She set Charlie’s coffee cup in front of her, then moved to the other side of the table and sat down. As she looked up, her stomach dropped. Charlie was staring across the room in complete shock. Ella’s head turned slowly, knowing what held her rapt attention. Her brows snapped into a frown as James walked barefoot through the kitchen.
“You didn’t tell me you were fixing coffee, baby.” He wore blue jeans and nothing else. And those damned jeans. The top button was loose, and the waistband rode low on his tight abdomen. Right above it was a strawberry love bite. She remembered marking him, and now her face flamed as she realized her friend couldn’t miss it.
“Dear God,” Charlie breathed as she obviously fought for breath, her gaze swinging from Ella to James.
Ella could only cover her face as James poured his coffee, dropped a quick kiss to the top of her head and said, “I’ll finish up some of that paperwork you dragged me away from earlier while you talk to your friend.”
She peeked through her fingers as he ambled away. The jeans molded his bu**ocks to perfection, and Charlie wasn’t missing a second of the view as he left the room.
As he disappeared through the doorway, Charlie turned to her, her eyes wide, her expression shocked.
“James Wyman,” she breathed out in shock. “Oh my God! Ella, you f**ked James Wyman? Or is it Jesse?” she squeaked in fear, well aware of Tess’s interlude with Jesse Wyman and Cole.
Ella squirmed in her chair. No, she thought, he had f**ked her, thoroughly. And more than once. She sighed tiredly. Everyone would know it now.
“It’s not Jesse,” she groaned, pushing her fingers restlessly through her hair. “You should know better than that.”
“James!” she squealed.
“Dammit, Charlie, shut up,” she shushed her frantically. “He’ll hear you.”
“Ella, do you have any idea what you’re doing? What you’re getting into?” Her voice lowered. “Honey, he and Jesse have shared their women more than once…”
“Not me.” Ella came out of her chair, her hands trembling violently as she shoved them into the pockets of her robe.
“Maybe not with Jesse, but Ella, James and Jesse aren’t the only members of their pack, hon. I could name you half a dozen now.”
She shook her head. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Charlie sat back in her chair, her mouth falling open in surprise. “You haven’t heard? They’re called the Trojans, babe. Because of their dominance, and their sharing. They like submissives, Ella. You aren’t a submissive. Are you?”
“You know I’m not,” Ella bit out. But she wondered. What James had done to her that night, the dark promises he had made to her as he buried his c**k inside her over and over again, threatened her belief that she wasn’t.
“Ella, those men, they don’t mess with women who aren’t submissive. Women who won’t give them that ultimate commitment.” Charlie came to her feet, facing her in concern. “You ran from Jase because of his demands. James will be worse.”
Ella shook her head. “I’m in control,” she whispered. “He won’t do it if I don’t want it.”
“And when he leaves because you can’t do it?” she whispered fiercely. “Dammit, Ella, haven’t you been hurt enough?”
“It’s my choice, Charlie.” She raised her head in determination. “My choice. No matter what happens.”
Charlie watched her silently.
“He’s the one,” she finally said slowly. “The one that came in while Jase had you tied down. The reason you divorced him and moved so damned far away for so long.”
Ella turned away, her lips opening as she fought to drag in more air, to stem the panic rising in her chest.
“Stop, Charlie,” she whispered, turning back to her as she stared at her friend pleadingly. “Please, let it go.”
“My God. You’re in love with him.” Charlie shook her head, amazement shaping her expression. “Ella, he’s the one. The reason you ran and turned into a bitter old nun. My God. He’s younger than you are.”
“Six years…”
“He shares his women,” she pointed out again.
“I don’t have to agree…”
“But you will to keep him.” Charlie was angry now. Her voice throbbed with it, her face flushing with it. “You will, Ella. Because you love him.”