by Jenny Lynn
“That sounds good, thank you.”
I glanced at the clock, it was three in the afternoon. A bit late for breakfast, but we had both just woken up. As I got started on food the air was thick with silence. What was there to say? This entire situation was so surreal. Ella had seen me kill. She knew I was the Phantom. I had taken her, taken her freedom. She had treated my wounds and refused to leave after everything. We were both making bad decision after bad decision, recklessly moving towards a situation that would probably spell disaster for both of us.
I whisked the eggs and started coffee, sliding toast into the toaster while Ella watched me move around the kitchen.
“Does it hurt?” she asked finally.
I glanced down at the bandages and shrugged.
“I have a pretty high pain tolerance after all these years. It’s nearly healed up now.”
Her eyes widened. “Healed? How could it be healed already? When I looked it was…” She shuddered.
I peeled back the bandage and let her see the spot where the bullet had tore through my side, now smooth and pink.“The company is called Body Tech, this medication is one of my company’s investments. I figured it would be helpful to get my hands on, given what I do.”
“That… that’s unbelievable.”
I poured her a cup of coffee and set it down in front of her.
“Science is capable of so much, and getting more advanced every day. Cream? Sugar?”
She nodded and I picked up a carton and packets of sugar, placing them beside her on the counter. I watched as she tore open four packets and poured them in, drowning the coffee in cream. I preferred my coffee black so I could taste it.
When the toast popped up I spread butter on a few slices, plated up eggs and took the plates over sitting down beside Ella. I stabbed a forkful of egg, slid it into my mouth as I looked at the woman beside me. Her long legs dangled out under my dress shirt hanging off her body, the light blue complimenting her rich brown hair and the hazel of her eyes. I needed to ask the question that was nagging at me since I saw her asleep on my couch.
“When are you planning on writing the story about me?”
Ella pushed the eggs around on her plate, looking down at her food. I waited for an answer, until she finally lifted her eyes to meet mine.
“I don’t know. I keep going back and forth in my mind. Beckett, I don’t agree with what you do as the Phantom. We have a legal system, we have trials and prisons for a reason. But the other part of me knows how deeply flawed those systems can be. How they failed my sister. And I start to wonder, maybe the world does need you to do what you do.” She sighed. “I guess I’m confused. And on top of everything, even though you kept me here and I’m still royally pissed off about that by the way, you did save my life. You stopped those men from…”
She didn’t have to say it. We both knew what would have happened if I hadn’t burst through the door when I did, what Dale and his men would have done to her. To know that would have been her first time, that they would have taken something so intimate from her. I clenched my fists at the table, the thought made the anger rise in me. If I could, I would kill Dale all over again. And again.
Ella noticed the tension in my body and placed her hand softly on my arm. I looked down at her delicate fingers, along her arm until I was looking into her face again.
“So, here we are,” I said.
She gave a half smile.
“Here we are,” she repeated.
We ate our food in comfortable silence, the crime reporter sitting beside the biggest scoop of her career. The trained killer sitting beside the delicate virgin. Neither of us sure how to move forward with everything we knew.
As I cleared away the plates, Ella played with her hands in her lap. There was clearly something on her mind, and I gave her time until she felt comfortable enough to say whatever it was she wanted to say.
“The other night, when I kissed you… and you kissed me back. Why did you stop Beckett?”
I leaned against the counter and ran my hand over my face. Even now, her hair hanging down her shoulders and my shirt concealing her body. Even now, the sight of her made me want her more than I ever have any other woman dressed in flimsy lingerie or a designer gown. I had to be careful not to stare at her body, not to picture what it would be like to yank that damn shirt from her so hard the buttons scattered across the floor. If I thought about it I’d get hard and it would be impossible to hide what was really on my mind with her seated so close to me.
“Because it wouldn’t be right Ella. Not just because of what I did to you, or what you’ve been through. But because I can’t take that from you. I’m not the man for that. I can’t give you the type of experience you need, what it should be.”
Her expression grew stern, I wasn’t expecting to see the flash of anger in her eyes after I gave her what I thought was a sensitive and reasonable answer.
“I’m a grown woman Beckett, don’t you think I should have some control over what I do and don’t do? Yes, you took me here. I understand why you did what you did. But for me to throw myself at you in that moment and have you react the way you did… it was embarrassing.”
“Ella, it’s wrong. You know what I am, deep down you know it’s not what you want.”
She jumped to her feet and glared at me.
“It’s bad enough you kidnapped me, after you tased me in the neck Beckett. You locked me up, you snooped through my phone, but this? Right, this is crossing the line. I can’t believe you!”
Just like that, the calm quiet mood from breakfast was shattered. She stormed off, moving swiftly away from me towards the elevator where she jabbed the button repeatedly. I walked after her, my body tense. Why was she pissed off at me for wanting to do the right thing? I reached her as the elevator doors opened and pulled her back, pinning her against the wall.
“So now you want to leave, is that it Ella?”
She shoved against me, her hands pushing my chest away from her but I didn’t budge.
“Yes. Yes, I want to leave.”
“You’re upset with me because I’m showing self-restraint?”
“I’m upset with you because you’re treating me like a child, Beckett. I can take care of myself, and I can make my own decisions.”
“Your decisions led to you almost being raped by a room of criminals, and who knows what they would have done next. Maybe you don’t make the best decisions Ella, did you think of that?”
“Maybe not, but they’re mine to make!”
She was shaking, breathing hard and her cheeks flush and pink with anger as she stared up at me. I pinned her in with my arms, staring at her like a wild animal wanting to devour a meal. I had never wanted someone more.
“You don’t know what you’re asking Ella,” I warned her, my voice low.
“Then show me,” she answered me softly. “Kiss me Beckett. Please.”
The words had just left her lips when the last threads of my sanity snapped apart. I needed to touch her, to taste her. Even if it was just one last time before she walked out my door and never came back. I wound my fingers into her long hair and held her head as my lips crashed against her. I felt her give a little gasp as she parted her lips slightly. Enough for me to stroke my tongue against her and taste the lingering sweetness of her coffee on her breath. Reaching down I gripped her hips lifting her up, pressing her against the wall and wrapping her legs around me as my growing erection pressed into her. My side ached, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything right now, I only cared about satisfying the need I didn’t want to admit had been building inside me since the second Ella walked into my office that day, since the moment she walked into my life and turned everything upside down.
Ella ran her hands along my chest, kissing me back, her soft lips moving against mine. There was a nervous reservation about the way she gave herself over to me, the way she was submitting to the harsh control of my fingers digging into her skin and the aggressive way I was cl
aiming her mouth. When I pulled back to look at her, her lips reddened from the pressure and parted slightly as she was breathing hard, I searched her eyes for any sign of hesitation. For her to realize this wasn’t what she wanted. I was surprised to see no indication of that, just a timid desire building in her.
“Ella,” my voice was a strained and husky croak as I buried my face against her neck, whispering in her ear. “This isn’t what your first time should be. I’m not like other men, when adrenaline runs through my body I can’t help myself. I don’t know how to be gentle, I want to dominate and ruin. Don’t let this happen, I don’t want to hurt you.”
Ella took my face in her hands, turning me until she was looking directly in my eyes. She pressed her lips against mine softly.
“I want this Beckett. I want it to be you, your darkness and all. I can handle it.”
I kissed her again, the last layers of my resolve cracking apart as I held her against me. I carried her, my hands supporting her body and my fingers digging into her ass as I walked with determined steps towards the hallway. I slammed her against the wall, she gasped as I covered her mouth and she wrapped her legs around me tighter. I pressed against her, my cock painfully hard and wanting to be buried deep inside her. Claiming the secret parts of her no one had ever touched before, making her mine in the most carnal way possible.
Pulling her off the wall I walked backwards, kicking open the door to my bedroom and marching towards my bed. I dropped her down against the mattress, she looked up at me, her eyes shining. She bit her lip as I leaned my body over her, trapping her underneath me.
“There’s still time to turn back,” I told her as I gathered the dress shirt in my hands.
Ella pushed herself up on her elbows, planting a kiss along my jaw. “Not for me there isn’t.”
I pushed her back, she gave a little gasp as she fell against the mattress. I pinned her arms over her head, holding them firmly, as my free hand skimmed her body. When I reached the hem of the shirt and started to slowly lift the fabric, her body shook slightly. I wanted her, my need fierce and urgent, but she was like a gift I had been waiting for all my life. I would take my time to unwrap her.
Button by button, I opened the soft blue fabric exposing inch after inch of her skin. Dropping my head I trailed my lips and tongue over her, creating a trail from her navel up higher, until I uncovered her breasts. I pulled the shirt down her arms, tossing it to the floor, and paused for a moment to look down at her. She was blushing, gripping the pillow above her head and watching me. Waiting. Willing.
I dropped my head and fluttered my tongue over the delicate peak of her nipple, rolling the other between my fingers. She moaned as I gripped her tight, pinching her sensitive breasts and running my tongue along each hardening bud. Her lips, her skin, I wanted to taste every sinfully sweet inch of her. She was squirming against the sheets, her body awakening to my touch, while I let my hands travel lower. Into the shorts, under the fabric, where I dipped my finger inside of her and realized how wet she was. Our eyes made contact and I raised an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to speak, and as soon as her jaw dropped open I plunged my finger deep inside her causing her to gasp and arch her back off the bed.
I massaged her with my finger, rubbing inside of her while she fisted the sheets and writhed beneath me. Her body was responding to me, responding to my touch and growing softer with every passing second. Her innocence melting away and revealing what her body was capable of, the pleasure she was able to experience. Every moan, every reaction, mine. I wanted to taste her, I pulled her legs apart and dropped my head as I yanked the shorts from her body. As I stroked my tongue against her smooth little seam, she gasped and bolted up in the bed in shock.
She leaned forward to reach for me and I moved my hand to her neck, pushing her roughly back onto the bed and keeping her still. She arched, her body leaving the bed, as I continued running my tongue along her. As I flicked against her bud she cried out and tried to shut her legs.
“No,” I demanded, keeping her legs parted. “Stay like this.”
“I can’t,” she gasped. “It’s too much.”
“Give in,” I muttered, returning my mouth to her sweet core. “If you don’t, I’m going to chain you up until I finish.”
Her legs were trembling but she did as I told her. I moved my finger inside her while my tongue worked against her. She moaned, the sound of her pleasure making me painfully hard and aching. The trembling moved from her legs throughout her body as she became soft and warm with perspiration. Twisting my fingers she screamed, her entire body tightening rhythmically, as I lapped against her pushing her over the edge. I glanced up, her beautiful face was glowing and her full lips parted. I wanted to give her this, before I took from her. I needed her to feel pleasure before any pain.
I stood up. She was breathing quickly and coming down from her orgasm as I shoved my pants down, stepping out of them while I watched her. Ella’s eyes widened as she let her eyes trail down my body, landing between my legs. She swallowed hard and I locked my eyes with hers, pulling open my nightstand and reaching inside.
“Shit.”
I pulled the drawer open, rummaging through the empty box of condoms.
“What is it Beckett?” Ella sat up, her gorgeous body naked and willing in my bed. “Is something wrong?”
“I can’t believe this, but I’m out of condoms,” I groaned, running my hands through my hair. Of all the fucking times to run out. Ella reached for me from the bed, beckoning me closer.
“It’s okay,” she told me softly. “You don’t have to worry. I take birth control.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Why do you take birth control?”
She shrugged. “You never know. It just became a habit for me, I guess. In case anything happened.”
“Still,” I told her, torn between temptation and wanting to be careful. I was so hard, so eager to be deep inside her.
“I’m safe,” she assured me. “And I trust you.” She giggled. “Beckett Carter, dangerous vigilante, afraid to have unprotected sex.”
I stepped towards her, my eyes scorching into hers. “I’m not afraid Ella. The question is, are you?”
She trembled slightly, hesitating a moment then shaking her head.
“No. I’m ready.”
I climbed on top of her, dropping my head to her neck and kissing her damp skin. I grazed her collarbone with my teeth, giving her a slight bite that made her gasp in shock before I covered her mouth roughly with my own. I grabbed her arms again, pinning them above her head as I forced her legs apart with my knees. I positioned myself against her soft opening, she was trembling slightly and her fingers flexed around my own. I pulled back and looked into her eyes, they were so clear and bright. I watched her as I edged my hips forward, sinking inch by inch inside her.
Ella cried out, arching her back again as I delved deeper into her. A tear rolled from her eye down her cheek as she bit her lip, muffling the sounds she was making. She felt so tight around my thick length, so soft and smooth, I groaned as I shoved deeper until I was buried to the base inside her. She was gasping, I pulled out then drove into her again, keeping her arms pinned down. It felt too good, I couldn’t stop myself from pulling back then slamming deep inside her repeatedly.
I kissed her, hard, her small arms firmly in my grip as I rocked my body into hers over and over again. Ella lifted her legs and wrapped them around my hips while I slammed into her. I couldn’t stop myself, couldn’t hold it back any longer. I took control of her body, breaking her innocence and claiming her body as mine. She murmured as I groaned, my mouth trapping all her soft little sounds while I let her see what my body was really capable of. What I wanted from her from the moment I saw her.
The bed was shaking violently while I plunged deep, pinning her body beneath mine while I took my pleasure from her. I let go of her hands and reached down, tilting up her hips until I had Ella at the exact angle I wanted. She screamed out my name as I hit a spot deep inside h
er she probably never knew existed before now. Before I showed it to her. Her hands pressed against the headboard as her body trembled all over a second time, clenching down on my cock as her body gave in to another orgasm.
She fell back against the mattress, breathing hard and limp while I gripped her thighs and conquered her again and again. I was close, so close, and I leaned forward to bite her lower lip as I came inside her, my movements rough and jerky as I spread the result of my orgasm through her tight body. I collapsed beside her, my hands still tight on her hips, her pale skin marked in the places I held her roughly or nipped with my teeth. A canvas for the rough touch I inflicted on her body.
I gathered Ella in my arms and held her against me, both of our bodies misted with sweat. I could feel her little hummingbird heart beating quickly in her chest, mirroring the pace of my own. I stroked a finger along her cheek then kissed her temple and she nuzzled against me. She didn’t run. She didn’t look at me with regret. She lay trusting in my arms, in my bed, submitting to me entirely.
Chapter Thirteen
Ella
I turned over in bed and looked into Beckett’s face. We lay side by side, staring into each other’s eyes, neither of us in a rush to break the silence between us. Something had fundamentally shifted between us, and as cliché as it felt to admit to myself, I felt different. That type of physical contact I had denied myself for so long, that part of myself I had never given to a man, I had given it willingly to him. There was still a dull ache between my legs but it wasn’t unbearable, not compared to the toe-curling pleasure he had given me.
“Did I hurt you?” Beckett stroked his fingers from my shoulder up my arm, touching my wrists lightly. I lifted my hands in front of my face and saw the red marks where he had gripped me, holding me still as he moved inside me. I shook my head.
“No, I feel good. I promise.”
Beckett rolled over and walked around the bed to my side where he bent down and scooped me up into his arms. He carried me across the bedroom into the bathroom where he placed me in the enormous tub and turned on the warm water. It started to pool and collect around me, I wriggled my toes in the stream.