She had the phone pressed to her ear, pins in her mouth.
While she talked, she glanced at her iPad, and Zee knew a pattern was on screen.
She bent her head to her work, still on the phone, her long hair flowing over her shoulder.
Pride swarmed through his veins, and he took a step forward, his mouth salivating with how much he wanted to touch her.
After last night, Ella seemed more relaxed, and this morning her smile reached her eyes when she said goodbye.
Good.
When Ella was upset, nothing was right in his world.Especially when it was something he couldn’t fix.
Zee quietly let himself in through the sliding back door by swiping his key.He hoped Ella wouldn’t hear it between her phone conversation and the blaring sounds of some baroque classic rock that played.
He took his shoes off and, as quietly as he could, he took the three steps down from the hall into their great room.
Ella pinned something to her dummy.Zee sauntered around her long table, snagged an arm against her waist, pulling her back against him.
“Zee!”Ella laughed against him, then set the pins down.
“Hello, dear heart.”He brushed her jaw as she tilted her head up for a kiss.He kissed her soft lips, breathing in her scent, tension easing from his body by holding her in his arms.
Zee held her from behind and swayed with her in his arms along to the beat of the classical low beats of the music coming from her speakers.
“I’m sorry you won’t be able to see Annie live tomorrow night.But I can’t wait to dance with you in front of everyone.”He rubbed his scruffy cheek against her soft ones, her in drawn breath soothing something in him.
The way her body let go of the tension and she melted against him fed his soul.
“I’ll dance anywhere with you, Master,” Ella laid her head on his chest and they swayed to the music in their great room, in a property neither one of them could ever have dreamed of owning when they were kids, growing up in two vastly different environments.
Ella’s family were farmers.They didn’t have much, but they loved each other.
On his side, his mother ran off on him.
His father was a mechanic and as mean as a caged bear.
“It’s nice to have you home early.I’ve missed you.”Her voice caught on the word.He spun her around so that she was facing him.
“I’ve missed being with you too, my love.I miss our lazy breakfasts and going with you to the market to shop for dinner.I miss watching you work.”Her face flushed at this, and Zee kissed the top of her forehead.“But this team, Ella, it’s making me feel like I’m twenty again.”
“I don’t want you twenty again,” Ella brushed her fingertips along his arms.“I like you exactly as you are now.”
The desire in her eyes gripped his heart, and he cupped her nape, drawing her in for a long kiss.He sighed as he kissed her, his tongue curling around hers, lost in her taste.
She let out a needy whimper, and he turned this soft kiss into a demanding, controlling one, fisting his hand through her hair.
He lifted her chin, exposing her neck and then softly skimmed his lips along her neck to her lips, tugging on her bottom lip, gently nipping it before lapping the hollow of her throat.
She moaned hungrily, pressing her breasts into his chest.
His cock twitched, and desire hummed through his veins.
He kissed her again, deep-throating her with his tongue as she let out sweet noises that went right to his throbbing cock.
Zee walked them over to the couch, where he pulled Ella onto his lap.She sighed against him, and he held her close.
Whatever slight fission had happened between them didn’t matter.
