but I do learn something valuable. He’s not around much.
“You can’t have been on many dates then?” I ponder aloud.
“True,” she chirps, a gleam in her eye as she sticks the knife in. “But when he’s gone, he’s making sure I know I’m always on his mind. He sends me flowers for the hell of it, calls me every day and we text all the time. Just earlier this week, he sent a limo to pick me up and take me for a surprise facial and massage at a day spa.”
Fuck. I didn’t think Ella would fall for that crap, but the bigger realization is I never thought to do that stuff for her. I was the self-absorbed type of person who figured she knew I thought about her all the time when I was on the road. We were married, and I just presumed… she knew.
God, I’m a fucking shit head.
Pulling the wrench free, I stand again. I turn the water on, flip the switch for the disposal, and see it churning freely.
“What else does he do for you?” I ask after I turn the disposal off and it goes quiet. I turn to face her, just as she’s blinking in surprise.
“Why?” she asks suspiciously.
I shrug, pivoting to the sink to wash my hands, then drying them with a few paper towels. Balling them up, I meet her eyes. “Because… I’m in it. I told you that I want our marriage to work.”
Her eyes narrow slightly, trying to read my tone and whether I’m bullshitting her. Finally, she replies primly, “I’m not giving away his secrets.”
What the fuck does that mean? Have they had sex? I would have bet a million dollars they had not because I know Ella and she wouldn’t enter into that deep of a relationship lightly.
I can also see by her expression that’s she’s not about to admit or deny a damn thing. Much like I wanted to keep her guessing, she’s doing the same fucking thing to me.
Tossing the wadded paper towels on the counter, I make a sudden step into her. My arm goes around her waist and I pull her body into me, so she is flush, not a single inch of space between us. Her mouth opens in a gasp of surprise, and I use the opportunity to kiss her.
Hard.
Her hands slap against my upper arms, and her fingers dig into my sleeves. Even as she’s pushing me away, her mouth opens, her tongue touching mine ever so briefly.
It’s enough for me, so I pull back. “Has he ever done that to you?” I demand.
Ella looks dazed as she murmurs, “Not quite like that.”
My arm around her waist tightens, and I press her into me so she can feel the fact that just that hard-and-fast kiss made me hard for her. “Do you make him feel this way?”
She shakes her head, breathlessly admitting. “Not yet.”
Christ, is this guy gay, or is he just too fucking scared to make a move on this incredibly gorgeous and sexy creature in my arms? Not that I’m not grateful he hasn’t, but still… I have to wonder about him.
One more thing I need to know, though. I loosen my hold, bring my hand to her lower back, and then slide it down her ass, cupping her intimately from behind. Moaning, Ella leans into me. “Does he touch you like this?’
She doesn’t answer. Instead, she lets her eyelids flutter closed as her teeth bite into her lower lip.
Fuck. I could drag her to the floor right now, and we could go at it. My body wants it.
Without a doubt, my heart demands it.
Instead, Ella comes to her senses, blinking rapidly and giving me a tiny shove backward. I release her immediately.
“You’re not playing fair,” she accuses.
Damn right I’m not. I grab her upper arms, pull her back into me for one last kiss before I let her go just as quickly. “I’m playing to win. Fairness has nothing to do with it.”
Ella takes a step back, brushes a wisp of hair from her temple, and puts on a cool expression. “That’s not going to make me take you back.”
I smirk.
She waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re great with your hands and your mouth, but a lot of men know how to please a woman.”
I’ll give her points for trying to make me jealous, but I refuse to fall for it. Instead, I give her a devilish smile and dip my head toward her.