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
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
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
ELLIE I woke up around eight, much earlier than planned. I really hated waking up before ten on a Sunday. The thought reminded me of the conversation with the jerk last night. The bastard had the nerve to invite me to have sex after two minutes of conversation. Unbelievable! All that beauty accompanied by character would be asking too much, Ellie. It's a shame... I got up and sent a message to Anna, asking if she was still sleeping. She responded shortly after, inviting me to have breakfast. I remembered that Will must be running with the jerk. I really didn't want to bump into him. I got up, took a shower, and put on something for the end of winter cold. Anna lived only a few blocks away, which allowed me to walk and visit her whenever possible. She had only been married for two years and chose the apartment with Will. I was extremely happy to have my best friend living nearby. She opened the door as soon as I knocked, wearing a sweatshirt set. "Is it cold as fuck outside, right?
ELLIE On Tuesday, we agreed to have lunch together. When I arrived at the bar with Anna, Zoe and Ben were waiting with Will, already seated at a table in the corner. Anna leaned in to kiss Will without any shame as we approached. I greeted everyone with a general 'hi.' "Is everything okay, El?" Will asked after a few minutes, noticing my silence while they talked. My mood was terrible this week, probably PMS. "Just a headache." "Maybe my gift can make that better," Zoe said, leaning down and returning with two bags from Victoria's Secret. She then handed one to Anna and one to me. "It's not my birthday or anything..." Anna said, not understanding as she opened the bag. "But thank you." She took out the box and put it on the table as I thanked her. "Wow! It's... pink," Anna said after opening the box and unwrapping a tiny lingerie with lace and bows in baby pink. It hardly covered any skin. Zoe laughed from the other side of the table. Will had a naughty smile and Bennett shook
ELLIE On Friday, after a tiring week of work, we were gathered at Anna and Will's house, this time playing Truth or Dare. In fact, our game could be called Truth or Truth, because nobody played Dare. The game boiled down to guys asking embarrassing questions to each other, girls to girls, or their respective partners. But this time, Ethan was there. I knew he would be present before even coming, so I mentally prepared myself for any games, but I wasn't prepared for that. The question that had just come out of his mouth. I looked at the faces as shocked as mine. "Vanilla sex or wild sex?" he asked, serious as if he were asking if I preferred coffee or tea. "I... I think it depends," I finally answered, wondering if there was any other interest beyond provocation and trying to embarrass me behind the question. I was honest in my response. I preferred wild sex, but making love with someone you're in love with could be hot and mind-blowing, at least that's how I imagined it. "No scient
ETHAN I dropped by my brother's apartment for breakfast on Monday. I missed New York, it was good to be back. After six years of living in London, I had already acquired enough English customs. But I knew that soon I would start missing it, the people and their polite and reserved behavior that made me feel good and aligned with my ideal of a peaceful life without disturbances and commotion. "I'm leaving, honey," Zoe approached to kiss my brother. If someone asked me, I would vehemently deny that a part of me deep down envied what they had. Zoe entered my brother's life like a hurricane. I still remembered how he had gone crazy when he met her, more stressed and grumpy because he couldn't stand her and, at the same time, felt attracted to her. Bennett went through hell. That thought reminded me of a certain mad scientist who was spending more time in my head than I would like to admit. I pushed the thought away. "Goodbye, Ethan, we'll finish that conversation later," she smiled at
ETHANOur new client was the Independent Research Laboratory at Columbia University. Finances were always finances, regardless of the type of company we served, that's what we always said. Our job was to put the numbers in order and provide the most efficient solutions to the client. Morgan and Harris Financial was born from scratch about eleven years ago when my brother and Will decided to start a company even before they finished university. I joined as a partner some time later.I don't think they ever imagined we would achieve the success we have, earning millions each year and opening a second office in London shortly after we started, precisely six years ago, all thanks to hard work. I never thought that at twenty-five I would have to manage an office in another country, but now, at thirty-one, I could only feel proud of managing it and grateful to Bennett and Will for trusting me.Work meant everything to me, regardless of the reasons that led me to become obsessed with this pa
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
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
ELLIE Ethan stepped out of the car the moment I left the building. I walked towards him, the cold air hitting my ankles as my heels echoed on the ground. Unfortunately, stockings didn't go well with my dress. While he circled the car, my eyes roamed his body. He was dressed elegantly in a black coat and pants, a white shirt underneath, and a brown scarf around his neck. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, giving a casual air to the ensemble. Even though it always seemed like he was naturally well-groomed and didn't need to put much effort into it, Ethan was a man of refined style, and his wardrobe extended far beyond the custom-tailored suits he wore for work. Stopping beside the car, he leaned against it, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and let his gaze roam over my body, his lips curving into a subtle, sensual smile. When I stood before him, he was biting his lower lip. "Wow," he sighed. "Come here." He extended his hands, covered in black leather gloves. With a
ETHAN Shit. It seems the idiot was still living in the apartment next door. I'd almost forgotten about it, although I vaguely remember hoping that he'd simply disappeared some time ago. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work. Tension hung in the air, causing discomfort, while anger grew inside me at the realization that he was still around, like a damn hyena. Turning to Ellie, I found her staring at me apprehensively, as if waiting for a reaction. Realizing that she had dropped her cap on the floor, I bent down to pick it up. "See you on Sunday," I said, rising and handing it to her. Then I leaned in to kiss her gently, just as the jerk passed by behind us. As I pulled away, she looked confused. "I think there's still something we need to discuss," she said, and eventually her eyes moved to his apartment door. "Not now. Go inside, or you'll be late for work." She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and entered her apartment. I turned to leave when she closed the door, but I sudd
ELLIEWe had only been running for five minutes, but my lungs were already burning, and the muscles in my legs ached. The cold I had been feeling had almost entirely disappeared. Gasping for breath, I slowed down, feeling my heart pounding.Ethan was already a bit ahead when he noticed I had stopped running. He stopped and came back to me."Are you okay?" he asked, not looking the least bit tired and not even out of breath."What's with you? How can you not be tired?""I'd say I have a lot of built-up energy. To be more precise, two months' worth of energy," he said, unable to contain a mischievous smile.I rolled my eyes, laughing inwardly."Can't you men go a second without thinking about sex?""Alright, I'll pretend I didn't notice you staring at the front of my pants all morning."Oh my God. How did he...I pressed my lips together, trying to hide a smile."I wasn't doing that."I felt my cheeks warm up. I was grateful it was cold enough to conceal the real reason for their flush.