Page 11 of Unbreakable Connection (Connections Duet)

“Yeah, it’s more than okay.” She took my hand and led me back to her bedroom.

CHAPTER FIVE

Ellen

I felt warm, too warm for my usual liking, and safe. How was that even possible when I’ve spent my life alone and buried in work? My work was my home, a place that was mine and mine alone. And now I have this bear of a man in my life declaring all sorts of demands, and I’m not sure I can get used to it. While sleeping, I dreamed of a life far away from the daily violence. So far away from the bullet holes I patch up and certainly far away from the cries from the loved ones who mourn the death of the patients I can't save but try in vain to.

My eyes suddenly blinked open, and he shifted slightly, sensing I needed comfort. His arms tightened around my body, and I thought I heard him whisper for me to go back to sleep, but I was practically an insomniac. It was morning, nearly twenty-four hours since arriving home with Edric. It feels like so much has changed in the shortest amount of time, and I’ve even sleptmore than I have ever before, which is foreign to me since I never sleep more than four to six hours at a time.

I moved to my side without waking him, and Edric looked much better since he first arrived in Italy. He looked rested and relaxed, probably from all the sex and sleep we'd had. I studied him closely as he inhaled and exhaled, even breaths sleeping off more of the jet lag he suffered. We haven’t shared much, but even I can see he carries many burdens.

As wonderful as it is here in bed with Edric, I was restless and wanted to run. The last time I attempted this, he quickly caught up to me and was not happy that I slipped out, vowing I would not get another opportunity like that again.

Alright, security man, let's test that theory. I should have felt guilty for what I was about to do, but I also felt giddy at pushing him to see what kind of punishment he would return. After yesterday’s experience with Edric, having him spank me was so hot, and something inside me felt satisfied after he did it. I smiled, remembering how it felt. Then, I carefully slipped out of his grasp and quietly walked into my bathroom. After I relieved myself and cleaned up, I opened the door to find Edric asleep where I had left him.

“No, it can't be this easy,” I said silently. Could Edric be feigning sleep, and he’s the one testing me? I stepped into my closet and reached for clothes off the shelf, putting them on quickly. I didn’t believe I could make it out of the door if he truly had security in place, so I went with another plan. My steps usually creak, which would be his first clue that I was escaping, so I got down on my butt and practically slid down them as quietly as possible. No creaks doing it this way. Once downstairs, I looked around to where I could hide and then stepped into the closet, waiting to see what would happen next. I didn't have to wait long because a very naked Edric rushed out of thebedroom within a few seconds, charging toward the front door and holding his phone.

He was shouting and tapping furiously on his phone and then stopped what he was doing to look around the room before going back into the bedroom, presumably to put some clothes on. I waited in the closet, listening to outside sounds, but it was quiet. I almost wanted to sneak out but hesitated when I heard heavy footing outside my door.

“What the bloody fuck, Patch?”Who's Patch? Someone on his team, I thought.“Asshole, are you listening to me? I'm holding my phone in my hand, and it's telling me the perimeter is secure, so tell me where the fuck my woman is since you have the house on your screen?”

Of course, I couldn't hear what the other guy was saying, but I knew Edric said my leaving again wouldn't happen without him knowing it, and now it's confirmed. What did he do? I'm just one person. How much danger could I be in? And what level of security is he talking about? I regretted my decision to test him, and my nerves increased every minute I remained in the closet. I peered through the opening and listened intently for any sounds that might tell me what Edric was doing. I stayed quiet, and then I heard the front door slam. I exhaled and waited another minute before stepping into my living room. Finally, I placed my hands on my hips and said, “Great idea, Ellen, now what are you going to do?”

Before I could take another step, a giant hand covered my mouth with the other arm wrapped around my body. I trembled until he released his hold and spun me around in his arms, never giving me an inch to move. His eyes were menacing and filled with a rage I'd never seen before. I was frightened, but he must have sensed it and calmed himself down. He wasn't happy and was far from the man who held me last night as I fell asleep.“Edric, I can explain,” I began to say, and then he covered my mouth again with his hand and began to speak.

“Quiet!” he said coldly but calmly. “It seems we have a communication problem that needs rectifying immediately. I thought I had clarified my intentions for you to understand, but I mistakenly underestimated you. A mistake I will not be making again.” He enunciated his words slowly, clearly, and layered with anger. He lifted me into his arms and carried me back to my bedroom. I wasn't protesting because I knew he had plans for us, and I couldn't wait for him to unleash himself on me.

What he did next was not what I was expecting. We've played before, and every time was exciting and uninhibited. But I wanted more; no, I craved more of the wilder side of what sex could be and feel like with him. I wasn't wearing much clothing, so stripping me out of them wouldn't take much effort. I didn't see the restraints until I felt them around my wrists and ankles. I was tied literally to my bed at all four points of it. My heartbeat quickened, not knowing what Edric had planned. I closed my eyes, counting to ten, before I sent myself into a full-blown panic attack.

“Edric, what are you doing?” I rasped out. He ignored me, got naked, and then cut me out of my workout clothes with scissors I kept in my vanity drawer. I was as bare as he was with Edric in full Dom mode, and I was as submissive as possible. My restraints were tight but not biting into my skin. The rope was silky and smooth in shades of vibrant red.

“Now, my little runner, you will listen to me carefully because this will truly be the last time I explain the rules to you.”

“Rules? Again, with the rules?” I shouted.

“Oh, love, didn’t you remind me of the rules you invisibly put into place when we began? How foolish of me to forget so soon after our last phone call, another mistake that won’t happen again. Now, you need to behave and follow my direction becauseyou will not be able to see what I am doing.” He reached for what looked like a sleep mask. He covered my eyes, and he was right; I could see nothing. I was frustrated and fought against my restraints.

“Ellen, stop fighting against the restraints because you will not be able to get out of them until I free you, so listen and behave. If you do, I will remove the covering. What I will not tolerate is you defying me at every turn and putting yourself at risk. Whether you believe it or not, you are not exactly as safe as you believe you are, especially living out here so far away from town, and you have at least a couple of miles between neighbors. If something were to happen to you, no one would know or be able to get to you in time. Do you understand me so far? Nod, if you do.” I knew there would be no point in arguing, especially since I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I did what he asked, and then he continued.

“I haven't had the opportunity to inquire about why you have a sudden rise of violence surrounding your clinic and the influx of gunshot victims you are treating. It's unusual and makes me question the security that protects you. But I have feelers out and expect to have answers soon. So, back to you, why did you lead me to believe you left again?” He then removed the mask to look into my eyes while waiting for me to answer him. I wanted to scream and be defiant, but his eyes told a different story, and I knew I had to start talking.

“It's what I do, and up until meeting you and doing whatever this is between us, all I had was my work in my life, and it was enough. It's still enough on most days, and then you show up and tell me you love me. Do you not understand that I’ve never experienced whatever this is between us, and it feels like my life is in total upheaval? I needed to breathe for a minute because, around you, it's difficult. I also wanted to see what you would do if I ran out again.” I bit my lip at that part because I thought itwas funny. I watched him deeply inhale and let out a few breaths before leaning over my bound body.

“I love you, Ellen, and that's what this is. I know, as of late, I've given you zero reason to trust what I say is true, but if you give me a chance to prove it to you, you will know without a shadow of a doubt that I'm telling you the truth and I want you in my life, literally every part of it.” He unfastened the restraints and began massaging my shoulders and down my arms, and he slowly made his way down my legs, stopping right at my sex, where he flashed me a wicked smile and entered my folds, taking me over the edge of pleasure.

I shouted his name as I came and enjoyed the incredible highs Edric was giving me. He flipped me to my stomach and took me hard from behind, wrapping my long hair around his wrists as he rammed his cock into my body. He said between grunting breaths, “You run for a reason. You use your career as a shield. You put yourself in danger working at that damn clinic because maybe you have something to prove.”

He pulled my hair one more time and then, with his cock buried deep inside me, came hard, filling my insides with hot cum that began to slide down the insides of my thighs. He collapsed beside me and pulled me in to be closer to him, not caring what kind of mess we were. I wanted to get up and shower, but Edric had other ideas. He was still hard and had my ass pressed up against him. I was so wet, giving him easy access to slide back into me. His arms felt like vices around me as he pushed into me until I thought I would split wide open. Our legs were scissored together, and our skin was slicked in sweat. I couldn’t believe he could go again so quickly. Edric fucked like he was a machine.

I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold on. Then he whispered, “We all have secrets, little runner; I never believed otherwise. I may not know what yours are yet, but I will. Nowfucking come,” he commanded. I obeyed as he drove in the final thrusts, breaking me a bit more as I unequivocally became his. I’m not sure what happened after that because I was beyond exhausted after our last round of hard fucking because that’s what it was. Edric called it love, but am I ready to call it that? I’m not sure. I shifted a little and realized I was on top of clean sheets. How did he manage to change the linens without waking me? I swear this man is unbelievable in more ways than one. I was alone, but his side was still warm, and looking over to the clock told me I had been asleep for only a couple or so hours. I smelled food, making my stomach growl because I was starving.

Before going downstairs to face Edric, I found my phone on the nightstand and checked for messages. I only saw two, which was very weird, but then I remembered the system Kyle and I had set up long ago when we began our practice. When the other is off-duty, it means off the grid until we return to the clinic. There were no missed calls either; I double-checked before reading the first message, which was from Kyle.

Kyle: Everything is good here, and I don’t want you to worry about anything. You are long overdue for some time off, and I have you covered.The second text message made me laugh. It was from Sabina.

Sabina: I heard from a reliable source (Bourne) that Edric pulled the stick out of his ass and groveled at your feet. Have a great reunion with your man. You deserve to be happy. Remember that—please.

“You look happy; what’s on your mind?” I heard him say as I looked up to see Edric watching me from the doorway.

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