Page 27 of Ardent Desires

I towel off, pulling on a pair of boxers before collapsing onto the bed. The sheets are cool, but my body is still too hot, my thoughts racing. I grab my phone again, checking for any new messages, half-hoping, half-expecting to see something from her.

Nothing.

That’s fine. I’ll see her in the morning.

I set the phone down on the nightstand, flipping onto my back and staring up at the ceiling, my mind spinning with a thousand different thoughts, most of them centering on Ellie and the way she looked at me tonight. The way she tasted. The way her body felt in my hands.

I close my eyes, letting the exhaustion from the day finally pull me under, more excited for tomorrow than I’ve been in a long fucking time.

*

She knocks on my office door, and the second I hear it, my whole body tightens in anticipation.

“You called?” Ellie’s voice slips through the crack in the door, soft but strong, and fuck, just hearing her is enough to make my cock twitch.

I look up, and there she is, standing in the doorway, dressed in a white blouse that clings to her curves in all the right places, and a tight black pencil skirt that shows off her full hips. The fabric stretches over her thighs, and all I can think about is how fucking good it would feel to slide that skirt up, just enough to get my hands on her.

“Close the door,” I say, my voice rougher than I intended.

Her eyes flicker with something—hesitation, maybe—but she listens. The door clicks shut behind her, and my office feels smaller. More intimate. The tension between us hums in the air, thick and charged, and I know, without a doubt, I’m about to lose control.

“Come here,” I murmur, my gaze locked on her as she takes slow, deliberate steps toward me. My desk is between us, but the distance feels like nothing as she moves closer.

The second she’s within reach, I grab her by the waist, lifting her onto my desk. Her breath hitches as she settles onto the polished wood, her legs dangling over the edge, her skirt riding up just enough for me to see the lace at the top of her stockings.

Fuck. I’m already losing it.

I lean in, capturing her lips in a kiss that’s hard, desperate, my hands gripping her hips as she writhes against me. She moans into my mouth, her hands sliding up my chest, fingers gripping the fabric of my shirt as if she’s holding on for dear life.

“This is so wrong,” she giggles between kisses, her lips swollen from the heat between us.

I pull back just enough to cup her cheeks, forcing her to look at me. “What are you doing this weekend?”

She blinks, a little breathless. “What?”

“This weekend,” I repeat, my thumb brushing over her bottom lip. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” she says, a little confused, still trying to catch up to where my mind is headed.

“Good,” I murmur, leaning in to kiss her again, harder this time. “Camilla invited me to the grand opening of her newest hotel.” My lips trail down to her neck, sucking gently at the sensitive spot just below her ear, making her moan softly. “And I want you to come with me.”

Her breath catches again, but this time, it’s not just from the kiss. She pulls back slightly, her eyes wide. “You want me to go with you? To a hotel?”

“Say yes,” I whisper, my mouth tracing the line of her jaw. “Come with me.”

She hesitates, her hands clutching my shoulders. “Alexander… this is—”

I stop her with a kiss, cutting off whatever excuse she’s about to make. My hands are on her waist, sliding down to her hips, gripping her tightly as I pull her closer to the edge of the desk. I want her so fucking bad, and the thought of spending a weekend with her, away from everything, just the two of us? It’s driving me wild.

“Say yes, Ellie,” I growl against her lips, my hands sliding lower, inching her skirt up just enough to feel the heat of her skin beneath my palms.

She bites her lip, a flush creeping up her neck. “Okay.”

I smile, pressing my forehead against hers, my fingers teasing the edge of her stockings. “Good. Pack a bikini.”

Her brows shoot up. “I thought this was for work?”

“It is,” I say, smirking. “But it’ll be fun. I promise.”

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