ELLIEHe didn't leave. Damn it. Why was he chasing me?"Don't make me call hotel security," I said as I unlocked the door to my room."I told you I'm not going anywhere, especially not now.""I just want to be alone, please, go away.""No. Not this time."I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. I felt drained, too tired to argue anymore. My head was so full. But I knew I wouldn't get rid of him without hearing him out."What do you want, Ethan? Why are you here?""We need to talk."The weight on my shoulders made them sag."No. We don't need to. It's over. You left. And I... my only mistake was going after you. Now I see. So please, don't make things even more difficult, I have too much to deal with right now." I said, still staring at the door.I felt him approach, stopping behind me."Let's talk inside."Being near him was the last thing I wanted right now. While I felt devastated, I was also so angry. A huge emptiness seemed to grow in my stomach. But I didn't have the strength to f
ELLIE I don't know how much time had passed until I finally calmed down. But when I realized it, we were still on the floor. It was hard to accept the pain and the fact that she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. All I wanted was to forget and pretend that none of this was happening. I just wanted to sink into his scent and warmth, into the comforting and familiar feeling of being home that he made me feel. "Ellie?" He called as I nestled my head into his neck, inhaling his scent deeply. "It's cold here. You need a hot bath, and then some sleep." "She's gone..." I reflected, recalling and feeling a twinge of pain. His body tensed beneath me. "I'll never get to talk to her..." "Shhh... Don't think about that right now," he stroked my hair. I didn't want to think. I just wanted to forget for a while. I just needed something that could make me forget. And there was something tempting right in front of me. Leaning on his shoulders, I shifted, straddling his lap as I looked into his
ETHAN Although it was still daylight, it was dark in the hotel room, as I had closed all the windows before we went to bed. She was asleep next to me. Finally getting some rest. We both needed it, but unlike me, she had reasons other than physical exhaustion. Despite being naked and needing clean, dry clothes, I was hesitant to get up and go to my room. Perhaps because I knew that getting up and leaving meant much more than it seemed. I didn't want to leave her. Especially now, as she was going through such a tough time. But I knew she wouldn't allow me to stay much longer after I said those things. I should have waited a little longer, but I needed to be honest. I gazed at her back and the beautiful curve of her hip. All I wanted was to stay in this bed with her forever, feeling her scent and the sensation of her soft skin beneath my fingers. Maybe living in a bubble wouldn't be so bad. But I knew I couldn't. Even now, I couldn't be what she needed. Because what she needed most w
ELLIEThe trauma of abandonment had haunted me my entire life, even though I didn't quite understand why, given that I had wonderful parents. But scattering Lilian Cooper's ashes into the sea had somehow helped me overcome the lingering sense that I'd always carried within me.It was so painful yet liberating at the same time. Although it took me a whole afternoon, I managed to say goodbye and express all the things I wanted, even if she couldn't hear them, but deep down, I felt she could. After forgiving her and forgiving myself, I truly felt at peace.But there were still other issues to deal with, ones that had nothing to do with my biological mother. And it seemed that spending a week in Santa Barbara with my parents hadn't worked as I had hoped, with all my problems disappearing.Ethan was still living in London. We had genuinely broken up. And I had no idea how I was going to get through this. But I decided to try my best. Immersing myself in my work, as usual.I returned to New
ETHANOn Tuesday night, the group decided to meet up at the bar. I didn't want to show up, but Bennett insisted, saying it would be even weirder if I didn't show my face, as it would be obvious that I was trying to avoid her. But that's exactly what I was trying to do.A week ago, she had sent me away. And I accepted it, because I knew those were just the consequences of my decision. But all I did when I got back to London was work like crazy and try to sort everything out so I could return.And here I was, a week later, back in Manhattan. I wanted to say that it had nothing to do with her, but that wasn't the truth. I wouldn't be able to stay away. I needed to be around, to know that she was okay, especially after seeing her like that.And when she walked into the bar next to Anna, wearing a relaxed smile on her face, I could breathe a sigh of relief. She didn't look that bad.But her smile disappeared as soon as she saw me. Then she quickly averted her gaze.They approached, taking t
ELLIEWill got up from the table and headed to the bar, taking Ethan and Bennett with him."What did you guys talk about?" Zoe turned her attention back to me."You can stop now, okay? He's gone." I made sure they were far enough away."He deserves it, and you know it," Anna said."I told you I didn't want any interference this time. I don't want you to meddle, got it?""So it was all a lie? There was no lunch with the hot scientist?" Zoe furrowed her brows, confused."As I said before, we only talked about work. Forget about it; I already told you I'm not interested in dating anyone." I got up. "I'm leaving, goodnight!""Ellie..." Anna said, but I cut her off."No. I'm tired, and I need rest."I walked out of the bar, taking a deep breath. I didn't know he would be there. I still wasn't ready to see him, let alone spend the whole night sitting at the same table with him. And to make things worse, Anna did that. What the hell did she think she was accomplishing by trying to make him je
ELLIEIn the end, Anna managed to corner me and even made me help with the preparations during the week.She had really decided to throw a small gathering to celebrate the pregnancy. She not only invited Jorrick but also Will's parents and some of her family members. Even Jason and Niels came from London, accompanied by Rosie and Phillipa.But what really shocked me on Saturday night was seeing a completely unexpected guest walking through the door.From a distance, I saw Anthony entering the room right after Jack and Zara. My stomach churned a little. Seriously, wasn't inviting Jorrick enough? Anna was succeeding in driving me crazy.I wanted to disappear. So I decided that retreating to a room seemed like a good option. Ethan hadn't arrived yet, and I wished he wouldn't come, even though deep down, I was missing him.No matter how much I tried to hide the painful feeling, I couldn't avoid it. And things didn't seem to be getting any better as the days went by.On the contrary, the fe
ELLIE My phone buzzed, and I opened the message with Anna's name on the screen. She was apologizing for the thousandth time that week and insisting that I go to the bar for our weekly meeting. I put my phone in my purse and grabbed my keys before leaving my apartment. After what she had pulled in her apartment, I decided it was best to take a break from her, from everyone, actually. That included the men she was trying to set me up with. So, that's what I did during the week: I only spoke to Anna when necessary, tried to avoid Jorrick, and turned down Anthony's invitation for a date. I didn't want to go out with anyone; I just needed some time, especially after that conversation with Ethan. And even though it was painful to hear him repeat the same story about how he could never give me what he thinks I want, I think I finally understood that his decision has nothing to do with me. From the beginning, I knew Ethan had his own traumas, and he made it clear that he couldn't offer me
ELLIE How I wished to say yes. His lips seemed so inviting, so close, almost irresistible. All I wanted was to lean in and kiss him while pulling his hair. And then, to rip off his clothes and feel the warmth and weight of his body on mine. But everything between us was undefined, and sex would only further complicate things. We needed to talk before anything else. "We... we need to talk first," I managed to say. He nodded, his lips curving into a weak smile, a failed attempt to hide his frustration. "Okay, let's do it on your terms," he said, stepping back, allowing me to breathe. "Dinner then?" "How about a run in the park tomorrow morning?" "A run?" "Unless December's cold is too much for a beach girl like you," he teased. "I know what you're trying to do." "What?" he asked, trying to contain a smile. "You're making it a challenge because you know that's how I operate." "So... 7 o'clock?" "You also know I hate waking up early." "Think of it as an attempt to do things
Lisa pinched my arm, and tilted her head towards the tall, muscular guy who had just walked into the bar. “You didn’t go out with Mitchel yesterday? You’re fast.” I arched an eyebrow, teasing. “Five minutes, that’s what I have to say in my defense.” She laughed and I joined her. We were getting drunk in some bar in Manhattan, celebrating the end of classes. Earlier, we took the last test, which will select one of the students in my class, to occupy a position in one of the largest companies in the country, Ryan Enterprises. It is the first time that Ryan offers a program in partnership with our University. Although Columbia has partnered with several other major companies in the market, the position at Ryan offers the opportunity to work directly with the CEO. This would be incredible, not only for the possibility of using this experience to assemble the final work, which we would have to present, but also because I couldn’t imagine a better way to start a career. For me, it repres
"No. Please, let me go," I begged. "You know you're not supposed to be here. Now come on." With ease, he lifted me and put me over his shoulder. I had to use all my strength not to scream or fight. I tried to decide whether to try to escape before he took me to the others. Maybe I'd have a chance against one of them, but certainly not against four. Damn it. He was too big. A confrontation would probably kill me. I shouldn't have come here. Was this the end for me? What would they do to me? As he approached the house, drawing the attention of the three men on the porch, I realized that my only option to try to survive was not to resist and try not to provoke them, hiding any emotion. But I doubted that anything would be left of me when they were done. One of the men, with long black hair, howled with excitement, coming towards us. "What do we have here? Looks like Lyall found something for us," he said with a big smile, while the other two seemed curious. All three were as big as th
ELLIE You know that phase in life where it seems like all your friends are happy and have achieved everything there is to achieve? That was the phase I was going through. It seemed like all my friends had achieved professional success, found the perfect partner, and were getting married or planning to have children. And I was the outlier in this story. At twenty-seven, I'm starting to feel like I'm stuck, even though I'm happy with my work as a scientist and researcher and extremely happy for my friends, I couldn't help feeling unhappy with my love life. It was hard not to feel a little jealous of each couple's story in my large group of friends. Bennett or simply Ben, and Zoe, two cretins who fell in love before they could kill each other, I don't know how they were still alive, maybe because they took out all their anger on each other in sex. Anna, my best friend, and William or Will, former jerk and tattooed nerd, the most handsome and hottest I had ever met. I was still trying
My heart was pounding in my chest, adrenaline coursing through my body as I closed the door behind me. Two minutes. I quickly decided that the best course of action was to use this time to run as fast as I could and try to gain some initial advantage. A second later, I was already entering the dark forest, forcing my legs to move as quickly as I could. Tall trees rose against the night sky, their branches intertwining like giant fingers reaching towards the heavens, forming a high and impenetrable canopy that blocked out the light, causing almost complete darkness. The faint light of the moon cast deep and eerie shadows on the tree roots and surrounding bushes. My senses sharpened, adapting to the environment as I pressed on. The night air was cool and damp, filled with the scent of leaves and wet earth. The sounds of nature echoed around me, composing a chilling melody. I could distinguish the sound of animals moving and the wind rustling and creaking the branches. I tried to focus
I tried to formulate a response, feeling a mixture of apprehension and excitement running through my body, but the words seemed to have vanished from my mind. Lyall's provocation awakened the desire that I had been trying to deny and suppress since our first encounter. Not just because I had just met him, but because I should focus on what was important. I knew it was a bad idea to get involved with any of them."I..." I cleared my throat, trying to clear my mind. Staring at his bare chest didn't help. "Good evening, Lyall," I said, circling him and opening the door, escaping down the hallway with my heart racing.I entered my room, closing the door behind me. I took a deep breath. I couldn't allow the attraction to Lyall to divert me from my objective. Any involvement, even if only physical, could complicate things. However, I couldn't deny that his presence affected me.There's no room for distractions, Morana. Stay on guard, and keep your focus. I stared at the doorknob for a few s
After a long and exhausting trip back that lasted most of the night, I finally arrived home. It was already dawn, and the silence in the house was broken only by the sound of the wind blowing the leaves of the trees around the property. I entered the house and found Verena still awake on the garden balcony. As I approached, the cold air enveloped me."What happened? I thought you wouldn't come back." She was surprised to see me."It's cold, let's go inside, and then I'll tell you." We settled on the living room sofa, and then I told her everything that had happened and how I had been rejected."I'm sorry, Mor. I didn't want you to go through this." She said, seeming guilty, before finally breaking down in tears. "I'm sorry. I know what I did was horrible, but I was desperate.""It's okay." I approached her to hug her. "It's okay. It's not your fault. I understand. You love him." I tried to comfort her."I'm so sorry." She sniffled. "But this is good, right? They don't deserve you, and
ETHAN Hearing her say that made any remaining shreds of control I had vanish. Damn. After all the hell I'd been through in the last few months, and how much I feared I might never have her again, hearing the need and urgency in her voice unleashed a whirlwind of emotions. Something broke. The fear finally fell away. As I rose, I effortlessly tore off her little red panties and grabbed her ass, pulling her off the counter. I could hardly think. That damn red lingerie was driving me insane. In haste, she yanked the apron strap over my head and somehow managed to unfasten it at my back, letting it fall to the floor. Reaching between our bodies, she grabbed my cock. My body quivered with pleasure in response. "Fuck," I growled. She began to move her fingers around me, and I knew that after all this time, I could come just from that. But she needed me. And despite having dreamed of this moment many times over the past months and days, I knew it would be hard to resist and not finish a
ELLIE I was left speechless as a wave of heat spread through my core, rising to the surface, making my skin tingle. Damn. He looked like he'd stepped out of some erotic Christmas fantasy. Maybe a dream. Okay, maybe one of my dreams. My eyes moved down below his waistline again, trying to discern if he was truly completely naked under the apron. I bit my lip. "Happy Christmas," he whispered with a shy, sexy smile, pulling my attention back to his face. His brown eyes gleamed with a wild and sensual fire. A few strands of dark blonde hair were falling onto his forehead, held in place by the chef's hat. His broad, defined shoulders and chest were on display. I blinked a few times, swallowing the saliva that had gathered in my mouth. Sexy as hell. "Do you need an invitation... or would you prefer I toss you over my shoulder and carry you inside?" he asked, arching an eyebrow and crossing his muscular arms over his chest, reminding me of the night I'd knocked on his door, and he threa