Gina shook her head. “That’s not what I meant.” She narrowed her eyes and sauntered away.
I put my hand on the small of Ellie’s back as I guided her away from the bar. I met Tommy’s gaze on my way to the door, and he nodded and waved me away. My night out to forget Ellie led me right to her.
“Thanks for taking me home, Fire Lieutenant Nick! Are you going to kiss me again? I really want you to kiss me again.” Ellie clumsily stepped into the passenger seat of my truck, and I lifted her legs inside.
A smile tugged at my lips as I kissed her forehead. She was an adorable drunk. “We’ll see where tonight goes. Right now, I need to get you home, sweetheart.”
Ellie turned to me with a quivering lip. She shut her eyes and let out a deep sigh. “I love when you call me sweetheart. I wish . . . I wish I could just let you.”
So do I.
My stomach twisted with guilt, almost as ifIwas the one taking advantage of her. She was blurting out all the things I wanted to hear, but it hurt like hell knowing her guard would go right back up as soon as the booze wore off.
We drove in silence. As soon as I pulled up in front of her house, she dropped her head to my shoulder. She sniffled as she buried her head farther into my neck. “I hate that you’re seeing me like this.”
“Shh.” I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back. “Stop it. Never be embarrassed in front of me. Ever. Let’s go upstairs.”
I shut the engine off and made my way to the passenger side of the truck. I unbuckled her seat belt and scooped her into my arms.
“Where’s your key?” She fumbled in her bag and handed me her keys. Once we got inside, I locked the door behind me and carried her inside.
“Okay, let’s get you under the covers so you can sleep it off. Do you have ibuprofen in your medicine cabinet? If you take it now, maybe you won’t feel like total shit tomorrow.” I smirked at her and got a chuckle back through her still-flowing tears. I laid her on the bed, looking into her sad, glassy eyes. My tiny tough girl was letting it all go tonight.
“Yeah, bathroom. Bottom shelf,” she mumbled and groaned as her head dropped to her pillow.
I went for two pills and a cup of water, then turned back into the bedroom and stopped in my tracks. Ellie had somehow stripped to her bra and panties in record time before she climbed under the sheets.
“Lay with me, Nick,” Ellie slurred as she patted the space beside her. I gulped as I made my way over to the bed and sat on the edge. I would’ve given anything to get into that bed with her if that’s what she wanted. A loss of inhibitions for a night didn’t mean she was ready to finally take whatever this was between us to the next level.
“Here, sweetheart. Take this.” She sat up and swallowed the pills with one gulp of water.
Her lips twitched in a smile as she eased closer to me on the bed.
“What are you doing all the way over there?” The palm of her hand drifted up my back and sent a chill down my spine. I laughed at myself. I had more than my share of experience with women, but sitting on this bed, with Ellie’s every mouthwatering curve on display, her eyes full of heat, I was as jumpy as a teenager who didn’t know what to do with his hands. Well, I knew damn well what Iwantedto do, but I wouldn’t. I couldn’t. Not like this.
“You . . . don’t want me?” Her voice cracked as her chin quivered. She was trying to kill me.
“Oh, believe me, I want you.” I cupped her cheek and ran my thumb along her jaw before I rested my forehead against hers. “When I know it’s you talking, not the alcohol. I want to wake up the next day with you in my arms, not watching you run away from me.”
Ellie knelt up to me and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“I don’t want to run away from you.” She dragged wet kisses along my jawline and up to the corner of my mouth. Her lips brushed against mine, and she smiled as she pecked my lips a second time. “That’s twice I kissed you first today. So we don’t have to argue about it later.” I shook like a leaf, trying with all I had to hold myself back from grabbing the back of her head and crashing my lips to hers. I needed to get out of her house—now.
“Lay down.” I hoped a stern tone would make me seem unaffected, but Ellie quirked an eyebrow at me as she reached behind herself. Her bra fell off and drool pooled in the corner of my mouth at the hard, pink nipples screaming for my tongue.
“You got it, Lieutenant.” Ellie fell back on the bed with her hands raised above her head. My eyes stayed glued to her breasts as they swayed back and forth while she squirmed under the sheets.
“How . . . how much did you have to drink?” All the blood flow in my body redirected to my dick. Speaking in a complete sentence was difficult.
“Um . . .” Her brows came together as she took a deep breath. My cock swelled to the point of actual pain gazing at her half naked body. I covered her with the sheet but it was too late, the image was burned into my brain. “I lost count after the fourth mojito.” One mojito from Ruby would put hair on your chest. I had a new respect for Ellie at how she managed to stay mostly upright until I got her home.
“Get some sleep,” I whispered as I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”
“I think about you. A lot. Especially when I’m in here, at night, when I’m all alone. I may be a little obsessed.” Ellie’s eyes shone as they bore into me. I could relate to obsessed. Ellie was on my mind 24/7, it seemed. It wasn’t just the all-consuming attraction between us. I wanted things with her, for her. She belonged with me—in my bed and in my life. We’d be so happy together if we could stop this stupid dance we were doing. Ellie opened up, then she closed off. Rinse and Repeat. Why wouldn’t she stop fighting me?
Ellie writhed under the sheet as her eyelids fluttered. She moaned and bit her lip as her hips bucked off the bed. Was she . . . touching herself?Oh, Jesus Christ.The universe was fucking with me in a big way. How much torture could I take before my head exploded?
“What do you think about?” My voice came out in a raspy whisper as I inched closer on the bed and leaned over her. I rationalized in my head that if she got herself off, she’d fall asleep and it would be good for her—and it didn’t make me a total asshole watching her. Nothing short of death would peel my eyes away, no matter how wrong it was.
