Page 55 of His Wild Attraction

It was always that way.

Whenever I was anywhere near her, it was always too far away. Feet, inches, whatever. The space between us was always too much.

Being close just wasn’t good enough.

This pull, I felt, was like a compulsion.

No, it was so much more than that. It was like a gravitational force.

Ellie was my sun, or maybe I was her moon.

At any rate, I orbited her. Helpless to withstand the pull. Every fiber of my being attuned to her.

I didn’t like her upset. But I was curious about it.

“I need you to tell me what’s going on, Lupina,” I said, watching in awe as she straightened her spine before facing me.

“Tell you what’s going on? Sure. I’ll do that when you tell me what else you’re keeping from me,” she said, hands on her hips.

“What do you mean?”

“Your messages are on the side table,” she said, spinning back around to check the heat on the stove.

I frowned and walked to the little table where I tossed my keys. I hadn’t noticed the little pad of pink Post-It notes sitting there. I grabbed it and read the neatly scrawled handwriting.

Gabby called.

Twice.

I smirked. Gabby was my mother’s oldest and dearest friend, and she was undoubtedly calling about my mother’s upcoming birthday.

It was her sixtieth. A big deal, to say the least, and I was planning a party for her.

Something I should probably have told my wife, but really, I just hadn’t thought of it.

“This makes you mad, Wife?” I asked, cocking my head as I watched my wife studiously ignoring me.

“Should it?” she snapped.

Hope began to build inside.

Was it possible I was winning her over? Did my bride of convenience care more than she let on?

All the while I felt like Ellie was the puppeteer and I her willing marionette. But maybe she felt like that, too.

Maybe she thought I was manipulating her, keeping secrets.

Hell, the woman didn’t even have to pull on my strings to get me to come to her. I was so fucking gone for her.

Didn’t she know how desperate I was for her? Couldn’t she tell?

I would run miles.

Walk through fire.

Crawl over broken glass.

Complete any number of feats just for the chance to earn a smile from her lips.

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