C H A P T E R 2 5 : T E S T O S T E R O N E S
E L L A S T A N F O R D
Ella was not sure what had possessed her but she responded to every kiss, every touch, and her body burned with hot, tingling desire. A power boat was speeding towards them from the misty reaches of the sea instantly awoke her from the trance in which his lovemaking had held her. Her eyes flew open and she gave a low shivering cry. Javier lifted his head, silently taking in her horrified, shamed expression, then a wry smile flickered over his face.
Without a word he flung himself over on to his back, breathing hard, staring up at the halcyon blue of the sky that had almost the same color as his eyes. Sick, humiliated, burning with self-contempt, Ella sat up and dived into the sea. Without thinking she swam back towards the beach. The last few moments had been a revelation to her. She
C H A P T E R 2 6 : K I S S A N D M O A N E L L A S T A N F O R D Ella felt her body grew tensed the second she had heard his voice and Roberto must have felt it too as he let go of her hair and gave Javier a nod. “I was just chatting with your beautiful secretary,” he said. “How was your flight here?” She turned around and caught the stony look on her boss’s face. His eyes lingered on her for several seconds before they moved to Roberto’s as he replied, “It was fine.” “I am guessing it was or else your brother will probaby hear your complaints as soon as the plane lands or perhaps even before.” Roberto chuckled. Javier gave what might seem as a polite smile but Ella noticed the icy look on his blue eyes. He did not think that joke was funny. “Holden always makes sure the service for all of his customers are great and up to standards.”
C H A P T E R 2 7 : B R E A T H L E S S E L L A S T A N F O R D Ella closed her door, searched through her purse to make sure she had her key, trying to stop the aching in the pit of her stomach as Javier took her arm and she felt the power of those strong fingers around her. They were walking in silence and after she could make sure that her heartbeat was steady and she was no longer out of breath, Ella pointed it out again, “You said you brought me to Sicily to help you persuade him to join us.” Close to her ear, Javier said softly, “I want to sign him up, not strangle him, love.” She felt a confused sensation of excitement and alarm, her ears drumming. Somehow she walked along the corridor beside him to the lift, trying to force her breathing to slow. In the lift she stood a foot away from him, her eyes lowered. They walked through the foyer to the car park in silence. J
C H A P T E R 2 8 : H I S J E A L O U S Y E L L A S T A N F O R D Giving him a little smile, she discreetly moved his hand back to his lap. “None, unfortunately. I do not have any.” “No way, I do not believe that.” He narrowed his eyes, giving it a thought, then his lips formed a mischiveous smile. “How about modeling? Could you strike a pose?” “Not really though,” Ella giggled as she suddenly remembered what Damon had always made her do whenever they had done shopping. “My friend, Damon, he always asks me to try out the clothes we bought and pose.” “Then I am sure he sees your talent there.” His green eyes danced. “Are you free tomorrow?” Ella glanced at Javier for one split second before answering, “I am sorry but my schedule depends on my boss.” “Would you come over and pose for me
C H A P T E R 2 9 : W H E N T H E I R R E S I S T I B L E H A P P E N S E L L A S T A N F O R D “You have no idea how I have been waiting all evening for this.” They kissed desperately, her arms closing around the back of his head to pull him nearer. Her half-naked body was trembling in his arms. It had been so long, the kisses were a hot rush across her flesh, an overload to her senses that woke up all those lonely places inside her that she had ignored for god knows how long. He touched his tongue to the seam of her lips, and her chest got tight and achy and her knees threatened to buckle. She raised her hands to his shoulders to keep from falling and tilted her head to the side. Her lips parted, and the slick touch and warm glide of his tongue was like dropping a lit match on a pool of gasoline and she went up in flames. She wanted to burn and make him burn along with her. He tasted like beer and liquid sex and she wanted to eat him up. A low moan escaped her chest, her brea
C H A P T E R 3 0 : H I S P R I N C I P L E E L L A S T A N F O R D “I want you, Ella. Damn.” She heard the hoarse sound he made. He pulled her head back and lowered his own, their mouths clinging, filled with a driving physical need that beat through her veins like fire, turning her body into helpless fluidity. Javier held her body between his roving hands and she made no effort to stop him, shuddering with pleasure under the kiss which seemed to last endlessly, as though in itself it were an act of possession. And that was when she realized in the distant recess of her mind that she was in love with him. That she had always been. She had always been more aware of his presence in a room than she had dared admit. He had gradually filled every corner of her heart without her either being able to stop it or admit it. Her driving need to give herself to him, to throw away years of firm principle, was the ultimate expression of a love which, like an unwanted weed, had thrived on
C H A P T E R 3 1 : H E R F I R S T M E E T I N G E L L A S T A N F O R D The correct word to decribe it was ‘strange’, Ella decided. It was strange to fall into a deep slumber when her mind was so disturbed, but her mental and physical exhaustion was such that she fell soon afterwards into bottomless sleep, her body curled on its side, one hand beneath her cheek, in the attitude of a weary child. Perhaps her mind was not completely asleep because she could feel him. She was not sure what the time was and whether she was imagining things or it was truly happening. But she felt his hand touching her face, caressing her cheek, and then she felt his lips on her forehead, giving her a light goodnight kiss someone would give a child. Ella wanted to open her eyes so badly to see whether it was merely a fickle of her imagination or if it was
C H A P T E R 3 2 : W A S T E D T I M E A N D A N E A R M I S S J A V I E R S U M M E R S After finishing his whiskey, Javier placed the empty crystal glass on the counter and walked towards the balcony. He spent a few hours sitting on the balcony, watching the lights of the houses below and the moving waves far ahead. It was around midnight when he finally got back inside. He prompted himself as he passed the bathroom door. He wondered if she had fallen asleep and furthermore, he wondered if she was okay. Walking through the joint bathroom, he slowly opened her door and went inside her room. Everything looked exactly like how he had left it a few hours earlier. Carefully, without making any sound, he walked in further into the room. He found her on the bed, curling on its side with one hand beneath her cheek. She looked angelic but he knew she was tired. Today h
C H A P T E R 3 3 : H I S W A K E U P C A L L A N D W O R R I E S E L L A S T A N F O R D After her brief meeting with Joseph, she had picked up her book and beach towel and gone back to the hotel. Not surprisingly enough, there was no sign of Javier. Almost as soon as she laid her head on the pillow, she fell asleep. After what felt like a few hours later, she woke up and stretched her body. It seemed that the rest had swept away some of her tiredness. Fluttering her eyes opened, she saw him. Against the open french windows, his body taut, Javier was standing, staring at her. For a moment they looked at each other in silence. From complete relaxation Ella felt herself plunge into breathless awareness. His face was an expressionless mask. All traces of the desire, rage, and frustration he had shown last night were gone. “I was beginning t