ellie
SULLY UNLOCKED THE DOOR and carried me over the threshold of my hotel room like I was a package he’d been tasked with delivering, his strides purposeful until he reached the end of the bed. Or, at least, I had to assume that was where he stopped. I couldn’t really see anything beyond the white shirt he was wearing, stretching over his back muscles.
I should have protested being flopped over my ex-boyfriend’s shoulder and carted around like a rag doll, but what point was there, really?
Sully was right; it was tiring always being the one who went home alone. Especially when you used to be the one who always had someone waiting for you. Who would lovingly undo your heels and remove your makeup before bending you over a bathroom countertop and?—
“Tell me what you want, Eleanor,” Sully rasped before tossing me on the bed. “And be explicit.”
There would be no loving acts of service tonight, no makeup removal or anything of the sort. But the rest of it? Sully seemed ready to deliver, and I was going to take advantage of it.
Just once. Just one night, one more time, and then never again.
I watched as Sully yanked his shirt off from the back, pulling it up and over his head.
And I knew—it would be worth it. So very worth it.
“I want you to fuck me,” I said bluntly—as requested.
His eyes flashed, and the corner of his mouth curled. “It’s because you know I’m good at it, isn’t it?”
I rolled my eyes, trying to hide how much his words and tone affected me.
And how right he was.
“Just shut up and touch me,” I said, breathy laughter filtering out of me.
Sully laughed, too, but it sounded painful. “Bossy again.”
I winced. Twice now, he’d brought that up.
“Sorry, I?—”
“I didn’t say to apologize,” he interrupted, and a sense of ease ran through me.
Sully raked a hand through his hair, and I tried really hard not to let my gaze linger on…well, all of him. His torso was bare and toned, a golden glow to his skin, reminiscent of summers past.
“I asked for it,” he reminded me. “For you to tell me what you want.”
“So you did.”
He blew a breath out, and I knew we had to keep the momentum of this going before the awkward silences returned, before it fell apart, before I didn’t get tofeelhim again.
“Keep going,” he directed, and relief drenched me.
He was making this too easy, when it should be hard.Impossible. There should be an impenetrable line that we couldn’t cross, but Sully seemed determined to erase it—at least for tonight.
Shamefully, it was exactly what I needed. Andexactlywhat I wanted, even though I shouldn’t.
Rules, though—we should have rules. Or something to ensure that this didn’tentirelyblow up in our faces tomorrow morning.
“No kissing,” I blurted, and even as the words came out of my mouth, I found my eyes dropping to his lips. My breath caught inmy throat, my body clammy, just at the thought of kissing him again, of feeling his mouth on mine. Similarly, Sully stilled, like he’d never expected me to say that.
Had he beenplanningto kiss me? Did hewantto kiss me? It just seemed like the one part of this entire thing that would be a terrible idea. No one kissed me like Sully did, and no matter how badly I might ache to experience it again, I wasn’t sure I needed that reminder, wasn’t sure I couldhandleit if I was going to walk away again in the morning.
Which was another important aspect of the rules.
“This is just one night for old time’s sake, right?” I clarified. “And kissing feels like…more.”
