Chapter 22
Jesse
Ella is on her way back from her trip to Texas.
I’ve been waiting outside her apartment building for about an hour.
I’m getting antsy. She said she’d be home by now when I talked to her two hours ago.
Obviously, I didn’t love the idea of her seeing her ex; it had me on edge basically the entire time she was gone.
When she told me he tried to kiss her, I wanted to climb through the phone and go pay him a visit, but I didn’t let her know that.
My worries fade when I see her pull up in the U-Haul I didn’t want her to drive herself, but I will say I’m impressed. She managed to do it and stay in one piece.
Her smile is infectious as I approach her with open arms.
“Hey stranger.” She smiles as my arms wrap around her.
“I missed you.” I make sure she knows. It was the longest five days of my life. It’s like I didn’t even know what to do with myself. I don’t know what I used to do before her, and how I wasn’t miserable is beyond me.
“I told you I’d be back.” She kisses my cheek.
“I know.”
“And I still love you.” She pushes her finger into my chest.
My smile grows and I follow her inside. “So, how was everything? How were your parents?”
“Not great.” She sighs.
“No?”
“I mean, they talked to me and everything, but I could sense the tension and judgment for everything that happened still.”
“I’m sorry. That’s not fair.”
“No, it’s not,” she says, walking around her apartment to check on things. I follow her and continue the conversation.
We carry everything in, and I play furniture mover while she directs me where to place everything exactly. She stands back to get the full picture, telling me to move the coffee table a hair to the left, then forward, then to the right. I’ll do it all day. Whatever she wants.
“Okay. I think that’s good.” She lets out an exasperated breath. “I need to shower.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Huh. Gee, thanks.”
I laugh. “Want me to pick something up for dinner?”
“Sure. Not pizza though.”
“Name the place.”
“Hmm.” She thinks for a few seconds. I pull my boots on and wait by the door. Still watching her think. She’s very indecisive today, I’ve noticed.
“Whatever you want. You want two places?”
“No. No, I’m just between Chinese or Mexican.”
“We can get both.”
“That’s stupid, no. I’m gonna go with my initial choice.”
“Which is?”
“Chinese.” She smiles.
“Chinese it is. I’ll be back.” I pull the door open and head to my truck.
* * *
When I get back to her apartment with the food, I hear the shower running. I’ve been gone for almost a half hour though, and I don’t know about you, but that’s a long time to be in the shower. Worry settles in my stomach as I set the food on the counter and head to her bathroom.
Just as I reach her bedroom and step across the threshold, the bathroom door swings open and out comes Ella in nothing but a towel.
She jumps. “Jesse!”
“Sorry.” I back out of the room. “I was worried you fell or something.”
“Why … ?”
I turn around only slightly. “Because I was gone for a while and didn’t think you took that long of a shower.”
“It was an everything shower, so they take longer.”
“An everything shower?” I look to her. My eyes get caught up on the towel and the thought of her naked body under it. The memory I have of it is still so vivid.
“Yeah, it’s when you—”
I hold up a hand. “I don’t want to know.”
“It’s not bad!” She laughs, taking a step closer, and I swear she’s doing it on purpose. The way the towel shifts, the look in her eyes. She’s making her move.
“Ella,” I warn, my voice low.
“What?” She tries to act innocent, her smirk giving her away as she steps closer.
“You know what,” I murmur.
She tilts her head, standing not even a foot away from me, her gaze locking on mine. “Tell me what I know, baby.”
That’s all it takes. The seduction in her voice, the term of endearment, the pressure snaps like a rubber band. I close the distance between us in half a step, my hands grabbing her waist over the towel. Her breath hitches just as my mouth comes down on hers.
She brings her arms up around my neck, leaving the towel to loosen. She doesn’t seem to mind, and I certainly don’t either.
Her hands tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as our mouths move against each other’s. There’s fire burning in my chest and soon enough it’s moving through my entire body.
As our bodies get closer, our kiss is undeniably turning into more. Our breathing is getting heavier, more needy. The touches become more urgent, my hands smoothing over her skin with purpose. Her fingers pulling my hair, desperate for me to be closer.
My hands are starving to touch every inch of her, I want all of her. Right now. I know where this is going. She knows where this is going and yet neither one of us is stopping it.
“Tell me to stop,” I breathe, fully prepared for her to say the word.
“No,” she urges and lets the towel fall to the floor.
My hesitation flies out the window. I scoop her up under her legs. They wrap around my waist as I carry her to her bed and come down over her.
The rest of the world doesn’t exist, and for the first time in years, everything feels right.