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
ETHAN I was in the shower when Charlotte knocked on my door the next morning. Maybe I had made a mistake the night before when I agreed to meet her at my apartment. When I opened the door, her gaze traveled over my body, down to the towel wrapped around my hips. It was strange to think that she had once meant everything to me, and now all her gaze could provoke in me was disgust. I cleared my throat, bringing her attention back to my face. "Sorry. I guess I arrived too early." "It's okay; you're already here; come in," I said, stepping aside. "Just give me a few minutes to finish my shower." I continued as she walked past me into the apartment. This was probably the worst idea I've ever had. I didn't want to see her, let alone hear her. Her presence was enough to make me irritated and bring back all those horrible feelings. But I needed to try if there was any chance of putting all of this behind me. After closing the door, I left her in the living room and went back to the bath
ETHAN Rosie hadn't managed to find out anything in her attempt to talk to Ellie, and after seven hours of a long flight back to New York, I was almost convinced that all of this could be connected to Chalotte's presence in my apartment. But it would be too much of a coincidence for Ellie to have seen her. And how could that be possible if she didn't even know her? Fate must be playing games with me. I was exhausted, and she continued not to respond to any of my messages, leaving me increasingly desperate. It was already late afternoon when I landed in New York and went straight to her apartment. But when I knocked on her door, she didn't answer, causing a new wave of frustration to hit me. I persisted for a few minutes, wondering if she might be ignoring me, but it seemed she wasn't even home. Where the hell could she be? I had to resort to the last option I had. If there was one person who might know where she was, it was Anna. I dialed her number while still standing in front of
ELLIEI never thought I would meet the woman who had given birth to me one day, so when my mother called me, telling me that this could be my last chance, the circumstances couldn't be worse.Seeing her like this, lying in a bed, giving her last breaths, after having rejected and judged her for abandoning me my whole life, only served to show that I was nothing but a huge egoist and a terrible person.She wasn't to blame for anything, she was just another victim, an addict, and yet I refused to know anything about her. And looking at her face now, and realizing that I would never discover what her voice was like, or her smile, made me feel even worse. I threw away any chance I had, and I would have to live with that forever.Since I arrived, I couldn't stay away from the bed where she was, and I had no idea how many hours I had been awake. The doctor said she only had a few more hours, and I wanted to stay with her until her last second, even if it was killing me inside.Standing by th
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
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.