“I know she’s coming from a good place, but she’s a tad overbearing.”
“You’re an only child.”
“That’s no excuse. She needs to trust my judgment. She thinks I let a stranger into my home.”
“That’s not exactly far from the truth. Then again, you know things about me my closest friends don’t know. She’s just being protective.”
“Too protective. She watches way too much Nancy Grace.”
Chella smiled at his words, but the fact that her life was something that might be on that show reminded her of why she wanted to keep her distance from Mitch.
“I think I feel tired again. I’m going to head back to bed,” Chella said, standing up.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“Actually, yes. Can you tell me where my medications is?”
“Sure.”
She followed him inside as he led the way to her bathroom, opened the medicine cabinet, and handed her a white paper bag.
“Ha. Go figure. Too bad I wasn’t smart enough to figure that all out by myself,” she said, her cheeks turning red.
“Be careful with that stuff. Make sure you check the directions. I think it might knock you out.”
“Thanks again for everything.” She turned around and hugged him then kissed him lightly on his cheek.
Mitch awoke to the sounds of petrifying screams coming from Chella’s room. He leaped out of bed and ran to her room, his heart pounding. He switched on the lights. No one else was in the room. She was dreaming.
“Chella! Chella, wake up!” he said as he tried to shake her out of her deep sleep.
She twisted and turned, oblivious to his voice.
“Chella, Sweetheart, wake up,” he said, shaking her until her eyes opened. Her face, moist from weeping.
“You were having a nightmare.”
She sat up in the bed, shivering, in a daze.
“Are you okay?”
She shook her head.
He pulled her into his arms and tried to comfort her, but she seemed confused and unaware of her surroundings.
“You’re in my penthouse. You’re safe.” He handed her the glass on the bedside table. “Here, drink some water.”
She took a small sip. “He stabbed you in the back. He tried to kill you.”
“Chell, I’m okay. I’m fine.”
She wrapped her arms around him and seemed afraid to let go. Pulling away, he held her head in place with both hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs.
“I’m okay. It was a bad dream.”
She leaned into him and brushed her lips past his. He circled her in his arms. He was so tempted to make love to her right then and there, but his conscience would never allow him to take advantage of the situation, especially with her being heavily sedated. He kissed her gently on the lips then tenderly pushed her down to the bed.
“Go back to sleep.”
“Can you stay with me for a while?”
“Sure.”
He never stopped to consider the enormous amount of self-control he would need having her in his home. For the second time that night, he thought of making love to her. Earlier that evening, when he watched her curled up on his veranda sofa, the images he had of her were a far cry from what had actually taken place. In the past few days, he had learned why Chella Noon was Chella Noon. He worried he would never have the type of relationship he wanted with her. Despite the fact that he knew that she was attracted to him, her fear of him getting hurt had taken precedence in her mind. Strange that the thing that attracted him most to her was the very thing keeping them apart.
Her breathing had turned deep and rhythmic.
He kissed her on the cheek, taking in her scent for a few extra seconds, then went back to his room to bed.
Chella awoke the next day at 11 a.m. It had been a while since she slept that late during the week. Looking at her skin, she was happy to see that most of the hives on her arms and hands had vanished. There was still numbness, but she didn’t feel dizzy anymore.
She showered and washed her hair then went into the room to get her clothes out of the suitcase. When she tried opening them, she noticed they all had padlocks on them. The day before when they had arrived, Mitch opened her small suitcase, but she needed to get into the others. She never had padlocks on her luggage before, she just used the combinations on them, but she supposed with all the hysteria that had been going on, someone was being extra careful. She searched both bedside tables, all the drawers in her room, and the bathroom, but still nothing.
Mitch had mentioned that he had an important meeting today so she didn’t want to call and disturb him at work.
Wrapped in a towel, she ventured into the kitchen to search the island and table. When she didn’t find them, she rummaged through the kitchen drawers.
“Where could those keys be? I don’t even know what they look like… now I’m just looking around for a bunch of keys like a crazy person…”
“Are you always in the habit of talking to yourself? Because I think it’s pretty cute.”
“Ah!” The sound of Mitch’s voice startled her, sending the towel to the floor. She quickly opened the refrigerator door and hid behind it, “Oh my god, I thought I was alone. Close your eyes.”
His lips curved into a sly smile as he watched her. “They’re closed.”
“Turn around.”
“I’ve turned.”
“This is so embarrassing. I thought you had a big meeting this morning,” she said after she had secured the towel around her.
“Decent yet?”
“Yes,” she replied. She could barely look him in the eyes, and the smirk he had on his face didn’t make things any easier.
“I cancelled my meetings today.”
“Why?”
“So I could be here in case you needed anything.”
“That’s sweet, but you really didn’t have to do that. You’ve done enough already.”
“Evidently not, because you’re walking around my house looking for something that you can’t seem to find and talking to yourself.”
“I can’t find the keys to the padlocks on my suitcases.”
“I thought I left them on the bedside table.”
“They’re not there. I’ve checked every single drawer between the guest room and kitchen.”
“Let me check the jeans I was wearing yesterday. Maybe I slipped them into my pocket by accident.”
“Just knock on my bedroom door if you find them, please. Otherwise I’m not going to have any clothes to wear.”
“Not a bad idea,” he muttered.
“I heard that!” she shouted as she closed the bedroom door behind her. She couldn’t remember the last time in her life she had been through a string of such humiliating incidents in such a short space of time. Most of the time, Mitch seemed amused while she was hoping a hole would open up in the ground and swallow her whole. She couldn’t get the image of his smirk out of her head. As mortifying as she found the situation, she giggled.
Ten minutes later, when Mitch had not returned, she slipped into the dress she was wearing the night before, sans undergarments, to search for him.
“Mitch?” As Chella walked through the hallway, she heard him on the phone.
“Mom, I’m not going through this with you again. I have to go. I love you. Bye.” There was silence for a moment. He opened the door. Frustration all over his face. “Here are the keys. My mom called again, and I got distracted. She’s driving me insane.”
“Sorry. Can you just give me a minute? Let me throw on some clean clothes, and I’ll be right out.”
Ten minutes later, after getting dressed and fixing her hair, she joined him in the great room.
“I made you lunch,” said Mitch.
“Thanks. So, I really appreciate you having me here, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to make arrangements to move tomorrow.”
“You sure you don’t want to stay longer?”
“Mitch, you’ve been a wonderful friend to me, and I’m so appreciative, but I have to try to sort out my life and get out of this mess.”
“Why can’t you do that here?”
“It’s complicated.”
“What about this thing that’s going on between us?”
“Maybe one day, when this is all behind me, we can see where this thing takes us. Until then, that’s how it might have to remain—a thing.”
“You don’t expect me to give up, do you?”
“Mitch, I never know what to expect from you. All I know is you’re the most persistent person I’ve ever met, sometimes to your own detriment.”
“I could say the same thing about you.”
She smiled at his words but didn’t respond. “So what are you doing since you abandoned your obligations for the day?”
“I’ve been working. It just happened to be from my bed.”
“Well, I have tons of work to do.”
“You’re supposed to be on two days of bed rest.”
“Fine. I’ll rest in bed with my laptop and get my work done.”
“Can’t it wait until Monday?”
“No. I have a big meeting first thing Monday morning. I have to go through some reports before then.”
“What big meeting?”
“Oh, with all the fuss yesterday, I forgot to tell you. I got a promotion. I’ll be marketing my own product line.”
“That’s great. Why aren’t we celebrating?”
“Because I was bitten by a scorpion and dizzy and numb and covered with hives and—”
“Let’s not rehash it. Why don’t I take you to dinner tonight? We can celebrate.”
Later that night, Mitch took her to a lovely restaurant at a hotel near Coronado Island. It was beautiful and romantic and the fresh, Pacific Ocean breezes gave her a sense of calm. Despite the chaos from two days before, she was able to put it behind her for most of the day.
“What would you say,” Chella said as they were seated, “if I told you this is going to be my new home tomorrow?”
“I’m not surprised. I knew you’d like it here. That’s why I chose it.”
“I’ve made arrangements to have my luggage picked up in the morning, and I’ll head over here in the evening.”
“I got used to having you around.”
“And I got used to being around, but we’ve had this conversation before.”
“Is there anything that I can do to convince you to stay?”
“No. As long as Aaron Stewart is free, I don’t see how anything could ever change.”
“And if it went on for another ten years?”
“I don’t know.”
“What if the way to stop him is to live your life?”
“At the expense of losing someone I loved? Never.”
“I care about you so much, Chella. Leaving you alone to deal with this guy is simply not an option for me.”
“Why are you so persistent?”
“I’ve always been that way. It’s the only way I know how to get what I want.”
“Do you always get what you want?”
“Most of the time.”
“When have you not gotten what you wanted?”
“Many times,” he seemed uncomfortable, moving uneasily in his chair.
“Did I just touch a soft spot?”
“You might have, but let’s not ruin the night.”
“You know all my secrets. When will I learn yours?”
“Someday. But not tonight.”
“Is that your way of making sure I stick around?”
“If I thought it would make you stay, I’d say yes, but I don’t think it would make a difference. Do you want to go for a walk?”
“Sure.”
They kicked off their shoes and walked hand in hand on the beach. It wasn’t until they were on the drive home that she realized she hadn’t looked over her shoulder that night. When they arrived at the penthouse, they curled up on the couch with a bottle of Dom and celebrated her promotion.
“I think I’m going to head to bed now. Thank you for tonight. I had a really great time.”
“Me, too.” He followed her to her bedroom door. She turned to face him.
Touching his forehead to hers, he said, “Reconsider. I don’t know how I’ll be able to keep you safe if you’re not here.”
“It’s not your job—”
“Promise me you’ll think about it.”
“I promise. I’ll think about it.”
He held her in his arms. She felt his heart race. Tilting her head, she found his lips and kissed him lightly. When he responded, she gently slipped her tongue into his mouth. He returned her kiss, cupping her face in his hands, deepening the kiss. She pulled away.
“I’m sorry. I got carried away. Have a good night,” she said. And with those words she entered her room, quickly shutting the door behind her.
While kissing him once again, she had become scared, but it was because she was becoming attached to him. Attachments came with a whole bunch of complications. She squeezed her eyes closed as she leaned against the door then tore off her clothing and took a cold shower. She wanted him so badly, but she wouldn’t allow herself to have him. His words haunted her. What do you want? What about your needs? What she wanted was to be in his arms, in his bed. What she needed was to feel safe, and she felt that way with him.
She had already slipped on her panties, wrapped a towel around her and went to him. She knocked only once before he answered, his body also dripping wet from a shower. He looked into her eyes.
No words were necessary.
He pulled her into his arms and pleasured her lips with his, softly, tenderly as they made their way near the bed. He tugged her rounded breasts free of the towel. He took her nipples into his mouth, sucking and teasing them with his tongue and lips.
“Are you sure about this?” He murmured.
Nodding, she whispered, “Just please be really, really careful. It’s been a while.”
He kissed her tenderly in response. “I promise to be gentle. I won’t hurt you.”
He opened the top drawer of the bedside table, pulled out a strip of condoms and placed them within easy reach.
With her back to the bed, he pulled her toward him and placed light, soft kisses on her lips. As his arms encircled her waist, she felt his arousal. Slipping one hand along the length of her face, he teased her lips lightly. She wrapped her hands around his neck and responded lovingly to his kiss, encouraging him as his tongue slid into her mouth.
Using his arm to support her, he leaned forward, laying her gently on the bed. As he kissed her, he used one arm to support his weight, the other to explore her form.
She whispered his name while her fingers explored his thick, dark hair. Getting to his feet, he pulled away the nude, lace cheekies molded to her ass. She lay magnificently naked before him, and he stood back for a second to take in all her splendor.
“You’re beautiful.”
He was about to join her, but she sat at the end of the bed, enabling him to look down at her. She faced his enormous bulge through the towel. Leaning her forehead against his hard, trimmed stomach, she kissed him right below his navel, creating a route that headed south. She steadied him with her open hand then slipped her fingers between flesh and terrycloth. The towel dropped to the floor.
She hugged his buns then proceeded to take him in, lovingly welcoming him into her mouth. She used her tongue tenderly, slowly, to tease the back of his shaft. As she continued, she fell into a rhythmic dance, with each movement taking him deeper and deeper into her throat, kissing him, swallowing him, pleasuring him with every re-entry.
His hands dug into her scalp. Her wet, curly, brown hair cascaded over his wrists. He rapidly pulled away from her, an indication she came close to tipping him over the edge.
As he looked deep into her eyes, he descended upon her lips, forcing her to slip her body up the bed. He continued to kiss her, savoring her lips
, enticing her, until she surrendered her entire body to him. His kisses grew more intense. She responded.
He slipped his fingers over her clit, starting slowly then reacting more firmly and rapidly as she cried out with pleasure. He placed soft kisses down her body, making his way down to her core. He continued to arouse her, working over her clit with his fingers and tongue. She was completely saturated, and her rotating hips told him she was eager to welcome him in.
He took one of the foil packets and ripped it open. She watched as he slid the condom on his shaft. Kneeling between her thighs, he continued to tease her with his warm tip. Then with one knee on the bed and his other foot grounded, he raised her hips so they were suspended in mid-air, propelling her body repeatedly into his throbbing pelvis, sending earth-shattering sensations through her.
She cried out his name. Placing her back on the bed, he held her hands and draped himself on top of her, looking deep into her eyes he moved in an erotic dance over her. Sensations escalated between her thighs. She could feel that he, too, was near. As he leaned into her and kissed her, it set them off into simultaneous, unadulterated bliss.
She lay in his arms, too comfortable to move. They had finally made love. She was falling hard for this man.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?
“The best I’ve been in all my life. Mitch, that was fantastic. I’m so happy, I feel like I’m going to explode.”
“I love seeing you like this, Chell. You’re literally glowing. You’re beautiful. Is there anything I can do to make you any happier?”
“Yes, make love to me all night long,” she replied.
He did not respond with words but simply fulfilled her request. They made love until the early hours of the morning, finally falling asleep in each other’s arms.
Mitch awoke to the smell of coffee and cooking. He replayed the night over in his head and couldn’t believe what he had done. For a few moments, he had let his penis do the talking. This issue now had the potential to cause Chella a world of hurt and pain—something he never intended. Things had gotten so intense between them. He hadn’t wanted to lay too much about his life on her too soon. But now that he’d made love to her, he was left with no choice but to tell her the truth, and that scared him. The news had the potential to make her cut all ties to him—immediately. He couldn’t lie to her, either. The longer he took to tell her, the more complicated things would get…
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