Ellie’s body locks around me, her muscles tense as she shudders, her orgasm detonating.
“Fuck, baby.”
I close my eyes and give myself over to my release, following right behind her.
Ellie
When you’ve spent the majority of your adult life without intimate contact with a man, you would think it would take some getting used to. I don’t seem to be having a problem with it, though. At least not with Kingston. I have never had an overnight guest in my bed until him. Yet the way his arms wrap possessively around me is something I’ve never felt before, something I’ve never even longed for before. I guess I never thought I would enjoy it so much, but I do.
I definitely do.
After we quickly cleaned up in the living room, I grabbed a bottle of water for us to share, and we moved into my bedroom, where I once again found myself taking advantage of this man. I guess you can’t really call it taking advantage since he was on board with making love again, but still. I can’t keep my hands off him. Not only because he’s a wonderful distraction, either. Having him here makes me feel safe, comfortable. As though I have someone there for me, I guess you could say.
“What are you thinking about?” His rough baritone sounds from behind me, his breath warm against my ear.
“You.” I figure I might as well be honest here. I long ago passed the point of no return with this man. I figure if we’re going to keep moving forward, he needs to know how I feel.
“Yeah?”
I nod, snuggling into him.
“I like that you are,” he whispers and I notice a slight catch in his words.
For the last few hours, I’ve managed to push the thought of James out of my mind. Thankfully that phone call didn’t completely ruin my night, but I know I have to deal with it sooner or later. I have to figure out what James wants, what Bianca wants. I even have to figure out what I want. I won’t know any of that until I actually sit down and have a conversation with James. And my daughter. Our daughter. I’m not sure how Kingston will feel when all of this plays out, but I’m grateful that he’s here with me now.
At some point in the last couple of months, I’ve managed to fall for this man. Deeper than I ever imagined possible. I know that I’m not supposed to, and I should probably keep those feelings to myself, but it’s true. I have to accept it, even though I don’t have a clue what to do about it.
“Ellie?”
“Hmm?”
“What are you going to do about James?”
I sigh. I wonder if he can read my mind. “I don’t know yet.”
The man deserves to know his daughter if that’s what he wants. If I take the time to think about it now, though, I’ll probably cry. I’m not sure how I feel about Bianca going behind my back to find him. Sure, she has that right. He is her father, after all. But it is my place to protect her, and I have no idea what this man may or may not want out of this.
I need to talk to my brother, too. I have to weigh the very real possibility that James might fight me for Bianca. He may accuse me of trying to keep her from him, although that is certainly not true. If he has money—I don’t know the first thing about him—he could make this really difficult for me.
And then, of course, there’s the emotional aspect. If this really is my one-night stand from Las Vegas as he claims he is, then he is her father. It’s inevitable at this point that they will meet, and I can’t predict how that will play out, either.
“When you do know, will you share it with me?”
Something in Kingston’s tone worries me. I manage to turn over to face him, remaining in the cocoon of his arms. The room is dark, so I can’t see his face, but this feels more intimate.
“What do you want me to do?” I ask. I want his opinion. I want to know how he feels about all of this. I’m not sure why I do, but I do. I know he doesn’t think this is any of his business, but it is. If for no other reason than he’s my friend. For some reason, it matters to me