by T. N. King
“That’s so high up,” she said a little nervous about this part.
He shrugged. “I thought you’d enjoy the view.”
As they rode the elevator to the eleventh floor, Morgan enjoyed seeing Ellie so happy. At this moment, he felt like his only desire in life was to always make her this happy. When the bell dinged and the doors opened, Ellie rushed out, hardly able to contain herself as Morgan led her down the hall to the last door on the left.
“You ready?” he asked before unlocking the door.
She took a deep breath and nodded.
He opened the door and ushered her into her fully furnished, sleek, modern, new apartment. The entire east wall was floor to ceiling glass, allowing the early morning sun brighten up the entire living and dining area.
Ellie gasped.
“What do you think?”
After a brief moment, she turned to Morgan and said, “I think this is amazing. I can’t believe you did all this for me.”
He reached out to stroke her soft, rosy cheek. “I’d do anything for you, Ellie.”
She leaned into his hand and reached her arm around his waist.
“So, does that mean you’ll accept my offer?”
She took a breath and straightened. “Yes,’ she said with a nod. “But, I have some conditions.”
“Okay.” He crossed his arms to listen.
“First of all, I’m going to call Joanna up and tell her I’m keeping my job.”
“But—”
“Morgan, I will not rely solely on you, okay? I appreciate your help and accept it to a point, but I have to keep my job. You can let me worry about how I’ll keep up with my studies and a job. Maybe I’ll only work part-time during the busy part of the semester, but I can’t be jobless.”
Reluctantly, he nodded. “Anything else?”
Ellie took a quick look around the apartment. “There’s no way I could afford this place, so I’m not even going to ask how much you’re paying for it.”
Morgan shrugged. “It’s not anything that I can’t afford.”
“I know,” Ellie said. “Which is why, in return, I’m offering to volunteer at any one of your favorite charitable organizations. You pick.”
“You don’t have to do that,” he said.
“I want to,” Ellie countered. “And it’s either that or I go back to my own apartment. It’s crap, but I know I can afford it.”
He put a hand to his chin while he thought. “Well, actually, there is this charity ball I have to attend Wednesday night in New York. I’d almost forgotten about it, but we can go together and I’ll introduce you to a few people. They might have something in mind suitable for your talents.”
“That sounds great,” she said.
“Anything else?”
“Yes,” Ellie whispered and came close. She slipped her arms around his waist again, and gazed up at him. “I think we should use this as a start over. Maybe take it slower this time? And don’t play with my heart, okay? If you only wanted to have sex with me, I’d rather have known that, so I could have made a sound decision based on the truth. Even though it all seemed like ‘let’s just have fun’…you stormed me and told me things that led me to believe…” She sighed. “I’d rather you be honest, always.”
Morgan took a deep breath and sighed. “Okay. I can do that.” The thing was, he didn’t know what was happening. He’d never fallen for someone like this before. What could he promise? What could he say? He knew that he had to take it slow with her this time. He’d rushed it, then left her, and he’d almost lost her. The thing of it was, holding her right now? This felt right, she needed to be in his life—in his world and this was all he really knew.
Ellie kissed him, sealing the deal.
CHAPTER NINE
Ellie
The next day, after helping her settle in and having her things moved to her new place, Morgan pulled out a box with a huge red ribbon on it. He pushed it towards her.
“Morgan!” She put her hands on her hips. “You have given me enough already. I mean how will I ever pay it all back?”
He lifted a brow at her as his gaze intensified. “I can think of many, sorted, naughty ways.”
Her body flushed at his stare and his expression. “I am not a call girl.” She feigned a serious tone, as she crossed her arms over her chest and gave him an offended look.
He tilted his head and studied her face as if to figure out what she meant.
She couldn’t keep the pretend anger up, even if they had this tentative agreement to take it slower. She was just teasing him anyway. The man was just too sexy even when caught off guard. She swallowed heavily at the way he made her feel, especially when she did not expect it and took the box with sigh. She sat on her new leather couch and undid the bow.
Pulling the delicate tissue paper back, she peered in at the contents. It was a beautiful evening gown, a cobalt blue, floor length. The bodice had tiny studded rhinestones lining it. She gasped and turned the dress around. It had a beautiful V-dip that would show her back almost to the dimpled part above her ass. “OHH!” she gasped out as she bolted up from the couch.
“Does that mean you like it?” Morgan asked looking slightly nervous.
Her eyes shot up from the dress.” I-I…never owned anything like this! It must have cost—”
“No, no. We are not going to discuss how much it cost.”
Confused, she stared at him. “Why are you buying me a dress?”
He smiled that dazzling smile. “For the ball, Cinderella, for the ball.”
Batting her eyes at him, she was stunned. “Oh, that ball in New York?”
“That very one.”
She bit at her lip.
“And do not do that, sweet Ellie.” He stepped close and raised his finger to remove her lip from her teeth. “You will look mesmerizing in it.”
“B-but…” she paused to think about what all this would mean.
“You will look so lovely and I would be proud to arrive there with you on my arm,” he stated solemnly.
Ellie still did not know what to say. Would she fit in? What would she do there? Then what about shoes, her hair and she had no jewelry. She knew these fancy women wore that and—
Morgan chuckled. “I can see that brain of your racing a mile a minute.” He tilted his head at her. “Tonight, we will fly out there. You, my sweetness, will have your own suite at the Hunt Hotel, New York. Then after you settle in, there will be a fashion consultant who will arrive and she will help you with all the accessories.”
Silent, Ellie stared down at the dress as she barely heard what he just said. “Just look at the pretty bodice. With the rhinestones all dotted along it, like a magical—”
“What?” Morgan drew his dark brows together.
She raised the dress. Damn, he could be such a man. “The bodice, you know the place that will cover my—breasts?”
He paused momentarily as if he were imaging her breasts, then he shook his head as if to bat away the images. He then looked down at the dress in her hands. “Oh, yes. You mean the diamonds?”
Her gaze snapped down to the dress. “T-the d-diamonds?” she stuttered.
Morgan laughed hardily. “Yes, that is what you are referring to, right?”
REAL DIAMONDS? Her mind screamed as her throat had closed in shock.
He kept chuckling. “Well, I already chose a few pair of heels, also diamond studded. I mean I am a man, yes. But I know the world I live and play in and I matched a few pairs for you to choose from. However…” He raised the dress up to her.
She grabbed it and held it up in place.
“Yes, when I saw it…I knew it was the dress for you. Dammit, it even matches your eyes.” His gaze had darkened to a steely gray as he stared at her.
Gulping, she didn’t know what to say.
He sighed and took a step back as if her were restraining himself somehow. “So, we fly there tonight. Then check in to the suites. Then have a…” he paused and gazed into h
er startled eyes. “…dinner. And I promise it will be a chaste dinner.”
Swallowing heavily, Ellie knew what he was referring to. Their dinner in the nude and the dessert. Her whole body flushed. She wanted him again right now, and by the look in those magnificent eyes, he was remembering it too. She took a deep breath and let it out. Now she was trying to restrain herself. “Oh, okay. So you have tickets on the airlines, right? I know there are a couple of airlines that I feel nervous about flying—”
Again, he burst into laughter.
Her eyes widened at him. “And what did I say now? I mean it is important.” She almost wanted to fling the dress back at him and tell him to stuff it.
He shook his head and stepped close again. “I have my own jet, Sweetness.”
Her eyes widened. Yes, of course he did! “Oh,” was her pithy response.
He smiled and stepped close. “I will be back with the limo. Don’t pack anything. You won’t need it.”
Did he mean to keep her naked in the suite until the ball? This all sounded like another set up and she also battled with the images of him keeping her locked up and naked at his pleasure. She shivered and again, she bit at her lip.
“Dammit,” Morgan swore and stepped close to pull her lip away with his mouth. He kissed her soundly.
Again, Ellie’s knees went weak as he delved into her mouth. His tongue just owned hers. Heat spread throughout her body. Another shock to add to the dress, the jet, the suite and the ball.
Then he pulled away and seemed to have to get himself in order. “It is going to be so hard not to…” His voice trailed away as he stared at her lips. “I love the way your lips look all rosy and swollen after I kiss you.”
Okay, now she was wet. That tone, those eyes. Dammit. She wasn’t going to be able to hold herself from him. If at this moment, he jumped her, she would latch onto him for dear life.
He seemed to get his thoughts together and his hungry look dissipated. “What I meant was that everything will be provided for you at the hotel. I will be back in a couple of hours with the car. Be ready, okay?”
Nodding, she just held the dress to her chest and stared at him. Wide eyed and almost holding her breath.
He suddenly grinned at her. “Fuck, you are so dammed cute.” Morgan leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead. “I will be back to get you.” He then turned and went out.
After Morgan left, the afternoon went by in a haze. With her new apartment, Ellie had no cleaning to do, no bucket to change under the kitchen sink because of an age old leak the Super never fixed. Then she had a view that could and did keep her infatuated for like a whole hour. Glancing at the clock, she gasped. She needed to shower and decide what outfit to wear for the—the flight on his private JET! Oh, wow. This would be an experience she never thought to have.
There was one huge problem though and she had been worrying over it all afternoon.
She had never flown anywhere. EVER.
Maybe she could fake it? Like aww, this ain’t nuthin’ I done it lots of times. She shuddered. It was the height, she hated heights, though since she met Morgan, that was all she seemed to do…traverse heights. Going up and still, up further and in more ways than flights of stairs and the elevator. She pushed away the memory of the last orgasm she had while with him. Too high, maybe?
His balcony had been impressive that day when she’d returned his phone and the view magnificent, but she remembered now that she’d had trembled and hung onto the balustrade with white knuckles. The thing that saved her from looking like a freaked out idiot was his close proximity and her nervousness over him. It had actually kept her from completely freaking out. She let out a breath.
Ellie knew she couldn’t back out and had to keep her part of the deal they’d made. The ball, Cinderella. He’d said when joking. It was true too, even though he was teasing. The waitress Cinderella. She smiled. This was her chance. She also wanted to make good on her promise. To volunteer to one of the charities.
Her phone rang. Wait? Is that my phone? The ring tone wasn’t familiar.
It rang again.
Ellie looked all around. Then she spotted a Smart phone on her glass coffee table. She ran over and picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hello.”
It was Morgan!
She smiled. “How come I have your phone on my coffee table?” she asked.
He chuckled over the line. “It is not mine this time. It is your new phone. It is the latest and the best out there. I want you to make sure it is with you at all times.”
Pausing at this, Ellie thought about the directive. “Oh, is that so?” She rolled her eyes at her cleverness. Stupid.
“Now, sweet Ellie. I want you to be able to call me anytime you need…” His voice faded away.
A huge smile spread out on her lips. Tease time. “When I need? Need what?” she cooed into the phone.
Silence reigned on the other end.
“Morgan? Are you there?”
He cleared his throat. “Um, yes. I am, Miss Smart Mouth. I meant should you have any…”Again, his voice drifted away.
Giggling, Ellie tried to stay serious in tone. “Like if I needed some hot looking guy to save me from a fire? Or from getting smashed by a bus in the street?”
His laughter rippled over the phone. “Yes, those things are needs where you are concerned.”
She took a deep breath at his tone. She knew this tone for sure and she could even picture his eyes at this moment. They were a hard steely gray as he tried to calm his beast. Ellie sighed. She loved that beast though. He had brought her to the ultimate pleasure. Brought her into her own sexuality. She shook her head and spoke, “I will take it everywhere I go, okay?”
His sigh resonated over the connection. “Yes, please do.”
“Okay, so I need to get ready. There’s a prince coming to pick me up before midnight, you know?”
His laughter again echoed out. “Yes, and he’d better treat you right.”
Will he? She questioned silently. “Well, he has promised to be good,” she teased again.
“Well, if he could restrain his beast long enough to win the beauty, maybe he will…” again, he did not finish.
Ellie decide to cut him some slack and end the call. “I will be here when the pumpkin arrives.” She hung up. Pumpkin? Dumb, dumb. Whew! Damn, just having a phone conversation with the man tangled her up but good!
Ellie then spotted the time on the phone. “Oh!” He’d used up my primping time! Dammit!
She rushed to the shower and tried hard to keep her thoughts from running wild.
Morgan
He hung up with Ellie. She’d taken the phone purchase well, though. The way he’d stumbled over his words! What the fuck was that? He’d voted the most smooth talking in high school even. Head of debates and he’d never been shy. If Chance had been in the limo to hear this latest phone conversation from his end, Morgan would never live it down. Chance! Dammit, he was sure to be there tomorrow night at the charity function. Yes, he’d known the man since high school and if there were a man better looking than Morgan, it would be this one. They’d often had standing bets when they met a girl. See who could get her first. They were also notorious in college.
Shit! When Chance finally caught sight of sweet, little Ellie? Crap. Talk about charm, the man had some to spare. He could give it away to the poor and unmannered and still have enough to charm a nun out of her habit. Then to have to admit to the man that he was hanging up his playboy jacket to get this girl, he would be the one laughed at. If he didn’t let his best friend know this though, Chance would go after her. It was what they both did. He’d have to handle this carefully and keep the jack ass away from his Ellie. He paused and sat the phone down on the seat.
HIS?
Yes, dammit. His. Yes, he’d charmed her out of her gold gown and seduced her out of her shell. It had been a beautiful thing to see too. If only he hadn’t flubbed it the next morning. He could have her right now, tied up
with her gazing up at him with those sweet baby blues. Looking at him in awe as he played her body like a musical instrument, bringing her to heights she’d only dreamt of. He shook himself. Not yet. Steady, boy steady. He adjusted his slacks as they gotten too tight again.
Ever since he’d gotten into the limo, he’d been arranging everything and had his exec assistant running all over New York. After first presenting Ellie with the dress and reminding her of the ball, he then had to plan fast. Today, he’d had his assistant secure the fashion consultant and reserving two suites, which had raised a questioning tone in his assistant’s voice. No, he’d never done that before. He let out a breath. Hell, he’d never done any of this before. Cater to a woman. Well, yes, he had seduced some, but he never had to put in much effort. Not like this. He halted. But this wasn’t for seduction. He’d done that already and it should have been the end of it.
What was it about this girl? He still couldn’t achieve an answer. He always had an answer, for deals, decisions, plans of his next goal to achieve. He got an image of Ellie with her wide blue eyes as she nodded her head at him before he left her apartment. So innocent in her own way, so guileless. Maybe that was it? All the women in his jet setting world had been very knowing, confidence in their eyes, their body language. At times, it could be sexy and alluring, then by the time he bedded them, the luster wore off quick.
He sat back in his limo seat and rested his head against the seat. Go slow. The mantra kept repeating in his head. How? Not grab her up and plant her right onto his cock where she dammed well belonged? With his eyes closed, the images came easier. Her riding him as she knelt on his king sized bed. Her obeying his every command as if it were natural. Her beautiful face as she came on his cock. His body shuddered and he was hard as a diamond. He let out a shaky breath.
I will have that again, I just need to take it easy with this particular deal. Hell, I have put together deals that took months to deliver. This deal was more important than any of those. Ellie had the potential to be the perfect submissive. He knew this from almost the first moment his eyes met hers. The kicker was…She did not even know this about herself. The beauty of her natural way of giving over all control had been like discovering some rare jewel in a sea of fake gems. The submission was something other women had faked with him. Playing at being a submissive to please him. An act. He’d hated it. It had been like a pretending game, playing at the real thing.