Chapter 19: Just a Mistake
ELLIE
"Tell me to stop, Ellie," he whispered in a rough voice, deep from his throat. His fingers slid higher, dangerously close to my panties. Just a bit more, and he’d discover just how wet I was. My eyes remained closed as my body, overwhelmed by desire, begged for him to touch me there. Just a little more...
"I waited for you last night," he said, pulling me back to the previous night.
I remembered the blonde at the bar with him. Jerk. I opened my eyes, glaring at him.
"Get your hands off me, you lying bastard," I growled through gritted teeth, standing up abruptly and stepping back to avoid slapping him.
"Why am I a liar?" he asked, surprised and confused, standing up and stepping closer.
"Leave. We'll handle all work matters over email."
"Answer me, damn it. Why am I a liar?"
"I was there, at the bar. So, tell me, did you wait for me before or after you finished with that blonde?" I knew I was being ridiculous—I had no right to be angry. But I couldn’t help myself.
"I didn’t see you there. But nothing happened. I went home alone last night."
"That’s none of my business. Do me a favor and leave."
"If it’s none of your business and you don’t care, why are you so mad?"
"I don’t care what you do with others, as long as you don’t put your filthy hands on me."
"I told you nothing happened with her last night. You just made me lose control during work—what more do you need to understand that I want you?"
"I’m not going to be part of your little game."
"No games, just you and me doing something we both want."
"Enough. I don’t trust you."
"What do I need to do to make you trust me?"
"There’s nothing you can do." He sighed heavily before stepping closer.
"You can’t keep resisting this," he said, his hands cradling my face. "It’ll be just sex. You won’t regret it, I can guarantee that," he said, his thumb brushing over my lower lip. "I’m not playing with you, Ellie. I’m not going to. Trust me."
"Trust you?" I could barely focus on my thoughts with his face so close, his lips...
"I haven’t lied to you yet, have I? I’m being honest."
"Are you really? Then tell me you didn’t do anything with that woman."
"I didn’t. Not last night."
Not last night? So, they had been together before?
"So, you’ve been with her before?" I knew it wasn’t any of my business and that I shouldn’t be asking this.
He paused for a moment before answering.
"Yes." I didn’t like hearing him admit what I had already suspected, but at least it proved he was being honest. I pushed his hands away, crossing my arms over my chest.
"How long ago?"
"Does it matter?"
"I want to know when was the last time you slept with someone."
Yes, I needed to know. He sighed deeply, rubbing his fingers over his forehead, tension evident in his posture.
"Thursday," he admitted.
That was recent. I don’t know what I expected. Unlike me, he probably didn’t go more than a few days without having sex. Definitely not more than a year.
"And you?" he asked, making me panic.
"Let’s drop it."
"Oh, now you want to drop it?"
"It’s been a while, okay?" A long time. Too long. So long that it was embarrassing to say out loud.
"A while... let's see, a month?"
"Stop it," I said, wrinkling my nose.
"Two?" He wasn’t going to let this go.
"Try multiplying by six."
"A year?" He blinked, looking shocked and incredulous.
"Maybe a little more," I admitted, utterly embarrassed.
He fell silent, processing what I had said.
"Why?" he asked, confused, as if it was impossible to go that long without sex.
"I don’t want to talk about it."
"You don’t find many guys willing to call the next day, do you?"
"Enough."
"I’m being honest. If we’re going to do this, I expect the same from you."
"Are you offering me sex or a therapy session?"
"Fine," he conceded, raising his hands in surrender. "If you don’t want to talk, don’t. But we can be friends before anything else."
"Friends don’t sleep together. So forget this friendship nonsense."
"Does that mean you..."
"I haven’t decided yet." He looked frustrated before grabbing my face again.
"You’re making my nights impossible. I can barely sleep thinking about what it would be like to have you in my bed. I can’t even work properly because I spend half the time fantasizing about you. I want this to end. Don’t prolong my torture, Ellie," he said, his eyes fixed on my lips, looking tormented. "I’ll be waiting for you tonight."
"I’ll think about it," I managed to say.
He exhaled, pulling my arms away from my chest and pressing his forehead against mine. All the air left my lungs and my mind.
"That’s not what I want to hear," he said, pressing his chest against mine. "Say you’ll come." He was so close. It was as if my body wanted to obey his every command. And without even realizing it, I nodded. He smiled before leaning into my ear, sending shivers through my entire body. "You know where to find me," he whispered before pulling away.
I watched as he gathered his things and left my office. When I finally managed to breathe and think clearly again, I realized what I had just agreed to. I had agreed to go to his place tonight... to have sex with him. Oh my God.