Chapter Eight
“What? You can’t love me. That’s not possible.”
“What do you mean? Why would that be impossible?”
“You’re so out of my league, Jesse. You’re rich and gorgeous, and I’m not. Men like you marry women like Charlotte, women who look and act like they fit. Not women like me who are perfectly comfortable in jeans and sneakers, walking the dog.”
“Don’t you get it? That’s what I love about you. And knowing that you’re a witch, it makes complete sense. You’re not focused on all that material stuff. I’m a dragon shifter. Don’t you think that maybe that means I’m more interested in the things you’re interested in? In enjoying nature and animals and just living a good life? I got lucky. I created a company that took off in a huge way and made me crazy rich. But I never started it to get rich. That was never my goal. Being with you is a relief. I don’t have to act all high society and fancy. I can be myself. And more than anything, that’s what’s different about being with you. You’re fun and energetic. You don’t let dumb things bother you. Like being covered in mud after my dog rolled in a puddle.” He paused to laugh. “I may have fallen for you that day, honestly. You weren’t upset that you were covered in mud. You were upset because you thought that I was going to be mad that Murphy was messy. That said a lot about you. And you’re the first woman I’ve been with who didn’t want me to buy her clothing and jewelry and other expensive things. You fight me just paying for dinner.”
“I think I felt guilty about the whole tricking you thing.” Ella hung her head.
“And you should. I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. My trust in you has been shaken. But I really want to have a family. And I want it with you. I love you, and I forgive you. Just promise you won’t lie to me or trick me again.”
“I promise,” she said fervently. “And I’ll never let Charlotte talk me into things again.”
“I’m so disappointed in her. I did really like her. She hurt me, you know? I thought I treated her well. I thought we had a good thing going. But then to find out she cheated on me, with more than one man, it made me hesitant to trust at all. And now this. I’m not surprised that she’s behind it.”
Ella reached out and took his hands, squeezing them in hers. “I’m sorry she hurt you. And I’m so sorry that I did. There is one more thing I need to tell you, though.”
He took in a deep breath and gave her a wary look. “What?”
“I’ve been waiting for the right time to tell you, and I guess now is as good as any.” She swallowed hard. “I’ve never told anyone this, though.”
He squeezed her hands back. “What is it?”
“I’m in love with you, too.”
His mouth pulled into a half smile. He leaned forward and kissed her. “That was the best thing you could have told me.”
“So now what? Where does this leave us?”
“I guess we just go back to being together and being happy. And leave Charlotte out of it.”
“I like that idea. The last part especially.”
“About that…” He gave her a pained look. “I would never tell you who to be friends with or who not to be friends with, but after all she’s done, I really can’t have Charlotte in my life in any way.”
“After all she’s done to me, I don’t want her in my life, either.”
“But you’ve been best friends for a long time.”
Tears returned to her eyes. She thought of their long friendship, of all the ways Charlotte had changed over the years and become the bitter, selfish person she was now. She’d stayed with her friend out of loyalty, but Charlotte had given her nothing in return. There was no real friendship there. There was only Charlotte using Ella like she used everyone else in her life. It wouldn’t be easy to say goodbye after so many years, but it was time. If she was being honest, it had been time years ago, but until recently, Ella had always been on Charlotte’s side in her games. Now that things had turned, she didn’t think she could ever go back to being Charlotte’s friend. And if she was going to be with Jesse, Charlotte would likely never forgive her anyway.
“We were friends for a long time, but she hurt me really badly, too. And she hurt the man I love. I’m not saying I’ll never forgive her, but I don’t need to have her in my life.”
He nodded. “She’s done a lot of damage to us both.”
“But she can’t hurt us now.” Ella scooted closer to him. She wanted to kiss him but wasn’t sure if she should.
He put his hand on her cheek and smiled thinly. “Here’s to starting over?”
“Yes. Starting over.” She pressed against his hand and closed her eyes.
His lips were on hers the next moment. Warmth spread through her. Now that she knew he really loved her, and his feelings weren’t just from her spell casting, and now that she’d admitted that she loved him, and now that all the lies were out, she felt a new freedom. He loved her, curves and all. He loved every part of her. That freedom and that feeling of loving and being loved melted her from the inside out.
He pressed forward so that she was lying back on the sofa. He was already hard, pressing his erection against her through their layers of clothing. She ran her hands under his shirt to touch his back. When she did, she felt something new wash over her. It was a feeling of possession like he was really hers. Before, she had felt like she had him on loan, like at any moment he would find out the truth and leave. But now, he knew the whole truth, and he still loved her. He was hers.
She pulled his shirt over his head and danced her fingertips over his bare, sculpted chest. “I love your body,” she said.
He moaned and pulled her shirt over her head, then took her breast into his mouth. “I love yours.” He cupped her other breast in his hand, then teased her nipple with his tongue.
Her lower muscles constricted and she grew wet with desire for him. She pressed her hips up into him, rubbing against his hardness. He slid down, taking her pajama bottoms off as he moved down her body. He pressed her legs open and placed his tongue on her labia.
She moaned in the delicious feeling of his tongue on her, flicking around her clit and moving between her lower lips. He slid his finger inside her and sucked her clit, sending waves of pleasure through her. She gripped the side of the couch and moaned as she came.
He came back to kiss her mouth, grinning triumphantly. “I like it when you make that noise.”
“I like it when you make me make it,” she breathed.
He stood to take off his pants and pulled a condom from his back pocket. “Guess we know more than ever how careful we need to be.”
“I’ll get on the pill so we have backup.”
“For now.” He winked as he slid the condom into place, then climbed back over her. “Soon enough we won’t need protection at all.”
He teased the tip of his dick around her hole for a minute until she couldn’t take it any longer. She squirmed and moaned, “I want to feel you inside me.”
He popped in his head, then pressed the rest of his cock into her. She moaned at the feeling of fullness. He moved in and out, leaning down to kiss her and pinch her nipples. The feeling was so intense, and she dug her fingers into his back as the pleasure increased.
He sped up and thrust faster, getting ready to finish. When she cried out in orgasm, he did, too. He kissed along her neck hungrily before slipping slowly out of her.
“You feel so good,” he said. “I could do that every hour.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“I want to show you something.” He stood and got dressed, handing her clothing to her so she could do the same.
“Are we leaving the house? I’m not really dressed for—”
“You could go naked if you wanted to.”
“Where are we going?”
He pulled his mouth into a half smile. “It’s your turn to trust me, now.”