“I want this,” she said when they broke apart. “I want us. For the first time in a long time I’m ready to be happy. After the trial today, I realized that we actually accomplished something. Greg’s killer is going to pay for his crimes, and he had to answer for what he did in front of his friends and peers. That’s something and since we may never figure out who put him up to him, I have to be happy about that.”
Peyton didn’t think she’d ever get used to how handsome Ellis was when he smiled. “So this is for real?”
“If you want it to be.”
“That’s what I’ve wanted since the moment I met you.”
He was holding back. She could feel it, the energy he kept under iron control. If she had to be blunt then that’s what she’d do.
“Ellis, it’s time.” She reached for the hem of his t-shirt and tugged it up, exposing the golden flesh of his torso. “A little cooperation would be nice.”
But she’d do all the work if she had to.
Chapter Twenty-Two
This was an Ellis she hadn’t expected. An intense man out of bed, she’d assumed he’d be the same under the covers. Much to her amazement, he was much more playful than brooding. Tickling here, nibbling there. Whispering rather naughty suggestions in her ear. It was an empowering feeling, seeing how happy and carefree he acted when they were together like this.
He’d stripped her of her sundress and panties quickly but he still had his pants on and they needed to go. Her fingers brushed the zipper and his hips bucked, drawing a sharp breath from his lips. Popping open the top button, she tugged down the zipper and then shimmied the trousers down his muscular thighs before tossing them aside. Ellis was now lounging against the pillows, his gaze following her every move which only served to make undressing him much hotter and arousing.
Her next goal was his tented boxers but his strong hands captured her wrists, kissing each palm before she could reach them.
“Are you sure? Because once you let him out of his cage…”
Giggling, she leaned down and pressed kisses down his treasure trail, making him move restlessly under her. “Tell me you didn’t name it.”
“He doesn’t have a name but he is definitely not an it. Have a little respect, princess.”
This glowering, grouchy man was fun. Thank goodness she’d given them a chance because missing out on this would have been tragic.
“Should I call him sir?”
He took her hand and placed it on the fabric covering his extremely hard cock and her hand reflexively tightened around it. “Baby, I bet he’ll let you call him whatever you want, but his favorite names are harder and faster.”
No longer able to keep a straight face, she laid down next to him laughing so hard tears began to leak from her eyes. In her experience sex was something serious and giggling was not allowed, but it was so much better with a little levity. “Have you used these lines on women and do they work?”
He rolled over, his rough fingers pinching a nipple until it was hard and erect and she was breathless and reeling. “I have used them and I can say unequivocally they do not work at all. But they are funny and they break the ice.”
Ellis was trying to make her more comfortable, not wanting her to be nervous. It was working.
Peyton ran her hands up his muscled torso and over his wide shoulders, feeling every ridge and plane of his body. The hair on his arms and legs was slightly rougher than her own, the skin hotter under her palms. It was the sprinkling of light brown hair on his chest that had her fascinated. It was silky and fine when she carded her fingers through it, tickling her flesh.
His own hands had claimed the territory north of her belly button and was exploring every sensitive inch until she was panting for more. Her heart beat heavily against her ribs as blood pulsed though her veins all the way to the tips of her fingers and toes. Burying his face in her neck, she could feel him take a deep inhale of her scent before he nibbled and licked at the sensitive spot behind her ear. She’d have a love bite there tomorrow but tonight she didn’t care. It all felt too good and any thought of editing his actions was long gone.
His breath tickled her skin as he kissed a wet trail down her neck, chest, and over her quivering abdomen, stopping only for a moment to place kisses on the pink tips of her breasts. His tongue dipped into her belly button for a second before painting swirls all the way to her hipbone. Her hips canted and her fingers dug into his shoulders at the rioting sensations he’d evoked with so little effort.
“Ellis,” she sighed as his warm breath caressed that most intimate place. Perhaps she should have been self-conscious or shy but the heated glances he’d been giving her didn’t leave room for modesty and hesitation. This man accepted all of her and he’d seen her at her worst, his desire never once faltering. Their relationship was more than whether her stomach was flat or whether his hair was receding. She’d feel this way when he was seventy and bald.
She wriggled at the first touch of his tongue, tracing her seam before he delved in, lapping at her clit. Peyton whimpered as her temperature rose and flames swept over her flesh. She crumpled the sheets in her tight fists and her lids fluttered shut, suddenly too heavy to hold open. Insinuating himself between her thighs, he pushed her legs farther apart as his large hands gripped her hips, holding her in place. His talented and wicked tongue gave her no respite as he teased and played, giving and taking in equal measures and holding her on the edge, her legs trembling.
It was only when he pressed two fingers inside her soaked channel that she went over, her entire being dissolving with pleasure. White light burned behind her lids as everything but the two of them fell away, her world narrowing to him, this bed, and the way he could make her feel. By the time she reluctantly returned to reality he had crawled up her body and was hovering above her. His large body dwarfed her own, making her feel small, delicate, and incredibly protected.
“Princess?”
Blinking to clear her still fuzzy vision, she took a deep breath and smiled. “It’s all good. Trust me. Very good. Good.”
He’d short-circuited her brain and putting full sentences together was impossible, but he seemed to understand. Dipping his head down, he took a sensitive nipple into his mouth and worried it with his lips and teeth, starting her journey to the precipice once more. Not wanting to neglect the other side, he plucked at the other with his fingers until she was moving restlessly under him, ready for the next part. Ready for him. Her thigh brushed his hard cock and he groaned, his mouth tightening on an already taut peak.
He pulled away and a gust of cool air ran over her overheated flesh, sending goosebumps up and down her arms and making her shiver. She’d opened her mouth to protest but he was back, holding up a foil packet. At least one of them had enough of their wits about them to be practical. He’d pushed everything out of her mind but him.
Ripping it open with his teeth, he was about to roll it on but her own hand stayed his movements. This first time had been fast and heated so far, and she’d barely been able to explore. Although she knew there would be many chances in the future, she needed to touch him. Now.
“Let me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said huskily, his voice deep and rough. He surrendered the condom to her and she rolled it on him, taking her time and making sure her fingers caressed every steely inch.
When it was on she didn’t let go, instead guiding him exactly where she wanted him. Peyton wanted there to be no question between them tonight. There would be no morning recriminations, no afterthoughts. She wanted this, was eager for it, and there wouldn’t be a doubt in either of their minds.
He brushed at her slit, slick and ready for him, pushing forward slightly and then pulling back. On the next stroke he thrust in farther, pushing the oxygen from her lungs, before once again retreating. Her hands wrapped around his biceps and she pressed her lips to every part of him that she could reach: collarbone, neck, and chest, wanting to send a message of how much this meant to her.
>
I want you. I need you.
Finally he buried himself in to the hilt, her walls stretching to accommodate his generous size. A coil of arousal began forming in her abdomen as every inch of him filled every nook and cranny inside of her.
Closing her eyes, she forced herself to breathe in and out as her body grew accustomed to the feeling of being taken after so long. Their two bodies were joined in the most intimate of ways, and their breaths and heartbeats synchronized as their bodies seemed to meld together. She felt his exhale of relief on her shoulder when she experimentally moved her hips, swaying them from side to side. Her breath hitched as pleasure fizzed through her veins, sending her closer to completion.
Ellis started slowly at first but then faster as she wrapped her legs around his slim hips, urging him on, needing more. His breathing labored and ragged, his hips snapped with each thrust, his cock dragging over that sweet spot inside of her. She cried out his name as he reached between them to rub circles around her already sensitive clit. Shattering into a million pieces, she spun as stars whirled around her, making her dizzy with pleasure. Ellis went still above her, his head thrown back and the cords of his neck exposed, a picture of pure male beauty.
Collapsing, he rolled to his side, taking her with him so she was tucked into his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head. They didn’t move for a long time as they got their breathing under control and their pulses slowed down. Eventually he rolled away and disposed of the condom but was back immediately, cuddling her close as the sweat dried on their skin. Wordlessly she traced patterns on his chest with her fingernail, content to enjoy the closeness. It was something she hadn’t had in a long time, if ever. This easiness with another human being was addicting and she couldn’t get enough of it.
But of course she couldn’t keep quiet forever. Her chest felt too small for her heart, and she had so much she wanted to express to Ellis. In typical fashion, he’d created a safe place for her to do just that.
“There’s love here,” she said finally, pressing her forehead into his shoulder. “I feel different. Like it’s changed me.”
She felt rather than heard his chuckle rumbling through his chest. “It’s changed me too. I kind of like it though.”
She nodded. “Me too. I guess I just didn’t think it would be like this.”
His fingers ran through her tangled hair, his thumb brushing her ear. “Should I be brave and ask what you thought it would be like?”
“I thought it would be the same but it’s not. It’s bigger, better. More all-encompassing. I’m not afraid or worried about losing it. It’s as if this has been waiting for me all my life and now that it’s here, it’s a part of me now. Does that make sense?”
She’d rambled a bit more but the explanation was the best she could do. Describing a feeling wasn’t easy.
“It makes perfect sense,” he assured her, dropping a kiss to her temple. “This love isn’t going anywhere. You’re stuck with me. I hope you thought this through because I’m helpless against it.”
“You’re the strongest man I know so that’s hard to believe.”
He lifted her chin so she was looking into those blue eyes, so soft and full of adoration.
“How about I don’t want to fight it? I’m happy to lose this battle because I get you.”
Letting Ellis in didn’t mean she wasn’t strong. It took courage to open up her heart one more time. Whatever happened after this with Evandria wasn’t important. The only thing that mattered was her future with this man.
Chapter Twenty-Three
As much as Ellis wished differently, reality was waiting for Peyton and himself the next morning. They couldn’t hide under the covers and pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. Decisions had to be made regarding this fucked-up investigation. The case was stalled and they’d made no progress in days. They either needed to retrench or quit.
He wasn’t a man that liked giving up but they could work on this for years and never get anywhere. His own supervisor who had put him on this case was getting impatient at the lack of concrete evidence and had been broadly hinting that perhaps it was time to come back. Ellis had been doing most of this on his “vacation” time but he was the official detective assigned to Peyton’s attempted murder case. However, there were now other cases stacked up in his absence – homicides, burglaries, and more. As his time off dwindled, he faced the real possibility of having to take an extended leave, assuming it would even be approved.
He didn’t say anything as he cooked breakfast for the group – this morning it was pancakes. When everybody had eaten he would gather them together and ask the question outright.
Did they want to keep going?
It wasn’t an outrageous query. Josh needed desperately to get back to his veterinary practice and all of his dogs. Bailey had a business to run as well, although her manager had done an excellent job keeping things humming so far. Chase could do his trading from anywhere but he wasn’t spending any time doing it from what Ellis could see, which meant his friend wasn’t making any money. It didn’t help that the tension level was so high that they were beginning to turn on each other.
“Ellis, come in here,” Chase called from the living room. “Now.”
Turning off the stove, Ellis joined his friends who were trying to watch the morning news on the old television. The picture wasn’t that great but he could hear the reporter loud and clear.
“His body was found in his car early this morning by the housekeeper who immediately called 911. It was too late, however, for the wealthy philanthropist who had succumbed to what is believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Insiders say the death will be ruled a suicide. The community of Midnight Blue Beach will certainly miss Archer Caldwell. His tireless work on behalf of children was legendary in the area.”
At some point Peyton had come to stand beside Ellis, her hand wrapped around his arm, clinging tightly. Her face had gone quite pale and she was visibly shaken by the news. He wasn’t feeling all that terrific himself. They’d all heard what Nigel said last night but Ellis hadn’t believed it. Not really. He’d assumed it was a verdict that wouldn’t actually be carried out. There would be appeal after appeal. Time would pass. People would forget. Caldwell would be confined to The Retreat and that would be it. The end of the story.
Chase switched off the television. “I’m not sure how much you heard. They found him in the driver’s seat of his car parked in the garage with the door down. I doubt he lasted long.”
Breakfast forgotten, Ellis sat down heavily into the cushions of the couch. “Do you think they forced him? Tied up him up?”
Josh shook his head. “They didn’t say anything about foul play and they think it’s a suicide. Maybe they gave Caldwell a choice. Do it himself or they’d do it for him.”
“They didn’t waste any time,” Peyton said faintly, coming to sit beside Ellis. “I’m stunned. When Nigel said he got the death penalty I never thought…”
Ellis put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Neither did I.”
Josh hopped to his feet, his shoulders tense. “This isn’t about punishment, so don’t be fooled. This is about Evandria showing how powerful they are. All their members who think about stepping out of line will think twice about it after today. I’m sure this is a message to those who were following Caldwell too. They could be next.”
“Evandria doesn’t give a shit about its members,” Ellis growled. “They’re all about the power.”
“Where does that leave us?” Willow asked. “What do we do now?”
It was as good a lead-in as any.
“I was going to bring that very question up after breakfast. What do you want to do now? The investigation has hit a dry spell and we’re going to need to sit down and figure out our next moves if we want to continue. Do you want to continue?”
There was silence, everyone looking to the other to answer. Finally Willow spoke up.
“I can only speak for myself
but I want to feel safe. We’ve talked a lot about whether Evandria is really out to get us. I agree that we’ve been mostly manipulated and they wanted us to think that we were in danger but we don’t know for sure. I want to lead my life without looking over my shoulder all the time, and I don’t think I can do that unless we find out who ordered Caldwell to kill our husbands. It might be the rogue faction or it might be someone else but as long as they’re out there, I feel like they’re a threat.”
“I agree,” Bailey said, nodding. “The job is only partly done. There are people in Evandria that are threatened by us. We need to find out who they are and bring them to justice. Only then will I be able to sleep soundly at night.”
Peyton, her body tense and rigid, had yet to weigh in. Her two friends had expressed their wish to go on which put pressure on her to agree.
“You don’t have to decide now–” Ellis began but Peyton shook her head.
“I know what I want but I also know what I’m asking of you. Just like Bailey and Willow, I want us to be free of all of this. I want to live my life in peace again without worrying about my safety or yours. But that comes with a price and it’s not just me that pays it. It’s you. We’re a team so we decide this together.”
He didn’t even have to think it over. “I’m there for you no matter what.”
Chase’s brows raised. “I guess that means we move forward, whatever that entails.”
Ellis nodded in agreement. “We need to go back to square one and review everything. Even if we have to start with Gwen’s murder. Maybe we’ll see something we didn’t before.”
Willow looked at her friends as one of the dogs jumped in her lap for a cuddle. “Does this mean we’re staying here? What’s the verdict on being a target?”
“I’m kind of becoming fond of this place,” Peyton offered with a smile. “But I do miss Wi-Fi.”
Kiss Midnight Goodbye (Midnight Blue Beach Book 3) Page 15