I Have Lived and I Have Loved - Willow Winters Page 0,187

his hand. “Eli?”

“Yeah, give me a minute to finish the call.” He grabs the phone and moves into the other room. I’ve never seen him this angry, but he’s livid. I hear him continuing to fight with whomever is on the line.

I sit at the kitchen counter, picking at the fruit that his chef cut up. I took off the rest of this week and the next when Eli said he wasn’t in a hurry to go back. I want to spend as much time as I can with him before our entire relationship shifts. We discussed the fact that he was in breach of contract, but he was relentless in telling me not to worry about it.

It appears that I should’ve trusted my gut in worrying.

Eli returns to the kitchen about fifteen minutes later and tosses his phone on the marble countertop. He pulls the fridge open, mumbling about asshole directors and egos. I try not to laugh, but he’s so cute when he’s pissed that a short giggle escapes.

His eyes shift to me, he slams the door shut, and then he moves to me so quick I gasp. Then, his lips are against mine and I have to grip his arms to keep from falling back. The brute force of the kiss shocks me. This last week has been all tenderness. This is anything but that.

He hoists me out of my seat with one arm, lifting me so my ass is now on the counter. My hands move to his neck, holding him now that we’re even in height. He pushes himself between my legs, and I wrap them around his waist.

As much as I love the gentle Eli, I really missed the sex-God.

“Ellington,” I say as I break away for air.

“Say it again,” he commands. His lips suck at the skin on my neck, and I hold his hair. “Say my name, Heather.”

“Eli,” I moan as he starts to move lower.

“No, baby, try again.”

I know now what he wants. Eli Walsh is the man I share. Ellington is all mine. I pull his hair back so he looks at me. “Ellington.”

I watch the fire burn in his gaze, and I melt for him. “That’s who I am to you, baby. Only you.”

“Kiss me,” I request.

He seems to struggle with moving, but I don’t let him pull away from me. I’m not breakable. Eli made sure that, no matter what, I had what I needed, and now he needs me.

Instead of letting him decide, I push my lips back to his. He moans against my tongue, and it’s the sexiest sound ever. There’s nothing I love more than driving him to the edge. To have influence over this man is exhilarating.

He stops quickly, taking two big steps back, both of us breathing heavily. “Why did you stop?” I ask.

“Fuck!” He bellows as he looks to the ceiling.

I hop down. “What happened? Are you okay?”

His eyes close, and he takes a few deep breaths. “I’m fine, just pissed, and I shouldn’t’ve taken it out on you.”

I touch his cheek and smile. “Did it look like I minded? If that’s how you handle being pissed, then I may piss you off constantly.”

He bursts out laughing and shakes his head. “I love you,” he says without hesitancy.

We still haven’t said it since that night. I didn’t need him to, either, but my smile is wide. “I love you, too.”

My hands rest on his chest. “I was worried I imagined that night.”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve said that to anyone. I’ll be sure to tell you more often.”

“You show me every day.”

He kisses my nose and sighs. “That was my agent. The producer is livid, demanding I return to New York in twenty-four hours or I’ll be hearing from their legal team.”

I’ve been selfish to think he could keep this up. We’ve both been living in our own dream world. He’s under contract. I can’t keep him here. “I’m doing fine now. You don’t have to stay for me.”

“I’m not here because I don’t think you’re okay, Heather. I’m here because I can’t leave you. I don’t want to go to New York and not see your brown eyes when I wake up. There’s nothing up there for me, and you’re everything I need here.”

I know he’s an actor, but there’s no doubting the sincerity in his words. Knowing that he wants to stay because he wants to be with me makes me fall even deeper. However, if he loses