Three weeks later, I glanced at my phone where it sat on the coffee table by the couch. Leaning over, I snagged it. Dammit. A pillow slipped to the floor in my effort to reach the phone. Creamsicle looked over from his perch on the windowsill. Aside from the minor injuries I’d sustained in that car accident years back and some other minor injuries during the last few years as a firefighter, I’d never had any injury where I was laid up the way I was this time. I’d sustained a fracture in my right tibia, which was a pain in the fucking ass. According to Dr. Lane, it would be six to eight weeks before I’d be cleared to return to regular duty for work.

I couldn’t drive either. In short, I was mostly laid up on the couch with the exception of Ella or my family carting me around wherever I needed to go. It was fucking annoying. Today, Ella was in Anchorage, so I was home alone with Creamsicle for company. He was none too impressed with my lack of activity.

Getting my damn cast off couldn’t come soon enough if you asked me. Ward had offered to set me up with light duty, but that was filing and a bunch of bullshit I didn’t want to deal with. I’d asked if I could just take the time off. Ward was in a damn fog over his new baby, so he’d simply nodded and signed off on it.

After I retrieved the errant pillow from the floor, I pulled up my text screen and tapped out a message to Ella.

Hey, when will you be back?

As soon as I finished typing, I stared at the screen, waiting for her reply. After a moment, I tossed the phone on the couch with a groan. I had never in my life stared at my phone and waited for someone to text me back. But I was bored out of my mind.

Just as I was about to force myself to get up and take a shower, my phone buzzed. Lifting it, I saw a return text from Ella.

Bored? :-)

I grinned as I tapped out my reply.

Bored out of my fucking mind. I think next time you go to Anchorage I should come with you.

You’ll be sitting around all day! I’m working and you can’t drive.

I glared at my phone screen. She was completely right. Obviously. But I would’ve given a lot for another night at Susitna Burgers & Brew with her. A night where I could be guaranteed Lance wouldn’t ruin our evening by sending photos later.

He was in Oregon out on bail, but under strict orders and with a monitoring bracelet. Apparently, he’d been stalking another woman from his old job all along. When they started doing some digging, they’d quickly discovered that trail. He was in enough trouble that he would be staying put.

I tapped out another text.

Maybe you could pick up some takeout on the way back. Grab something from that Thai place we love, and we can heat it up here. Please.

Of course. Text me what you want, and I’ll get it on the way back. I’m leaving in an hour.

Miss you.

Have to go. I’ve got a class to teach. <3

With another sigh, I levered myself up, grabbed my crutches from where they were leaning against the side of the couch and hobbled into the bathroom. I missed sleeping in my bed. The spiral staircase—which had seemed brilliant when I had the house built—was a pain in the ass for crutches. Thank God the sectional couch actually had a pull out bed for sleeping. But it wasn’t my bed, and I was tired of being trapped downstairs.

I needed to shower before Ella got home, and two hours gave me plenty of time for that. By the time she got our food and drove home, I’d be ready. I was bound and determined to snap her resistance to sex. She’d somehow convinced herself I was made of spun glass, and we shouldn’t have sex while I had a cast on. Fuck that. I missed her. I missed her naked, and I missed being buried inside of her.

* * *

As promised, Ella arrived roughly two hours later. The time in between our small texting conversation and her arrival had actually been productive. I’d taken a shower, I’d done the stretches that Dr. Lane recommended to keep from getting stiff, and I’d even washed Creamsicle’s water bowl and given him fresh food.

He still didn’t seem too impressed by me, but then he was damn hard to impress. Ella came walking in the kitchen door, her arms laden with bags of books, her laptop carrier, groceries and the Thai food I had requested.

I was conveniently sitting on a stool by the counter, nursing a beer and flipping through some magazines my brother had dropped off. My instinct was to ask her if she needed some help because I surmised she had more groceries than what she brought in. But helping with my leg would make more work for her than it would be if I just stayed put.

Damn. I hated being helpless like this. Because my mouth couldn’t listen to the instructions from my brain, I called over, “You need any help?”

As soon as I spoke, my mouth caught up with my brain. “Ah hell. I won’t be much help.”

Ella paused by the couch, setting down her laptop and her books before walking over to me by the counter. After setting the bags of groceries on the counter, along with the takeout, she turned to face me. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but I could tell she was holding it back. She lost the battle when a soft laugh escaped.

“What’s so funny?”

“You are terrible at this.”

With a shrug, I reached for her free hand, tugging her to me. She stepped carefully between the cage of my cast and my other leg, which was propped at an angle on the rung of the stool.

I brushed a loose lock of hair away from her eyes and tugged her a little closer, savoring the hitch of her breath when she bumped against my torso. Damn. I didn’t think I’d ever get enough Ella. Just now, seeing her here with her long brown hair in a tousle around her shoulders, her mossy green eyes darkening with desire, and the feel of her lush breasts against my chest—heaven.

“I am,” I murmured, pulling her closer and fitting my mouth over hers.

I meant for it to be a quick kiss, but it was as if a flame whipped to life around us. In a flash, her tongue was tangling with mine, my heart was thudding against my ribs, and lust was lashing at me.

Ella broke away, much sooner than I wanted. Her lips were swollen and her pupils dark and wide with her breath coming in little pants. I could feel the tight points of her nipples pressing into my chest. I took full advantage, sliding my hand down her spine to cup her sweet ass, letting my fingers tease just along the crease between her thighs.

“Caleb, you have to stop,” she murmured.

“Why? All I did was break my leg. I’m fine.”

“I have to get the rest of the groceries,” she murmured, her cheeks pinkening as I stared at her.

“Okay, go get the groceries.”

I reluctantly let her go, not because I wanted to, but because I could be strategic when necessary. I waited at the counter, taking a few more sips of my beer before she returned with the rest of the groceries. I got up and hobbled around on one crutch, opening the cabinets and helping her put things away as she handed them over. I sensed she wanted to protest even this small task, but I was prepared to remind her that Dr. Lane had said I needed to move around when I could.

I’d never have thought putting groceries away could be a turn on, but right now it was. With the sweet scent of Ella drifting up to me and a subtle buzz of need coursing through my veins, my body was running on high idle.

After we got the groceries put away, Ella swatted me back to the counter, and she transferred the Thai food to plates before heating it up quickly. While we ate, I watched as she twirled the chopsticks around the noodles, realizing just how bad I had it for her. As her lips parted and her tongue darted out to catch a loose noodle, blood shot straight to my groin.

I forced myself to focus on dinner and actually managed to eat. A fucking miracle given that I couldn’t stop staring at Ella’s mouth with every bite she took. Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, she ran her tongue along the chopsticks when she finished. Fuck me.

Ever focused on what she was doing, Ella got up to put everything in the dishwasher. She refused to let me help and ordered me to rest on the couch. I decided that was just fucking perfect when she leaned over to adjust the pillows behind me. She was wearing a blouse from work with the buttons stretched tight across her breasts. A hint of navy lace peeked out. Unfortunately, the temptation was brief when she returned to the kitchen.

Creamsicle was focused on something out in the field, his tail twitching back and forth as he sat on the windowsill. Calling over my shoulder, I said, “You might wanna let Creamsicle out.”

Ella simply opened the kitchen door. The moment Creamsicle heard that, he dashed across the room and outside. Darkness was falling, and the air was crisp. A gust of wind blew inside with a hint of wood smoke. If I hadn’t been burdened with a cast on my leg, I’d have gotten up to make a fire. I wasn’t quite up for that, and I didn’t want to ask Ella to take care of it. She returned to the couch with a beer for me and a glass of wine in her hand. With the couch doubling as a bed, she couldn’t simply sit down. I shifted over to create more space beside me when she settled at the end towards my feet.

A grin curled her lips as she took a sip of wine and set it on the table behind the couch. Moving up beside me, she tucked her feet under her knees and eyed me. “What should we watch tonight?”

“You pick. I’ve watched just about everything these last few weeks. Find something I haven’t seen yet and make me love it.”

She giggled, and I caught her hand in mine, tugging her towards me. I moved quickly, not giving her a chance to think and pulled her right onto my lap. Conveniently, as if I’d actually planned it that way, her knees fell on either side of my hips. She giggled again, her eyes flicking to mine and her cheeks flushing.

“Caleb, what are you doing?”

“This.”

I fit my mouth over hers, threading my hand into her hair and pulling her tight against me. I didn’t even bother to take it slow. My cock was hard the minute her hips settled over me. I slid my other hand down her spine, cupping her bottom and rocking my arousal into her. She gasped into my mouth, giving me the perfect opening to sweep my tongue into the warm sweetness of hers. Startled enough, she didn’t resist, her hips sinking into mine and rocking against me.

I needed to taste her. With a groan, I tore my lips free of hers, dragging my tongue down along her neck, savoring the salty, sweet tang of her skin.

“Caleb,” she murmured on a low moan as I nipped at her nipple through her blouse. She made a weak effort to protest. “We have to stop. You need to be careful with your leg.”

I laved my tongue over the thin cotton of her blouse, tugging at the buttons. “This isn’t bothering my leg at all, and it’s not going to,” I murmured, lifting my gaze to meet hers. “If you want to make me feel better, give me this.”

Ella’s gaze held mine, her eyes darkening. For good measure, I flexed my hips into hers, savoring her sharp gasp. Reaching between us, I flicked the buttons loose on her blouse. She didn’t stop me, although I could see the hesitation warring with desire in her eyes.

“Caleb,” she muttered again.

I traced a nipple with my fingertip, squeezing it lightly and watching as her teeth sank into her plump bottom lip. “Yes Ella?”

“You’re supposed to rest,” she protested. Her body betrayed her with a roll of her hips over the hard ridge of my cock.

“I’ve been resting for three weeks. Trust me, this won’t keep me from resting. In fact, I’ll sleep much better.”

A giggle escaped, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of pink. “But…”

I decided to take matters into my own hands, or rather into my mouth. Much as I wanted to tease her breasts, I needed her to stop talking. Thumbing one nipple, I threaded my hand in her hair and fit my mouth over hers. With a sweet sigh, her tongue slid against mine and our kiss went wild. I fucking loved kissing her.

Her hands cupped my cheeks, and she dove into our kiss, her mouth as greedy as mine. Meanwhile, I flicked my thumb on the clasp between her breasts, groaning at the feel of her breasts tumbling loose. “Fuck Ella,” I murmured against her lips when I drew back to gulp in air.

She leaned back, her lips puffy, her eyes wild, and her skin flushed. “You are nothing but trouble,” she said, her voice husky and a hint of a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. “If you hurt your leg, I’m telling Charlie this is all your fault.”

“Go right ahead,” I said magnanimously, knowing that she wouldn’t say a damn word because she’d be mortified. I also wasn’t the least bit worried. I, on the other hand, didn’t give a damn if Charlie knew I hurt my leg burying myself to the hilt inside of my sweet Ella.

Her cheeks flushed deeper, and she rolled her eyes. But then, she made me forget everything—everything but her. She stood, quickly shaking her blouse free from her shoulders, her bra sliding to the floor with it. With a shimmy of her hips, her leggings joined the pile of clothing.

My cock was so hard, it was a damn miracle I hadn’t already come. Ella, being as solicitous as she was, stepped closer to me and adjusted the pillows around me. As she leaned over, I cupped one of her breasts in my hand, catching the nipple in my teeth. With a swirl of my tongue, I drew it in with a deep suck. She cried out and then drew back, her eyes flashing. Curling her hands over the waistband of my sweatpants, she tugged them down, teasing me by not even touching my cock, which was rock hard and ready. She carefully shifted my sweatpants down around my hips and then straddled me again.

Nothing but the thin silk of her panties was between me and paradise. I looked up at her—with her hair falling around her shoulders, her nipples playing peekaboo through the dark locks, her skin flushed and her eyes flickering with desire. I reached up, brushing my thumb across her bottom lip and groaning when she caught it in her teeth and sucked it into her mouth. I rocked my hips into her, savoring the damp heat of her through the silk. Drawing my thumb free, I trailed my fingers down, tracing a nipple with the dampness before dipping down over her belly and then sliding my fingers over the thin silk of her panties.

I didn’t bother to take this slow. I’d had enough of that already. Shoving the silk to the side, I sank my fingers into her slick core, watching as she arched back, her breath hissing. Her channel clenched around my fingers.

“Look at me,” I said gruffly.

Her eyes opened slowly. I fucking loved the look of her when she was like this. It felt as if we were all alone in the world and surrounded by a shimmering curtain of desire. I didn’t care to ever escape.

“I’d love to watch you come on my hand, but I don’t think I can wait that long. More than that, I want you to come all over my cock.”

Her lips parted and her eyes widened as I drew my fingers out. Adjusting the angle of my hips, I held still for a beat, the head of my cock nestled at her entrance, its slick heat calling me. She rose up, her eyes on mine, and sank down slowly, taking me in, inch by inch, until I was fully seated inside of her.