Free Beautifully Revealed by Bethany Bazile Page B

me she loves me. Last night I caved. I couldn’t sleep and thoughts of her were too overwhelming. Maybe it was a sign that she wasn’t at the hotel I went to, that I should maintain the space between us, but as I watch her get off the elevator I decide to meet her at the door. It slides open just as she appears in front of it. She shouldn’t look so good when I’m so miserable without her. The vest she’s wearing over her shirt is too tight, the button near her bust line is near bursting off, and that skirt…
    If I get my way I’ll have that skirt wrapped around her waist in less than five minutes. I reach out and pull her in , her soft curves crashing into my chest. She leans back and I get lost in her smoky gray eyes. It’s still there, the invisible force that pulls at my heart and soul at the sight of her. When our lips touch I savor the moment, hoping to express my feeling with a simple kiss. But as usual, a tender kiss ignites a fire in us that has us tearing at each other’s clothes. Her soft hand skims across my abs and creeps into my pants, her fingers feel like silk against my rock hard erection.
    “I came to see you last night,” I confess. “They said you weren’t staying there. Where are you staying?”
    Her body tenses up and her eyes are immediately alarmed and fearful. She snaps out of it quickly though, ignoring my question, and trying to distract me with her kisses. I hold her off and force her to look at me.
    “Where are you staying, Ella?”
    “With Rich,” she answers, and just like that my hard-on is forgotten and my anger threatens to erupt.
    “You’re staying with Harris?” I begin to fix my clothes. My moment of weakness is over. I missed her so much I was ready to forgive her, bury myself deep inside her, and let her wrap me in her love.
    “I’m not going to go through my friendship with Rich with you again. I needed a friend and Rich is helping chase away the loneliness.”
    “I’m sure he is,” I say annoyed with her excuses.
    “You don’t trust me and I don’t know how to fix that.”
    “How the fuck am I supposed to trust you,” I surprise myself by my angry tone. “You never let me in, I’m constantly learning things you should have revealed months ago, and you have a bevy of men at your beck and call.” I’m done with this shit or at least I wish I could be. What is it with this woman that makes me willing to go hell and back for her? She’s standing there staring at me, but I really need her to leave before I cave in.
    “I have work to do,” I say, hoping she’ll take the clue and leave.
    I’m being a fucking juvenile , but I don’t care. I watch Ella’s retreating frame and bite back the urge to ask her to stay. Losing my mother has me more scared than ever to love again. Before Ella, I was cold and unfeeling. Maybe my heart was even frozen, but frozen hearts don’t bleed the way mine does now.
    All this emotional bullshit isn’t for me, if I was capable of letting her go I would do it in a heartbeat, but even the thought of an existence without Ella terrifies me. My co ndo is unusually quiet and I dread going home every day after work.
    The intercom buzzes and Stephanie announces, “Mr. Maddox, Arianna is here to see you.”
    I should send her away, but surprisingly I tell her to let her in. Moments later she struts through my door in a red dress that’s clinging to her body like a second skin. She’s definitely here to stir up trouble and her seductive smile further confirms it. Instead of sitting across from me, she walks behind my desk, and sits next to me on the edge of the desk.
    I watch cautiously for her next move. She leans over and kisses my cheek. “Hey,” she says.
    “What do you want , Arianna?”
    She sighs and runs her hand over her thighs causing her dress to inch up. I almost roll my eyes at her obvious attempt to seduce me.
    “I left a couple things at the condo and I was wondering when I can come over and pick them