by J. H. Croix
He brushed my tangled hair away from my face, saying more with his eyes than words could ever express. The need to cry subsided.
“I need to see you,” he said simply.
I couldn’t have denied him if I wanted to. And I didn’t. Because I needed to see him too, to be present in this moment in a way I hadn’t been in years.
He reached between us, adjusted the angle of his hips and surged into me. At the feel of him filling me, I gasped. Because I was tight. It had been a while.
Caleb held still for a beat, his hands curling into mine and gripping them tightly. With my breath heaving and his in tune with it, we stared at each other.
“I missed you,” he repeated.
Chapter Ten
Caleb
Looking into Ella’s eyes, I felt as if I had come home. But actually I’d never left. There had only ever been one woman with whom I felt like this. Ella. With her channel throbbing around me, enveloping me in her warm, creamy clench, and her skin damp against mine with her nipples tight little points against my chest, time felt as if it was collapsing into itself. The past fell away, the ten years we’d been apart were wiped out in a single moment.
My body took over because my need was that great. I drew back and sank into her again. With her legs curling around my hips as she arched up into me, I began a slow cycle of drawing back and sinking in. I managed to keep it under control at first, but that didn’t last. Before I knew it I was pounding into her, savoring every cry, every gasp from her.
The need was quickening inside of me, tightening at the base of my spine, lashing at me. But I wasn’t going to let go until she did again. I freed one of her hands and reached between us. One swirl of my thumb over her clit, and her channel pulsed around me. She cried out again, my name a chant.
I finally let go, my release crashing over me with such force I lost sight of everything but the feel of her channel milking my cock. I fell against her, rolling quickly so she was on top of me. Still buried deep inside of her, I slid my hand down her spine, my palm coming to rest on her bottom.
We lay still, my breath coming in heaves and emotion rocking me so hard, I almost cried. I tried to recall the last time I’d felt this intensely. The only memory that came to mind was when I saw her in the hospital ten years ago.
So many years wasted, but there was nothing to do other than be relieved she was here now. My hand had a mind of its own and started exploring her body again, sliding up her spine and easing down the soft curve of her side, savoring the swell of her breast into my palm. I reached the area where she carried scars.
She hadn’t seemed self conscious about the scarring, but more worried about my reaction. I hated that. I couldn’t help but wonder if someone had hurt her, reacted to the sight of her scars in a way that left a different kind of scar in its wake.
I traced along the edges of the area again and felt her lift her head. A smile curled her lips, eliciting one from me instantly.
Ella was quiet for a moment, her mossy green gaze searching mine. My heart thudded against my ribs, a visceral reminder of just how much she meant to me.
“Well,” she said softly, her fingertips tracing along my collarbone.
“Well what?”
Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink, and she shrugged. “I don’t know. That was just…” Her words trailed off.
“Amazing?”
She smiled, and my cock twitched, which was a damn miracle.
I slid up against the pillows and lifted her against me, standing and striding into the bathroom. When I’d impulsively texted her earlier, I’d had no clue if she’d agree to meet me for dinner. When she had, I’d raced over to meet her without having a chance to shower after work.
“Where are we going?” she asked, a giggle escaping.
“Shower,” I replied as I walked through the archway into the bathroom.
I’d never have considered myself one for luxury, but I loved this bathroom. When Owen and Ivy showed me the house design, I had initially scoffed at the bathroom plans, thinking they were too much. But Owen had assured me I’d love it, and I did. I reluctantly eased Ella down just outside the shower.
Disposing of my condom, I reached inside to turn the water on. Inside of a few seconds, steam was filling the bathroom, and I tugged Ella into the shower with me. She glanced up at the two showerheads directly in the ceiling sending a rainfall of water over us.
“Oh my. This is nice,” she murmured.
Reaching around her, I turned on a few more jets along the tiled walls. She looked over with a laugh. “I bet you love this after work.”
“Absolutely. Owen had to talk me into it because I thought it was a little ridiculous at first. Now I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
I couldn’t help but watch as she soaped up. I’d have thought myself long past the age where my control was an issue, but with Ella standing there with water and bubbles sluicing over her skin, it was fair to say control wasn’t my strength. I felt my cock swelling and had to turn away, snagging the shampoo and focusing on anything but her.
When I had control of my body again, I turned around to see her leaning back, rinsing her hair. I let myself just soak in the sight of her. Her dark brown hair cascaded down her back. She had a lithe, strong build. There was more lushness to her now with her hips and her breasts fuller. I hadn’t even noticed the scarring on her thigh earlier. A vivid memory flashed through my thoughts.
The dark, cold night I’d pulled her from the car, she’d been on her side. I remembered it so clearly, yet it wasn’t something I allowed myself to dwell on. While the accident itself was horrible, it was everything that happened afterwards that was so painful—the shock of Jake’s death and the fear that Ella might not make it through. They’d stabilized her the first night at the hospital, but the doctors kept warning of the possibility of infection.
Now, so many years later, only the scarring on her side and thigh would let anyone know something like that had happened. Moving on instinct, I stepped to her, sliding my hands down her sides onto her hips.
With a sputter, she opened her eyes, her lashes spiky from the water. Just like that, the space around us hummed. I wouldn’t deny my desire, but desire wasn’t what this moment was about.
“You’re so beautiful,” I murmured.
Her eyes widened and her lips parted. After a beat, she spoke. “You don’t mind?”
“Mind what?”
She slid her hands down, resting one just above the scarring on her side. “This.”
“Ella, I don’t give a damn. If you’re worried about how it looks, you’re just beautiful as you ever were. This just tells the story of everything you’ve been through.”
She stared at me, as if trying to read into something that wasn’t there.
“Do you mind?” I finally asked, confused if only because she didn’t seem self-conscious about it.
She shook her head. “No, but…” She paused, biting the corner of her lip. “Well, some people do and I don’t want it to be….”
Anger flashed through me. I wouldn’t have expected her to not be with anyone when we were apart. Hell, I might’ve missed her so much it was an ache in my heart I’d simply learned to live with, but I had my fair share of dates and attempted relationships. Yet, her reaction only made me wonder again how others must’ve reacted to the sight of her scars.
To me, her scars made her more beautiful. They didn’t matter one fucking bit.
She read my expression and shook her head again. “It’s just that they make some people uncomfortable. Don’t go getting angry with no one who’s here and no one who matters. I just needed to know if it mattered for you.”
“Never.”
Chapter Eleven
Caleb
The heat of the sun angling across the bed woke me. For a hazy moment, I was confused. I felt the warm, lush body curled up against me and a leg tucked in between mine. As consciousness filtered in and my brain came online, I remembered
Ella was here.
With me.
It suddenly occurred to me that I’d never actually spent the night with her. You don’t really get a chance to do that in high school, unless your parents aren’t paying attention, or you’re sneaky enough to pull it off somehow.
I couldn’t say I never tried to persuade Ella on that account, but I’d never gotten away with it. Willow Brook was small, and her father was the police chief. She’d reminded me time and again, there were no secrets for her and she hadn’t wanted to face her parents’ disappointment.
I opened my eyes to find her head against my shoulder with her hair spread out over the pillow behind her. It was longer than I’d remembered. The last time I’d seen her before she moved back, she’d been wearing it in a bob. Now, it almost reached her waist—a rich cascade of mahogany, long enough for me to grip in my fists, just as I had last night when we crawled back in bed after our shower.
She was naked, and my cock was well aware of that fact. Her breasts pushed against my side, and I could feel the soft rise and fall of her breath where my palm rested against her back. I couldn’t resist sliding it down over the dip in her low back and cupping the sweet curve of her ass. My naughty thoughts were interrupted by Creamsicle.
He was above sleeping in my bed and always had been, but he usually expected me up and about by now. He leapt onto the foot of the bed with a meow. When I glanced up, I found him sitting on his haunches, his tail twitching back and forth over the comforter.
Ella shifted, murmuring something against my shoulder. The feel of her lips moving against my skin in a way that had nothing to do with sex sent a shot of blood straight to my groin.
With Creamsicle’s gaze upon us, I asked, “Yes?”
“What’s that?” she asked, her voice coming out more clearly this time.
“That’s Creamsicle,” I replied with a chuckle.
Glancing to her, I found her eyes opening. Sweet hell. She was dangerous in the morning. With her hair tousled, her skin slightly flushed and her eyes sleepy, all I wanted was to spend all day in bed with her. In fact, I’d have been quite happy to make up for ten years of lost time right now.
She rose up on her elbow, the sheet sliding down as she did. My eyes went straight to her breasts. Her nipples were dusky pink, the lush curves calling to me. Before I even realized what I was doing, I had caught one of her nipples with my lips, giving it a quick suck.
She squealed and then giggled, and my heart clenched. “He’s watching us!” she exclaimed, swatting me on the head.
Drawing back, I rested against the pillows and looked over at Creamsicle. He was unimpressed and let out a meow. “I think he’s out of food,” I said, glancing to Ella as I slid my palm up her back to sift through her tousled hair.
“Well then you should feed him. Come on, I’ll make breakfast.”
Before I could argue against it, she was climbing out of bed. With my cock protesting, I gamely went along with her. At this point, I would do just about anything Ella wanted.
In short order, we were downstairs in the kitchen. She wore one of my T-shirts, which hung almost to her knees, and a pair of socks. Meanwhile, I’d tossed on a pair of sweatpants and nothing else. While I filled Creamsicle’s food bowl, Ella padded around the kitchen opening cabinets and checking everything out. I turned around, walking with Creamsicle’s water bowl, to find her leaning up on her tiptoes trying to reach for some coffee mugs that were just out of her reach. Distracted by the T-shirt rising up and offering a tantalizing glimpse of the sweet curve of her bottom, my cock responded in kind. She had on a pair of purple silk panties. Fuck me.
She’d grumbled that she needed to get home and change. Amongst other things I hadn’t planned on with our impromptu dinner last night was a change of clothes for her. If I had my way, she’d pack a bag tonight and just stay with me. Yet, as comfortable as last night had been, I sensed I needed to take things one step at a time. For my own sake, as well as hers.
“Hang on, let me get that,” I said, setting the water bowl on the counter as I stepped past her. Without an ounce of hesitation, I stretched up behind her, sliding my hands over her hips and dropping a kiss in the curve of her neck. I savored her soft gasp. Only then did I reach up and get the coffee mugs down, thinking to myself I hadn’t organized my kitchen with anyone other than myself in mind. I topped six feet, two inches, while Ella was almost a foot shorter.
Reluctantly stepping away from her, I handed her the coffee mugs before filling Creamsicle’s water bowl. Ella started coffee, and before I’d even returned to the kitchen, she had the refrigerator open and was looking inside. “Can I make omelets?” she called.
Creamsicle scurried past me and started wolfing down his food. “You can make whatever you want,” I said as I reached the counter opposite her. She let the door to the refrigerator fall closed and turned around, resting her hips against the counter beside it.
“Well you have eggs, milk and some cheese. You have a terrible selection of vegetables though,” she offered with a sly grin.
I knew perfectly well that I had no vegetables, at least not in the fridge. I shrugged, unabashed. “Look, I’ve never been much of a cook, but then you know that.”
She grinned. “I do. Your mom used to complain that you hated learning to cook. If it’s okay, then I’ll make omelets.”
At my nod, she got started. The next hour passed in a strange sense of comfort. I’d never had a morning like this with Ella. Yet, it felt as though I had. She made the coffee strong, just how I liked it. Though the omelets were simple, they were delicious.
It was only when my phone started ringing that I was snapped out of my reverie. Taking a swig of my coffee, I glanced over to her. “That’s my phone. Do you want me to get it?” I asked, recalling I’d turned my phone over to her.
Clouds passed through her eyes, and I recalled what had prompted me to offer for us to switch phones temporarily. Inside of a matter of seconds, the relaxed expression on her face had fallen away, her gaze haunted.
Fuck. This needed to be resolved and fast. I didn’t think I could take seeing Ella like that.
“Why don’t you get it? It’s not like anyone knows to call my number to reach you.” She slipped off the stool across from me, padding across the floor. My gaze tracked her because it was impossible not to look at her. I loved that she was wearing my T-shirt.
By the time she returned with my phone, it stopped ringing. I slid it over and saw Nate’s number on the screen. “I’ll call him later. I’m gonna have to explain to everybody that you have my phone right now. Will that be okay?”
“It feels funny, but it’s such a relief to know you’ll have my phone. I’d rather deal with everybody thinking I’m crazy than deal with that,” she said softly.
The anger I’d forgotten about last night in the heat of everything else came roaring back, hot and then icy cold. “Ella, when did all of this start?”
She lifted her mug off the counter and spun away to refill it. “Need some?”
When I shook my head, she turned back and slipped onto the stool across from me, finally answering. “About a year and a half ago. I accepted the job there two years ago, right at the start of the fall semester. After a few months, he asked me out. Not that I’d done anything to lead him on. I said no, thinking he’d drop it after that. That’s when things started. It seems to come in waves. Like there would be nothing for a month or so, and then out of nowhere it would happen again. In a way, that makes it worse because I can never relax. Just when I start to think it will stop, it starts up.”
Her eyes met mine, her gaze earnest as if though she needed to convince me of something. “I meant it last night. I really did want to come home anyway. I thought I’d found my dream job, but where you live is everything, right? I just kept thinking I would wait for the right time or find the right job here before I came home. Then, all this started up and it seemed like it was better if I just cut my losses. Funny thing was, once I ma
de the decision, then the job here opened up.”
I stared at her, trying to collect my thoughts. Because the only thing I could think when I thought about what this guy had done and was still doing was I wanted to make him fucking pay. But Ella didn’t need to see my fury. I slid my phone across the counter to her. Cupping her coffee mug in her hands, she took a sip on the heels of a deep breath.
“It’s so embarrassing, but now that you know and my mom knows, I’m relieved. I have friends there, and they wanted to help, but it wasn’t the same. Portland’s a pretty big city. Do you think he’ll just drop it eventually now that I’m gone?” she asked, as if I could actually answer that for her.
I hated the look in her eyes—haunted and weary. I desperately wanted to give her the answer she wanted to hear, but I couldn’t. “I don’t know, Ella. I hope so. I hope your dad can give us some suggestions on how to hold him accountable.” I couldn’t bring myself to say the guy’s name aloud, although it was seared into my memory—Lance Wallace.
Ella took another sip of coffee, idly tracing circles on the counter. Creamsicle leapt up, padding cross the counter and stopping beside her. He couldn’t have known how perfect his timing was, or perhaps he did know. Nevertheless, he interrupted our conversation. Considering that I liked to solve things, and this issue wasn’t one I could solve quickly, his interruption was welcome.
Ella glanced to him and then me, a slight smile crossing her face. “He’s allowed on the counter?”
I chuckled. “I tried to train him off of it, but I’m not very good at training cats apparently. It probably doesn’t help that in the summers I’m gone for weeks at a time and he has the run of the house. My mom stops by twice a day. One time, my mom brought him over to their place, but he hated it so she brought him back over here. He’s got a cat door in the laundry room, so he runs the show when I’m not here. My vet told me he considers this his territory.”
