Men and women in various uniforms raced up and down the pier. My eyes took in the row of houses on both sides of me, not a single resident in sight.
“All done, miss.”
“Hmm.” My eyes met the male paramedic’s. He waved the bloodstained plastic in the air, and it finally registered to my brain that my ankle wasn’t throbbing with biting pain. A pair of fingernail clippers was all it took to snap through the plastic. His fingers swept across my skin applying ointment and then he covered the cut on my ankle with a bandage.
“Miss, we should get you to the hospital. You really should have someone look at those cuts and bruises on your face.”
“Oh, okay,” I said, pushing my hair away from my face.
Agent Rhodes approached. “I’ll drive Miss Connolly to the hospital. Detectives Marshall and Seelen have some questions.”
The paramedics exchanged glances while packing up their gear. No words needed, it was clear that Rhodes was in charge and his word was the only thing that mattered. Shivers twirled up and down my spine and I wrapped my arms around my body. Agent Rhodes took notice, because the next thing I knew, he was draping his blue FBI jacket around my shoulders. I pulled it tight as I continued walking along the pier towards the parking lot.
My teeth began to chatter with every step I took. “My feet . . . feet are freezing.”
“I’ll get you some socks, I promise,” he said, and ushered me into the back of a black SUV.
Doctor Baker angled my face towards the light, studying my bruises. “All of these should heal with time. Nothing is fractured, which is a very good thing.”
“Nurse Shaw will be in with a rape kit in a few moments.”
My brows knitted together, and I shook my head. “No.” I swallowed hard. “I wasn’t raped.”
He stood and then tossed his gloves into the bin. “You’re sure?”
Feeling the shock run through my veins, I could only stare at him. “Yes, I’m quite positive that I was not sexually assaulted.”
Giving me a small smile, he nodded and then left the room. My face burned and my heart skipped a beat. I thought about how lucky I’d been that Charlie had not forced himself on me. The worst damage he’d done was slap me around and those bruises would go away.
I sat there, going over everything in my mind. One minute I was thinking about how much I missed Alex and the next I was a miserable mess leaving Holliday’s party. Oh, Marcus, he was probably out of his mind with worry that I wasn’t waiting for him. Sighing, I buried my face in my hands.
Maybe some television would help. After all, laughter is the best medicine. I started to scroll through the channels, and just my luck, I landed on an episode of Two Broke Girls. I loved Max and Caroline.
Knock, knock.
“Miss Connolly,” Agent Rhodes greeted me, carrying a dark colored bag. “Sorry to disturb you.”
“Oh, hi,” I said, pulling myself up the bed, and then muting the program. “What are you doing here?” I didn’t think I would be seeing him again. He’d been kind enough to sit with me while I answered the detective’s questions earlier.
“Well, miss,” he began, approaching the foot of the bed. “The team swept the boat house and found some items that we believe belong to you.”
Nodding, I extended my hands taking the bag from him. “Thank you.” I dug into the bag, sifting through the items. It was all there—dress, shoes, clutch, and phone. “Have you found Charlie yet?”
He ran a hand through his dark hair. “Not yet.” As Agent Rhodes said the words, my stomach dropped.
“He won’t get far. There’s a manhunt underway and every available officer is out there looking for him.” He pointed to the window. “Miss Connolly, I assure you that we will find him and he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Good.” My fingers rubbed over the bruises on my face, and a violent shiver moved through me. “That’s good.”
“I need to be on my way, so I’ll leave you to rest.”
“Thanks again for everything.”
“No need for thanks, just doing my job, miss.” He turned, and then made his way towards the door.
“Oh, Agent Rhodes,” I called after him.
He lifted his head and turned back to face me. “Yes.”
“Has my family been contacted? I haven’t had a chance to call them yet.”
“They know that you are safe and here at Memorial. It’s my understanding that a gentleman is on his way to pick you up.”
Once he left, I shifted in the bed and my head fell back against the pillows. Needing to shut my mind down, I turned off the television. Shadows decorated the walls of my room. The sky was painted with beautiful shades of pinks and oranges, just like the night of Holliday’s party. The night Charlie . . . I couldn’t think about that anymore. It was over.
I drifted in and out of sleep. Outside the wind howled and whipped against the glass—every noise kept me awake. I wasn’t sure if I managed to get any rest.
Expelling a deep breath, I tossed over to face the hallway. A pair of black shoes stood on the pink tile. My eyes lifted to see Alex standing in the doorway, his face twisted in pain.
Tears cascaded down my cheeks. “Alex,” I breathed his name like a prayer. “It’s about bloody time.”
I STEPPED FURTHER INTO the room, and the faint light from the windows washed over Ella’s face. At the sight of her bandaged chin, bruised lip and cheek, anger and hatred boiled inside me, but the relief that she was safe doused the flames that raged.
“Ella,” I whispered, my heart throbbed in pain. “Are you okay?”
She pulled herself up the bed. “I’m much better now that you’re here.”
I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”
She started to shake, her body vibrating with laughter. “No, the only way you could hurt me is if you let go.”
It was good to hear her voice, and her laugh.
“At some point I might need to, but for tonight I’ll play by the rules.”
“Good. I need you in this bed with me.”
After tossing my leather jacket onto the chair in the corner, I kicked off my shoes and then snuggled into the bed. I cuddled her close, and she rested her head on my chest. I kissed her forehead, stroking my hand up and down her back.
“I’ve missed you,” I breathed. “I am a stupid, stupid man, Ella. Can you ever forgive me?”
“I know that we have a lot to discuss,” she said, lifting her head to look at me. “But the thing I want more than anything in this world is to hold the man I love while I sleep.”
“You still love me?” I asked my voice barely audible.
She broke out into a smile, and tears welled in her blue eyes. “I never stopped.”
Fuck, I missed those eyes. So much emotion flowed behind them and I knew without question she belonged to me.
We belong to one another.
“I think I belonged to you, before I even met you,” she whispered.
“What?” I stared at her in confusion.
“You said that out loud, well, you whispered it out loud.”
I bent my lips to hers, kissing her gently. “I love you, Ella.”
Her head fell against my chest and I hugged her tighter. Having her in my arms, her skin against mine, feeling her steady even breathing, I realized Ella was my whole world and I was never letting her go.
As soon as the pilot said we’d reached our cruising altitude, Ella jumped onto my lap. Her lips landed on mine.
“Ella, your lip.” The brutal force of the kiss had me worried about that cut.
“I don’t give a fuck about my lip. I need you.” She cupped my face in her hands, crushing her lips to mine once more.
“What’s gotten into you?”
She arched an eyebrow, her blue eyes dazzled. “Let’s talk about you getting inside of me, instead.”
“Are you sure?”
Ella pushed to her feet and I f
ollowed. Her hands went to the hem of the sweater I bought for her, tugging it over her head. Before she was able to be discharged, I made a quick trip into town and purchased Ella some clothes. I didn’t want her to be in those shitty rags that Charlie had her dressed in. More importantly, I didn’t want any reminders of him around her.
I clicked the call button. “Joni, please make sure that Miss Connolly and I aren’t disturbed for the next hour.”
“Yes, Mr. Robertsen.”
Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders and she ran her fingers through the ends.
“You’re so fucking sexy.” I reached out and tangled my hands in her hair, yanking her towards me.
Shit. Was I being too rough? Would that remind her of what she’d just been through?
“Alex, I know what you’re thinking,” she said, gripping the edge of my t-shirt. “What he did to me that was assault. What you’re . . . we’re doing is pure pleasure. He doesn’t get to have that control over me.”
“Understood.” I moved my hand to the back of her neck, pulling her mouth to mine. I kissed her hard, thrusting my tongue against hers.
Her hands flew to my jeans, popping the button and they dropped, pooling at my feet before I had a chance to take off my shoes.
“Impatient much?” I smirked.
She took a step back. Her fingers dug into the waistband of her pants. She called them lounge pants. I thought they were just leggings. She discussed, at length, the differences between leggings, loungewear and yoga pants over breakfast. As we drove to the airport, Ella asked me to add a note on my phone reminding her to look into French lingerie for the store.
All the little things just reminded me of how much I missed her quirky sense of humor and her ability to transition from topic to topic without skipping a beat.
She stood before me in a strapless bra and cotton panties. Fuck, she was beautiful. “That’s new,” I remarked, pointing to the ink that marked the upper part of her thigh.
“What does it say?”
“It says love fearlessly, in French.”
As if this woman couldn’t get any goddamn sexier, she’d gone out and inked herself.
“Speaking of new, you have more facial hair than I remember,” she remarked, tugging at the thick hair covering my cheek.
“Get naked, Ella,” I said, stripping out of my t-shirt. “Naked now, talk later.”
My hand worked my cock as I watched her reveal her amazing tits. She twisted her nipples, hardening them to perfect peaks. She turned away from me and shimmied out of her panties, giving me a full view of her sensational ass attached to those killer stems. It had been so long, I almost didn’t know where to start with her.
“Absolutely stunning,” I said, as she sauntered closer to me.
“Let me help you with that.” She grasped my cock with two hands, pumping me with long slow strokes.
Leaning forward, I brushed her long hair over her shoulder, feathering kisses along her creamy skin. I lifted my hands to her face, pressing my lips to hers, pouring weeks’ worth of frustration, misery, worry, and passion into one kiss. Ella understood what I was conveying, because her hands left my cock and roped around my back, pulling me closer.
I kissed down her throat, across her collarbone, licking a line down the valley between her breasts before taking her nipple into my mouth. I nipped and sucked her along her skin, kissing as much of her body that I could.
“Alex,” she sighed, her nails digging into my shoulders.
“I’ve missed hearing my name on your lips.”
I lifted her against my body and walked us over to the bar, where I pinned her against the counter. Her eyes were wild with anticipation. I dropped to my knees and then pressed my lips to her tattoo. My tongue traced over the beautiful scripted ink as my hands palmed her ass.
“Spread your legs.”
Her nails dug into my scalp with a sharp bite as she widened her stance. The scent of her arousal washed over me, drawing my attention to her glistening slit. I dragged my tongue through her wet heat and she let out a soft whimper when my tongue lashed against her clit.
“Oh, there you are,” she moaned.
“I’m right here.” I smiled against her skin and slipped two fingers inside her. A full body shiver rolled through her and she cried out my name.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
I twisted my fingers inside of her, pushing against all the right spots while her fingers tugged and pulled at my hair.
Pleas and whispers alternated with breathy moans as I thrusted deeper. Ella shifted her hips as I licked and lapped up her slickness. I devoured her, teasing, tasting and taking everything I could. The spasms hit her body quickly and as she shook from the pleasure, her thighs brushed against my beard.
“Alex, my God,” she gasped, as my tongue swirled against her clit drawing out her orgasm. Withdrawing my fingers, I glanced up seeing her flushed and her head lolling from side to side.
“I’m not done with you, sweetheart,” I growled, gripping her hips and spinning her around. Her palms slapped against the marble tabletop. With one hand pressed against the base of her spine, I angled my cock and shoved into her with one smooth motion.
“Ahh, yes,” she moaned, pushing back against me. The sensation was almost too much to take. Cupping her breasts, my mouth mapped a trail between her shoulder blades. We started slow and increased our thrusts, finding the perfect rhythm.
“Alex, more Alex,” she begged. “More of you.”
She had no idea what she was saying, well maybe she did. How right she was though. I wanted more of this, the two of us together. No more running away. No more worrying about guilt. I was letting that shit go.
“Harder, oh, please,” she rasped.
Waves of my orgasm stirred at the base of my spine. One of my hands clasped over hers and I sank deeper into her, groaning at the feel of her pussy squeezing my dick. Driving my hips harder, her legs trembled and I knew she was close.
“Ella, you feel so fucking good, let go.”
She drew her free hand around to the back of my neck, whispering, “I love you, Alex.”
My eyes screwed shut as I pumped into her with everything I had. Lust drove me and ecstasy lit up every cell in my body. Her walls tightened around me and my orgasm shot up through my balls. We climaxed together. Fuck.
“That was incredible.”
“I missed you,” I said, trailing kisses along her back.
She turned around to face me. “I missed being just Alex and Ella.”
My lips found Ella’s and her hands writhed in my hair as she melted into me. She was beautiful and perfect and all mine.
“Me too.”
IT SEEMED THAT THE only communicating Alex and I had been doing since leaving Canandaigua was of the physical nature. When we arrived home, Alex scooped me up and carried me straight to the shower. Without missing a beat, he stripped off our clothes and then fucked me against the cool tiles as the steam curled around us. The only time we left the bedroom was to eat dinner and then we ended up screwing each other mindless on the floor in the living room.
It was without question that Alex and I were very good at speaking the language that required no words. However, I wanted us to be better at actually talking to one another. I thought we were pretty decent at that part of our relationship. In fact, we were probably better than most, but something was flawed in that capacity and we had some tightening up to do.
The afternoon had quickly faded to evening. Instead of sweating balls and begging Alex to crank up the air-conditioning, we lay in bed staring at a roaring fire in early October. I snuggled into his side, and he dropped a kiss to the top of my head. His hand massaged slow circles against my hip and tangled my legs with his. I don’t think he’d stopped touching me once since yesterday.
“You’re really sticking to the rule of not letting go of me.”
He shifted his body so that we were lying face to face. “Some rules should be followed.”
Our lips met for a long slow kiss, which escalated into a tangle of tongues and his fingers teasing my nipples. Every part of him was hard and his hazel eyes widened the moment I flipped the tables and straddled him.
“Sex can wait, we have things to discuss.”
“How about we talk while you’re riding my dick?” His hands were on my ass pulling me closer to his erection.
“Behave,” I warned slapping his hands way. “And I’ll consider it.”
His hands smoothed up and down my arms. “Okay, I promise.”
“First of all, I noticed Marcus wasn’t home. The Range Rover isn’t here either.”
His face fell and he turned to look out the window. “Ella,” he sighed heavily. “There’s no easy way to tell you this. He’s in the hospital.”
My hands flew to my mouth. “What happened?”
Alex took me in his arms, pulling me beside him. “There was an accident the night you were taken.”
Poor Marcus, my heart climbed into my throat. I listened as Alex explained that a van had crashed into Marcus while he was driving. He went on to tell me that Marcus wasn’t wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. The rest of the words played on repeat . . . concussion . . . internal bleeding . . . surgery.
I stared at Alex and couldn’t help but cry. “I refuse to be anything but positive.”
His thumb swiped away the tears. “Staying positive is a very good idea. Speaking of positive, things at La Vienne Rose are going well.”
Alex was so very kind to change the subject. Knowing there was nothing he could do for his longtime friend lying in a hospital bed had to be total agony for him.
“Charlotte and Holliday stopped by to let Mary-Ellen know what had happened and she agreed to not alert the staff. Ronan and Dean went to great lengths to keep the media out of all of this. Your parents . . .”
“Oh my God, my parents.” I closed my eyes. “They must be worried sick.”
Alex’s fingers tugged at my chin, forcing me to look at him. “They don’t know anything. Ronan and Molly thought it was better that way. Also, your parents are in South Africa on some remote game preserve. They’re currently unreachable.”
Bound to Me (The Harbour Series Book 1) Page 24
