Page 33 of Suddenly Desired (APEX Billionaires’ Club #2)

ELLIE

Ellie lay in the same bed she’d slept in when she was fifteen, staring at the faded pop band posters on the wall.

She was back in a world that felt impossibly familiar and yet distant, a place she hadn’t thought about enough lately.

The room smelled faintly of sweets and old books, a comforting blend that wrapped around her like a warm hug.

She felt more at peace than she had in years and she vowed to come back more often.

It wasn’t that far away, really, even if she didn’t travel by private jet.

Blake had been given the guest room next door.

It had been her parents’ room at one point, before her mum had moved down to the annex at the back of the house so she could be nearer the livestock.

They’d exchanged goodnights at the top of the stairs, standing awkwardly close in the dim hallway.

Neither of them had made a move to leave, lingering in the charged silence that said everything they didn’t.

When she’d finally stepped into her room, she’d glanced back to find him watching her, something unreadable and magnetic in his expression.

It was as if neither of them had wanted to break the moment, but neither had dared to cross the invisible line.

Now, stretched out on the slightly-too-small bed, Ellie couldn’t stop replaying it all. Her body felt too awake, too aware, every nerve charged as though he were still nearby. She shifted against the sheets, but it didn’t help. The ache he stirred in her refused to be ignored.

The muffled sound of water running from the bathroom across the hall only made it worse.

Her mind betrayed her, painting vivid pictures she had no right to imagine: the steam curling around his sharp jawline, droplets trailing over the hard lines of his chest, his hands pushing back his damp hair.

And then there was the way he’d felt in her hands — hard, thick, so hot it burned her skin.

She could still see the hunger in his eyes and the tension in his jaw as he’d sworn through gritted teeth.

Heat flowed urgently through her, making her press her thighs together as if that would somehow contain the longing that was surging there.

She’d felt desire before — at least, she thought she had.

But Blake had rewritten that definition.

This was on another level entirely. Her skin seemed to hum at the memory of his hands on her, the way his tongue had circled as his fingers had explored her.

Every inch of her ached to feel him closer again.

Ellie sat up abruptly, her pulse thrumming in her ears.

This wasn’t her. She wasn’t the type to lose herself like this, to let her thoughts spiral out of control.

She’d always been cautious, measured, even in her past relationships.

But Blake had torn through those defences with a single look, with the way he made her feel like she was the only person in the room, the only person who mattered.

She pressed her hands to her face, the coolness grounding her for a moment.

Was she really falling for him? The thought sent a wave of panic rushing through her, but it was followed by something even more unsettling: a flicker of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t as crazy as it seemed. Maybe it could work.

Ellie lifted her pillow and scrunched it over her face, yelling her frustrations into the duck feathers.

It did little to satisfy her longing, but her chest felt less constricted.

Her glasses ached on her face so she took them off, placing them on the bedside table.

She was wearing a pair of floral pyjamas that her mum had kept for her.

They were a little tight now, and smelled almost pleasantly musty, but they were still comfortable.

Something bleeped from inside her bag and she walked across the room to fish out her phone.

Reception up here was sketchy at best and a voicemail from Josh had just come through, even though the time stamp told her it had been left nearly two hours ago.

Her face wrinkled in disgust. What did he want?

It would be a desperate plea to win her back, probably by insulting her in some way.

That’s what he had always done, tried to make her feel so insecure that she’d fall back into his arms.

But what if he’d messaged to tell her their flat had burned down or something like that?

It was just a message, it wasn’t like she had to speak to him.

She dialled her voicemail, straining through the static to hear Josh’s whiny voice.

The signal kept coming and going, so she could only make out a handful of words.

“. . . think you could just leave me . . . not fair . . . you’ll wish you hadn’t . . .”

Typical. He sounded so pathetic. Once upon a time she’d thought he was a strong guy, but he was a weakling in body and soul. He was a child. His words faded out and Ellie paced the room, opening the door to try to find a better signal.

“. . . didn’t think I knew but now you’ll see,” Josh went on as she walked out into the corridor. “. . . make something of myself, so you come crawling back . . .”

He faded out again and she checked the phone as she walked, tapping the screen.

“You stupid—” she started, then she collided with something big and the phone spilled from her hands. “Oh!” she said. “I’m so . . .”

Blake stood in front of her, completely naked apart from the incredibly small towel around his waist.

“Oh!” Ellie said again, feeling her eyes wander without permission.

She’d seen him like this before, yes. But freshly showered was a whole new level of torture.

Her body reacted instantly, heat blooming low in her stomach.

The memory of his mouth on her hit like a sucker punch, and the trail of water running languorously from his chest down to the deep V of his hips was not helping.

“We really should stop meeting like this,” Blake said, a wicked glint in his eye.

Ellie froze, her pulse pounding in her ears as her eyes locked on Blake’s. Her breath hitched, and suddenly, the corridor seemed much smaller, the air charged with something electric and undeniable.

“I . . . Uh . . .” she stammered, her mouth dry as he stepped closer, his towering frame filling her vision. She could barely think, barely breathe, as the fire in his gaze pinned her to the spot.

“Ellie,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, sending shivers down her spine. “I told myself to behave while I was here as a guest.”

“And how’s that going?” she whispered, though she already knew the answer.

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “Fucking terribly.”

Before she could respond, before her brain could catch up with her body, Blake closed the distance between them.

His hands came to her waist, firm and possessive, and then he was lifting her as if she weighed nothing at all.

Instinctively, her legs wrapped around his torso, her arms looping around his neck to steady herself.

The towel around him slipped slightly, teasing her with the idea that it could fall at any second.

“Blake . . .” she started, but her protest dissolved into a gasp as his lips found hers.

The kiss was a storm, fierce and consuming, his mouth moving against hers with an urgency that stole her breath.

Her fingers tangled in his damp hair, her body arching into his as his hands slid lower, gripping her thighs and holding her against him.

Every inch of her was pressed to him, and she could feel the strength of him beneath the towel, his sheer physical power making her head spin.

“Tell me to stop,” he murmured against her lips, his voice strained, as if he was fighting to hold himself back.

“Don’t you dare,” she replied, her own voice certain.

That was all it took. Blake turned, carrying her the short distance to her room. The door was already ajar, and he nudged it open with his foot before stepping inside. The light from the hallway cast a soft glow over the bed, and he crossed the room in two strides, his lips never leaving hers.

Ellie barely registered the world around her until she heard the door click shut behind them and her back hit the mattress.

She let out a soft gasp as Blake hovered over her, his strong arms braced on either side of her body.

His towel had loosened further, barely clinging to his hips, and the sight of him above her stole the last remnants of her breath.

His gaze roamed over her, hot and keen, and she felt the weight of it everywhere. She reached up, her fingers brushing against the hard lines of his chest, tracing the curve of his muscles. His skin was warm and smooth, and the feel of him beneath her hands sent a wave of fire through her.

“Ellie,” he said, her name like a prayer on his lips. He leaned down, his mouth finding the curve of her neck, his teeth grazing her skin just enough to make her shiver.

She arched beneath him, her hands moving to his waist. His breath was hot against her collarbone as he kissed her skin through the fabric of her pyjamas, the weight of him pressing her into the mattress. Every nerve in her body was alive, her skin burning everywhere he touched.

“Blake,” she whispered, her voice trembling with both need and disbelief. She’d never felt anything like this before, this complete and total surrender to someone else, this overwhelming desire to be consumed by him.

His lips found hers again, and she felt him smile against her mouth, a low growl rumbling in his chest as if he could sense just how much she wanted him.

“Tell me if I need to stop,” he murmured again, his hand sliding to the hem of her shirt.

“Don’t stop.” She tugged at the edges of his towel. “Don’t ever stop.”