Uriel smiled. “Because he was a devout bachelor. The last person anyone would have thought to consider marrying.”
Uriel decided not to add that there was no reason for Donovan to ever consider marrying, because he’d had his pick of affairs. In fact, he had lived for them. Why would a sane man give that up? And Donovan was a sane man. The thought of any woman messing with a man’s mind to the point where he’d give up his bachelorhood was simply not good.
He glanced over and saw that Ellie had resumed eating her food. Uriel was about to go back to eating his as well, when he happened to glance across the table and saw his godbrothers all staring at him.
He stared back and read the message in their eyes. Like him, they were all bachelors on demand, which meant that they knew whatever was going on between him and Ellie was short-term. He could tell they weren’t particularly overjoyed at the thought of that. Although they understood and supported his desire to remain single, and that it meant he would sow wild oats from time to time, he knew they weren’t crazy that the recipient of those oats was Ellie.
Hell, he refused to let them try to make him feel guilty about anything. As he’d told them, Ellie was no longer the twelve-year-old they remembered. She was twenty-six, and old enough to make her own decisions about what she wanted to do.
“How long do you all plan to stay?” he decided to ask them.
It was York who responded. “Probably until tomorrow. Why?”
He smiled, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, or his lips for that matter, when he said, “No particular reason. Just asking.”
They knew there was a particular reason, just like he did. At the silence, Ellie, who’d been concentrating on picking bones out of her fish, glanced up. She looked first at Uriel and smiled, before glancing over at Virgil, Winston, Xavier and York. She smiled at them, too, and they smiled back. When she resumed what she was doing, they dropped the smiles off their faces and glared back at Uriel.
He shrugged and continued eating, refusing to let their attitudes bother him. Moments later, Ellie interrupted the quietness that had once again descended around the table to ask, “Where’s Zion?”
It was Xavier who spoke. “Z has been living in Rome for a couple of years now. You do know that he’s that well-known jeweler, Zion, right?”
Ellie nodded. “Yes, I know,” she said, smiling proudly. “I’ve seen a few of his pieces, and they’re simply beautiful. When the president presented the first lady with a Zion bracelet for her birthday, I knew it was just a matter of time before everyone discovered what gorgeous jewelry he designs,” she said.
Uriel took a sip of his lemonade. For some reason, he could picture her wearing her own Zion bracelet, one specifically designed just for her. He could also envision a Zion ring on her finger. He blinked, and then frowned, when he realized just where his thoughts were about to go, and he outright refused to let them go there.
He gave himself a quick mental shake, and for the rest of the meal he ate in silence, deciding it would be safer to just listen to the conversation and not add anything to it…and to keep all those foolish thoughts out of his head.
“It was so nice seeing your godbrothers again, and spending time with them, Uriel. They’re as nice as I remembered,” Ellie said, as Uriel walked her home later that evening. He didn’t have to bother, but he’d insisted because it had gotten dark.
After they’d eaten dinner and dessert, everyone had sat around talking about basically everything. The guys had brought her up-to-date on what had been going on with them and about the different businesses they owned. When she’d teased them about them getting married one day, all four of Uriel’s friends rebuffed the very thought of doing anything like that.
She wondered what they had against settling down with the right person, and was tempted to ask Uriel, but figured it was none of her business. Still, she couldn’t stop wondering if Uriel felt the same way they did. Was he as dead-set against the idea of marriage as they were? Was that the reason he had stipulated they would share nothing more than a short-term affair?
“I won’t be coming over tonight, Ellie.”
She glanced up at him, saw the tenseness in his jaw, the firmness of his lips, and knew he didn’t like the idea of not spending the night with her. In a way, she felt good that he was regretting it. “That’s okay, I understand. It wouldn’t look right for you to leave your company.”
He stopped walking and she did, too. “Do you understand that I enjoyed being with you this morning, making love to you, cherishing your body? I also enjoyed the time we spent together today, even if we weren’t alone.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks, Uriel. I enjoyed being with you, too.” And although she wanted to convince herself it was just for inspiration to finish her aunt’s book, she knew that wasn’t the reason.
When they reached her porch, instead of walking her up the steps to where they would be standing underneath a bright light—giving his houseguests something to see, he touched her arm and walked her over to the huge oak tree, whose branches not only provided shade but also privacy.
When Ellie stood facing him, Uriel studied her features for a second and said, “You look very pretty today, Ellie.”
And she had. He had stared at her a lot today, on the pretense of watching out for her. But he knew that wasn’t the case. Not one of his godbrothers, even Winston, would have crossed the line once he had established it. And he had established it with Winston’s question. Now they pretty much knew something was going on between him and Ellie, but they probably weren’t sure just to what extent.
As far as Uriel was concerned, they didn’t have to know. They’d never kept up with any of his conquests before. Something cut deep within Uriel with the word conquest. For some reason, he didn’t like thinking of Ellie that way.
“Uriel.”
He blinked. Her saying his name reined in his attention. He had been staring at her, but his mind had been flooded with other thoughts. Thoughts of her, but also of his godbrothers. Now he wanted his full concentration on Ellie.
Reaching out, he took her chin in his hand, finally allowing himself to taste the lips he’d been looking at all day, and yearned to kiss. He slowly ran his finger across her lips, liking how soft they felt to his touch, all the while his gaze held hers. “I’m going to miss you tonight,” he said in a low voice, one that had deepened to a pitch he hadn’t known existed for him.
Although her eyes had begun to darken with the same desire he felt, she managed a small smile and said, “I can always stand at the window and give you something to think about—to remember.”
A smile touched his lips, followed by a deep frown. “Don’t even think about it. I might not be the only one watching,” he said, knowing a couple of his godbrothers had a tendency to get up through the night. “That sort of performance is strictly for me.”
While we are together in this summer fling, he thought, but didn’t say. When things ended between them, would she be sending out intimate messages to other men? He fought back the knot that began forming in his stomach at the mere thought of that happening. He breathed in deeply, deciding what she did after the summer was her business. He would return to Charlotte and resume his life as it had always been. He would bury himself in work and escalate his sex life up a notch.
But now he just wanted to concentrate on Ellie. His fingers moved from her lips, and he then used his hands to frame her face, capture it gently and tilt it up slightly, at the same time that he lowered his head. The last thought on his mind, before their lips touched, was that he needed this just as he needed to breathe. When she uttered a delicious sigh, it gave his tongue the opening it needed to enter her mouth and taste her delectable warmth. The moment he did so, he heard a groan emit from deep within his throat.
He’d figured he would go easy on her mouth, savor it. A hunger, a need, an absolute greed, made it impossible to do that. Instead, his tongue swept all over her mouth, intensifying the heat,
stoking the fire and making him want to stand there and kiss her forever.
Forever? He was suddenly stunned at the thought of that word with regard to any woman. Why would he want to kiss the same woman forever, when there were others out there whose mouths probably tasted just as good? But as he deepened the kiss, a part of him knew it would be hard finding one. At the moment, he was satisfied with this mouth. Ellie’s mouth. So utterly satisfied that he could feel blood rushing through his veins, and his erection starting to throb. And he knew at that moment, more than just heat was flowing between them. Desire, as compact as it could get, was invading their senses, and it wouldn’t take much to pull her down on a bed of grass and make love to her here. Right now. Forever.
The fear of that one word, of even thinking it again, had him pulling back, stepping away. “I need to go,” he said, pulling in a deep breath. “Go on inside, Ellie.”
She looked at him, seemed to study his features a moment, before turning and walking up the steps. It was only after she was inside and the door was closed that he leaned back against the oak tree to release the breath he’d been holding. Spending time at his own place, instead of over here, was probably the best thing. He was beginning to act stupidly and think foolishly, and he couldn’t allow that to happen. He was a Bachelor in Demand, the last of what seemed to be a dying breed, and he intended to remain that way for life. And no woman, not even someone like Ellie, would make him forget it.
Unable to sleep, Ellie sat in her darkened bedroom and gazed out the window at the house next door. It seemed every room in Uriel’s house was lit, which meant everyone was still up and moving around. She knew it had to be close to three in the morning.
When she’d returned home, after taking a shower and changing into a nightgown, she had pulled out her laptop and had typed several scenes, amazing herself at how easily her thoughts had flowed. She had even glanced over her shoulder a few times to make sure her aunt wasn’t there somewhere, guiding her fingers across the keyboard, generating the thoughts going through her mind that she was transferring into her laptop. It seemed so easy to continue to read Grant’s mind, to see the hard stone around his heart slowly being chipped away. She would admit that he was a complicated man, but he was a man worth loving, and she was glad Tamara knew that.
As before, Ellie wasn’t ready to write any lovemaking scenes just yet, although she’d already been inspired by Uriel. Her aunt had done more than connect two bodies in bed, she had created a masterpiece with words enticing the reader to feel, to discover, from the very first kiss. She couldn’t attempt to even try to follow in her aunt’s footsteps until she felt the time was right.
Sighing deeply, Ellie moved away from the window and crawled back into bed. Funny how after one night, her bed seemed so lonely without Uriel in it. But his masculine scent was embedded in the sheets and the pillow where he had placed his head. She pulled it to her, breathed in deeply, and for the moment she was content.
Chapter 14
“And what if we told you we’ve decided to stay with you another week, U?” Xavier asked, grinning as Uriel walked them out to their car.
Uriel frowned. “Then I would tell the four of you to check into a hotel,” he said bluntly.
Winston glanced through the trees at the house next door. He then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, if you won’t put us up for awhile, maybe L will,” he said smiling.
Uriel didn’t crack a smile. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Go ahead, W, and try me. I haven’t kicked your ass in a long time.”
“Sounds like somebody won’t be a bachelor on demand pretty soon,” York said, chuckling.
Uriel’s frown deepened. “If so, I don’t know who that will be, because I’m staying put. There’s nothing different with what’s going on with me and Ellie than with any other woman I’ve dated. This is no big deal, so why are you making it one?”
Virgil shook his head. “No, U, you’re making it one, and what’s so sad is that you haven’t realized it yet. You didn’t pick any woman to mess around with, you picked L. Even if we thought it was okay, and really not any of our business—which I have to admit it’s not—you still have Ms. Mable to deal with.”
Uriel lifted a brow. “Ms. Mable?”
Virgil nodded.
Uriel rolled his eyes. “The woman died, or have you forgotten?”
“No, I haven’t forgotten. And the way I figure, she’s probably rolling over in her grave, thinking about how you plan to treat her niece. Her favorite niece. Her only niece. Her—”
“If you’re trying to make me feel guilty, V, it won’t work,” Uriel broke into Virgil’s spiel to say.
Virgil shook his head. “In that case, we’re out of here. We’ll see you in Aspen in a few months, right?”
“I’ll be there.”
“And let L know we’ll be seeing her again soon,” York added. At the dark, threatening look that suddenly flashed in Uriel’s eyes, York couldn’t help but laugh. “Damn, man, you got it bad.”
The four men then got inside their car and drove away.
Moments later, Uriel was still standing in the same spot. The car was no longer in sight. Even when the last of the dust generated from the car on the dirt road was settling back down to earth, he remained in place.
He still hadn’t cracked a smile, because basically, his godbrothers were wrong. They were assuming things they shouldn’t. Things about his and Ellie’s relationship that weren’t there. He and his godbrothers were close, but they couldn’t read his mind. But still, they knew his situation better than anyone. They knew that, although he’d pretended nonchalance, his parents’ divorce had not only thrown him for a loop but had made him look at things differently.
Ellie was a nice girl, and he hoped she would meet someone who would give her all the things in life she deserved. That man was not him, and would never be. All there was between them was a casual relationship. Ellie knew the score. He wanted her, and yes, it was all about sex and nothing more, but she was a grown woman, not a kid. She could handle it. It had taken almost three days for her to make up her mind, which meant she had thought long and hard about it. That night she had appeared at the window undressed, and had waved her panties in the air, it had been an acceptance by her of that decision. Her acknowledgment of what was and what wasn’t. No love, just sex.
He glanced at his watch. He had been standing at the kitchen window this morning when he’d seen Ellie back her car out of the garage. She had gotten out of the car to go back inside the house to get something, and he’d seen she was dressed for church, evidently to attend early morning service. She’d been the epitome of a classy lady, from the dressy, wide-brimmed red hat she’d worn, to her red patent leather high-heel shoes. Her dress was black, with a huge, front-draped red sash around her small waist.
He had been tempted to go out on the porch and at least say good morning, and to tell her how nice she looked. Hell, nice wasn’t a strong enough word. She had looked absolutely gorgeous. But he hadn’t gone to the porch, for fear he would have eventually crossed his yard to hers and end up kissing her like a man with no control. Just as he was feeling now.
That was the main reason he knew he should get inside the house, trade his jeans for a pair of shorts, get a beer out the fridge and chill a while. Sit on his back porch and appreciate what a beautiful day it was, and be grateful, in spite of what was going on with his parents, that life was good. His business interests appeared to be productive and worthy of every cent he’d invested.
Going back inside and getting that beer sounded like a good plan. Then why was he still standing in the same spot, looking over his right shoulder at the house next door? Why was there an intense longing beginning to build in the pit of his stomach? And why was he turning, placing one foot in front of the other and moving in the direction of where he knew Ellie to be?
And now that he’d passed through the trees and was in the clearing, why was he making his heart rate increase e
ven more by jogging the rest of the way? And why, the closer he got, could he detect her scent, like it was in the very air he was breathing, fueling his heat and intensifying his hunger?
The next thing he knew, he was standing at her back door, leaning against the frame, nearly out of breath—which was unheard of for a man who had a constant workout regime. What he was feeling was anxiousness, not exhaustion. Pulling in a deep breath, he knocked on the door.
She must have been in the kitchen already, because he immediately heard the sound of her voice when she called out, “Just a minute.”
While pulling in another deep breath, he heard her footsteps moving across the tile floor. And when she slowly slid the door open and he saw her, looked into her face before moving his gaze to scan over her, to take in yet another sexy short set, he actually couldn’t say anything. He just stood there and feasted his eyes on her, feeling a need that for her just couldn’t be normal.
His gaze returned to her face and met her eyes. He didn’t say anything, but neither did she. However, he figured she’d seen the appreciative male look in his eyes when he’d checked out her outfit. And he was also certain she could see the hunger that was there now. Hunger for something he’d gotten a chance to sample yesterday and was eager to do so again. He’d never considered himself a horny bastard until now.
He could blame his state on a lot of things: he could blame it on the air that for some reason seemed thick with her scent; or the fact that last night he’d hung around four guys who had nothing better to do than share exaggerated tales of their bedroom escapades while drinking beer and eating pretzels. At least three of them had. Come to think of it, Xavier hadn’t said a word, which suddenly made Uriel wonder why.
“Uriel?”
He blinked at the sound of Ellie saying his name, but didn’t respond. He couldn’t. He just continued to look at her and then, finally, he said, “They’re gone.”
She nodded. “I know. I was standing at the sink washing dishes, and saw them leave.”
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