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CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

MORNING HOURS

RHODES

Now

“I came to see you in Denver once…that time after we fought, when you called me from the Uber.” I stroked her arm and she leaned her chin on my chest.

“You did? When? Why didn’t I see you?”

We were naked in my bed. It was about four in the morning and we’d had sex four times. Each time was the best thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.

“I felt so bad about the things I’d said…for the distance between us. So I booked a flight, arrived around 9 or so the next morning. Got to your place and realized you weren't there. I walked over to the bookstore because that’s what you’d said you’d be doing that day, and on my way there, I saw you with that guy.”

“What guy?”

I look at her to see if she's serious and she is.

“The guy that we argued about that night. He had been in your stories and hanging around in pictures before then. You were at a restaurant with him, sitting outside.”

“ Oh , Jeffrey,” she said. “That’s right. Well, what did you do? Why didn't you say something?”

“I saw him take your hand, and I just thought I better leave before I said or did something else I’d regret.”

“So you left without seeing me?” she says in shock. “I can't believe that.”

“I know. As soon as I did, I felt so stupid that I’d missed a chance to see you. I knew that even if you were with the guy, you'd still ditch everything and hang out with me.”

She swats my chest but laughs. “You're right. I would have. You must have not stuck around long enough to see him try to kiss me…and for me to pull away and tell him, no, I wasn't into him that way.”

I laughed. “Uh, yeah, I did miss that. Fuck.”

She grins up at me. “That was a hard weekend. I remember being so shaken by our…well, it wasn't really a fight, but it was kind of the closest we’d ever come to fighting at that point. I hated feeling so far fr om you.”

“I hated it too. Those years living away from you were not my best.”

We’re quiet, and I wonder if her thoughts are going to those years like mine are.

“Elle,” I whisper.

“Yeah?”

“I’m so glad you’re in my bed.”

She laughs against my chest. “I think I’m in shock.”

I turn to face her, my hand moving to her cheek. “A good kind of shock?”

Her fingers trace circles over my chest. “Can’t you tell by the way I’ve moaned your name at least ten different ways?”

We both crack up.

“I did think that was a really good sign,” I say through my laughter.

“I’ve always wondered what your come face was,” she says. “You did not disappoint.”

“Ugh. I don’t even want to know what it looks like.”

“It’s the best. You’re beautiful. You’re so in control all the time. You rule out there on the field and you…know what you’re doing in bed...”

My heart swells at her praise.

“But watching you lose control…and knowing that I played a part in it…it’s—” She shakes her head.

“It’s what?”

“It’s addicting. I’m already addicted to it,” she says, her laugh somewhat shy now.

“ Please be addicted to it,” I say, leaning in and kissing her neck. “Because you don’t just play a part in it, you are it.”

She pulls my head back and stares at me. “You keep saying things that are?— ”

“Say it,” I urge.

“I’m scared to.”

“Don’t be scared. It’s us, remember?”

She sits up and faces me, and I prop the pillows against the headboard and sit up too.

Her lips pucker as she studies me and then her shoulders relax and she shakes her head. “You know what? Let’s not talk about it tonight…or this morning.” She laughs. “It’s been the best night I’ve ever had, and we’re tired and on an orgasm high.”

She laughs again, and I reach out and weave my fingers through hers.

“I don’t want to do anything to mess this up,” she says.

“I know that feeling. I’ve been teetering back and forth on this high wire of not wanting to do anything to make you run.”

She scoots closer, and it’s impossible to not touch her soft skin now that I’ve experienced it.

“I’m never running from you, Rhodes. When I’ve withdrawn, ever, it’s only for self-preservation, not because…” Her voice trails off.

I wait, but she doesn’t finish. I trace barely-there patterns on her skin, wondering if she needs me to pour my heart out at her feet or to respect what she’s saying and not talk about it tonight.

I decide to respect what she’s saying.

“I will never hurt you, Elle.”

“That’s not something we can really promise each other.”

Our eyes are locked.

“Then I promise to never intentionally hurt you, and if I do, I will do whatever it takes to make it right. ”

“I can get behind that. I promise the same.”

I lift her and place her in front of me, straddling my legs. My dick has been hard just staring at her this whole time.

“Should we bring in the sunrise the right way and seal that promise?” I ask, planting soft kisses along her neck as I palm her perfect tits.

“Yes, please,” she breathes.

Never breaking eye contact, we fuck each other nice and slow, and once again, my mind is blown. I’ve imagined this happening a thousand different ways, but nothing could prepare me for how good we feel together.

As we drift off to sleep later, her head against my chest and leg over my hip, I feel like I finally have everything I’ve ever wanted.

“Daddy! Elle!” Levi’s voice is pure elation as he runs and dives between the two of us.

“What—” Elle mumbles, pushing her hair out of her face and blinking. “Oh!” She pulls the covers over her chest as Levi leans his forehead onto hers.

“Elle,” he says happily. “You sleep in Daddy’s bed?”

Elle’s eyes shoot to mine, mortified.

“He’s excited,” I tell her, groggy but laughing. “No one’s ever slept in Daddy’s bed but Daddy,” I say pointedly.

Her eyes widen and I nod.

“Besides Gigi and Pop Pop, you’re the only one who’s ever slept in this house.”

“Is this gonna be traumatizing?” she whispers before smiling at Levi .

He’s nestled next to her on top of the blankets and looks like he could snooze a few minutes longer. As I’m thinking that, he pops up and grins down at her again. Tricked me there for a second, no chance is he gonna fall back to sleep with Elle here.

“Not even a little traumatizing. You’re his favorite person and getting to see you first thing in the morning is the happiest thing he can imagine.” I reach over and grab the sweats that are draped on the chair nearby and slide them on. “My boy and I have that in common, don’t we, son?”

“Yep,” Levi says.

Once I’m up, I grab Elle a shirt and shorts and hand them to her. She smiles at me gratefully and puts them on under the covers.

I lean over and kiss her forehead. “We can let you get more sleep now.”

“No way.” She sits up and tries to calm her bedhead. I grin and mess it back up as she bats my hands away. “I’m up, and I want to see him as much as I can before we have to leave.”

God, I love her.

“Do we have time for pancakes?” I ask, knowing we do or there’s no way I would’ve said that word out loud in front of my pancake-loving son.

“Pancakes!” Levi cries.

“All right, let’s have some pancakes!” I high-five him and he and Elle bounce on the bed before getting up.

It’s like any other breakfast we’ve ever had together and yet completely different. Elle and Levi crack up about the shape of their pancakes. Elle thinks hers looks like a clown once she’s added the strawberries and whipped cream. Levi thinks his looks like a booty. It doesn’t, but it makes us all laugh anyway. But between laughing and eating and playing with Levi, Elle shoots me these looks that are shy and sexy, looks that remind me of everything we did last night.

It’s everything.