by J. S. Scott
Had she embarrassed him somehow? Ellie had no idea what the etiquette was for a party like this.
She took a sip of champagne and a deep breath before she gave Zane a questioning look, ready for whatever he had to say.
Zane wasn’t sure what the hell was wrong with him.
One smile. One sweet turn of Ellie’s lips in the direction of another guy had been enough to make him completely fucked up.
He sat down and threw back his scotch in one gulp, knowing he was probably scaring the hell out of Ellie. He glanced at her, able to see the confusion on her face.
Pull it together, man. Just because Ellie smiled at another guy is no reason to lose it.
Zane clenched his fists beneath the table, trying to make some sense out of the illogical. Most of the time, he got along fine with Sean. Yeah, he thought he was a fool for messing with a cat like Elena, but that was his business. His director had to know what he was getting himself into. Eventually, he’d need to explain himself to Sean, but he was more worried about Ellie right now.
“Sean does his job, but I don’t know him all that well personally. His drama with Elena occasionally gets out of hand, and he’s used a few of the female employees to try to make Elena jealous,” Zane explained with what he thought was a pretty lame excuse.
“I wasn’t encouraging him,” she answered calmly. “Is he dangerous?”
Yeah. The conversation had been innocent enough. It had been the only thing that had kept him sane.
Zane shook his head. “I don’t know his personal life well enough to know how he treats a woman. I’ve never had a reason to get into his business. He hasn’t been with Colter all that long. All I really know is that he’s crazy about Elena, but she’s always looking for something better. I have no idea why he puts up with her.”
“Zane, I know you want to protect me, but someday I’m going to have to go back into the real world. Someday soon,” she told him quietly, her beautiful blue eyes staring him down.
Nope. He didn’t like that thought at all. Not after all she’d been through. “You are in the real world.”
She shook her head. “I’ve always been alone, solved my own problems.”
“Why does it have to be that way again? Why do you have to be alone now when you really need support?” Not that Zane wanted to be just her friend, and it was getting harder and harder each day not to want to be more. Literally harder.
She shook her head and broke their locked gazes, her eyes straying to her fluted glass of champagne as she stroked the stem. Hell, even that turned him on. He wanted those caressing fingers all over his fucking body.
Suddenly remembering why he’d been gone so long, he put his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out the items that he’d bid on and won in the silent auction.
“I won one of the bids on the auctions. I want you to have these.” He pushed a white velvet box across the small table.
Truth be told, he’d made damn sure he won by bidding a small fortune on the items. The minute he saw them, he knew they needed to belong to Ellie.
She looked at him in confusion and then down at the box, tracing the decorative gold lettering on the top. “Mia Hamilton?”
He nodded. “She does something special for my corporate fundraiser every year. The majority of the proceeds this year are going to a joint charity for domestic abuse victims. Mia’s sister-in-law founded it. Asha Harrison. They’re doing a lot of good work. My brothers and Chloe all support Asha’s Fund.”
Ellie nodded slowly. “I’ve heard about it. Lara is involved, too.”
“There are a lot of wealthy donors now all over the country. It’s a great charity that has very few administrative overheads since they have a lot of volunteers.” He nodded at the box. “Open it. I hope you like it.”
“Zane, is this a piece by Mia Hamilton?”
“Of course,” he answered sensibly.
“I can’t believe I’m even touching it. Her stuff is exclusive. I’ve never seen anything but pictures.”
Zane smiled. “Another first,” he replied as he impatiently reached over and popped the box open.
Ellie’s astonished gasp was audible even in the noisy ballroom.
“Oh. My. God.” She leaned back as though she was afraid to touch the jewelry.
Zane hadn’t seen all of Mia’s work, but he was pretty certain she’d outdone herself on the necklace and earrings she’d made this year. Somehow she’d made a fortune in sapphires, diamonds, and gold still look classy, delicate, and feminine. The chain of the necklace was alternating hearts made of small diamonds and blue sapphires with a slight violet tint. The chain met in the middle to support a heart pendant made of a large sapphire with diamonds framing the center heart. Mia had paired the necklace with simple drop earrings made of the same gems.
“I thought they were pretty. The sapphires almost match your eyes,” Zane said anxiously, getting worried about the nervous look on her face.
“Pretty? Zane, these are the most beautiful pieces of jewelry I’ve ever seen. Can I touch them?”
He reached out and took her hand, placing her fingers on top of the necklace. “They’re yours. Of course you can touch them.” He was secretly pleased that she seemed so enchanted by Mia’s creations.
She carefully traced the delicate hearts on the chain, and then ran a careful finger down the sapphire pendant. “You know I can’t accept a gift like this,” she told him adamantly. “But I’m really happy that I was able to see these in person. I didn’t go to see what was on auction.”
He got up and plucked the necklace from the box. Standing behind Ellie, he slipped the chain around her neck and fastened the clasp. He didn’t bother with the earrings since Ellie was already wearing a costume pair that he wasn’t about to try to take out and replace.
Sitting back down again, he surveyed the stunning contrast of the sparkling gems against Ellie’s creamy skin. “Perfect,” he declared, satisfied that the necklace had found the place where it had always belonged.
“Take it off,” Ellie squeaked, her voice sounding panicked.
He smirked. “Any other time, I’d love to hear those words come out of your mouth, but not this time.”
“Zane, I can’t wear this. What if somebody tries to steal it? What if the clasp breaks and it gets lost?” She’d leaned across the table so she could speak without attracting attention.
He shrugged. “It’s just jewelry.”
“Jewelry that costs more than most people’s houses,” she answered in a frantic tone.
He was getting irritated because her objection was all about how much he spent. Logically, he understood her situation, but he’d never miss a single penny he spent. “It was a gift, Ellie. The money went to a good cause. Christ! Can’t you just accept a gift from me without worrying about paying back the money? I want you to have it. It matches your eyes, and sapphires are your birthstone. Coincidentally, they’re my birthstone, too.”
She lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s such a thoughtful gift, but don’t you understand that I’m not used to accepting gifts like this?”
“I do understand. But you have to realize that I’m very used to giving these types of gifts. Not jewelry exactly. But expensive for the average person. For me, it’s not that pricey,” he reminded her. “It’s like you sending flowers to a friend, or buying a card.”
Ellie burst into laughter, the sound grabbing and squeezing Zane’s heart like a vise. She snorted before she answered, “That really is true, I suppose. But I think I’d be more comfortable with flowers.” She fingered the necklace carefully. “And I know it’s a good cause. But this is something you need to save for somebody special,” she prompted, reaching back to fumble with the clasp of the pendant.
He stood and grasped her wrists. “Don’t,” he told her gruffly. “I’m ready to go. Are you?”
She nodded. “Yes, but I really need to—”
“Let’s get our coats. You can either take the earrings or leave them there for whoever decides to pick them up. I’m not giving them to anyone else. I did give them to someone special. I gave them to you.”
He tugged on her wrist to get them to the coat check area.
“Wait!” she answered with panic. “I can’t just leave them here, and I need my bag.”
Zane released her wrist and let her pick up her small black clutch from one of the chairs, and then observed with satisfaction when she carefully closed the lid of the jewelry box and stowed the earrings safely in her purse.
“You’re not playing fair,” she snapped at him as she brushed by him.
“You haven’t played fair since you decided to wear almost nothing underneath that dress,” Zane shot back at her as he clasped their hands together.
“I hardly think that’s the same thing,” she said tartly, sounding like a sexy schoolteacher.
“Close enough,” he replied nonchalantly, continuing to lead her toward the door.
His dick had been hard since the moment he’d seen her in that slinky black dress. Ellie was so naturally beautiful that she didn’t need the makeup and hair, but the perfection of how she looked tonight had blown him away. When he’d seen the outline of her pebbled nipples through the black fabric, his cock had started to throb even more insistently.
Mine!
His reaction had been immediate and irrevocable. Ellie belonged with him. Though, he was pretty sure that he needed her more than she needed him.
After she’d revealed exactly what she was wearing underneath that dress, he’d wanted to see if she was teasing him, or if she was telling the truth.
As far as he was concerned, he was done playing fair. Seeing her climax once hadn’t been enough. He was addicted. He needed to see her come apart again, hear her scream his name. Oddly, he didn’t care if she was a virgin other than the fact that he’d be the first and only guy to claim her, a fact that made him want to fuck her even more. But he hadn’t wanted to take her that night because he needed to know that she truly wanted him to be her first. Now, he knew that not only would he be her first…he’d be her one and only.
Honestly, Ellie had always been the one for him. Subconsciously, maybe he’d always known it, but it was pretty damn clear the few times he’d seen her back in Rocky Springs. He didn’t act then, which was a fact that he now regretted, but he was going to now.
I almost lost her.
It was pretty damn sad to think that it took Ellie almost dying for him to pull his head out of his ass and find his balls. One thing he knew for sure: he was ready to fight for what he wanted.
No more playing nice. Zane was ready to play dirty, knowing it would be a hell of a lot more satisfying for both of them.
It didn’t take long for them to get back to Zane’s home. He’d made use of his limo and driver, and they’d been dropped off at the door after a smooth and fast ride home.
The champagne Ellie had consumed was starting to wear off, but she was still riding a little buzz as she asked Zane, “Are you hungry?” They’d stopped into the kitchen to get a drink. She handed him a Coke from the refrigerator, selecting a diet for herself.
When she set the can on the countertop to open it, Zane pinned her from behind, slapping one hand on each side of her. “Not for food. But I’m dying to find out if you’ve been lying to me all night.”
An exploring hand landed on her ass, pinching her butt cheeks and rubbing to see if there was any material underneath. Her breath hitched as he started raising the flowing material up her thighs and to her ass.
“Jesus Christ! You aren’t wearing anything else, are you?”
She gripped the counter in front of her and shook her head. “No. I told you I wasn’t.”
“Turn around,” he demanded after he unzipped the back of her dress.
Ellie wanted skin-to-skin contact so badly that she obeyed. “I can’t do this,” she protested weakly, trying to fight the desires of her body with the logic of her mind. Unfortunately, her body was winning the battle. She’d wanted Zane for so long and so damned much that her defenses were crumbling.
After lifting the dress over her head and letting it hit the floor, Zane took her by the shoulders. “You said you wanted somebody who sees you, somebody who cares about you. I assume you’ve been saving your virginity for him. That man is me, Ellie. I’m sure as hell not a virgin, but I think I’ve been waiting for you forever. If you want to back out, do it now, or I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop myself later.”
His expression was fierce as she glanced up at him, his eyes nearly devouring her mostly-nude body with appreciation.
“I think I’ve always been waiting for you,” she admitted quietly, finally meeting his eyes as they drifted to her face. “But I’m scared.”
“Why?” he asked urgently, sounding slightly wounded. “I’d never hurt you, Ell.”
She shook her head. “It’s not that. I want you. I want to be with you. But after it’s over, I’m scared that I’ll crave you every single day.”
He ran his fingers slowly from the gorgeous necklace that she was wearing down her body until he reached her barely-there panties. His fingers rubbed over the silky material, teasing her with the pleasure she knew she could experience with him and only him. The reason she hadn’t had sex before was simple: she’d never wanted anyone except Zane.
“Then crave me, Ellie. For fuck’s sake, crave me as much as I crave you,” he answered huskily, kissing her forehead, her cheeks, and the side of her mouth. “Need me so badly that you think you’re going crazy. I’ll be there to take away the ache because I know exactly how it feels.”
She felt naked, both emotionally and physically, as she stood before him almost nude. Her arms crept around his neck and she speared a hand through his thick hair, glorying in the feel of the strands sliding between her fingers. “Yes,” she answered simply. “Please.”
Ellie immediately felt her body being lifted and carried, not knowing where they were going until he set her down in the middle of his own bed. “I want to do this right, Ellie. I don’t want you to feel a moment of pain.”
She didn’t care if it hurt, as long as she could get Zane inside her as quickly as possible. “I don’t care. I just want you.”
“You already have me,” he growled as he started to strip off his clothes. “And I have no intention of letting you go.”
She was nervous. Not that Ellie had any desire to back away now. Dammit, she’d almost died at the hands of a sociopath. She wanted to find out what it felt like to be with someone who cared about her, a man she’d wanted for so long she wasn’t sure when the deep ache inside her had begun. But her lack of experience was making her anxious.
“I don’t know what to do,” she confessed, sitting cross-legged on the bed as she watched Zane remove his bow tie and yank it from his neck. Ellie licked her dry lips apprehensively as he started on his shirt, revealing muscular abs and a toned torso that her fingers were itching to touch.
“Anything you want, Ellie. Whatever you need.”
“I need to touch you,” she said breathlessly as she watched him shrug out of his shirt.
He froze as she slowly scrambled off the bed to stand beside him.
Following her instincts, Ellie reached down and unbuttoned his trousers, pulling the zipper down carefully. She might have never gone all the way, but she was familiar with the touchy-feely making out part. But it had been a while. She fumbled as she grasped the waistband of his pants and tugged them down, taking the black boxer briefs down with the tuxedo pants.
Dropping to her knees, she kept pulling, surprised when his freed cock almost hit her in the face. “It’s enormous,” Ellie murmured incredulously as she tried to wrap her fist around his member when it was completely erect.
>
Zane groaned, and stroked a hand over her hair. “Jesus Christ. I might not live through this.”
She let go of him immediately and finished removing his pants and underwear. Zane stepped out of them obligingly. “I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?” Ellie couldn’t hide the worry in her tone.
“No, baby. It’s not you.” He pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. “But seeing you on your knees with my dick in your hands is like a goddamn fantasy for me.”
Ellie wasn’t sure if that was good or bad, but she was totally willing to do it again. “I don’t mind fulfilling any of your fantasies,” she said eagerly.
He brushed a curl from her face as he replied, “Be careful what you promise, Ell. I have a very dirty imagination when it comes to you,” he answered dangerously.
A shiver went up her spine as Zane lowered his hand from her waist to her bare ass, stroking over it as he threaded the fingers of his other hand through her hair. “I need to take this slow, sweetheart. This isn’t just a fuck for me.”
He picked her up and laid her in the middle of the bed again, but this time he came down on top of her.
“Not for me either,” she agreed shakily, the feel of the warm, satiny skin of his chest making contact with her sensitive nipples muddling her brain.
She ran her hands over every inch of bare skin she could touch—over his shoulders, back and then up again—drowning in the sensation of being able to feel him against her skin-to-skin.
“God, you feel so good,” she moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist, her body already demanding satisfaction.
“Things are about to feel a hell of a lot better,” Zane rasped as he rolled off her body and to her right side.
She mewled with disappointment, hating the loss of connection with him…until she felt his hand cupping her breast, his mouth lowering to suck one of her hard nipples into his mouth.
Ellie had been felt up by guys before, but Zane wasn’t just a guy. He was a grown man who knew exactly how to touch her. Squirming as he bit gently on one of the solid peaks, she started to hyperventilate as he pinched the other one.