Redemption (The Bet) (41 page)

~*~*~*~

She'd taken a much deserved sabbatical from work and much to the delight of her children Ellie now devoted the whole of her attention on the twins and their sister. With the newly found opportunity to rise with the sun and not rush through breakfast and the daily chaos that was prepping the children for school, Ellie found that she was finally able to enjoy her mornings. She could bask in the warmth of the sun streaming through the kitchen window. Relish the taste of a freshly brewed cup of coffee without stressing the fact that she'd spill a drop on herself or the interior of her car. There were actually birds chirping in her backyard, and being privy to the gaiety of their tunes only seemed to heighten her already happy mood. Seated alone at her clean kitchen table, Ellie brought her coffee mug to her lips and quietly reflected on the events that'd transpired since leaving Nicholas's home.

After a
few days at the palatial estate that was Nicholas's home Ellie had decided that maybe it'd be best to return to her own abode with the children and resume their lives. She'd almost managed to do it too, seeing as Nicholas had been peculiarly absent from his own home these past few days. But, on the days that he'd been present, he had argued the fact that displacing Sophie when she was so obviously vulnerable and weak would only harm the child, rather than have the positive effects Ellie imagined it would. He'd been so damn smug and so damn charming when he realized that Ellie reluctantly saw the point of his logic that he'd even gone so far as to suggest that they all (the children, Ellie and himself) remain at his estate. Ellie, of course had deservedly laughed in his face.

Nicholas patiently stared at the cackling woman across the marble island countertop and had it in his right mind to march over there, grab her and swipe clean the laughter from her lips. Was it so wrong to yearn for a taste of that laughter or the succulent lips from which it came?

"Not gonna happen, Grayson."

"And why th'hell not, Holbrook?"

Ellie looked at him as though he'd lost his God given mind, "well for one thing, Bella and
Dylan have to go back to school." she straightened from her hunched position on the countertop at Nicholas's subtle advance.

"They need security. S
chool will only serve to intimidate them right now." He countered, approaching her.

As he rounded the island and Ellie continued to back away. "They need stability, staying here and hiding in your massive mansion isn't going to help them."

"Manor."

"Same diff
erence. Nicholas, my children…"

"Your
 children?" Ellie didn't realize that she'd backed herself into the pantry until she smelt the distinct aroma of vanilla and brown sugar. "I didn't realize you were capable of creating life on your own, Ellie." Nicholas mused, leaning against the door-less entryway, arms smoothly folded across his chest.

"If only that were possible, I'd have fewer men in my life to deal with." Ellie muttered to her
self and looked up at Nicholas's chuckle.

"You think you can go through life without needing to be touched by someone else?"

"Most definitely. Remember, I was practically abstinent when I met you."

Vacating his position at the entryway, Nicholas was in front of her less than three strides, further cornering Ellie. "And how did that go for you?" He quietly inquired, reaching up to brush her hair behind her ear. He gazed down at her, his thumb stroking her cheek.

It seemed as though Nicholas’ magnetism alone sucked the very air from the small room, depriving poor Ellie the ability to breathe properly. "Perfectly fine." She lied.

"Do you want me to tell you what I remember, Ellie?" His breath was far too hot against Ellie's ear, his body far too solid, reminding Ellie of his utter maleness pressed against her soft delicate folds.

"Don't," she tried to get away, but everything, everything about Nicholas was like an opiate---addictive and so very dangerous to one's sanity. But honestly much she tried to get away, Ellie had to admit that she truly didn't want to.

Nicholas virility inundated all that was timid, frail and sweet in Ellie and provoked forth a creature that was as wanton and bold as the nymphs that danced at Apollo's feet.

"I remember the very first time I had you, Ellie. The taste of your orgasm on my tongue was sensational. Your sweet urgent pleas as I savored every inch of you and the bite of your nails digging into my back as I finally took you." His words were sexier than sin, his whispering breath further adding to the intimacy of the moment that Ellie instantly felt the dampness between her legs.

"Do you remember the cabin, Elle?"

She could only nod.

"Remember how insatiable you were? How hard I was for you? How hot we were against the mirror? And the window?" His tongue swept along her cheek trailing hot wet kisses to her quivering lips.

"And the kitchen."

Nicholas chuckled. "Yes, we seem to have an affinity to kitchens." There was desire, hot, rampant and smoldering bright for her in dark silver eyes and Ellie wanted to succumb to it. She wanted the fever of his lust to burn over her and take her up in a blaze. But the sudden image that flashed in Ellie
’s mind of herself and Devlin on the countertop of her own kitchen the evening he’d proposed had Ellie averting her gaze from Nicholas's smoldering one.

"Devlin." She uttered.

If there was anything that could've wilted Nicholas's arousal and thoroughly doused the mood it was the utterance of Devlin Westport's name.

"If you'd wanted me to stop, you could've just said so." Ellie reached out to grab his shirt before he could go too far.

"I...I didn't." she muttered, head bowed.

Nicholas slipped a finger beneath Ellie's chin and gently raised her head. "You what?"

Ellie frowned and noisily sighed. "I didn't want you to stop, okay?" Her aggravation stemmed from her embarrassment. Embarrassed that she could want one person so much that it hurt, embarrassed that even though her mind was telling her 'not yet' she wanted nothing more than to listen to the shameless implorations of her body and let Nicholas finally take her.

Grey eyes and one hell of a smirk, was all Ellie could see between the veils of her lashes. "So then, why the name?"

"Because," Ellie swept Nicholas's hand away and avoided those steely grey eyes. "I won't do this with you, while he and I are together."

"Do you love him?" Ellie looked back and met Nicholas gaze.

"I love him enough not to do this to him." She didn't try to pretend that she didn't find a sort of sadistic joy from the tightening of Nicholas's jaw, or the tension that suddenly overtook him. "Does that hurt you, Nicky, the fact that I can love another man and be with him like you and I were? Have him touch me the way you used too?" She was stoking embers, prodding at a slumbering predator with a stick.

Nicholas even
ly met her tempestuous gaze. "It kills me."

That answer as unexpected as it was evoked goose bumps on Ellie's flesh.

"'I've loved you since I was eighteen, Nicky, and I don't think I’ve ever stopped." She quietly stated, resigned to the fact that there would never be anyone else but the man who stood inches away from her.

"Ellie…
"

"But that means very little right now. There's going to be a time when you and I lay it all in the open, but before that happens, I need to talk to Devlin."

"About what?"

"I don't think that's any of your business."

"Are you going to marry him?"

"Whether or not I marry him
doesn't change the fact that I am nowhere ready to jump into a relationship with you. Life isn't a fairy tale and it will be a very long time before we have anything resembling a happily ever after."

"I am a very patient man.
" He enveloped her in his arms and she felt cherished. His lips descended and his mouth took control. He kissed her like it was their first and last. Heated yet tenderly sweet. Languorously erotic, setting her racing heart on fire. Taking his time to delve and seduce her to him, Nicholas fisted a hand through her hair, tilted her head back and deepened the kiss.

Ellie moaned in his mouth, the needy sound taken by the sweet velvet of his tongue stroking over hers. It could've lasted for eternity,
 would've lasted for eternity had Nicholas the choice, but reluctantly he drew away, everything in him telling him that now wasn't for them. Their time would come. But before that time came, he wouldn't instigate anything that she would later regret. When he had her, Nicholas would make sure that Ellie regretted nothing. She would come to him with a full and welcoming heart. "For you, I'll wait a million lifetimes, Ellie, because you'll always be worth it."

"Only a million?" Ellie breathed, her eyes unable to trail away from Nicholas's compelling darker gaze.

"However long it takes to have you again."

"I'll hold you to that."

He kissed the corner of her mouth with a gentle smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

~*~

Even now, days later the impression of his lips lingered, Ellie could still taste him on her tongue. The way he'd kissed her, the feel of his warm mouth upon her own was forever ingrained in her memories, putting to shame all others.

Unfortunately, as good and right as it felt being in her ex-lover's arms again, it only made what she planned to do that much more difficult. Ending her relationship with Devlin was going to take strength and courage, so much of it that Ellie wondered whether she could muster enough.

Since the rescue, she and Devlin had barely spoken and when they did, it was of Sophie's condition and nothing more. Just the evening before, Devlin had entered Ellie's bedroom as he'd done almost every night since they'd met and attempted to make love to her, but everything had felt achingly awkward and strained. After failing to accomplish anything, he’d left her and had yet to return. Thankfully, he'd called a few hours before the children had risen for school and had coolly informed Ellie that he would be working from his penthouse and did not want to be disturbed. He'd wanted to come and get Roan, but Ellie had volunteered to drive him to school and later to the penthouse. With a terse "Thank you", Devlin hung up the phone. She'd planned to tell the truth today and break off the engagement, but she was once again doubting herself.

"Think any harder and your brain will leak out from your ears."
Maddie's teasing pulled Ellie from her thoughts.

"Morning to you too.
"

"She speaks!"
Maddie headed for the countertop, grabbed a mug from the cupboard and poured herself a cup of coffee. "Let me guess, Nicholas problems? Or maybe, Devlin?"

Ellie frowned, "Am I so predictable?"

"Like vanilla ice cream, but that's the reason why men love you, Ellie."

Bringing her own mug to her lips, Ellie watched as
Maddie poured cream into her cup. "Enlighten me."

"Chocolate ice cream is perfect just the way it is, pure sinful delight, every glutton's dream and the Achilles' heel of yours truly." She pointed at her
self with her spoon, before shoving said spoon in her mouth and taking a seat across from Ellie. "Strawberry ice cream, also remarkably delicious alone, can taste great with a few choice toppings, everyone either hates or loves it. And then we come to vanilla, vanilla ice cream, is a sweet and pure, people always have a craving for it but they don’t always get it. Vanilla ice cream is like the Angel of all ice creams."

"Thanks for that
wonderful lesson about ice cream, Maddie. Not only am I a deceiving jerk but I'm also a boring tease, wonderfully put."

"You're not a tease, Ellie and lord knows your life is anything but boring. I am just trying to say that you have a certain
 something that makes men go gaga over you." Maddie took a sip of cream laced coffee before looking up at her best friend, mirth gleaming in his aquamarine eyes. "I think you have a damsel-complex. You emit some sort of pheromone that makes men flock to take care of you, protect you and all that chivalrous crap. Those big hazel eyes, that pouty mouth, orgasmic face---"

Ellie threw a crumpled napkin at a laughing
Maddie, "I get it!"

"I knew I could get a smile." They laughed before
Maddie continued, "So want to fill me in on what's happening?"

Ellie leaned back against her chair with a weary sigh, "I don't even know anymore. What I do
 know is I need to end things with Dev, like pronto. I don't know how long I can keep doing this without hurting anyone. Two days ago I was this close," Ellie held up her thumb and index finger with only inches between them, "to having sex with Nicholas, this close Maddie!" she frantically emphasized.

"Why, Ellie, you little skank. I want details."

Ellie laughed despite herself. "Maddie, I'm serious!"

"So am I, at least
you’re getting some! I haven't been laid in like months! I think I'm starting to forget how good it can be."

"It's still as good as you remember, trust me, nothing's changed."