage for me.
I picked up the candle and inhaled deeply. The richness of the fragrance slid through my blood and wound tight around my bones. My body recognized the familiar scent, and all my senses were overloaded with Alex. I craved the way I felt when he touched me. Even more, I loved the way he responded to me when I touched him.
With my hands wrapped around the candle, I sauntered into the bathroom and placed it on the stand in the corner. After lighting the wick, I turned on the hot water to finish filling up the tub. As I stepped into the water, it stung with a sharp bite—it was hotter than I preferred, almost scalding. The fiery temperature, much like being around Alex, set my body ablaze with a fevered burn—right down to my core.
Maybe, I should take a cold shower instead of hot bath.
SO MUCH FOR BURYING my feelings for Ella. I just went and sprinkled Miracle Grow all over that fucking plan. I scrubbed my hands down my face as I paced the hallway of my suite. Ella was vibrant and full of life. I liked hearing her talk so passionately about her business. What I hated was seeing that French douchebag with his hands on her.
French douchebag? They’re friends.
There was no point in denying it, I couldn’t seem to resist my feelings for her, and I’m a fucked up mess over it. All this anxiety, I needed to blow off some steam.
Blow. Blow job. My mind raced and all I wanted was Ella’s perfect lips wrapped around my cock, staining it with that siren red color. I wanted to fuck her perfect mouth and then fuck her.
Jesus Christ.
I needed to relieve this tension. Since fucking Ella was not an option at this moment, I decided to hit the gym. I barreled my way through ten sets of pull-ups, doubled my push-ups and my wall squats before hitting the treadmill. I finished strong with some sit-ups, two hundred to be exact. My workout had been decent, but a lingering tension remained.
After stripping out of my sweat soaked clothes, I turned on the shower and the steam fogged over the glass. Leaning up against the tiles, my head fell back and I gripped my cock. I closed my eyes and pictured Ella on her knees in front of me, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth in anticipation. At the thought of Ella’s blue eyes, heavy lidded and gazing up at me, my hand grazed up and down my cock with long, slow strokes.
In my fantasy, Ella sucked me deep, running her tongue along my tip and licking the head of my dick, lapping up pre-cum. I pumped my dick roughly, as I imagined tugging at her hair, to watch her watching me as I fucked her beautiful mouth.
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br /> She hummed and moaned, the vibrations rippled around my cock, and I went rougher picturing her cheeks hollowing, taking me deeper. My mind went into overdrive, and so did my hand, at the thought of hearing Ella begging me to fuck her. In a race to get myself off, my hand worked my cock with a brutal speed.
Our night together was burned into my memory. The vision of Ella spread wide beneath me appeared, her tight body bowing towards me as I took her mouth. My body jerked, and I came hard, growling out her name at the vision of her looking into my eyes as I slid deep into her bare pussy.
Fuck. Ella. I need to have her again.
I would have her again. When and where was up for grabs.
I’D MANAGED SUCCESSFULLY TO hideout out in my hotel suite, avoiding Alex since our kiss. Tonight was a different story. There was nowhere to escape and it didn’t help matters that I couldn’t take my eyes off him standing across the room, wearing an ink black suit, looking hot as sin. The ache had returned, yes, the one between my thighs. I had to tell myself to pull my shit together. I couldn’t risk allowing someone to see me drooling over Alex, especially not my brother.
Holliday, Ronan’s new “flavor of the month”—the tabloids words, not mine—approached me, radiating true sexiness in a black strapless gown, her ears dripping with diamond and emeralds. She was stunning, with her long dark hair and svelte figure. To my surprise, she was down to earth, and spoke with a genuine sincerity, which was quite the opposite of his twat of an ex-wife, Emma and, that cow, Heather Young.
“Ella,” she said, giving me a warm hug. “I am loving this Chanel dress. You look positively stunning.”
Smiling, I ran the palms of my hands over the bodice of my white fit-and-flare frock. It was one of my favorite dresses. Not only was it beautiful with its lilac embellishments, the short length, along with the jagged hemline, added some edge and allowed me to show off my long legs.
“You’re too kind. I’m flattered, high praise coming from someone who looks like they stepped off a runway.”
“Well, thank you, I’ll take the compliment,” she said, toying with her emerald pendant. “This is one of my sister’s latest creations.”
Bound to Me (The Harbour Series Book 1) Page 6
