by Layla Hagen
"Ellie, fuck," I whispered. "Just like that."
She spasmed around me as I slid inside until I was all the way in. Her buttocks pressed against my thighs. She panted, barely able to breathe from pleasure. She stretched her arms along the bed, digging her fingers in the pillow. I kissed her upper back and her cheek. Her face was sideways, eyes pinched closed, and she was flushed. Her face was so tight, as if this was too much pleasure to bear. When I knew she really couldn't take anymore, I slid my fingers between her and the mattress.
She came the second I touched her clit. She was so beautiful. I wanted to memorize every detail about this moment—the way her neck arched and her mouth opened wide as she cried out my name. I tried to stave off my orgasm so I could give her a second one, but she clenched so tight that I couldn't hold back any longer. I buried my hand in her hair and my mouth in the crook of her neck as I came, shuddering, and convulsing, and nearly blacking out from the pleasure.
"You're amazing," I whispered in her ear, and she gave me a sated smile.
We stayed in bed for over an hour.
“You’d be a happy man just spending the whole weekend lying down and ordering room service, huh?” she asked.
With Ellie? Yes. But never before her.
“Guilty as charged.” I turned toward her, caressing her cheek. “But I know that you need to be more active to relax.”
Her eyes widened. “How do you know that?”
“You go out walking the city every morning.”
She smiled sheepishly, hiding half her face in the pillow. “Well, I want to make the most of my time in New York, so I’m going to explore it whenever I get a chance.”
The reminder of her departure felt like a punch to the gut. I moved closer to her, touching her shoulder, skimming my hand over her waist. The connection I felt to her went deeper than a fling. I knew it in my bones. Could she feel it?
“What do you want to do this weekend?” I asked.
“Enjoy walks around the area, and there are some restaurants we could check out. What do you want to do?”
“You know me. I’m flexible.”
She wiggled her eyebrows. “Except when in bed. Bossy man.”
I pinched her ass cheek. “You have anything against it?”
“Oh, no. It wasn’t a critique. Just an observation. By all means, keep doing it. I love it.”
She pressed her pussy against my cock, moving one hand up my shoulder.
I groaned, rocking back and forth. “Let’s get out of bed, Ellie. Or we’re not going to leave it at all today.”
“That’s starting to sound more and more appealing.”
“Ellie. Shower.”
“Bossy again. I like it.”
We showered and dressed quickly. Ellie was ready before me. When I joined her in the living room, she was at the window, looking out at the forest. The dress she was wearing... damn. It was short and black, molding to her curves. It dipped in a V down her back, looking so sinful that I wanted to yank it away. I stepped right behind her, trailing my fingers down the exposed skin. She gasped, arching forward.
"Ellie, fuck, what is this?"
"Just a dress," she whispered.
"It's not just a dress." I pushed her hair to one side, touching her earlobe with my mouth. "You're so fucking beautiful that I don't even want to share you with the world."
"Mission accomplished." Her voice was throaty. I put both arms around her waist, keeping her close, resting my chin on the soft skin between her shoulder and neck.
“You like teasing me?” I demanded to know.
“Just a little bit. I like how you look at me when I’m wearing something pretty. Like you can’t wait to get me alone.”
“Spoiler. I’m always looking forward to being with you.”
It was true on a deeper level than I knew how to put in words. It was funny how I could explain complex software algorithms to clients, but when it came to what I felt for Ellie, I was out of my depth.
All I knew was that before she came to the city, I filled my weekends and evenings with stuff to pass the time. None of that had made me happy. But Ellie did. I was looking forward to seeing her during every free moment.
She turned around, tilting her head playfully. “What’s going through your mind? You’ve got a few sexy frown lines.”
“Sexy?”
A grin etched on her face. “I can’t explain it, but they add to your sex appeal. Not that you need help in that department. It was through the roof before anyway.”
“Is that so?”
She skimmed a hand up my arm, squeezing my bicep between her thumb and forefinger. “I noticed these on the first day when you helped me with my luggage.”
“Go on.”
She moved her other hand down the side of my torso. I thought she’d go for the abs, but instead, she squeezed my butt. “And that right there is the stuff of dreams. As is this.” She wiggled against my cock, and it took all my control not to pin her against the window. “But still, a frown is a frown. What gives?”
“I have a lot on my mind.”
“Care to elaborate? If I don’t know, I can’t take your mind off it.”
“I talked to Henry today, and it got me thinking. I don’t like keeping things from him.” I looked at her intently, waiting for her reaction. She bit her lower lip. Did she want us to continue being a secret? I wasn’t sure how I’d react if she did. I’d respect her choice, of course, because Henry was her brother, but I wouldn’t be happy.
“I don’t like it either. And I think that if we explain well, maybe he won’t... you know. Be Henry. In the beginning, I thought that this would...” Her voice trailed.
“Would what?” I pressed.
“Don’t make me say it.” The corners of her mouth inched upward. She was holding back laughter. The tension between my shoulder blades faded.
“Ellie. I’m going to get it out of you, one way or the other.”
“I have no doubt. I just thought that we’d have a fling or that you’d get spooked about me being a virgin—"
I cupped her face, looking her straight in the eyes. “Ellie, nothing would scare me away, do you understand? Nothing. And you’re not a fling. You’re important to me.”
She didn’t say anything, and I didn’t push because I suspected I wasn’t the only one who was treading on uncharted territory here.
“I’d love to tell him in person. I am so much better at toning down his brotherly instincts face-to-face.”
“He said he wants to visit you.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really? He didn’t say anything to me. We could tell him when he’s in the city.”
“Perfect. We’ll do it together.”
“Uhh... no,” she replied in a sarcastic tone, like I couldn’t possibly be serious. “We don’t want him throttling you. I have to prepare him.”
“I know Henry. He’s my best friend.”
“Yeah... but you haven’t banged his sister until now.”
I burst out laughing before kissing her deep and wet until she shuddered in my arms. She looked at me with wide eyes, smiling brightly when I pulled back.
“Come on, let’s go downstairs to the restaurant. I’m hungry.”
“I bet you are, after that sexy workout from earlier.”
I laughed, pinching her ass. She yelped, nudging me with her shoulder.
“Maybe Henry will come for my birthday,” she said as we left the room.
“When is it?”
"In three weeks."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She looked over her shoulder, shrugging. “I never make a big deal out of it.”
She seemed to love it here, so I could always bring her back. Nah, that was a lousy idea. I wanted to do something new that would make her happy. The good thing was, I had enough time to come up with something.
“Want us to stay out on the balcony for a while before we go to dinner?” she asked.
“Sure.”
When I opened
the french doors, she leaned against the railing, looking down. I gripped one of her arms tightly with my hand.
She looked at me over her shoulder with a wry smile. “Afraid I’ll fall? We’re only on the second floor.”
I let her go, shrugging. “Sorry. Reflex.”
Straightening up, she turned to me. “What do you mean?”
“When Dylan and I were kids, we liked to go rock climbing a lot. Nothing professional, just two kids thinking they’re unbreakable. Anyway, one time he slipped from a rock. We were on the edge of a steep mountain. It was the scariest moment of my life. I managed to grab him, but since then I have a healthy fear of heights and going too close to the edges.”
Ellie jutted out her lower lip, placing her hands on my shoulders. “Sorry to hear about that. Thank God nothing happened. I promise I won’t look down again.”
I laughed, kissing her forehead. “You can look all you want, Ellie. I’ll rein in my reflexes.”
“Please don’t, because they’re sinfully sexy.” She winked at me before turning around. I curved an arm around her waist, and she shimmied against my cock, making me groan. I kissed up and down the side of her neck, enjoying the smoothness of her skin and her floral perfume. I was still thinking about her birthday, slightly annoyed that she hadn’t mentioned it. Did she think I didn't care about her birthday? I didn't like this, and I wanted to prove to her that I was different, that I did care.
Ellie was special to me, and she needed to know it.
Chapter Fifteen
Ian
When I had a goal, I didn’t stop until I reached it—even better, until I surpassed it. My current goal was to do something for Ellie’s birthday that she’d really enjoy.
It was no easy feat, especially given my record with bad gifts. I wanted to surprise her, so my task was doubly hard because I couldn't ask her what she wanted or what she liked. After we came back from Bear Mountain State Park, I thought intently about it for a week, but I wasn’t making progress.
I wasn’t too proud to admit I needed help. I thought about asking Henry and almost pressed his number but disconnected before it went through. He'd get suspicious if I asked him; dude knew me too well.
Tapping my finger against the armrests of the gaming chair in my office, I debated my next step. There was only one way to do this. I called Isabelle. She knew me well too, but I could use that to my advantage. My sister answered right away.
"Hey, I need a favor," I said.
"Shoot."
"It's about Ellie."
"Ian, be careful with her, okay? You two are spending a lot of time together. Don't hurt her."
I frowned, starting to get pissed. Why did she expect that? Did everyone expect that, including Ellie? I didn't like the thought that she might be waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"I’ll pretend you didn’t just say that. Her birthday is in a couple of weeks, and I want to do something for her that she'll like."
"Holy shit! I take back everything I said!" my sister exclaimed.
“And apologize,” I added.
"I wouldn't take it that far.”
“Just find out what she'd like to do, please."
"Why don't you just ask her?"
"Because I want to surprise her."
"Yes, but you can ask her casually. Like, Oh, what do you usually do on your birthday? Or what were your favorite birthdays until now? Or is there something you want to do that you've never done before?"
I leaned back in my chair, considering this. "That could work, but I think the surprise will be bigger if she doesn't know that I know what she likes."
There was a long pause before Isabelle spoke. "Brother, I can't believe you're finally showing signs of being romantic."
"I just want to surprise her," I said.
"You know, when we were kids, I always thought you were adopted," she said out of nowhere.
I burst out laughing. "Isabelle!"
"I mean it. I even asked Mom about it. Couldn't understand why you were so different from Dylan and me."
"You what? Well, I’m sure she told you I’m her favorite."
"You wish. And by the way, you didn't flinch when I called you romantic."
"How do you know? You can't even see me."
"No, but I can hear it in your voice."
"Isabelle, are you going to help me or not?"
"Yes, I'm on it, but first, I want to know some things.”
“Sure.”
“Where do you see yourself in five years?”
I straightened in my chair. “I’m sorry, is this a job interview and I wasn’t aware?”
“I mean it. Just answer me.”
“I don’t know. Dylan and I will likely double the revenue, and—”
“In your private life.”
I frowned at my computer, pondering this. I’d never asked myself this question. Was this something people actively thought about? It seemed a bit farfetched, but I didn’t want to hurt Isabelle’s feelings by telling her that. I just couldn’t see the point of this. Some things were out of one’s control—even mine.
“You know what, you don’t even have to tell me. But think about it.”
“Fine, I will. When are you speaking to Ellie?”
“I'll put on my detective hat, and I'll find out everything you need to know."
I groaned, looking out the window. "Now that you say it, maybe I should have put Josie on this."
"Why?" My sister sounded shocked, so maybe there was something to be said about interpreting the tone of voice.
"Because you have as much tact as I do."
My sister laughed. "I'd get mad if you weren't right. But I have refined my technique over the years, you know?"
"Maybe you can take Josie with you when you go on your detective mission."
"Now you're pushing it, but if it makes you feel better, I will."
"Thanks, Isabelle."
Ellie was important to me, and I didn’t want her to have any doubt about it.
I worked two hours purely on coding, and then I did something I hadn’t in years. I checked the page of the local high school for teaching jobs. In college, I’d thought seriously about teaching but then changed gears. For the first time, I wondered if I could do both. I didn’t think teaching in a school was compatible with running the company, but an idea was shaping up in my mind. I wouldn’t need to be there physically to teach. That was one of the reasons I liked coding. I didn’t even have to leave the room to do the job. I could set up a platform online that taught coding. I couldn’t wait to tell Ellie my idea.
That evening, I got a pleasant surprise when Tess, Ryker, and Skye asked me to have dinner with them at Dumont’s—one of the restaurants owned by Skye’s husband. The Winchesters were Hunter’s cousins, so I saw them at common events, but it had been a while since we’d gone out in an impromptu get-together. All the Winchesters were married or engaged, and some even had kids. That made spontaneous meetings difficult, but the three of them were in Manhattan at one of the Dumont restaurants.
Skye: Can you bring Ellie too?
Ian: She’s working late today.
When I got there, Tess, Ryker, and Skye were sitting at a small table in the back, already eating fresh bread with something that looked like cheese spread.
“Hey, Ian. Long time no see,” Tess said.
“I was waiting for Ellie in front of your store last week,” I said, calling her out on her claim.
“We saw but didn’t want to disturb you two,” Tess explained.
“How come you guys are having dinner in the city?” I asked.
“Rob asked us to taste some of the new menu items he’s added,” Skye said.
“So that’s why you wanted me to bring Ellie.”
Tess winked at me. “That, and so we could spend time with her.”
“So, where is the rest of the gang?” I asked.
“Rob is in the kitchen. Cole and Laney are in Rome. Liam is caught in a meeting, though he might
join us later. And no other Gallagher had time for us. In their defense, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Rob wanted our opinion before he discussed the menu with his team tomorrow.”
“I’m no expert in food, but I like to eat, so I’ll give my honest opinion,” Ryker said.
“Well, none of us are experts, just foodies,” Tess said. She and Skye owned two lingerie shops in the city and had a huge online business, and Ryker worked on Wall Street.
“Why couldn’t Ellie come?” Tess asked.
“They’re doing some personnel changes, so she’s covering for others too. It started a few weeks ago. They’re overworking her, and I don’t like it.”
Tess’s eyes bulged. Skye opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. The two sisters eyed each other.
“Is it just me, or does he sound overprotective?” Tess asked. “I’ve only ever heard him speak like this about Josie and Isabelle.”
“It’s not just overprotective. He sounds like he cares for her,” Skye added thoughtfully.
Ryker cocked a brow. “Why are you talking about him in the third person?”
“I’d like to know too,” I said.
Skye and Tess flashed identical grins.
“Sorry, we’re just surprised,” Skye said. “We heard she was just your best friend’s younger sister.”
“We’re behind on the news,” Tess said seriously.
“What are you talking about? You met her last week and asked me to bring her here, so you know I’m dating her.”
Tess held up a finger. “Exactly. Dating. But this is more than that. You almost sound... in love.”
She was grinning again. I frowned, shaking my head.
“Ellie is on a rotational program. She’s got everything mapped out. I can’t ask her to change her plans for me.”
I didn’t sound convincing even to my own ears because I wanted to do just that.
“Okay, enough psychoanalysis for one evening. We’re here to eat,” Ryker said. Just as I was about to thank him for having my back, he added, “But if Tess and Skye are even remotely right, do yourself a favor and do something about it.”
