by Tara Rose
Her tongue moved over his in ways it had never done before, forcing deep groans from his throat and sending his mind reeling with caveman thoughts. All he wanted was both of them naked, and fast. But tonight he wasn’t in the mood to order her to undress. Tonight he wanted to do it for her.
His tongue traced a line down the front of her top, nibbling at each nipple through the silky fabric. He loved the loud moans as he teased her. He removed her top as quickly as possible without tearing it, and then he cupped her face as he kissed her again. He’d meant to do so softly this time, but she devoured his mouth like he was dessert. Ellis couldn’t stand anymore. Marisol obviously wanted it rough and tumble tonight, and he was more than happy to give her what she wanted.
He unhooked her bra and removed it, tossing it across the room where the top had landed. She reached for his shirt, and he let her take it off, helping her trembling fingers with the buttons. The look on her face was desperate, almost feral. He’d never seen her look like that, and he loved it. It made him crazy for her.
“This is bad, isn’t it?” Her voice was breathy and teasing. Was she trying to get him to punish her? Ellis groaned loudly as she licked his nipples and rubbed his erection through his pants with both hands. “I mean, only a bad girl would do this, right?”
“That’s right. Only a bad girl would act this way, Marisol.”
Her giggle sent him over the edge. If she wanted a spanking, she was going to get one. Ellis lifted her and sat her on top of the table, then removed her shoes and socks. He pushed her back into a supine position and took off her jeans faster than even he thought it possible to do. Before she could react, he took off her panties. She writhed on the wooden surface, probably thinking he was going to fuck her right there on the table, but he had other plans.
He pulled off the rest of his clothes, and then he took her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and toward the staircase. A staff member could walk in on them too easily in the kitchen, and he wasn’t ready to subject Marisol to that yet. None of his staff would make a fuss over it, but he wanted her completely to himself tonight, without anything ruining the mood or the spontaneity.
“But our clothes are still in the kitchen.”
He turned her around, bent her over and tucked his arm around her waist. “This is for worrying about something as silly as our clothes, Marisol.” He smacked each luscious ass cheek five times as hard as he could. His damn hand stung like crazy, but he didn’t care. She cried out loudly, but the sound was more surprised than anything. When he straightened her back up, he cupped her face and kissed her, rough and deep.
She wrapped her arms around him and lifted one leg, curling it around his thigh. Oh, dear God. They weren’t even going to make it upstairs at this rate.
Chapter Twenty-One
Marisol had never been this hot for Ellis. Her entire body was on fire. The quick spanking he’d just given her had nearly made her come because it had been so raw and spontaneous. She wanted more. They ascended the stairs, and on each step Ellis tugged her hair just enough to get her attention, or kissed her, or smacked one of her ass cheeks lightly. She whimpered and moaned at the look of pure lust in his eyes.
When they were about halfway up, he stopped again to kiss her, and she was so dizzy from everything he’d done in such a short time that her knees actually buckled and she slipped to the riser. He came with her, laughing softly as she started giggling and couldn’t seem to stop.
“Ellis, what if someone sees us?”
“I don’t care anymore.” When he kissed her again, she melted into his body and just gave in. She didn’t care either. She only wanted his dick inside her.
He released the kiss, panting, and started to climb off her. “Condoms.”
“Ellis, I’m on the pill.”
“What?” He looked confused.
“I’m on the pill. And I don’t have any you know, diseases or anything.”
“Why on earth didn’t you say anything earlier?”
“I don’t know. I never wanted to ruin the mood. I’m sorry.” He almost looked angry, and Marisol cursed all the demons of hell. Why the hell hadn’t she said something before? “Please don’t be upset with me. We were always just so into it that I didn’t think about it.”
His entire demeanor changed. “What? Oh, Marisol. I’m not angry with you. There’s just no blood in my brain, love. Are you all right then if I don’t run upstairs for condoms?”
She smiled. “Absolutely.”
He turned her over onto her hands and knees. She moaned and leaned her forearms on the step above her as he cupped her pussy from behind and rubbed it, teasing her clit with his thumb. The other hand played with her breasts. When he plunged his dick into her soaking-wet pussy, she screamed in pleasure. The angle made his fucking unlike any she’d felt before, but then she’d never had sex on stairs.
He kept one hand on her clit and one on her breast as he fucked her deep and hard, panting close to her ear. Marisol tossed her head back and forth and kept up a steady drone of moans and sighs. Her climax was quick and explosive. If any of his staff were in the house, there was no way they wouldn’t hear them, but she suddenly didn’t care. She’d never been fucked with such spontaneity and wild abandon before.
Ellis kept on thrusting, and Marisol couldn’t believe the control he was exercising. Her pussy was on fire but it also felt so damn incredible that there was no way she was going to stop him or ask him to slow down. The only time he paused was to reposition her right leg slightly, which allowed him to penetrate her even deeper, and at a different angle. Another orgasm was closing in before she’d hardly had time to catch her breath from the first one.
When she came, this time Ellis did, too, and the air around them was filled with their cries of pleasure and the musky smells of sex. Sweat rolled down her back, and her hair hung limp and damp in her eyes.
Ellis sat on the step and pulled her into his arms. “Marisol, that was a first for me.”
Laugher rose up in her throat. “Yeah, me, too. I mean the stairs, right? Is that what you meant?”
His grin sent tiny contractions to her pussy all over again. “Yes, that’s what I meant. Why don’t we gather up our clothes and continue this where we’ll have some privacy? Although, I must admit, I’m tempted now to have stairs built in my bedroom.”
He took her hand and they started down the stairs. “You’re going to have to clean a couple of these risers.”
Ellis shrugged then started humming Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” Marisol laughed as they scooped up their clothes and made their way back up the stairs. This was turning out to be the best night of her life. And considering how she’d felt mere hours ago, that realization kept a smile on her face.
She was now absolutely certain that she was in love with both Rafe Rodriguez and Ellis McCree. But after hearing about Faith, she wondered if Ellis would ever be able to give away his heart again. There were times he looked at her with so much intensity she thought he had strong feelings for her, but now she believed that had only been her imagination. A man doesn’t have a sub for ten years and then just fall in love with another woman in two weeks. She’d best put those thoughts right out of her head before she made an ass of herself with him.
* * * *
Gino’s was one of the few Racy restaurants to have survived the tornado without damage, and tonight it was filled to capacity. But Vito Santori, the original owner’s grandson and current owner, had given Rafe and Luke as private a table as possible.
Luke hadn’t wanted to talk about his situation with Alexa and Chase. He’d wanted to hear about Marisol. After making sure no one could overhear them, Rafe had come clean to his brother. He poured out all his frustration at how their parents had rejected her, based on something that had never happened, and how difficult it had been to face them since learning that they knew both he and Ellis were with Marisol now.
Luke nodded, stuffing his face full of lasagna. “I’m betting there was
a lot of yelling from Papá and crying from Mamá.”
“There was.”
Luke glanced up at him from under his lashes. “Have you told Marisol yet what Ria did?”
“No. I have to. I just don’t know how to tell her because Ria is her best friend, and she’s also going to realize that I’ve known for a while.” Luke suddenly looked guilty. Rafe put down his fork and leaned forward. “Spill it, Luke.”
“Um, you won’t have to tell Marisol what Ria did. She already knows.”
The room actually started to spin. Rafe was certain that another tornado had descended on Racy out of a clear spring sky. Either that or he was about to faint. The noise in the restaurant suddenly sounded as if it were coming from inside a tunnel.
“Rafe? You okay?”
The panic in Luke’s voice snapped him out of it. “What did you say?” he asked quietly.
Luke looked like he wanted to crawl under the table. “Alexa told her this afternoon. When the two went for a walk.”
And Marisol was with Ellis right now. “Does she know that I know?”
“Alexa said she asked, but she told her she’d have to ask you.”
That meant she’d already known when he’d driven her back to Ellis’s house. Rafe stood up. “I have to go.”
“Don’t. Please don’t go to her before you have a chance to think this through and calm down. You’ll only make things worse.”
“Worse? How can they get any worse?” Marisol must believe by now that he’d betrayed her, and she must be devastated by what Ria had done.
Luke glanced around. “Sit down, Rafe.”
Rafe took his seat again only because several customers at tables close to them were beginning to stare.
“She’s not upset with you or with Ria.”
Rafe stared at his brother, convinced he’d misunderstood him.
“Alexa said she took it very calmly and matter-of-factly. Just give this time. And maybe talk to Ria first.”
“I don’t want to talk to Ria.”
“Okay then. But at least finish your dinner before you do anything else.”
* * * *
Rafe didn’t have to wake up George when he finally arrived at Ellis’s house because he not only had the pass code for the gate, he had a set of house keys. It was nearly four in the morning and this had been the longest night of his life, but he had a feeling it was far from over. Oddly enough, he wasn’t tired. He was merely numb.
He used his key and went in the back door, surprised to find several lights already on in the ridiculously large kitchen. How early did Sam get up? He was about to make coffee when he realized the coffee maker was on and the coffee in the pot was warm.
“What do you think you’re doing coming home this late, young man?”
Rafe whirled around to face Ellis. The man had done such a near-perfect imitation of a dad scolding his teenage son on a bad sitcom that Rafe almost smiled.
Ellis opened a cabinet above his head and took out a coffee cup, handing it to Rafe. “I’d better make more. I think we both could use about a gallon of this shit.”
“Why are you still up?” Shouldn’t he be snuggled up with Marisol right now?
“I was asleep but then I woke up about an hour ago. Your cell is off, by the way. Where’ve you been? Marisol was worried. Did you tell her that you weren’t coming back here at all last night, because she was under the impression that you were only having dinner with Luke.”
Rafe took a sip, letting the warmth penetrate the chill that had settled over his heart. “She was worried about me?”
“Of course she was. She even called Luke, and he said you’d left Gino’s about nine.”
“When was this?”
“Midnight or so. I finally convinced her to try and get some rest. Did you go home?”
Rafe shook his head. “It’s not my home anymore.”
“Well, other than the fact that most of your stuff is still there, I guess this place feels more like home to you now than your apartment does, eh?”
He took a long sip and leaned against the counter, facing Ellis. “I have to move out of there as soon as possible. Do you think maybe we can get Maddox or Sean to help me move my stuff?”
“Sure. About time you left.”
Rafe took a deep breath. “I’m not leaving voluntarily. They threw me out.”
Ellis blinked several times but didn’t say anything. He looked stunned, and Rafe realized this was the first time he’d ever seen him caught off guard.
“And I’m also unemployed. So, if you know anyone looking for an accountant, or I don’t know…maybe a grease monkey or just a big dumb asshole for hire, let me know, okay?”
“Rafe, I don’t know what to say. What the hell happened?”
Rafe drained the coffee and poured himself another cup. Ellis had been right. He needed this. “At dinner, Luke confessed that Alexa told Marisol about Ria having informed our parents that Marisol is having sex with both of us. And that means Marisol must now realize that I already knew Ria had done that but hadn’t said anything to her about it.”
“She’s not upset with you, Rafe. You need to know that. She’s more upset about Ria going behind her back like that and then ignoring her today. She told me all about how Ria was cold to her and was all chummy with Annalise.”
Rafe breathed a sigh of relief, and hope began to build. “That’s what Luke said. So after dinner I went to talk to my parents again. I told them…” He had nothing to lose now, and Ellis had a right to know. “Ellis, I told them that I’m in love with Marisol. I told them that I’ve really never fallen out of love with her. I told them that nothing happened between us when she was in middle school, but that something most definitely had happened now, and that I planned to spend the rest of my life with her if she’ll have me.”
Ellis reached into another cabinet and pulled out a bottle of rum. A huge smile had spread across his face. What was up with that? The man should be pissed as hell right now.
“And then I told them that Ria had told them the truth. I told them we both are involved with Marisol, but that I don’t mind. I told them that I was going to make this work because it’s what Marisol wants, and I want to make her happy.”
Ellis raised his eyebrows, and then returned to filling two glasses with ice and pouring a generous amount of rum into each. He handed one to Rafe and clinked his glass against the side of it. “To being in love with Marisol.”
“Why are we drinking to that? I thought you’d be pissed off at me for saying all this.”
“Drink first.”
“Okay.” Rafe sipped slowly and then made a satisfied noise. “Shit. This is good.”
“Nothing but the best.”
“So, why aren’t you ordering me out of your house right now?”
Ellis lowered his voice. “Because I’m in love with her, too, Rafe.”
“Holy shit. Does she know that?”
“Not yet.” Ellis grinned and took another large sip of rum. Rafe did the same. It seemed like the most logical thing to do at the time.
“So now what the hell do we do now, Ellis?”
“Well, about the job situation, I think Marisol and I can help you out there.”
“What do you mean?”
“The comptroller’s office is looking for an accountant. I’m sure with a good word from both of us you’d get the job. You have a degree, right?”
“Yes. You’d do that?”
Ellis clapped him on the back. “Of course, you big stupid ass.”
“Thanks.” Rafe didn’t like feeling as though he couldn’t get a job on his own, but Ellis and Marisol wouldn’t see it that way, and he knew that. “But what do we do about Marisol?”
“We let her get some sleep for now. And then when she’s better rested, we tell her how we feel, and see if there’s any chance in hell she could ever feel the same way about both of us. Although I don’t see why the hell she’d love two numbskulls like us.”
Rafe didn�
�t know whether to laugh or cry, but whatever he did, it would sure as hell be better than the past six hours had been. He raised his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Marisol found a note on Ellis’s pillow when she woke up, telling her to shower and dress, and then meet him and Rafe in the living room downstairs. It was in Ellis’s handwriting and signed “Sir,” so of course a thrill ran through her as she assumed they had both planned something sexy and fun.
And since it obviously included Rafe, she was also relieved to know he was okay and had come back during the night, even though she was fairly certain he hadn’t slept in this bed with her and Ellis. She surely would have woken up if he’d come in, wouldn’t she?
As she crossed the room, she realized it was after noon already. She must have been exhausted to have slept that late, and she wished Ellis or Rafe had woken her sooner. She hated to waste a day in bed unless it was with them. She showered as quickly as possible and then chose a sexy outfit, complete with boots that she knew both men loved.
When she emerged from the guest bath into the sitting room, lunch was waiting, along with another note. How had they known she was awake? There were times when Ellis’s staff was downright spooky. There weren’t many of them, but they always seemed to know what was going on the house.
The note told her to eat something before she came downstairs because she’d need her strength. This one was in Rafe’s handwriting, and again it was signed “Sir.” Marisol made a mental note to ask the guys if they wanted a distinct title for each of them, although she was fine with calling them both as “sir” if that’s what they wanted.