ELLIE Ethan carried me to the couch as I recovered. I tried to calm my breathing while he undressed. I appreciated the sight of his body completely naked. His muscular legs and defined abdomen always left me impressed. Leaning over me on the sofa, he undressed my skirt and panties, sliding them down my legs. My reason was partially back, and I wondered what we were doing. We should talk, not have sex. But Ethan didn't seem interested in talking at the moment. He was focused on taking off my blouse and bra. When he succeeded, he turned my body, placing me face down. "Get on all fours," he ordered. I complied, letting myself be carried away by the moment; after all, he had already made me orgasm. We could talk later. "Hands behind your back," he demanded. Despite the excitement, he was already irritating me, but I still obeyed, placing my arms behind my back. Grasping my wrists, he held them together with one hand. Positioning his cock at my entrance, he plunged in again, making
ETHAN We had just finished a five-kilometer run in the park. Will bent down to tie his shoelace. "Don't forget, eight o'clock at Bennett's place," he said, standing up. Bennett and I exchanged glances. He was hiding something from us. He seemed strangely excited this morning. "I'm not sure I can make it," I said, remembering that Ellie would be there. "What's going on? Did you guys have a fight? You know you don't have to go back to London just because of work. We can figure something out. Find someone else," Will said. "It's not just about that, but it doesn't matter. I won't run away from my responsibilities." "Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Bennett started to apologize. "It's okay, maybe it's for the best," I interrupted. The two of them exchanged confused looks. I wasn't willing to go back to rock bottom once again, giving my all to someone who wasn't willing to do the same. "Anyway, you better show up, or you'll regret it," Will said, with a huge smile. What was going on w
ELLIE The night was being odd, as everyone had already noticed that we were fighting. I was reluctant to use the word "ended," but deep down, I knew that's what was happening. I didn't want to admit it because I didn't know if I could handle being without him and going through all of that again. Sitting on one of the sofas, I had lost count of how many glasses of wine I had taken. If Anna hadn't insisted so much, I wouldn't have come. It seemed like she and Will had something important to tell us. They hadn't separated the whole night. Why the hell was she hiding, whatever it was, from me? I was her best friend. I had the right to know before anyone else. Eventually, my gaze shifted to Ethan. I couldn't help it. He didn't say a word to me all night, even though I felt his eyes on me at times. And the more wine I drank, the more my desire to drag him into a room grew. I looked at the wine glass in my hand. This meant it was time to stop. I got up and headed for the kitchen. Leaving
ELLIE I hadn't heard from Ethan all Sunday. In fact, I spent the entire day trying to ignore my phone to avoid contact with everyone. I was afraid that at any moment a message would arrive saying he had left. Internally, I was falling apart. Outwardly, I was trying to pretend that the familiar pain wasn't gradually consuming me. But this time, I knew it would be much worse. Because I truly loved him. I also couldn't talk to my best friend because I didn't want to dump my drama on her when she was experiencing such a wonderful moment. I couldn't be selfish. No, I wasn't going to ruin her moment. So, I had to endure all the agony alone, feeling my heart shatter slowly. Had I made a mistake? Maybe I shouldn't have cornered him. But he was being so foolish. Oh, God! How did we get to this point? We were so happy. Had I ruined everything? No. I won't blame myself because it's not all my fault. If he truly loves me, he will understand, and we will find a way to fix this. He won't leave.
ETHAN It was late at night when I landed in London. I took a taxi to the apartment I maintained in the city. I was mentally exhausted. My phone was filled with unread messages and missed calls, which I had decided to ignore throughout the flight. I knew they were from my brother and Will, but I did not incline to deal with them. At the moment, all I needed was sleep, as I had been awake for over twenty-four hours. My mind hadn't stopped for a single second since she left me on Saturday. Making the decision wasn't easy, but I couldn't accept that things would continue as they were, no matter how much I loved her. And as before, I knew work was the only thing that would keep my head straight. And I thought maybe distance would make things easier too. It seems I was right after all. I could never give her what she wanted. I tried, but it seemed like it wasn't enough for her. Even after I suggested she move in with me, she said no. What else could I do? What did she expect me to say?
ELLIE I spent the whole week in autopilot mode as if nothing else made sense. I didn't feel like going to work or doing anything, but I did it anyway. The anger and despair had subsided, leaving only a deep void. I missed him so much. I thought I would never have to go through this again, but everything seemed even worse than the first time. The worst part is that he didn't dare to talk to me; he simply left. Did he care so little? Did I not even deserve an explanation or a message? I had to hold myself back all week from calling him or sending a message. Sometimes, I thought about cursing him and saying the worst things possible, but other times, I just wanted to tell him I missed him and that I didn't want to live without him. I still couldn't believe it was all over. And the reasons seemed so insignificant. I truly loved him, and these problems seemed so trivial compared to what I felt. I had plenty of time to think since he left, and it made me realize I was willing to compro
ETHAN It was Saturday night when Neil knocked on my door. I stared at him, confused. He hadn't mentioned he'd be paying a visit. "Is everything alright?" I asked. "It's you who should be answering that. Just look at yourself." "I was working. What brings you here?" I gestured for him to come in. "I figured you would be, and that's why I'm here. I thought I'd pull you out of this damn apartment before it's too late, and you meld into the furniture and walls," he said, entering. "Actually, I'm not really in the mood to go out." It wasn't a good day. Especially because tonight, I should have been with her, celebrating. In fact, we would still have the whole day ahead of us, if I were in New York, due to the time difference. "Take a shower and get dressed. I'm not letting you work yourself to death on the weekend, either. I know it helps keep your mind occupied, but it's not healthy." "And what about Rosie? Did she agree to this?" "She and Phillipa are having a girls' night out o
ELLIE I wasn't sure if I was doing the right thing. But it was too late to turn back now. Two hours after reading the note, I took a flight to London. A flight that would last seven hours. This would give me more than enough time to torment myself, questioning whether I was being a fool again for following my heart. The last time I did that, things didn't end well. He just showed up with someone else to push me away, and it hurt so much that I was devastated. Maybe this was a bad idea, but I knew I would never be at peace if I didn't clear things up and make one last attempt. It might seem a bit masochistic, but I needed to hear from him that it was all over and that he was really giving up on us after everything. There was also the fact that I felt a bit guilty for giving him an ultimatum. I wasn't very reasonable. And maybe I wanted to believe that he was just feeling pressured and not really giving up. He couldn't be leaving me for work. But I had to consider the possibility that
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