Page 114 of Ella Gets the D
Haile and Jackson are an extension of the woman I love. They don’t know me as more than Duke’s uncle yet, but they see my adoration for their mother through my praise and, more importantly, my presence. I can’t undo the relationship they witnessed between her and their father, but I can show them something better to model as they grow. A partner who protects, uplifts, comforts, and steps back to anchor the ground while their lover flies.
I’m out of my depth, but I’m in this a hundred and fifty percent.
Ella pads into the bathroom in a light jog that makes her booty jiggle. I soap up as her foot taps out to whatever song is in her head while she pees.
Loving her is the easiest decision I ever made.
She steps through the frameless shower door with a nest of hair in a messy side bun and reaches around me for her exfoliating gloves hanging on the caddy.
“You’re staring again.” Her hooded eyes flicker as she lathers her body in the scent that drives me wild. It’s impossible to not get lost in her.
“You sure you’re okay?” We spoke about her ex on the phone before she came over.
“Yeah,” she says quietly. The beginning of a smile tips up the corners of her mouth. “We’ll be okay.”
“That’s right.” I kiss her forehead and pull her close. “Know something else?”
“Hmm?”
“I love you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” she says with a playful grin that morphs into laughter at a smack to her ass. “I love you, Julie.”
“You better.”
Soft curves mold to the contours of my body under the spray of the showerhead. She drops her cheek to my chest with an exhale.
We settle into each other to the melody of water echoing off the subway tiles. My hand glides down the lines of her back. “Someone has a birthday coming up,” I murmur against her shoulder with a kiss.
She groans. “I need no reminders I’m turning forty, please and thank you.”
My chuckle vibrates off her collarbone. “You act like your AARP card is in the mail.” Her nails dig into the flesh of my ass. I nip at her earlobe. “Don’t start that freaky shit.” My erection juts between us for emphasis. “Let me take you away.”
Her wiggles to get out of my arms are a sign this vacation will be an unnecessary battle. She’s also in for another round in this shower if she keeps squirming.
“Can’t we do something small at the house?”
“I promise to spend $19.99 for a cake and a bottle of wine.” Why is it always a fight to do something just for her? “You deserve a vacation, and you’re always reminding me that I need to take time off. Let’s take it together. You, me, a quiet weekend getaway.”
“Julian.” She releases a long sigh. “As amazing as not waking up at six and shuffling to pack lunches sounds, I have a bad feeling.”
“Did you eat those old nachos in the refrigerator? I told you to throw them out.” She flicks my nipple. “Ouch!”
“I’m serious!” She snorts. “Your ex. A creeper at the office.”
“Maybecreeper,” I clarify. Otis never confirmed that the person he saw was an actual threat.
“Charles popping up at Jackson’s game for the first time ever? I—it’s all too much of a coincidence for me. What if something happens?”
“What if nothing happens? Tell you what.” I kiss her neck. “Think about what would make you comfortable enough to say yes. If you’re honestly not,” I shrug, “we stay here with cake and cheese.”
Ella’s lips quiver at the hard length in search of her heat. She swallows hard. “You never play fair.”
I press her into the wall and whisper, “Where’s the fun in that?”
Chapter 43
Ella
