Elle sat up and moved her hips so she could feel his bulge near her aching center.
“I thought I could make it up to you with breakfast in bed.” She grabbed a large berry from the bowl and fed it to him.
“Mmm… strawberries, my second favorite breakfast food,” he said.
Elle furrowed her brow. “I thought it was your favorite.”
“That was before I met you. Now my favorite thing to have for breakfast is you.” He pinned her underneath him and crushed her mouth with a kiss.
“No, sir. This morning is all about you,” Elle said as she squirmed out from under him.
Ryan lay back on the bed, placing both hands behind his head. “By all means.”
Elle moved on top of him, tentatively running her hands along the ridges and muscles in his abs and up to his chest. She tasted and licked, enjoying, exploring every inch of his perfect body. She scooted her body down, taking his length into her mouth.
That elicited a groan from Ryan, which only served to make her work harder to hear the evidence of his arousal. She licked, sucked, and bared just a hint of teeth before he pulled her up and placed her on top of him. She started to complain, until he moved her panties aside and then grabbed her by the waist, impaling her onto him. He drove the speed, lifting her up and down at a pace that had her soaring. She grabbed on to his bulging biceps as he easily lifted her over and over.
“Come for me, Elle,” he said hoarsely, nipping at an ear.
She shattered, going limp in his arms, as she watched him find his own release.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ELLE AND CLIVE had been busy all week preparing for the ball on top of their regular work. And finally, it was nearly upon them. Tomorrow, Clive had planned to keep the office closed because of the event. Lawyers from all over the state would be getting into town late tonight and early the next morning, and Clive wanted to be available to dine and catch up with all his old buddies.
Elle checked her to-do list and sighed. Ryan was coming over tonight, and she was eager to see him. They hadn’t been together outside of the gym since Sunday, and if the flirty texts he had been sending all day were any indicator, it was going to be a fun night of making up for lost time.
Elle needed to run through the guest list for the ball and narrow down a few top prospects to talk with about a job. Clive had promised to introduce her and provide a glowing reference to whomever she decided. The idea of leaving Clive’s company and Sweetbriar was becoming increasingly difficult.
Ryan hadn’t mentioned her moving away since their first date. But maybe that was why things had been so great over the last few weeks. No strings, no need for a messy breakup. Elle would leave for a new job, and he would go on with his life intact, as if she had never been here. The thought brought on a frown. She wasn’t sure if she was more upset about the idea of leaving the quaint community or Ryan.
Elle glanced back at her list and decided a snack and coffee would help her tackle the last few items. The office was quiet as she walked to the kitchen. Julia had already left for the day, and Clive was with a client in his office. She found Amanda, her face pale and upset, sitting at the bar in the kitchen, holding a dozen red roses similar to the ones Elle had received at her condo. She hadn’t put it together before, but of course the flowers had to have been intended for Amanda.
“Everything okay?” Elle asked tentatively.
“Oh, hi, Elle. I didn’t hear you come in. Yes, I’m fine. Just waiting for Clive to finish up.” Amanda picked up her mug and walked to the sink to rinse it.
Elle didn’t press her, but it was obvious from the look on her face and the unease in her voice that something was wrong. She hoped it wasn’t Clive. He seemed happy, and the whole town liked Amanda, from what her mother had told her. It was a selfish thought, but Elle didn’t want their relationship problems to impact her big night at the ball. She tried to think of something comforting to say as she grabbed a banana and filled her coffee mug.
“Are you excited for tomorrow?” Elle asked cautiously, hoping she wasn’t bringing up a sore topic for Amanda.
Amanda smiled and nodded. “Yes. Clive and I have been looking forward to it for weeks.”
Elle breathed a sigh of relief that they were still planning to attend the ball together. Maybe whatever was bothering her had nothing to do with him.
“Clive says you’ll be leaving us shortly after the ball,” Amanda said.
Elle nodded. “I have to find someone to hire me first.”
“I’m sure that will be no problem. He is going to miss you, though. I will, too. He’s been working a lot less hours since you’ve been around to help out.”
“I’ll miss working here, too,” Elle said. It was the first time she had admitted it out loud to another person. She had been afraid to talk about it to her family or friends. She knew that one sign of her hesitating to leave and they would be all over here not to go. She needed to stay strong and remember why she couldn’t stay.
Elle glanced at the flowers again.
“You know, I think you got a flower delivery at the condo a few weeks back. There wasn’t a card, so I thought they were for me. I’m thinking they were for you though, now that I see those. Sorry I didn’t figure it out sooner.”
Amanda looked down at the flowers in her hands as if she had forgotten she was holding them. “Oh, I see. They were delivered to the condo?”
“Yeah, they came one evening after work.”
Amanda placed the flowers aside. “Has everything else been going okay at my place?”
“Yeah, it’s great. Thanks again for subletting it to me.”
“No problem,” she mumbled and backed away. “Sorry, I gotta run. Talk to you later.”
Amanda hurried out of the kitchen as Clive’s office door opened. He was ushering out the client but caught Amanda scurrying toward him and seemed to hasten his good-byes.
“Hey, you forgot your flowers,” Elle said as Clive’s office door closed again with Amanda and Clive shut up inside.
“Well, that was odd,” Elle mumbled to the quiet kitchen.
RYAN PUT DOWN the phone just as Tori walked into his office.
“What’s up, big brother? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Tori shut the door and sat down in front of Ryan’s desk.
“Someone wants to franchise Fit Club, open another location in Carroll for starters, and then maybe throughout the state.”
Marie Smith had been relentless in contacting him. She had called nearly every day until Ryan finally decided the only way to get rid of her was to tell her flat out he wasn’t interested. As it turned out, she was far more compelling than he had anticipated, and now he was unsure.
“Wow. That’s amazing! Congratulations.”
That was the great thing about Tori. She was genuine in her happiness for others when they succeeded. They had never had a typical competitive sibling relationship. Tori had found success in her own right and had never belittled Ryan for his own achievements.
“I don’t know. I’m not sure I want to franchise Fit Club. I like being the be-all-say-all of this place. It makes the success that much sweeter.”
“What did you tell them?” Tori prodded. “Hopefully, not that you want to be the be-all-say-all,” Tori joked, lightening the mood a bit.
“I told her I wasn’t interested, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I finally agreed to meet with her tomorrow and hear her out. She’s coming in the afternoon. Fuck. I’m taking Elle to the ball tomorrow night. I can’t believe it slipped my mind.”
“Things seem to be getting pretty serious with you two. Has she decided to stay in Sweetbriar?” Tori pried.
“She’s not going anywhere if I have anything to say about it.” Ryan practically growled.
“Easy, killer. I’m happy for you. Elle seems great.”
Ryan nodded, and Tori gave him a smile before standing and heading out the door.
“Good luck tomorrow. Promise me you’ll at least
listen to what they have to say. I know this wasn’t what you imagined, but it could be great. And if Elle is set on moving, maybe this is an opportunity to do that together.”
ELLE COULD TELL something was wrong with Ryan as soon as he showed up at her place an hour earlier. He had taken over her kitchen like a man on a mission, making turkey burgers and sweet-potato fries. Elle had been on the phone with her mother and father in Italy, so he had given her a quick kiss and gone to work peeling and chopping. When Elle finally got off the phone, dinner was ready, and they sat down to eat in front of the TV to watch the latest episode of The Biggest Loser. It wasn’t until the dishes were washed and the TV was off that Elle decided to get to the bottom of his weird mood.
“You seem a little preoccupied tonight. Everything alright?” she asked cautiously.
Brock had hated when Elle asked what was wrong, so she cringed at being put off or accused of being crazy for noticing a change in his mood.
“Yeah, sorry. Something happened today. Took me a little by surprise.” Ryan led her to the couch and pulled her down beside him. “Someone wants to franchise Fit Club. Open a club in Carroll and possibly more later.”
“And you’re not sure you want to hand over control of something you’ve worked so hard to build?” Elle smiled tentatively.
“You get it.” Ryan beamed at her and gave her a quick kiss on the nose. “I guess I’m afraid of what that looks like. I never imagined anything more than having the one gym here in Sweetbriar.”
Elle looked at his deep brown eyes and saw the vulnerability that the club held for him. It was clear he had put all he had into the gym. She admired what he had built, as well the fact he wasn’t willing to sell out just for the money.
“You’re only looking at the cons. What about the pros?” Elle didn’t want him to regret an opportunity just because he hadn’t considered it when he opened the place.
“Such as?” Ryan looked eager to see a positive side of this idea.
“Well, for starters… you’ve built something great. Everyone loves the club, and you’ve impacted a lot of the community in Sweetbriar. You could influence even more people with more clubs. And so what if other clubs don’t do things exactly like you do here? Doing things different doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
“My girlfriend is pretty smart and sexy.” Ryan grinned at her, and Elle’s cheeks warmed with a blush. He hadn’t called her his girlfriend before, but it sounded good.
“Have they shown you the market research or any of the details yet?” The lawyer in her couldn’t resist making sure he was considering all the variables.
“Not yet. We’re meeting tomorrow. That reminds me… I may have to meet you at the ball. Our meeting is at 4:00 p.m., and I don’t want you to be late. I’m so sorry. I promise to make it up to you afterward.”
“Mmm… I have a few ideas on how you can make it up to me right now. First though, I need to tell you something.”
“Sounds ominous. What’s up?”
Elle pulled a pillow onto her lap and hugged it tightly.
“My ex-boyfriend, Brock, is going to be at the ball on Saturday. He’s an attorney at a firm in Kansas City. We broke up before I moved to Sweetbriar, but I just wanted to make sure you knew so it wasn’t weird or awkward.”
He nodded and drew her into his lap. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
He laughed. “Yeah. I don’t have a problem with it. Do you?”
A sigh of relief escaped her lips. “No. I just thought I should warn you.”
Leaning in until their noses touched, he whispered softly. “Consider me warned.”
Elle hopped off his lap and took off her shirt. “Now, about you making it up to me for blowing me off for some silly meeting.” She threw her shirt at him with a grin before he stood and chased her to the bedroom.
ELLE SPENT THE morning at the spa with Claire, preparing for the big night. She was excited and nervous about Ryan’s meeting later that afternoon. She hoped it went well so they could celebrate later. If things went according to plan and she found a new job at the ball, then tonight might very well be their last big night out together. Elle planned to savor every moment.
“Hey, isn’t that Clive’s girlfriend?” Claire pointed to Amanda, standing at the receptionist desk at the front of the spa.
“Yeah, I’m going to go invite her over,” Elle said as she stood and waved her fingers to speed up the drying process.
“Good, because I need to finish my blog on your dazzling dress and get it ready to publish tonight before everyone sees you in it. That dress is going to go viral.”
Claire stood and gathered her things. “I’ll swing by your place at 5:00 p.m. sharp with a photographer. It shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes, and we will have you on your way.”
Elle followed Claire to the front as Amanda finished checking in. “Hey, Amanda.”
“Elle, it’s good to see you. Just getting a little pampering before the ball tonight,” Amanda said shyly and looked down at her feet. The petite woman never looked anything less than perfectly put together.
“Care to join me? I just had my fingers and toes done, and now they’re going to try and do something with this mess of hair.”
Elle ran her palms over her long strawberry-blond tresses, careful not to mess up her nails. Her hair was free from her usual ponytail so she wouldn’t get a crease. She hoped they could do something with it for tonight.
“Sure. That would be great,” Amanda said tentatively.
Elle and Amanda made small talk as Elle had her hair trimmed and Amanda got a manicure.
Elle couldn’t quite put her finger on Amanda. She was sweet and polite, but she was always running to hide away with Clive, as if she was afraid to be out of his sight. In fact, this was the first time Elle could remember ever seeing her away from him. She decided to try and change that, and maybe the two of them could be friends or at least more cordial in the office.
“How did you meet Clive? The whole town adores him… and you, by the way.”
Amanda blushed. “I met Clive when he hired my then boss to decorate his house.”
Elle let out a small laugh. “No way. He stole you away from another interior decorator?”
“Well, it wasn’t quite like that. My boss wasn’t very nice. He basically used me as a personal assistant, getting coffee and stuff. Clive asked to see my portfolio and then demanded he let me be the lead designer. When my boss refused, Clive told me he would pay me double to do the project myself. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Plus, I was glad to get away from John — my old boss.”
“Wow. That’s an amazing story.” Does Amanda feel indebted to Clive now? Is that why she is always at his beck and call? It was really none of her business as long as they were happy.
Once the stylists started working on their hair, they couldn’t talk over the noise of the hair dryers. Amanda had her blond hair blown out in her usual style, stunning as always. Elle’s stylist curled her tresses in long waves and pulled one side back in a clip. She felt elegant and sexy and couldn’t wait to put her dress on for the full effect.
“Ladies, you look wonderful.” Clive appeared behind them before Elle or Amanda saw him. He was dressed casually in jeans and an orange polo shirt.
Amanda jumped down from her chair with a big smile on her face, obviously delighted to see him. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, I thought I’d see if you wanted to grab a quick bite to eat. Elle, you’re welcome to join us.” Clive said.
“Thanks. I should get home and finish getting ready. I’ll see you both in a few hours.” Elle grabbed her things and thanked her stylist.
“Actually, Elle. Can I have a word before you leave?” Clive asked.
Amanda gave him a quick kiss and waved to Elle before she headed to the waiting area.
“Sure, is everything okay?” Elle asked.
“Yes. Actually, I just wanted to give you this before tonight.” Clive extended the
thick envelope in his hand.
Elle reached for the packet and turned it over in her hands. She recognized Clive’s loopy handwriting on the front label.
Clive cleared his throat. “It’s an official offer to work at Morgan & Associates. Look it over. I’ll still introduce you around tonight and do anything I can to help you land your dream job, but I wanted to show you how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me and the company. It won’t be the same without you.”
Elle shifted uncomfortably. She was touched. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you. I’ve really enjoyed working for you.”
Clive smiled. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Elle nodded and headed out to her car. She was almost in tears by the time she climbed inside. She couldn’t bring herself to open the envelope just yet. She’d wait until after tonight. She tucked it safely in her purse and turned the key.
Nothing.
Oh no. Not now. Elle tried again. Not even a sputter. Her battery was dead. Her parents were still in Italy, Ryan was in his big meeting, and Claire was working on the blog. She had no choice but to go back and ask her boss for a ride.
Clive and Amanda were walking out hand in hand as Elle reached the salon. They were a cute couple, Elle thought as she took them in from afar. Clive hovered protectively over her, and Amanda smiled up at him adoringly.
“I’m sorry to bother you guys. My car won’t start. Can you give me a ride back to my place?” Elle asked.
Amanda reached into her purse and pulled out her key ring. “Why don’t you just take my car. I can ride with Clive.”
“Thank you. That’s really generous of you,” Elle said, a little stunned by the gesture.
Amanda shrugged. “It’s no problem.”
Elle found Amanda’s Mercedes and smiled to herself. This town was so friendly and trusting. She was nervous to drive Amanda’s car, but as soon as she started it up, her nerves turned into excitement. It purred like a dream, and suddenly Elle was thankful she’d have something nicer than her Prius to drive to the ball.
Sweat (Sweetbriar Lake #1) Page 13