“Can I tell Dante everything?”
My life was already a mess as it was. What did it matter if his brother knew the truth? If I was going to be in James’ life, then everyone would find out about it eventually anyway. It wasn’t like I could keep it a secret that I knew Tina, although I hadn’t told James about that yet.
“Yes,” I said, wincing as he took a turn a little too sharply, causing me to shift in the seat.
I zoned out as James explained what I’d told him about my past, watching the city go by as we drove. It was still daylight. I wasn’t entirely sure how long I’d been passed out. All I knew is I was glad my dad was no longer there when I woke up. I didn’t want to see him again. The only person I’d wanted in those moments was the man next to me. Perhaps it was weak of me to call him after everything I’d said yesterday. And yet, James was my safety. I needed him.
I only tuned back in when James was telling Dante about what my father wanted me to do.
“He what? I don’t know who the fuck this guy thinks he is, but he is not getting his hands on anything of ours,” Dante’s voice rang through the car speakers.
“No, and he’s not getting anywhere near Ellie again either,” James replied, his voice dripping with venom.
“We need to talk about this further, you know. I’ll get Williams over to you as soon as possible. He owes me anyway, so it’s no problem.”
“We will… Come over after work tomorrow, you can meet Ellie then.”
I glanced at James. I didn’t want anyone else seeing me in this state, but I likely had no choice in the matter. Having asked for James’ help, I wasn’t in a position to object to his brother’s involvement. They had their family and their assets to protect.
“Okay, I’ll bring Liora and Brent. She can make us dinner.”
“She doesn’t have to do that, I can cook.”
“Trust me, it’ll be easier if you just let her do it.”
James shook his head.
“Okay, see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
Silence filled the car for a long moment. The reminder of what he’d said yesterday before he left rang in my ears.
“I’m not worthy of you.”
It stabbed at my heart. How could he think that about himself?
“I’m sorry,” I said, unable to stop myself.
“For what?”
“Everything. I’m messing up your life and now your family’s lives too and I’m just sorry.”
He put a hand on my thigh. I looked over at him. He was still concentrating on the road, but I could see the frustration in his expression.
“You have absolutely nothing to apologise for. I was so fucking scared when you called me, Ellie. I was out with Afie so Aiden and Avery could sort out their marital issues. I practically ran back to their flat, shoved the baby at them and got in my car to get to you.”
My heart stopped in my chest.
He did what?
“I needed to know you were okay. Fuck, seeing you like this makes me so angry. Not at you, but at your fucking father for putting you through even more shit. So do not apologise for calling me. I’d go to the fucking ends of the earth to save you any more pain.”
My mouth dropped open. The words he said weren’t registering correctly with my brain. Did he really just tell me he ran out on his best friend to get to me? On Avery. The girl I thought he was in love with.
He put you first.
I wasn’t sure if he realised the significance of his actions. Was it just because I was in trouble? Was I reading into this too much? It felt like I was.
“Thank you,” I whispered because I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“You’re welcome.”
That was the end of our conversation. He took his hand off my thigh and pulled up into a carpark behind a tall block of flats. When he’d parked, he came around and helped me out of the car before grabbing the bags he’d packed out of the boot. He kept an eye on me as we walked towards the back doors. We rode up in the lift after we’d got into the building and he unlocked his front door.
I stepped into a wide hallway with four doors coming off it. He pointed to one of them and I walked through, finding a reasonable-sized living room. I stood there, unsure of what to do until he came in a few minutes later.
“You can sit down,” he said, indicating the large light grey sofa in front of a TV mounted on the wall above the fireplace.
I turned to him rather than doing what he said and put my hand on his arm. He stared down at it.
“You shouldn’t have to do all of this for me.”
His ocean blue eyes met mine. There was compassion and sadness in them.
“Ellie, stop saying shit like that. What happened last night changes nothing. I still care. I’m not going to stand by idly whilst your father is out there. He did this to you. He hurt you.”
My eyes fell to my hand brushing down his arm until I met his fingers. I entwined them with mine. His sharp intake of breath told me the gesture meant something.
“You were wrong yesterday.”
“About what?”
“When you said you’re not worthy of me.”
When he said nothing, I looked up at him. There was a frown etched on his features.
“You are the kindest, most gentle and caring person I’ve ever met. You’ve never been unworthy of anyone, me included.”
He opened his mouth to say something, his expression softening but there was a loud buzzing sound ringing through the flat. He dropped my hand abruptly and stepped back.
“Um, that will be Doctor Williams.”
The interruption of our moment stung as did his immediate withdrawal. I deserved it after last night. I had told him we couldn’t be together because of his best friend. Didn’t mean this didn’t hurt. Now I was suffering both emotional and physical pain.
Doctor Williams was nice. He was gentle when he checked me over. He didn’t think I’d broken any ribs, which I could only be glad of. He said the bruising would fade within a couple of weeks, but if it didn’t he’d need to see me again. My face was cleaned up and painkillers prescribed. Thankfully, he had some on him so I was able to take them straight away.
The only thing I wasn’t so happy about was the two of them insisting on documenting all of my injuries. I let them because of the look in James’ eyes, but I still wasn’t comfortable with it.
When the doctor left, James squatted in front of me by the sofa, taking one of my hands.
“Are you hungry?”
I shook my head.
“Tired?”
“Yeah, I am a little.”
He nodded.
“Okay, you can have my bedroom whilst you’re here.”
I frowned.
“Where will you be?”
“I can sleep on the sofa. It’s new anyway… that’s what I was doing yesterday, taking furniture deliveries. Been redecorating.”
Was he crazy? I wasn’t going to kick him out of his own room. This was his flat and I was just the girl taking up space.
“No.”
He raised an eyebrow as he straightened and helped pull me up.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean no, you’re not going to sleep on the sofa.”
He started to lead me out of the room into the hallway.
“Then what are you suggesting?”
He opened the door to his bedroom and ushered me in.
“We share. I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“You’re not an inconvenience. What did I say earlier? You need to quit saying stuff like that. Do you think I’d have brought you here and got you a doctor if you were?”
I shifted on my feet, looking at my hands.
“I’m sorry.”
I felt him put his hands on my shoulders.
“Ellie, please, stop apologis
ing.”
“Then sleep in the bed with me and stop being such a gentleman.”
I looked up at him then. His eyes danced with amusement.
“I’m a gentleman, am I?”
“Yes.” When you’re not kissing me or telling me what a good girl I am.
The thought of him saying that sent a shiver down my spine. His nearness affected me. If only I wasn’t so injured. I internally scolded myself for going there. I’d made it clear last night that the two of us weren’t going to work. Nothing had changed since then, had it?
He leant towards me until his mouth brushed up against my ear.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that if I was you,” he whispered. “I still want to do very ungentlemanly things to you regardless of what you said last night. I think about you on your knees, staring up at me, waiting for my command.”
His hand left my shoulder and ran down my arm. My insides coiled and heat flooded my veins.
“It’s so fucking wrong of me to think of you like that when you’re hurt, but I can’t help it. I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe me, it’s the truth.”
His teeth grazed across my earlobe, making me whimper in response.
“You’re not second best to me, sweetheart. You’re first fucking place. I want you mine so much it hurts. If you weren’t in so much pain, I’d bend you over my fucking bed right now and show you.”
My heart pounded in my chest at a million miles an hour. My skin was burning. Every part of me was aching with longing. And it was all very much for him.
“James…”
“I know… I shouldn’t say this shit to you. But you didn’t give me a chance to explain last night. You didn’t let me tell you how fucking special you are. How you make me feel alive. You’re so beautiful, so strong and resilient. You fit so perfectly in my arms.”
I trembled, unable to stop myself reaching for him and holding onto his waist because I felt like I was drowning.
“James…”
“And the things I haven’t wanted to acknowledge about myself, the parts I hated. You drag them out of me. Your nature calls to me, Ellie. You’re so… submissive. I want… no, I need your obedience. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
My grip tightened and my mouth opened in a silent plea.
“I want you mine. All mine.”
If I wasn’t hurt, I would’ve told him he could lay me out on his bed and do whatever the fuck he wanted because I was about to combust on the spot. But I was in pain and had no idea how to respond to what he’d just said. What I even thought about it all. There were too many things to process.
“James…”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“I need a shower.”
He went very still for a long moment before he stepped back, releasing me.
“Right… Of course you do.”
I wanted to open my mouth and tell him I just needed time to think about what he said but instead, my lips remained firmly shut. My words were all tangled up inside me. He’d made his intentions very clear though. There was no room left for doubt.
James wanted me and only me.
“Follow me,” he continued, stepping away and walking towards the door.
I trudged out into the hallway with him and into the bathroom which was situated next to his room. It had a separate shower from the bath, which I was glad of. He reached in and flipped the shower on for me.
“Um, there are clean towels there,” he told me, pointing at the shelves in the corner where they were neatly stacked. “I’ll leave you to it.”
I put a hand on his arm, stopping him from leaving.
“I need help getting undressed.”
He looked me up and down.
“Oh… I should’ve realised.”
I shrugged, wincing at the movement as I dropped my hand from his arm. He’d seen me naked and the extent of the bruises so I wasn’t embarrassed. Reaching for me, he tugged my jumper and t-shirt over my head, careful not to aggravate my injuries. My socks and shoes came next, followed by my jeans. His eyes roamed over me as he reached around and undid my bra. Dropping that to the floor, his fingers hooked into the waistband of my underwear. I took a breath as he peeled it off me, leaving me bare before him. His eyes met mine. The heat in them tamped with compassion had my heart racing out of control.
“I should…”
“Don’t go,” I whispered.
“What?”
“I said don’t go.”
I stepped away and walked into the shower. As soon as the spray hit my face and body, I winced because it simultaneously soothed and aggravated my swollen eye, split lip and bruises. Turning around, I found him in the same place, staring at me as if he couldn’t quite believe what I’d said. So I put a hand out to him, trying to show him without words I wanted him… no, needed him here.
He hesitated before stripping out of his own clothes and joining me. Despite the spray, we were staring at each other, our bodies not quite touching. I wasn’t so sore now the painkillers had kicked in.
He reached up and cupped my face with one hand before leaning towards me. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, followed by the cheek on the uninjured side of my face and then he very gently kissed my mouth. My lip stung a little from the contact, but I didn’t care. Not when it was James. Not when I craved his touch.
I whimpered as he kissed me harder. He pulled back, his face stricken.
“I’m sorry, I’m hurting you. Fuck.”
“Please, don’t stop. I…I want you.”
His eyes darkened significantly at my words.
“I don’t want to hurt you further.”
My core throbbed at his closeness. I didn’t care how injured I was any longer. All I could think about was his hands on me.
“Please touch me.”
He dropped his hand from my face and curled both of his around my hips, tugging me closer. His cock pressed against my stomach. My mouth watered and my insides were molten fire.
“You want me to make you come, sweetheart? Is that it?”
“Yes please.”
He leant closer, his nose brushing against mine.
“All over my fingers, hmm?”
“Please. I want to forget about the pain I’m in.”
He kissed me, his mouth gentle again so as not to hurt my lip. His hand left my hip and trailed along my skin until he met my pussy. His fingers dipped between my lips and stroked my clit. I bucked, moaning into his mouth. His eyes glittered when he pulled away.
“Wrap your hand around my cock.”
I did as he said and as a reward, he slipped a finger inside me, his thumb caressing my clit instead.
“Stroke me.”
I started to move my hand up and down his shaft in a steady rhythm. His skin was soft. His cock pulsed in my hand. He wasn’t exactly small either, my fingers just about fit around him.
“That’s it, just like that. Good girl.”
I preened at his praise, the feeling bubbling up inside me and threatening to burst out. Knowing I was pleasing him made me happy in ways I couldn’t describe or explain.
He slid another finger inside me, starting to fuck me with them in earnest now. Even though my chest ached a little as I stroked him, I ignored the pain, focusing on the pleasure he was giving me.
“You have no idea how much I wish I could fuck you right now.”
His blue eyes were intent on mine, the heat and fire in them made my heart pound.
“Even though I look like a mess?”
I did. My face was half swollen and my torso littered with bruises.
“You’re always beautiful to me.”
I reached up with my free hand and ran my fingers along his jaw. He leant into my touch, shuddering under me.
“I ache to have your cock inside me.”
He groaned, closing his eyes for a moment. He was about the
only man I ever wanted that from. I couldn’t imagine saying such things to anyone else.
“Fuck, I want to, but I can’t.”
A third finger joined the others inside me and his thumb on my clit became more insistent. I whimpered, clutching his shoulder now instead of his face. My chest was burning with pain, but I didn’t care. I stroked him faster, needing him to come with me because I was so close to the edge now.
“James, please.”
“I’ve got you, sweetheart. Come for me.”
His hand on my hip anchored me to him, keeping me upright and it was a good thing because the moment the dam broke, I shuddered, crying out his name as waves of bliss encompassed me. The pain was gone. All I felt was pleasure rushing over every inch of my skin.
“Fuck, you’re so beautiful when you come. I could stare at you all day.”
I didn’t care if he did. His blue eyes burning into my skin like he could see right through me. My fingers dug into his shoulder as I came down. His fingers slipped from me whilst the last pulses faded. My other hand was still on his cock. I resumed stroking, gripping him tighter. He grunted, his hand returning to my other hip as he held me.
He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes closed as the water rushed down his face. His fingers dug into my hips. I could feel him getting closer as his cock jerked in my hand again and again.
“Don’t stop, fuck, you’re such a good girl.”
“I want to make you come.”
His face lowered again, his blue eyes opening and catching mine.
“You want to please me?”
“I do, so much. I need to.”
The look in his eye had me in a tailspin. It was like he knew I was his. He commanded me and I was completely at his mercy. Needing to obey. I liked the feeling. I revelled in it. It fed me. He was right. I was submissive but only for him.
“Keep stroking my cock just like that and you will.”
There was a harshness to his deep voice which made my skin tingle. How could I ever think I could live in a world that didn’t have him and I like this? He said I was his number one. In those moments, I felt the truth of that statement.
He closed his eyes again, grunting as his fingers dug harder into my hips. He cursed as his cock spurted hot, sticky streams all over our stomachs only to have the water wash it away.
Promises Page 19