Chapter Twenty-Three
Lee
Thank God for an early weekend. Drew gave me lead on a project and by changing up a few things we were able to complete the tasks early for the week, giving us all an extra day off. It makes me look good and saves WilliamSon Construction a ton of money in the process. It’s a win-win.
After a quick shower and packing a bag, my weekend of surprises is set in motion. A weekend that I know Ellie and I both need. After multiple failed attempts to meet up this week, we finally gave up.
So here I am, standing in front of her door, waiting.
“Lee!” She swings it open.
“Hey, I know you’re busy today, but I was wondering if you would add me to your to-do list?” I wink, giving her a quick peck as I walk past.
“That one was bad.” Ellie laughs.
“I’m going to disagree.” I turn around. “It got your attention, didn’t it?” I reach out and wrap an arm around her lower back, pulling her close. “Let me kiss you.”
“I’m all yours.” She tilts her head to the side, causing me to smile.
“You like this?” I place a tender kiss in a spot I know drives her wild.
“Uh huh.” She lets out a sigh as she closes her eyes, relaxing into my arms.
I give her a quick nip and she screeches. “What did you do that for?”
“Waking you up, El.” I tickle her side as she jumps away.
“Trust me. I was awake.” She slides her way back into my arms and looks up through her lashes, her hazel eyes shining with desire.
“You’re killing me,” I admit. My self-control slowly fading.
“It’s been days. I would say you are the one killing me—slowly. Especially with all these secrets.” Ellie reaches up, placing a quick kiss on my nose, followed by a tender kiss on each side of my face.
“Ellie,” I warn.
“Where are we going?” she whispers across my mouth as she tries to coerce the answer from me.
“Mmm,” I moan. Closing my eyes, I reluctantly back away. “If you keep doing that, there will be no surprise.”
“Hmm.” Ellie bites her bottom lip. “What’s behind door number two?”
“How about you come with me right now and you can get door number one and bed number two.” I extend my hand to hers.
“I guess.” She shrugs her shoulders and walks right by me, not taking my hand.
My eyes betray me as they can’t help watching every sway of her perfect ass walk toward the door. “Well?” She turns around like she is a supermodel on the runway. “We going?”
“Yeah.”
Yeah? It’s such a simple word, but when I’m around Ellie, sometimes even finding the simplest words seem like a difficult task.
“Then what are you waiting for?” She flings the door open, waiting for me to follow.
And I do. Because truth be told, I would follow her anywhere.
“Oh my God!” She spins around to face me after seeing the poster for her favorite cover band on the front doors of a local low-key bar. “How did you know?”
“As much as I want to take all the credit for this, I can’t.” I reach around her, pulling the door open. “Rain gave me a heads up.”
“You are the best boyfriend ever!” Ellie jumps into my arms, peppering kisses all over my face.
“Boyfriend, huh?” I say, raising a brow.
“Lee, I think we are past the point of asking each other out. It’s what you are, don’t deny it.” She slides out of my arms and heads inside, saying over her shoulder, “Plus, the things I want to do with you, I only do to boyfriends.” She makes her way to the bar like she’s been here a time or two.
By the time I make it up to the bar she is talking with some suit who looks like he could be a good ten years older than us.
“I’m Kevin. What’s your name?” He holds out his hand—my cue to butt in.
Sliding my arm around her waist, I join in the conversation. “Well, Kevin, I’m going to do you a service and help you out here. Lines like that don’t work.” I give Ellie a little squeeze. “Let me show you how it’s done.”
Turning to Ellie, I move in closer. “I was blinded by your beauty. I’m going to need your name and number for insurance purposes.”
“Yeah, right.” Kevin waits for Ellie’s reaction.
Placing a hand on my chest, she leans in to get a little closer, leaving our lips a breath apart. “Can you see me now?”
I nod.
“Good,” she breathes. “My name is Ellie and if you give me your number, I’ll give you something better,” she purrs.
“Deal.” I slam my mouth on hers.
Kevin clears his throat, but we continue putting on a show.
“Whatever, man.”
Not forgetting he was the one who was trying to hit on my girl, I flip him the bird just as Ellie pulls away.
“So, Ellie, how about we get a table that is a little more private?” I grab our drinks, throwing down a twenty and waving off the change.
“Better luck next time, Kev.”
“Fuck off.”
“That was fun.” Ellie spins around and walks backward.
“I tried to tell you, it’s all in the pickup lines.” I find a corner booth and set our drinks down, then grab her hand to give her a little twirl before she slides in.
“Why thank you, Mr. Scott.” Ellie scoots across the seat. “Save me a dance?”
“I would love nothing more.”
Ellie
This night has been perfect. Seeing Lee having fun and just letting loose was a sight yet to been seen, until now. With everything going on at home and the stress of work, Lee is never one-hundred percent relaxed. But tonight, he’s a new man and I’m enjoying every second.
“How about that dance?” Lee stands up, offering his hand.
I take it, responding, “I would love to.”
Pulling me straight into his arms, Lee walks us backward until we are in the middle of the dance floor. Hands on his chest, I can’t help but explore.
“I love it when you touch me like that.” Lee leans down and, mouth by my ear, he continues, “I’ve never—” He shakes his head once. “You. Your touch, it’s intoxicating.”
“Really?” I look up at him.
“Really.” He gulps.
“You drunk yet?” I whisper as I snake my arms up and around his neck.
“You’re something else, you know that?”
“Lee?”
“Yeah?”
“Kiss me.”
He pulls back and his gaze falls to my mouth. His lips part as if he’s going to say something, but the look in his eyes does the talking.
Slowly, he leans over and sweeps his lips against mine. Once, then twice, until I open for him. Lee has kissed me before—those kisses were consuming—but this one, it’s different. Slow and tender, as if he’s taking the time to memorize the taste of my lips.
He pulls away, his chest rising and falling. We both are at a loss for words, our kiss already saying so much.
Reaching up, with one hand still on my waist, he rests my head against his chest. I feel his heartbeat, beating in a rhythm that is just ours. We sway back and forth, lost in our own song until the next one starts.
Lee stills, tension suddenly flowing through his body.
“Lee?”
Dropping his hands, he takes a step back as if he is going to run. I’ve seen this look. I saw it the first night we met and then again when I thought he left for good. He fought it then and I need him to fight it now.
Lee doesn’t want to run. I can feel it. He left the past at home, but right now, it’s banging on the door.
“Lee, come back to me.” I take a step closer. “It’s just a song.” Another step. “Nothing more.” I repeat myself, trying to reassure him.
Reaching for his arms, I wrap them around me. Holding him, holding me. I begin to sway and sing. “Wise men say, only fools rush in.” I reach up and cup his beautiful face in my tiny hands. “How can this song be so bad with words like that?” I brush my thumb over his bottom lip. I give him a kiss of reassurance and continue to sing as we move slowly to the song. “Some things are meant to be. Take my hand,
take my whole life, too. Ohhh, for I can’t help, falling in love with you.”
Not saying a word, he holds me a little tighter and begins to lead us. Like two teenagers at a dance we repeat the motions over and over and over again. We dance, I sing. Until it’s over.
Reaching down, he pulls my face to his. Breathing in a kiss like it’s his last breath of air. “Thank you.” He rests his forehead against mine and confesses his fears. “I was afraid of the song, what it meant, but the words, how you sang them—it’s us.”
“Lee.” I try to look up. I need to see him. I need to touch him. I need his mouth back on mine.
“Don’t.” He holds a finger to my lips. “Some things are meant to be. Just like the song says and I know we both are dealing with a whole lot of fucked-up stuff, but Ellie, we came together for a reason. Call it fate or destiny or whatever, but I think it was meant to be. You have this way with me, of calming me.”
“Lee.” I raise my head.
“I love you, Ellie.”
He loves me.
He loves me.
He loves me.
His words echo in my head. A smile slowly spreads across my face.
“Did you hear me, Ellie?” His lips curl.
He’s back.
Lee’s words weren’t a desperate plea. They were a confession.
“I did.” I nod.
“I love you,” he repeats.
Hearing the words again, I can’t hold back. “I love you too!” I shout as I leap into his arms, knowing he will catch me. I wrap my legs around his waist, throw my head back and laugh.
“That funny, huh?”
“Yeah.” I nudge to the right, in the direction of everyone stopped. The band, the dance floor, hell, even the people at the bar are staring.
“Let them stare. Because I’m about to take the woman I love home.” He begins to shuffle his way through the crowd, keeping me attached like I’m some kind of spider monkey.
And what can I say to that?