ELLIE"Okay, let's try again. Actually..." He cleared his throat. "I came here to apologize for what happened in the lab." I tried not to remember the sensation of his body against mine. He seemed uncomfortable as he looked at his own hands, clasped together on the counter. I couldn't miss this opportunity."Exactly what are you apologizing for?""Are you really going to do this?" He raised an eyebrow. I offered my best expression of confusion, pretending not to understand. "Fine." He shook his head. "I'm apologizing for getting turned on when you rubbed your incredible ass against me." He said, looking into my eyes, causing me to look away. Damn! He knew how to play dirty."Wow! I thought you were trying to be my friend. But thanks for the compliment, even if you're just objectifying my body. You should try complimenting a woman's intellect someday, it will leave a much better impression.""So, what aspect of yourself do you think I should compliment? Your ability to be extremely kin
ETHAN Despite not knowing exactly what I was doing, it seemed like a start, and I needed to get her out of my system urgently, especially after last night. And no matter how much she tried to appear indifferent, I knew she wasn't immune to me. Being alone with her would allow me to show her what she was missing. "Why are you smiling?" she narrowed her eyes. "I'll get rid of you without any effort, apart from having to put up with you for a few hours." "We have a date." "You call it a date, and I call it a way to get rid of you," she smiled. A breathtakingly pretentious smile. The combination of her grayish-blue eyes, dark hair, and fair skin sprinkled with freckles tormented me. It made me want to pull her against my body, kiss her urgently, and then undress her. This was bad. Really bad. Because it was exactly this face that I imagined last night while I was on top of the blonde at the bar. It didn't go as planned at all. My intention was to have sex with a beautiful woman to re
ELLIE My phone rang somewhere, waking me up on Saturday morning. I stared at the alarm clock, which showed that it was still eight in the morning. Who the hell was calling me so early? Anna knew she should never call me before eight on weekends. I reached out to grab my phone from the bedside table. I looked at the screen, it was an unknown number. I almost slid the power button to hang up before remembering that Mr. Morgan said he would call me. But he wouldn't call this early, would he? "Hello?" I answered, stretching and sitting up. "Don't tell me I woke you up?" Yes, it was him, and he sounded strangely out of breath. What the hell was he doing? "You know it's eight in the morning on a Saturday, right?" "Yes, I know. I just ran ten kilometers with Ben." Ten kilometers? What kind of people wake up early to run on a Saturday? Apparently the Morgans and Will, yes, they're all crazy. "What do you want? A prize?" "Are you serious? Because I have a few ideas." "Tell me what you
ELLIE Todd brought back all the feelings of abandonment, and seeing him was enough to make my chest ache. It was as if he had ripped a piece of my heart out. Why did it still hurt so much? All the questions resurfaced whenever I saw him, consuming my mind. Why did he leave me? Did he at least like me a little bit? Why was I so stupid not to realize that he was just a jerk? Why wasn't I enough for him? Why did a part of me still like him despite everything? I didn't want him back, I hated him, but why did my foolish heart still hold onto some hope? Calm down, Ellie, it's just neurotransmitters at work. Damn it! Todd Lockhart was my new neighbor, and I would have to deal with it. It meant pretending he doesn't exist and ignoring the fact that we share a wall. Wasn't going on a date with idiot Morgan enough? My energy was conflicting with the energy of the universe, triggering these events. Flow with it, Ellie, don't fight against it. I took a deep breath. Everything will be fine. I'll
ELLIEI spent two hours in front of my closet trying to decide what to wear. I decided to follow Anna's advice. She was right about needing something extra to give me confidence. I started looking for the lingerie Zoe had given me as a gift. It would make me feel powerful underneath my clothes. And maybe a black dress since I didn't know where we were going. A black dress always worked for any occasion.I found the lingerie in the drawer and grabbed the hanger with a black dress, that reached my thighs, long sleeves, and a square neckline. It was tight but still elegant. I stared at the black overcoat and took it as well. Mr. Morgan didn't need to see anything; it was enough for me to feel sexy and beautiful enough to get past him. I chuckled to myself.At eight o'clock, I received a message from him, letting me know he was waiting for me in front of my building. Mr. Morgan was extremely punctual. I felt a little nervous as I headed downstairs. I wasn't exactly sure why. It was just M
ELLIE I tried to avoid arguing until we reached the restaurant to avoid causing an accident. It seemed like we were always in a battle where the weapons were pure sarcasm, irony, and some sexually suggestive puns from his side. We exchanged a few jabs until he parked in front of the restaurant. At least, no accident happened. A blonde woman with big blue eyes, who must have been the hostess, greeted us as soon as we entered the restaurant. The place was elegant, and I had heard about it before. Was he trying to impress me, or was he just accustomed to this kind of place? I would bet on the latter. "Good evening! Do you have a reservation, sir?" The blonde asked with a smile on her face. I looked around while Ethan spoke to her. The blonde asked with a smile on her face. I looked around while Ethan spoke to her. Huge chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, tables with white tablecloths, dramatic mirrors, paintings, and some plants decorated the walls. The luxurious decoration har
ETHAN My jaw dropped, imagining how she must look in that lingerie. I had imagined it before, on the day Zoe insisted that she open the box in front of me. But my imagination couldn't compare to the experience of seeing her wearing it in person. From that moment on, I knew I would do anything to make her let me see what was beneath that dress. "Are you really wearing that underneath this dress?" She lowered the menu on the table, staring at me. I couldn't focus on anything else now, and keeping my cock under control required a lot of concentration, the exact opposite of imagining how she would look in that black lace. "That's what I just said," She replied before the waiter approached our table, asking if we had chosen what to order. I needed something strong to drink. It had already been difficult enough to see her in the dress she was wearing and maintain control. Her long, toned legs looked incredible in those black heels. I almost begged her to turn around, just so I could cat
ETHAN "Who are you? My therapist?" she asked, smiling, but before that, I could see the pain in her eyes. Whoever the jerk was, she had loved him and he didn't appreciate it. Damn. I knew exactly what she had been through. It made me feel like a jerk. Not that I intended to make her fall in love with me or pursue it dishonestly. I could never do that to someone. I knew firsthand the hell it was to go through something like that. Contrary to what Miss Brown thought, I always tried to be honest with the women I got involved with. "Did you just make a joke without trying to offend me?" I asked, trying to make the trace of sadness disappear from her face. "Yeah, and I almost believed that you care about what I'm saying," she said, shaking her head. "I do care." "Of course," she rolled her eyes with a slight smile. "I don't like to waste my time on things that don't interest me," I was being honest with her. "You know there are plenty of women who would be interested in devoting the
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