Текст книги "Fighting For You"

Автор книги: Sydney Landon

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Текущая страница: 5 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Chapter Nine

Ella wondered not for the first time, why she had called this lunch meeting. After another couple of weeks of never getting Declan off her doorstep and into her apartment at the end of the evening, she was beginning to think there was something wrong with her. She had to bite the bullet, and went straight to Suzy for advice. Unfortunately, Suzy was busy and told her to get everyone together for lunch. So instead of just one person looking at her as if she were a failure, she had four people. Claire, having no idea that they were lunching to specifically discuss Ella’s love life, had invited along the new girl. Even though Ella liked her, she really didn’t want to discuss something so personal in front of Emma. So Ella had attempted to keep the spotlight off of herself until Suzy asked, “Are we going to get to this problem of yours before I’m old, gray, and wearing polyester?”

“That’s pretty much it. We see each other most every evening, but other than kissing and stuff, nothing else ever happens.” Then looking down to hide her embarrassment, she mumbled, “I even tried the leg thing that you suggested.”

Suzy looked reluctantly impressed. “You wrapped your legs around his waist and he still didn’t lose control? Man, that pushes Gray over the edge in no time flat.” Claire and Beth were both nodding their heads in agreement. “Okay, so there is no way that you could put that move on a man and not have him realize that you are willing so it must be something else. What are you wearing on these dates?”

“Well . . . just the usual. Some kind of dress or pantsuit.”

“Not the kind of dress you’re wearing today, right?”

Ella looked down at her sundress and said, “Yeah, just like the ones I usually wear.”

“Ah-ha,” Suzy shouted. “Ladies, we have a winner!”

Emma looked around the group of women in surprise. “Are all of your lunches like this?”

Claire patted her on the shoulder laughing, “No, they’re usually worse, especially if you’re the one with the problem.”

Beth nodded her head. “Yep, I was in the hot seat not long ago. I’m glad that everyone lets the pregnant woman off easy now. When I was going through my crying phase, I think I traumatized my sister for life. I can barely get a good insult out of her now.”

Emma smiled as Beth rubbed her stomach affectionately. “How far along are you?”

“Six months, give or take a few days.”

“Well, you look beautiful,” Emma said and then pointed over to Ella, “And I don’t think you have to worry about Suzy turning her attention back to you either because she found a good outlet for that while you are out of commission.”

Claire laughed saying, “You’re probably next, Em, she loves to solve man problems and, I’ll give her credit, she is pretty good at it.”

Ella was still looking down at her dress in puzzlement. “What is wrong with my clothes?”

Waving her hand in the air, Suzy said, “They are fine for the office, but for a date you need something that doesn’t scream jailbait. You’ve got some pretty good tits there so you need to start showing them a little more. Let those girls get out and roam around.”

Horrified, Ella dropped her head onto the table so no one could see how red her face was. She felt an arm around her shoulders and looked sideways to see Beth trying to hide her laughter as she comforted her. Stiffening her spine, Ella sat back to face the rest of the group. If letting the girls roam was what it took to get Declan off her doorstep and into her apartment for more than five minutes, then maybe it was time to go for it. She could barely believe the words that left her mouth next. “Suzy, will you help me pick something out for my date tonight?” The others at the table looked surprised, but Suzy looked like a mafia don nodding her head in approval. Ella wouldn’t have been surprised to hear her say, “Yo, forgetaboutit.” Of course, maybe she watched too much television and mafia people didn’t actually talk that way.

“I’d be happy to, Ella, but no complaining. I’ll even pick a dress, but one with a little less . . . coverage. When I finish with you, Declan will swallow his tongue and cough it back up.”

“Ugh,” Claire laughed, “I don’t know if that is exactly what she’s after. But I will say that when I put my . . . uh, girls on display, Jason can barely mumble a coherent sentence. I don’t know what it is about men, but Suzy is right, they can’t pass up a good set of girls.”

Rolling her eyes, Beth said, “Mine are like, officially fifty pounds each and Nick loves them. Instead of rubbing my belly, he wants to rub my boobs all the time.”

Suzy started gagging and shouted, “Stop! I’ve told you that I don’t want to hear any brother-in-law sex stories.”

Looking at Emma, Claire said to change the topic, “Hey, I forgot to ask, how are things going with Brant? Is he a little easier to work with now?”

Emma raised her fork from the table and pretended to stab herself in the heart. “Well, I made him sick this morning so I don’t know if this is going to be a good day or not.”

Interest peaked, Suzy said, “Oh, do tell.”

Sighing, Emma said, “He is lactose intolerant and when I made his coffee this morning, I forgot and added cream to it. Come on, wouldn’t you think he would have noticed the difference? But, nooo. An hour later he comes rushing to my desk holding his stomach. I ask him what the problem is and he demands to know if I had given him anything with dairy in it. I had to confess that I had put cream in his coffee. He shot me a dirty look and rushed out the door. I’m pretty sure that he believes I tried to kill him. Why is keeping up with his dietary requirements part of my job? Shouldn’t he be a little more careful? He didn’t seem to appreciate it when I yelled after him, ‘They make medication for that.’”

“Alright, I’ll just be the first to say what we’re all thinking. That is freaking hysterical. Your boss is probably still riding the porcelain throne and calling you every name in the book—nice!” Suzy grinned at the new girl.

Claire coughed trying to hide her laughter, Beth’s stomach moved at an alarming rate as it shook, and Ella tried unsuccessfully to cover her grin. “Just so you’re prepared though, the whole employee of the month thing is probably out for you.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Emma laughed.

Once they had all finished eating, Suzy stood and grabbed Ella’s hand, “Come on, girl, let’s go get you one hell of a ‘do me’ outfit. Do we need to get underwear too? No one wants to open a shiny new package and find an old toy inside.”

“I have some new stuff—”

Shaking her head, Suzy said, “Let’s just get it all. How high of a heel can you walk in? On second thought, you don’t need to walk much, just make short trips and do a lot of standing.” Then with that scary thought in Ella’s head, they were off through the mall like a blur.

An hour and several credit card swipes later, Ella had a dress that covered next to nothing and underwear that could have been classified as dental floss. Those two things were scary enough, but the shoes that Suzy had picked were the equivalent of strapping a skyscraper on each foot. When Suzy said for her to stand around a lot, she’d meant it.

At the end of the day, Beth helped her pack her purchases in the trunk of her car. “So, are you going to have the nerve to wear that tonight?”

“Well, I either go on my date with Declan tonight practically naked or I admit to your sister that I chickened out and didn’t wear the clothes that she picked out. Hmmm, I’ll pick the naked thing every time. It’s less scary than admitting failure to Suzy.”

Before she could answer, Beth squealed in surprise as Nick walked up behind her and pulled her back against him. “Hey, princess.”

“Geez, Nick, you don’t do that to someone who’s pregnant!”

Ella felt herself swoon as a sexy laugh rumbled out of Nick. “Sorry, babe. I couldn’t resist. Hey, Ella, do you mind if I steal Beth away for dinner?”

Beth swatted his arm and said, “Hey buddy, we haven’t finished our girl talk yet.”

“Yeah, no doubt. I’ll be doing Declan a favor by dragging you off right now.”

“Ha-ha, very funny. Declan’s a big boy and I’m sure he can take care of himself,” Beth smirked.

“No man can hold out against all of you women when you are plotting. Come on, Princess, you can save the world tomorrow.”

Ella watched them playfully bicker back and forth and felt a stab of envy. Nick and Beth were so perfect for each other. They got along with the ease of a couple that had been together for years instead of months. Would she ever have that with Declan? She was comfortable with him and they never lacked for conversation, but there always seemed to be something he wasn’t saying and, at times, she could practically see the thoughts racing through his head. Could she be the one to finally get through all of his walls to the man underneath?

* * *

Another upcoming date, another cold shower. He hadn’t showered or jerked off this much since he hit puberty. Ella was coming on stronger and stronger and he was getting weaker and weaker. One more slide of her tongue against his or one more slip of her hand across his ass and he was done for. They were well past the three-date rule and if he made it to the end of the weekend he would be surprised. Tonight he was taking Ella to see the new James Bond movie. Apparently there wasn’t an action franchise out there that she wasn’t a fan of. When his sweet little Ella sat beside him on the couch and started quoting lines from movies, it was about the hottest thing he had ever heard. The girl knew almost every line Bruce Willis and Mel Gibson had ever uttered on film. Somewhere along the way, her uptight parents had lost control whether they knew it or not.

These last few weeks with Ella had been some of the best times he could remember. For someone who claimed he wasn’t dating material, he had adapted to the role with unsettling ease. Even if they did nothing else, they almost always had dinner together. He was no longer content to sit in his apartment alone and let the walls close in on him night after night. Now he craved hearing Ella’s voice and seeing her smile. He had even gotten used to her frequent accidents, dropping something on him or herself. When she had lost the battle with her plate of spaghetti a few nights back and had a huge red stain on the front of her white dress, she had just laughed and continued. That would have been the end of the evening for most women he knew.

It was starting to scare him that he had become so attached to her so fast. Hell, it would either get worse when they finally had sex or it would restore his sanity.

When Ella opened the door to him a few moments later he had his answer. Holy fuck, where are her clothes! He knew he was standing there like an idiot with his mouth hanging open, but he seemed powerless to do anything else.

“Do you want to come in for a minute before we leave?” she asked.

Terrified of that prospect, he blurted out, “Oh, hell no!” She was plainly startled at his abrupt answer so he took a deep breath and said in a gentler voice, “I mean, no, we will be late. Do you, um . . . have a jacket, like a long jacket?” He was profoundly grateful when she brought out a knee-length trench coat. He grabbed it from her hands and tried not to stare at the amount of cleavage on display as he buttoned it completely before tying the belt for added security. He knew she was looking at him, clearly puzzled by his odd behavior. As they shut her door, he saw the dangerously high heels she was wearing and settled her securely under his arm as they made their way slowly down the stairs.

What the hell was going on? Instead of his sweet Ella, it was like picking up Suzy for a date. The short dress that she was wearing was formfitting and showed far too much of the swells of her creamy breasts. Men always gave her a second look, but tonight, they were probably going to drop to their knees, and it freaked him out to think of that happening. He wanted to march her back in her apartment and demand that she change.

When he opened the door to his car, Ella paused for a minute before getting in. “Is everything okay?”

Hell no, everything is not okay. Where are the rest of your clothes? “Sure, Ellie, everything is fine,” Declan replied as he kissed her lightly on the forehead. With one more uncertain glance, Ella allowed him to help her inside and shut the door. He walked around the back of the car instead of the front so he could take a few deep breaths without her seeing him. So much for the cold shower; they were up to DEFCON-5 here and it wouldn’t take much at all to set him off.

* * *

Ella saw Declan’s knuckles turning white from his tight grip on the steering wheel. What was wrong with him tonight? She had expected some kind of reaction out of her new dress, but this wasn’t exactly going how she’d hoped. He had looked like he was going to pass out when she opened the door earlier and things hadn’t improved much since then. Was he sick? She had caught him staring at her chest a few times before they left her apartment. That was the only outward indication that he had noticed anything different. Maybe different wasn’t always better because he had buttoned her coat up to the very last button. She had to shift around to keep her airflow going. Well, right or wrong, she had gone to this much effort and she was seeing it through. The jacket was coming off at dinner and if Declan was turned off by seeing more of her body, then she needed to know about it before they slept together.

With that vow in mind, she quickly handed the hostess at the restaurant her jacket despite Declan’s attempts to convince her that she might get chilly. He was still throwing reasons out for her to keep her coat, even as the hostess walked away with it.

“Declan, I’m not cold, I promise. I will let you know if that changes.”

Their waiter was very funny and friendly and Ella smiled as he insisted on bringing extra bread and wine to their table. Declan continued sitting across from her in sullen silence.

Finally she had had enough. “Alright, what’s going on with you tonight? Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m fine, Ellie; I’m just tired of watching that jackass look down your dress while he drools all over you.”

Shocked, Ella gasped, “What?”

“Oh come on, Ellie, look at our table and look at everyone else’s. We have enough food in front of us to feed an army. I have never been so well waited on in my life.”

Looking around them, she had to admit that things seemed a little different from where they were sitting as opposed to those around them. “Maybe he just likes us?”

“Oh yeah, he likes one of us for sure and it’s not me.”

She didn’t know what came over her at that particular moment, it was the equivalent of laughing at a funeral, but suddenly the whole situation just seemed funny. She threw her head back and started laughing. She laughed until there were tears coming down her face and Declan handed her his napkin while he stared at her as if she had lost her mind. “I’m . . . sorry,” she choked out, “the irony of it all just got the best of me.”

“Are you going to share the joke or leave me hanging here?”

Ella settled back in her chair and decided to throw it all out there. After this disaster of a meal, what did she have to lose? “It just seems funny that the waiter was apparently the one that I impressed tonight, which was not what I intended.” When Declan started to open his mouth, she held her hand up for him to let her continue. “Suzy helped me pick this outfit out because I wanted to look sexy for you. I want to make love with you, Declan, and I can’t seem to get that across to you. I don’t know if you just don’t want that from me, despite the way that you kiss, or if you think I don’t want it from you, but I do. I dressed tonight to get your attention. I feel about as uncomfortable as I’ve ever felt in my life, and that’s saying something. I did all of this for you . . . but you didn’t even notice it.”

“Oh fuck me, Ellie, I noticed it. I’ve been out of my damn mind since I picked you up earlier, hadn’t you noticed? The only thing that’s wrong with me tonight is the raging hard-on that never seems to leave me since we started dating. For once, I was trying to do the right thing and give you time, but you’ve made it so difficult. I’ve swallowed my tongue over and over tonight watching that bastard of a waiter fall all over you while you charmed him as you do everyone else. Not notice you? Ellie, tonight you’re mine and nothing is going to stop me, not even me.” With those words, Declan stood, pulled his wallet out and dropped two large bills on the table. “That should take care of it.”

Still in shock at his heated promise, Ella allowed him to pull her from her chair and hurry her out of the restaurant.

“My coat,” she said as they practically ran out the door.

“Screw the coat; I’ll buy you another one.” After that the trip home was a blur. The only thing she could remember was the feel of Declan’s hand resting on her thigh as they made their way to her apartment and then, finally, he was over the doorstep and into her apartment.

Chapter Ten

As soon as Declan swooped her up in his arms, Ella wrapped her legs around his waist. “Oh, God, baby. You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to do this.” His lips slid along her neck and across her throat as his hands moved under her short dress to grip her ass.

She heard a muttered oath as he discovered the bare skin there thanks to her new thong purchase. Maybe dental floss underwear wasn’t so bad after all. She slipped her hands into his thick, springy hair and pulled his lips up to hers. When his tongue staked claim on her mouth without the usual control that she could feel beneath the surface, she moaned in surrender. Finally, their moment had arrived. She knew without him putting it into words that there would be no more waiting unless she suddenly lost her mind and pushed him away . . . not gonna happen.

As he stumbled into her bedroom, he cursed as he slammed his shoulder into the doorframe in his haste to make it to the bed. She didn’t know why he even bothered, at this point she felt like the whole bed thing was overrated. The floor, the couch, or the wall would be okay with her. She loved that he wanted everything to be right and she knew instinctively that was for her. As he gripped her waist to lower her to the bed, she hung on when they were eye to eye. Running a hand tenderly down the side of his face, she whispered, “Don’t hold back with me, Declan. Just show me what you like.”

With a husky laugh, he kissed her sweetly before saying, “There is nothing you could do that I wouldn’t like Ellie. I’ll try my best not to hurt you.”

Ella had to wonder how much of that promise was literal and how much was figurative. She stayed on her knees as he lowered her to the bed.

As he started to shrug his shirt off, she put her hand over his, halting his progress. His eyes flared as she said, “Let me.” She slowly rose to her feet on the bed, holding on to him for support. She smiled as he tried to contain his wince as she teetered for a moment before finding her balance. Maybe it would have been a better idea to stand beside of him on the floor. Soon his fear of her falling was replaced with a sharp breath when she slid her hands beneath the hem of his shirt and ran her fingertips over the smooth, taut skin of his stomach. What was the term that all of the books used—six-pack abs or was it a twelve pack? Whatever it was, Declan had them. Above his naval was a thin line of hair leading to his chest. She was surprised that Declan had such a sparse amount of hair. Of course, it could be because she was still using her hands to see. She didn’t need the light to know when she found the erect nub of one of his nipples. She flicked her fingernail lightly over it and smiled when his body clenched in approval. Growing impatient to see the treasure beneath the shirt, she grabbed the ends and proudly pulled it over his head without strangling him with it. Without thinking, she let out a whistle and said, “Whoa baby, you are hot! You make Daniel Craig look like Pee-wee Herman.” When Declan started laughing, Ella realized she had yet again voiced her thoughts out loud.

He pulled her against his chest and hugged her tight. “Ellie, baby, you kill me. I’m worrying about scaring you and you are ogling me and comparing me to James Bond. You are truly one of a kind and before you ask, I do, indeed, mean that as the highest form of compliment.” He eased her back down on her knees, probably because he was afraid she was going to ruin the moment and cut a cartwheel off the side of the bed.

It was her turn to catch her breath as he tugged the hem of her dress from under her knees and locked his gaze with hers to assess her reaction. He started slowly pulling it over her thighs. He met with no protests from her as the dress continued up, exposing her stomach, then her breasts and finally he pulled it gently over her head. She sat before him on her knees in nothing but her black, lace thong and the matching push-up bra that Suzy had insisted every woman must have. From the look on Declan’s face, she definitely knew what she was talking about. Almost reverently, he reached out to trail a hand up the curve of her hip and the side of her waist. He looked up in surprise when she started giggling.

With a sheepish expression, Ella admitted, “I’m slightly ticklish.” Her giggles were soon forgotten as he reached around behind her to deftly unsnap her bra. Her girls, as Suzy called them, were proudly on display and beginning to pucker under Declan’s hungry gaze. She was shocked to hear her own wanton moan as he cupped them in each hand and flicked a fingertip over their hardened nubs. When he took one of the peaks into his mouth, she felt her knees start to buckle and was grateful to be on the bed. She clutched his head against her breast and fire raced through her body. He lowered her backward onto the bed and came down on top of her. He settled a thigh between her legs and, with his arms, held his full weight above her. As he took her other nipple into his mouth, she clenched her thighs around the leg resting against her sex, desperate to relieve the throb that had settled there.

He pulled back to sit on his haunches and she whimpered in protest. As he brushed his hand against her tiny panties, he whispered, “Shhh, let me take care of you, Ellie.” Before she had time to form a protest, if she even had any desire to, he had her panties down her legs and his eyes were glowing as he took his first full look at her naked body.

She knew that she should be embarrassed or scared, but frankly, she was breathless with anticipation of what he would do next. She wanted to shout her gratitude when he went straight to her core, the area that was alive with need for him. She might never have had sex, but like most single women, she had masturbated for years and was familiar with the needs of her body. She knew exactly how good an orgasm felt as it rolled through her body and she was desperate for that release now.

Declan’s fingers parted her glistening folds and she moaned as he stroked the nub underneath. “Mmmm,” she moaned, “please don’t stop.”

Even though she hadn’t expected an answer, Declan said, “I won’t stop, Ellie, I couldn’t if I tried. You are so damn beautiful.” As she smiled over his words, he slid one finger inside of her and she clenched around it in surprise. She felt deliciously invaded as she moved her hips to deepen the pleasure. As she adjusted to the presence of his finger, he slid in another one and she felt a slight twinge of discomfort that was quickly swallowed by the feel of his fingers rubbing insistently over her clit. She felt herself climbing and climbing and was surprised to find that the moans that filled the bedroom were coming from her. When she felt a third finger join the other two inside of her, the mixture of pleasure and pain pushed her over the edge and her body shattered and convulsed. She started to protest as soon as his fingers left her body. She heard the sound of clothes being shed and the rip of paper. Suddenly, something bigger rested at her wet entrance.

Startled, her eyes flew open and she saw him position himself between her thighs. He groaned, but stayed still as she rubbed herself against him. He lowered his body over hers and she shivered at the first feel of his hard body against her soft contours. His mouth took hers in a kiss so hot and carnal that she was sure it must be illegal in at least half of the country. While she was concentrating on the feel of his tongue tangling with hers, she felt the tip of his shaft slip into her tight passage. Her stroking fingers gripped his shoulders tightly. Each time he pulled out, he eased back in a bit further on each thrust. The feeling was uncomfortably tight, but not exactly painful. Since he had left his pants on while he was stroking her, she hadn’t seen what they were concealing, but he felt enormous between her legs.

She could feel shudders racking his body as he attempted to hold back and go slowly for her. She felt her body start to slowly loosen and accept his possession. The sensations were now incredible as she locked her legs around his hips and tried to force his full possession. He groaned in protest until she whispered in his ear, “I need you Declan, please, now!” With a muttered oath, he surged forward until he was completed seated within her body.

The breath left her lungs in a whoosh as she went completely still. “Look at me, Ellie.” Her eyes flew open as she heard the concern and the regret in his voice. “Baby, are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

When she didn’t immediately answer, he started to withdraw from her body. Startled, she locked her legs tightly around his waist saying, “I’m fine Declan, don’t stop. It just . . . feels so good, I’m afraid I’m going to explode if I move and I don’t want it to end.”

Declan’s laugh turned into a groan when she started moving against him, testing the feel of his full weight inside of her. The intimate joining of their body was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. All of the initial discomfort and pain had been replaced by sparks shooting from nerve endings that she didn’t know existed. When he started a slow, easy rhythm, she eagerly met him thrust for thrust. She could sense that he was still holding back, afraid to release the full power of his desire onto her.

Her body was reaching for the crest she could feel just out of her reach and she moved against him impatiently, demanding the strong pace that she knew he was trying to deny her. When he uttered a loud curse, she knew she had won. His body pumped against hers, plunging into her depths again and again. Her head rolled back in bliss and waves of pleasure wracked her body. When his fingers applied firm pressure to her clit, she flew over the edge and heard him as he followed her shouting, “Ellie!”

Afterward, Declan’s weight was heavy on her small frame, but she didn’t want him to move. She could feel him still intimately joined with her and she marveled at how complete she felt. He shivered as she idly ran a hand down his back. When he raised his head to look at her she smiled saying, “How long before we can do that again?”

His big body started shaking as he laughed at her enthusiasm. “I was going to ask if you were okay, but it looks like I have my answer.” After a light kiss on her nose, his expression turned serious. “Did I hurt you, Ellie?”

Ella was tempted to tease him, but he looked so concerned that she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “It was uncomfortable at first, but then it was awesome! Since I’m a real woman now and all that, I think we should order a pizza to celebrate and then go back to bed and do it all over again.”

Declan chuckled and gave her a long, thorough kiss before slowly separating from her body. “That sounds like a plan, baby. I’ll call in the pizza and we can grab a quick shower while we’re waiting for it.”

If not for the impending arrival of the pizza man, Ella was sure she could have overcome his concerns of her being too sore and had her first shower sex experience. As it was, they had both taken far too many liberties with the bar of soap and were breathing heavily when they finally emerged from the steamy bathroom. They sat cross-legged on the floor and devoured the delicious, spicy, pepperoni pizza and then returned to the bedroom to make love at a much slower pace than the first time. Declan was right, she had been sore, but within a few moments of his possession, that had been forgotten as desire took hold of her body.

* * *

A shrill scream woke Ella from a sound sleep and she looked sleepily around the room trying to locate the source. What she saw made her want to pretend to go back to sleep. Holy shit, am I dreaming? Please let me still be asleep!

After blinking a few times, the figures of her mother, her father, and her sister remained firmly in place in front of her. She cringed when she looked down and realized that she was still sprawled out on a now awake, but obviously confused Declan. “What the hell . . . ,” he began before she clamped a hand over his mouth.

Her hysterical mother finally shook herself out of the daze by saying to her father, “Bob, go call the police, now!”

Her father appeared to be looking anywhere except at her and the bed.

And if she wasn’t mistaken, her sister was actually ogling bare-chested Declan. “I wouldn’t bother, Dad,” Crystal said with a smirk, “Premarital sex might be a sin, but the last I heard, it wasn’t illegal.” Giving another long look at the way Ella was tangled around Declan she added, “And I think we can rule out the whole against-her-will thing.”

“Crystal!” Her mother huffed, “What has gotten into you?”

Everyone in the room turned to look at Ella’s sister when she joked, “I think that’s a question for your other daughter, isn’t it, Mom?”

Ella couldn’t believe that her perfect sister had just made an off-color joke and, even if it was at her expense, she had to admit that at any other time it would have been pretty funny. She felt Declan shift under her and knew that some kind of explanation was in order.