Chapter 9 #3
Laughing quietly to himself, Ellis finally looked away from the rearview mirror and turned his gaze forward.
“He’d scold me for feeling guilty. Aaron was always a very practical person.
Or, at least, he was until the end. If he could see me now, he’d say I’m being stupid.
I did what he asked me to do, so there’s no reason to feel guilty about it. ”
“Well, if emotions were logical, they wouldn’t be emotions, would they?”
“Yeah, I guess so.” With another sigh, Ellis leaned over and put his head on my shoulder and closed his eyes like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Wake me when we get home.”
He was asleep almost instantly, while I was left reeling.
Home?
He’d said it so causally. I’d barely lived there long enough to call it home, and still often caught myself simply referring to it as “the property.”
Could Ellis have really gotten comfortable there so quickly that he already considered it home as well?
I should have pushed back against this idea. Every logical thought in my head was saying that it was just a response to the trauma that Ellis had faced recently, and he was simply latching onto the first sense of security that he could find.
But just like I’d told Ellis, emotions weren’t logical. So, in spite of all logic, warmth bloomed in my chest as I imagined Ellis making a home in the house I’d built with my own hands.
Driving through the mountains after dark was dangerous, so when the sun set, I was forced to go much slower than normal.
It took nearly twice as long as normal to cover the distance between Rynkirk and Emberwood.
By the time I pulled into the gravel parking just in front of my house, it was clear that Magnus and Trent had already turned in for the night.
Everything was quiet, and there weren’t even any lights on in their house.
The whole property was lit by nothing but moonlight, making everything look soft around the edges, like I’d stumbled my way into a dream.
“Hey…” I nudged Ellis, who was still using my shoulder as a pillow. “We’re here.”
The sleep that clung to his eyes gave him an adorable expression, and I was sad that he woke up so quickly. However, his nap during the drive seemed to have invigorated him, and he practically jumped from the truck with a spring in his step.
“I’m glad nothing’s happened to the place while we were gone. I know it may seem weird, but this place has kind of become a safe haven to me, you know.”
I wrapped an arm around his shoulder and led him toward the house, always keeping an eye on the tree line. Our home might be a safe haven, but I didn’t trust the world beyond our property line.
“I know. Come on. Let’s get you inside. You’ve had a long day.”
Ellis seemed more interested in looking around the property than getting inside where it was safe, so I kept my arm around him and practically dragged him along.
With his memories restored, he must be revaluating everything with new eyes, so I could understand his distraction.
Yet, I couldn’t breathe easy until a locked door stood between us and the open night air.
Luckily, Ellis didn’t mind coming inside, for he was just as interested in examining the house as he was the rest of the property.
“Have you considered naming this place?”
I wasn’t really listening as I brought him up the stairs, so I just gave him a noncommittal grunt. It hardly counted as a conversation, but my single syllable response was all Ellis needed to keep going.
“You know, like, The Nowhere Ranch, or The Medowshire Estate. Something like that.”
My foot hit the top of the stair’s landing before I realized what he was saying and turned back to him.
“Wait. What are you talking about?”
Normally, someone would be upset to realize their conversation partner hadn’t been listening to them, but Ellis wasn’t fazed and kept right on talking with a smile on his face.
“Your property. Places always feel more important when they have an actual name, and your home is so special. It deserves a name as well.”
“That’s…” I was about to dismiss the idea but stopped when I thought about it for a moment.
“That’s a good idea. We should do that. Maybe when everything is over, we can figure something out.
” My gaze landed on the door to the guest bedroom, and I was reminded of even more things that we needed to take care of.
“Before that, though, we’ll need to track down your stuff.
Now that your memories are back, I’m sure you want to get back to your own apartment. ”
The stairs opened up to the center of the upstairs hallway. One direction led to the master bedroom, and in the other lay the guest bedroom.
Neither of us moved from the stair’s landing.
“There’s no rush,” Ellis said as he shrugged. “I sold most of my stuff to pay for my brother’s treatment, and the apartment I was living in is a shithole. There’s literally nothing waiting for me, assuming the landlord hasn’t already evicted me for missing rent payments.”
He hooked his fingers through the belt loop of my pants. It was such a small gesture, like he was trying to cling to me in the most unobtrusive way possible.
I stared down at his hand, debating the pros and cons of removing his grip.
“We could at least pick up your own clothes, so you don’t have to keep wearing mine.”
The hand that wasn’t clinging to my pants clutched the collar of the shirt he was wearing and pulled it closer to his face. “I kinda like wearing your clothes. They smell like you. It’s calming.”
The two of us were nearly the same height, but somehow, Ellis still managed to give the impression of looking up at me with an expression that I could only call coy.
“You know, since I have to wear your clothes, getting dressed in the morning would be easier if I woke up in your bed.”
Two doors, one decision.
Should I escort him to the guest room, or bring him into my own bed?
I was certain that he would accept either option, though he’d made it clear which he preferred. The decision was entirely up to me.
It didn’t take as long as I thought it would to decide.
My bedroom door closed behind us with a resounding slam, like the gavel of a judge’s hammer.
I wouldn’t know until morning if I’d be pleading guilty or walking away innocent, but as I pushed Ellis back toward the bed, I didn’t care.
His kiss was a thief stealing my every rational thought, and I was a willing victim.
Ellis’s knees hit the edge of the bed, and I was prepared to push him the final few inches onto my mattress, but before I could, he stopped me with a hand on my chest.
“Wait. Let me…” He paused for a moment, looking down so his gaze was shadowed under his slightly curled lashes. His expression would have looked shy, except for the way he licked his lips. “Let me do something.”
He didn’t bother waiting for my answer and immediately dropped to his knees.
His returned memories had also brought with them a new sense of confidence.
Ellis was still the soft, shy man that I’d come to care about, but he was also a man who knew what he wanted.
There wasn’t a moment of hesitation as he immediately went to work unbuttoning my pants and pulling my straining erecting free from my underwear.
I tangled my hand in his curly hair, unsure if I wanted to stop him or urge him to continue.
“Are you sure?”
Dark eyes sparkled like the bubbles in a champagne glass, light yet deceptively intoxicating, as he smiled up at me.
“Absolutely.”
From that moment, I was doomed.
With a gentle hand, he stroked my cock, driving me wild with tantalizing sensations that were never quite hard enough to satisfy.
My second hand joined my first, and I tightened my grip on his hair. “You… minx,” I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut. “You’ve done this before.”
His mouth hovered near my arousal without making contact, just close enough for me to faintly feel the breath of his laughter. “I’m forty-five. Did you really think I was a virgin?”
“No, but?—”
I choked as he sped his hand up just a little bit, and brushed his lips over the sensitive head of my cock.
Ellis laughed again, making my hips buck into the vibrations his voice sent over my skin.
“But you thought I was shy and inexperienced,” he concluded for me. “Well, you’re not entirely wrong. I am shy. I could never do this with someone I didn’t trust. But that doesn’t mean I’m an innocent virgin. I know what I want.”
With my eyes squeezed shut, I couldn’t see his expression, but I could easily picture the way he must be looking up at me with hunger. The implication of his words was obvious. He knew what he wanted, and it was me.
In one smooth move, he parted his lips and swallowed me whole.
He was definitely experienced. I’d even go so far as to say he was a slut, in all the best ways.
He moved his mouth and tongue over me with the precision of an expert musician playing their favorite instrument.
Completely new sounds were dragged out of me.
Sounds I didn’t even know I could make. I gasped and howled when my cock hit the back of his throat and kept going.
Either he didn’t have a gag reflex or he’d perfected the ability to suppress it as he easily deepthroated me.
Every nerve in my body came alive at the same time. My legs shook and I was in danger of toppling forward. Luckily, Ellis had a solid figure. I braced one hand against his shoulders to keep myself upright and held on for dear life.
He pulled away slowly, letting his tongue dance along the underside of my cock until only the head remained between his lips.
Then he swallowed me again, alighting my pleasure all over again.
Each time was like the strike of a blacksmith’s hammer in my mind.
My climax was forged one thunderous spark at a time until I couldn’t hold back no matter how hard I tried.
I gleefully let myself tumble over that edge, driving myself as deep down his throat as possible.
Ellis didn’t try to push me away, didn’t even seem to struggle, as he eagerly swallowed every drop of my pleasure.
By the end, I was left panting and shaking. Ellis pulled off of me, but remained kneeling at my feet so I could continue using him for support until I calmed down enough to stand on my own.
Breathing deeply through my nose, I willed my pulse to slow. I refused to be a selfish lover. I’d found my release, but arousal still strained against Ellis’s pants and his eyes still burned with need.
“Come here,” I said as I pulled him to his feet. “My turn to take care of you now.”
I slid my hand under his shirt, popping open the buttons one at a time until his entire torso was bare.
Black hair stood out starkly on his olive skin, and the soft curve of his belly fit perfectly against my palm.
I squeezed the love handles that spilled out over the tops of his borrowed jeans and reveled in the soft yet sturdy feel of him.
I was so ready to dive right into him. Despite having just come, my cock was already twitching with interest again. It wouldn’t be long before I was ready for a second round, but this time I was going to make sure it was all about his pleasure instead.
I didn’t realize I’d spoken that last thought out loud until I noticed Ellis giving me a strange expression.
“Do you really want to make me feel good?”
His lashes fluttered, and he couldn’t quite meet my eye. He looked nervous, though I had no idea why that would be. Surely, after getting on his knees for me, there was nothing left for him to be nervous about.
“Of course.” Grabbing his hand, I placed a kiss against his knuckles. “You deserve all the pleasure I can give you.”
Biting his lip, Ellis hesitated for a moment, then leaned forward to whisper directly in my ear.
My brain stalled and the whole world around me seemed to freeze as I processed his unexpected request.