Ella walks over and sits down next to me. Her leg is warm as it presses against the side of mine. “Thank you for today.”
I turn my head to look at her, taking in her side profile before she looks over at me. “You don’t have to thank me, El. I’m glad I was close enough to get here quickly. Thank you for inviting me into your home.”
She stares at me for a moment, her expression unreadable as she lets out a soft breath. “I’m sorry about that. Sometimes I get easily overwhelmed and that’s when I really start to overthinkand second guess everything.” She pauses for a moment, chewing on her lip before releasing it. “In a way, life has become easier since Chloe because I’ve been forced to make the hard decisions, but sometimes, things just feel like too much, you know?”
“You’re trying to juggle a lot, Ella,” I say. “I admire your strength. You’re the best mother that little girl could ask for and it’s clear in how you handle things. If you weren’t havin’ a breakdown every now and then, that’s when I would be concerned about your mental health.”
She lets out a quiet laugh, shaking her head at me. “It’s not easy, trust me. I’ve found that things are easier to shoulder if I try to remain positive. I want Chloe to know that not everything in life is always positive, but you can get through anything if you keep your head up.”
My eyes trail over the planes of her face, memorizing every inch of her. “You’re absolutely right.”
“Will you come to the show with me?”
My chest cracks wide open, inviting her into the home she’s been constructing within the confines of my heart. Her eyes are filled with hope—with a light I never want to see extinguished. I will go anywhere this woman asks me to go.
“You don’t even have to ask.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ELLA
There are two small flecks of the darkest of blues hidden in the hues of his eyes.
My eyes slowly cascade down his face, landing on his mouth. Cole watches me, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as his nostrils flare. Tension brews within the air between us and there’s a spark of electricity connecting the molecules.
“Ella,” he half growls, half groans. His throat bobs as he swallows hard. “You’ve gotta stop looking at me like that.”
Excitement dances in my stomach as confidence soars inside my soul. He makes me feel confident in myself. He makes me want to take a chance—to take a risk. To do something I wouldn’t normally do. “Like what?”
“Like you wanna finish what we started earlier.”
I pull my legs onto the bench swing, tucking them under my body, rising onto my knees. My hands find his shoulders and I throw one leg over his body. I lower myself onto his lap, straddling him. “What if I do want to?”
Cole’s nostrils flare, his eyes darkening as he grabs my hips. His fingertips dig into my flesh and his eyes probe mine with an intensity that ripples down to my toes. “What about Chloe?”
“She’s sleeping,” I assure him, lifting my hands to cradle the back of his head. His dirty blonde, wavy locks of hair feel like silk between my fingers. “She was exhausted, so I don’t imagine she’ll be waking up anytime soon.”
His hands abruptly find the sides of my face and he pulls me down to him. I inhale sharply as my mouth crashes into his. My mouth melts against his as he kisses me gently at first. His lips are soft and warm, moving against mine slowly as he takes his time. There’s no hesitation from me as his tongue touches the seam of my mouth. I instantly part my lips, letting him in.
The kiss deepens and he cups the back of my neck with one hand as the other slides down my neck, over my arm, and down my torso. He’s deliberately slow and always the gentleman. There’s nothing rushed about the way he moves, almost as if we have all the time in the world.
And my god, I wish we did.
His tongue slides against mine, tasting and teasing as his hand ends up on my thigh. I kiss him back with a need to feel him closer. To feel more of him. My fingers are tangled in his hair and my tongue moves with his. It’s a careful art of taking and giving and Cole never takes more than he gives.
I’ve never met a man more gentle or more attentive. He continues to put me ahead of himself, constantly lifting me to heights I never dreamed of being able to reach.
I can never thank the universe enough for bringing him into my life.
My movements become hurried and I kiss him back with a fervent need that’s spilling into my veins. My body has a mind of its own as I press myself against him, feeling how hard his cock is beneath me. This is the closest we’ve been and my inhibitions are already dissipating. My self control is waning and I find my hands dropping down to the waistband of his pants.
“Ella,” he murmurs as he abruptly breaks away from me. He lets out a shallow, ragged breath and my heart runs rampant in my chest. “Not like this.”
Rejection hits me in the center of my sternum. “Why?”
“You have no idea how badly I want to strip you out of these skimpy fuckin’ shorts and have you sink down on my cock right here.” He lets out another breath, his voice as strained as his cock is against his pants.
“Oh,” I breathe as warmth builds in between my legs. These feelings are all foreign to me, yet they feel right with him. I’ve never had anyone make me feel like this before… not even Jacob when we first met.
