Chapter Twelve
DREW
Tonight with Ellie was far from awkward.
The whole, ‘creating our fake dating history’, was the most fun I’d had in a very long time. I think Ellie felt the same. I already knew she had a great sense of humor from our previous communications, but tonight felt like we were on fire. We just clicked on a whole other level.
There was no way her family would see us together and not believe we were dating.
“You need a couple name.” Goldie’s face screwed up in thought as she helped clear the dishes from the table. “Something like … Drellie … Oh no, that’s awful. Or maybe Ellew. Okay, nobody put me in charge of this kind of thing again. Help!”
We all erupted into laughter.
“I don’t think there is a good one.” Ellie giggled the loudest. Her unfettered joy drew me in and made me want to stay and bask in her happiness. When she glanced at me and rolled her eyes, it was like I could see her thoughts.
Being around Glamma and her friends was something else. Watching Ellie embrace their uniqueness and their well-meaning intentions made me feel something I wasn’t prepared to articulate.
I still couldn’t figure out how that dumbass Kyle left her for her sister.
He was a damn idiot.
Ignoring her own demand, Glamma kept trying. “What if we use Andrew and Eleanor? Then they’d be Andeanor, or Eleanrew, or wait, I got another one.” Glamma laughed so hard she was wheezing in between words and almost dropped the glasses she picked up. “Andranor!”
Gladys pointed her bright blue fingernail at us. “Elearew. Eledrew. Forget it. This is impossible. I give up.”
“You all are too much,” Martha declared with a smile. “I’ve got the perfect one, Drewie.”
“Aww, that is kind of cute.” I looked at Ellie, and she shrugged. Maybe not?
Martha waved us away when we started cleaning up our dishes. “You can all leave it here. I’ll wash everything later.”
“Nonsense.” Goldie shot her a stern glare. “Friends do not let friends do all the cleaning by themselves.”
“Why don’t you two practice other things while we finish up here,” Glamma shooed us out of the kitchen with a waggle of her eyebrows.
“Other things?” Ellie asked. “What? Oh, other things. Is your grandmother trying to tell us to make out while they’re in the kitchen?”
I took her hand and led her to the sofa. “I think so.”
“Then we should probably do what she says. Wouldn’t want to make her angry after all the trouble she just went through.”
“Yeah. We don’t want to seem ... ungrateful,” I agreed.
We sat on the sofa and I pulled Ellie into my arms. This time, she leaned into me without hesitation. It was becoming so easy to be with her in this way that I didn’t even think about how we were pretending. Everything about being with her felt real to me.
But I sensed something was going on in her head. She was too quiet. Too still.
“I don’t want to take advantage of you, Drew,” Ellie admitted, keeping her gaze focused on her lap.
Instead of straight out telling her she was wrong, I tried another tactic. “What’s going on?”
“You’ve been amazing. And if nothing else, tonight has shown me you have a good heart.” She reached up and patted my chest.
I cupped my hand over hers, enjoying this closeness without the need to perform for witnesses. “But?”
“If this goes sideways, I don’t want things to blow up in your face.
I don’t want there to be any negative press for the business or for you.
I couldn’t live with myself if that happened, and let’s be real, your entire family is helping me because they’re good people.
My family doesn’t act like that. They get what they want, first and foremost. Everything and everyone else comes second. ”
I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand. “You deserve so much more than that from your family.”
“I know. I’m seeing that the longer I’m here, but they’re all I have.”
I wanted to protest and tell her she had me, but that wouldn’t be fair. Once her sister’s wedding was over, so were we, and I wouldn’t ever make her false promises.
My hand shifted to cup her cheek and draw her attention up. Knowing I couldn’t say what was really on my mind, I had this driving need to at least show her. To let her feel how much I was on her side and how badly I wanted her to see her worth.
When our eyes met, she slid her hands up my chest to rest on my shoulders, and every single part of my body sang with awareness. I leaned in, making it clear I wanted to kiss her again. Our mouths were practically touching. I wanted to give her an out, yet I also prayed she wouldn’t take it.
I forced the words out. “Tell me to stop.”
She shook her head and shifted closer. “No, I want this, even if it’s just for right now.”
I wanted to go slow, but I couldn’t.
My lips crashed down on hers.
And when she let out a soft whimper, I didn’t think.
I acted.
I cradled the back of her head, fisting her hair, so I could shift her mouth where I needed it. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted to touch her everywhere. My other hand gripped her hip, kneading at the soft flesh, as she moaned.
Ellie threw a leg over mine so our bodies pressed closer together.
I prayed she wouldn’t regret this later.
I knew I wouldn’t.
But more important than how good she felt in my arms was showing her that she was desired and worthy of true devotion.
Our kiss was all heat and hunger. Every brush of her lips sparked a fire in me.
I couldn’t get enough of her.
Her hands twined around my neck, and I pulled her into my lap. Her hips rocked into mine and her teeth nipped at my lower lip. I couldn’t hold back a groan when she started riding me.
I wanted nothing more than this moment, but I knew we couldn’t go too far. There were four old ladies in the next room who would be all too happy to watch this show.
Ellie squirmed in my arms and gasped as I nibbled across her jaw and lightly bit her earlobe.
It had been years since I’d made out on the couch with a girl. Yet with Ellie, everything felt new and exciting.
“Do you know how badly I want you right now?” I growled. “For real?”
Ellie rolled her hips once more, slowly tilting her pelvis, so it dragged along my hard as steel dick. “I have a clue,” she whispered, her voice husky and dripping with desire.
My hand slid under her shirt, and I groaned at the softness of her skin. I trailed my fingers slowly up her torso, loving every dip and curve until they reached the lace bra she wore. My thoughts jumped back to the night on the side of the road when she ran out of the woods in one just like this.
Fuck me.
My breath caught and my dick jumped so hard I almost came in my fucking pants. “Goddamn it, Ellie,” I groaned.
“Hold on a second. Let me go check on those lovebirds!” Glamma called loudly from the kitchen, and I had the distinct impression she did it to warn us.
“Oh, my God! Your grandmother!” Ellie frantically scrambled off my lap. By the time Glamma made it into the room, Ellie was running a hand down her shirt, then through her hair.
“Hi, Glamma!” Her overly loud greeting made us both cringe.
“Relax,” I leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“Right. Relax. I’m doing that. See how relaxed I am? I’m totally chill.” Her fire-engine red cheeks were certainly a dead giveaway about our um, activities, but her fidgeting and fast-talking probably clinched it for Glamma.
“I can tell,” I teased her, and she quickly whacked my arm.
“Behave!”
“I’ll try.” After noticing the time on the old grandfather clock I kissed Ellie on her cheek and stood up. “I should get going anyway. It’s late, and tomorrow’s a big day.”
Ellie flinched.
Damn it. “Ellie—”
“Everything will be fine. You’re not responsible for the way my family acts or reacts in response to things. I’ll be okay.” When she uttered those words, they seemed rehearsed. Almost robotic. Like she’d had to say it repeatedly to remind herself.
Every cell in my body begged me to stay.
To finish that kiss we started. And to stand my ground and not leave her. To show her she wasn’t responsible for other people’s actions and reactions, and that now she didn’t need to handle it alone.
But I wasn’t her actual boyfriend. And Martha was here just in case.
I brushed the back of my hand along her cheek. “Call me. No matter the time. If something comes up or you just need to talk, call.”
She nodded and gave me a weak smile. I hated that it didn't fully reach her eyes.
“You don’t have to come to work tomorrow. Take whatever time off you need.”
She gave me a frustrated grunt. “I’m not an invalid. I’ll be there. I can’t stay here. If I do, I’ll work myself up until they get here. I need to be busy.”
“Okay, then I’ll be here at 8:00 am.”
She opened her mouth to protest.
“If you get up earlier, message me. We can go in whenever you’re ready.” I would do whatever I needed to help her get through tomorrow and the next two weeks.
“Thanks, Drew. Also, Adam left me a voicemail to let me know that my car will be ready either tomorrow or the next day.”
“We can stop by on our way back from work.”
Ellie walked me to the door, and with each wave from her as I drove off, I forced myself to keep going. I hated how lost she looked. And I knew now that, as the night wound down, all she would think about was her mother and sister arriving tomorrow.
I needed to reach out to my family to be sure they were on high alert and everybody was at the ready in case Ellie needed us.