Desired (3 page)

It seemed—easy.

Something Ella hadn’t known in a long time.

Jealousy cut through her, and she wished she had that closeness, too. Since moving to Vegas, she hadn’t made many friends. The other employees at Aidan’s office were older than she, and perhaps she hadn’t gone out of her way to make an effort.

Kyler released Cora and gave Aidan a manly hug, and a heavy sadness stormed through Ella, displacing all desire. She missed her family … or, having anyone close at all. Her friends in Savannah had been Rory’s friends’ wives. When she’d left Rory, they had cut off contact, going so far as to unfriend her on Facebook. He’d been the one to leave her with six stitches and a black eye. She’d been the one who lost everything.

It hurt.

The bite of loneliness had her pressing a hand to her stomach. Feeling needy and on the verge of a serious pity party, she turned from the crowd. She felt slightly rude not saying goodbye to Aidan, but she’d see him back in the office after his two-week honeymoon in Thailand. And, really, who was she to him? Nothing more than an assistant he invited because
it’d be an insult not to. While he seemed like a friend to her, he also didn’t include her in his life outside of their working relationship.

Ella strode along the patio as the warm breeze fluttered the strands of hair around her face. The band now played instrumental music, since the crowd was focused elsewhere. She passed the bar and noticed wineglasses resting on a serving tray. Needing more liquid happiness, she grabbed one and took a long sip.

To the right of the bar, a cobblestone pathway led down to the boat dock by the water. Another gush of wind lifted her skirt at her knees, and she quickly gathered her dress in her hand and headed for the pathway.

The sounds of the guitar strumming followed her as she reached the end of the boat dock. She glanced down into the dark water and smiled. If she needed anything right now, it was something to cool the jets.

Perfect
.

Ella kicked off her shoes, placed her wineglass on the wooden slats, and then dropped down onto the edge of the dock. The noise from the party drifted down to her and she glanced up to the full moon, placing her feet into the water. Ten months had changed so much in her life. She never would’ve believed she’d be living a whole new life in Vegas—without her high school sweetheart—her
husband
.

In the months that had passed, she’d cried. She’d hurt. She’d gone through a depression. But slowly, she’d picked herself up again. Her grandparents hadn’t raised a fool. One look in the mirror at the hospital, seeing stitches and a black-and-blue eye, solidified her decision to walk away.

Not that it’d been all roses and sunshine before she’d swan-dived into a table, but in one year Rory had gone from a great husband to a complete drunk after the death of his father.

She’d tried to help him by arranging an appointment with a therapist, but he wouldn’t go, even when she said she’d go with him. If Ella knew anything it was that she couldn’t help someone who didn’t want it. She also wouldn’t wait around for his violent outbursts.

Ella had stopped loving him long before the night he pushed her in a fit of rage after a drunken stupor. But that night had marked when she’d had enough. She hadn’t looked back. It had been the right decision and she refused to regret it.

She loved her new life and was proud of it. If her family left her with anything, it was a
clear view of what true love looked like. Real love didn’t involve hurting your spouse.

“I thought you’d left.”

Snapped out of her thoughts, Ella’s breath whooshed from her lungs. She glanced over her shoulder, finding Kyler standing on the edge of the boat dock with his arms folded across his chest. “I needed some quiet,” she replied.

He looked down to the water before his gaze returned to hers. “A good place to get it.” He stepped onto the dock and the wood swayed beneath her. “Mind if I join you?”

She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “Not at all.”

He never looked away from her as he removed his shoes and socks, then rolled up his pants to his knees. He sank down next to her and dunked his feet into the water. “So, you like this, do you?”

She laughed, watching a big man do something entirely, well, not manly. “Don’t you think it feels nice?”

He circled his legs, swirling the water. “It feels like cool water.” He glanced out to the lake, leaning back on his arms. “But it is a beautiful night.”

“Gorgeous.”
You are, too
.

Kyler stayed focused on the water, but he didn’t need to look at her. The very air changed with him around. There was a hint of a smile on his face, as if he knew she was watching him. The twinkle in his gaze confirmed he liked it.

Ella regarded him, trying to pinpoint why he affected her. Why
this
man made her not mind him sitting next to her? She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she decided not to fight it, either. It felt comfortable. “What do you do for a living?”

“I’m a cop.”

Unsurprised, she nodded. “You look the type.”

He barked a laugh and turned to her. “Well, now, do tell. What does the
type
look like?”

Ella studied him long and hard. There was strength in his eyes, in the firm set of his jaw, in his strong posture. “You’ve got the whole don’t-fuck-with-me thing going on.”

His eyes searched hers with an intriguing sparkle. “Do I?”

Perhaps that was it. He held a job that was authoritative by nature. He had to have a deep well of confidence to perform in that world. Whatever it was, she thought it was super-sexy. “Yep, you’re oozing it.”

“Glad to know I don’t ooze weakness.” His warm chuckle washed over her as he held her gaze. “Aidan told me you’re from Savannah.”

She nearly gaped at him, but restrained herself. When did he have the chance to talk to Aidan about her? Wasn’t Aidan busy with his wedding? And, seriously, had Kyler gone out of his way to learn more about her from her boss?

“That’s right,” she replied with a nod. “I grew up in Savannah.” Surprisingly, she didn’t mind Kyler’s interest in her life. Not one bit. But would he truly want to hear about her past? It wasn’t a pretty picture. There was hurt there she couldn’t hide.

A finger brushed across her cheek, dragging her out of her thoughts. Kyler’s head was tilted and his stare probing. “What was that thought?”

She blinked. “Pardon?”

“Just then, what were you thinking?”

“Nothing.” She waved away his concern. “Nothing important, anyway.”

“Seemed important,” he said with a frown. “Or you wouldn’t have looked so sad.”

She stared at him, and the hardness in his features told her he wouldn’t relent. For whatever reason—completely unknown to her—she sensed an odd trust in him. A total surprise, since she didn’t trust anyone lately, so it seemed. But embarrassment over her situation with Rory kept her lips sealed shut.

Raking her mind for a reason, she pulled on other things that saddened her. “I was thinking about my family.”

His gaze softened, as did his voice. “Family in Savannah?”

“Deceased family.” She glanced to the water, watching it ripple around her legs. “Sometimes events like this make me think of them.”

“Your parents died?”

She nodded. “When I was seven they died in a plane crash and I was raised by my grandparents. My grandmother died when I was twenty and my grandfather died a month later.” She watched his features go tender, and she could’ve kicked herself.
Ruin the mood much, Ella?
“What about your family, do they live in Vegas?”

He gave her a long look, as if he wanted to ask her more. But he simply said, “I have three older brothers, all of whom are married with a bunch of ankle-biters. My father is a police chief and my mother is an elementary schoolteacher.”

She smiled, wishing she had a family that size. Being a single child, she was so envious of people that had siblings. Most times people never knew how good they had it. “You’re the baby of the family, huh?”

His mouth twitched. “Something my brothers seem determined to never let me forget.”

She chuckled and then glanced out into the dark night, seeing the lights of Sin City twinkling off in the distance. The full moon made the black water resemble glass. Beautiful might have been an understatement. Aidan couldn’t have picked a better night for his wedding. The sky was clear, and the air was fresh, not polluted like it was in Vegas. After a long exhale, she asked, “Do you like being a cop?”

He shrugged. “Most times.”

“What times don’t you like it?”

“When I’m dealing with people who have come to Vegas for a good time and drink too much.”

She laughed, then grabbed her wine off the boat dock and took a quick sip. “You must have some funny stories?”

“Believe me, Ella, I have hours full of them.” He tilted his head back, looking to the moon. It cast a glow over the side of his face. Kyler was beautiful—striking, almost. The lines of his chiseled face were purely masculine and his lips were totally kissable.

“Do you like the view?” he asked, not looking at her.

She jerked her gaze away, feeling her cheeks warm.
Could you be any more obvious?

When his finger tucked under her chin and he turned her head, she gulped. His eyes were heated and his lips were parted, ready for a kiss. He leaned in closer, erasing the distance.

She couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe.

His features were tight, but in a way making her ache. “I don’t mind you looking at me like that, Ella.” He brushed his thumb across her chin and licked his lips, drawing her focus to his mouth. Then he ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “In fact, I rather enjoy it.”

She was held by something so powerful she couldn’t avoid it. Her body yearned for his touch in an unfamiliar way. The strength he offered had her reaching out to him—a perfect stranger—and nearly begging him to wrap her in his arms and not let go.

The side of his mouth arched before he moved in closer. His woodsy scent spun in the air for a few seconds and then his lips pressed against hers. She melted under his heated kiss. His
lips brushed lightly across hers, as if testing. She leaned into him, accepting his mouth, needing more.

He licked the plumpest part of her bottom lip, and Ella opened her mouth for him. Their tongues danced together as he guided her with every slow lick and each press of his lips against hers. Her stomach fluttered and heat flooded her, moistening her sex. She clenched her legs together, easing the ache and somehow also increasing it.

She shivered as he slid his hand across her cheek, deepening the kiss. He didn’t simply kiss her; he consumed her. His lips weren’t only an embrace, but held a purpose that commanded her.

She happily fell into him.

With a final slow swirl of his tongue, he broke the kiss by brushing his mouth gently over hers. Leaning away, he kept his hand pressed against her cheek, staring at her with a dark, delicious gaze.

“Wow,” she breathed.

His eyes blazed. “Indeed.”

The vanilla girl could kiss, though Kyler suspected Ella wasn’t so vanilla after all. Need swept through him as he cupped her warm cheeks and stared into her pretty eyes filled with a need, reaching into him on a level only another Dom could understand.

Hold me. Care for me. Take me higher
.

Ella’s desires were a song in his ears and pounded his rock-hard cock. Pure, dominant want. Her sensual reactions made him crave things he shouldn’t want with a vanilla woman, because he had no idea if she could give him what he needed. He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks and she leaned in to his touch, curtaining her hair over her face.

When he had danced with her earlier, he’d noticed her scar. To him, it became clear she was sensitive about it. He traced the long mark with the tip of his finger. “What caused this?”

She lowered her chin, avoiding his gaze. “A table became my arch nemesis.”

He tucked a finger under her chin, commanding her attention. By her guarded look, he assumed there was more to the story. “You’re a beautiful woman, Ella, scar included.”

Her gaze softened with her sweet smile, and it spoke to the Dominant in him. Knowing he’d made her feel better about it eased the tightness in his chest. Maybe the scar did make her insecure, but he wore scars from his life.

A scar couldn’t detract from her beauty.

Ella was lovely.

Her breath was raspy, indicating her arousal. Whether because of his presence or because she hadn’t been touched by a man in a while, Kyler wouldn’t make assumptions. But under her heated look, his cock swelled.

Some women hid arousal; Ella most definitely did not. There wasn’t a single coy bone in her body, he’d bet. Her cheeks flushed brightly and her eyes widened, emphasizing large, dark pupils.

Though all the same, Aidan’s warning rushed through Kyler’s mind. He wouldn’t be a good Dom if he didn’t pay attention to the sadness in Ella’s soul. It lay glaringly obvious in her expression.

Yet he also couldn’t, wouldn’t, deny his pull toward her.

Chemistry didn’t happen often. The passion in Ella was palpable. He yearned to find a home deep inside her. Craved to dive into her, take her over while looking into those expressive eyes. Still he paused, knowing she had a working relationship with Aidan. He couldn’t fuck this girl and walk away. But he was slowly coming to the realization he might not want to walk away.

Something about her …

A strong connection burned fiercely between them, one Kyler wouldn’t dare refuse. He wasn’t a fool when it came to passion. Since his last steady relationship had ended four years ago, no woman had heated so impressively under his touch. He’d had women, but none like Ella. He wanted to explore why she roused things in him he’d never felt before.

Sliding his finger down the front of her neck, he stopped at the top of her sweetheart neckline. “If I touched you here, would you stop me?”

Her breath, scented of wine, rushed from her lungs, brushing across his face. “No.”

“What if I touched here?” He dragged his fingers up her thigh. “Would I find that you’re ready for me?”