Page 12

ELLA

M ack kissed me.

Ella lay on her bed later that afternoon, after a restless sleep, and her body tingled all over while recalling what happened between her and Mack.

He’d kissed her.

Not just kissed her! He’d lifted her into his arms, and she’d felt his manhood pressed into the space between her legs, which ached for him.

Then, as if he wasn’t affected, told her it would never happen again. Just turned off and went cold.

Another rejection.

At least, that was consistent.

Since arriving in Maine, everything about him seemed different. And yet the same.

He desired her, she’d felt it. And not just in the way that vampires did because they were horny. This was more. A hunger on a scale she’d never experienced.

Ella had been breathless and seen the desire on his face. Felt his hard cock. It wasn’t one-sided.

Right?

The way he’d held her like she belonged in his arms, like he was as desperate to taste her as she needed him to. When Mack had picked her up and their bodies had connected, she would’ve done anything for her clothes to incinerate.

To have his hard cock slip inside her.

To be connected as only a male and female could. Having him deep inside her, dominating and filling her body.

A moan escaped her as her hips lifted off the bed.

“Mack.” Ella slid her hand along her thin, short cotton nightie, and her legs fell open. “Hmm, God.”

The weight of his large warrior body crushing her would feel impossibly sexy. His hand lifting her head as his mouth claimed her harshly.

Her fingers slipped through her wet folds and inside her core, wishing it were Mack’s fingers. Or his cock. She didn’t care. God imagine if he crouched between her thighs and licked her?

Ella knew she’d die from pleasure.

As an orgasm crashed through her, she let it fade away as she stared up at the ceiling once more.

None of that had happened. Instead, Mack had stopped them and declared it would never happen again.

Ella had been furious.

She’d returned to the bar to get her handbag, and Madison and Anna were there with Kurt and Ben.

“I was coming to find you.” Madison held up her bag.

“Thank you.” Ella sat down on the spare stool and let out a sigh.

“Where’s Mack?” Ben frowned.

“In hell for all I care,” she’d muttered.

It had taken her almost thirty minutes to find her way back to the bar. Going in circles and getting lost twice. While she had wanted him to leave her alone, it surprised her that Mack didn’t follow.

More proof he wasn’t her mate.

A mate would never let his female walk away like that.

“Oh, boy. Sounds like girl talk time to me. I have to get back to work.” Kurt kissed Madison. “Make sure Ella is taken care of, Ben.”

“I’ve got training with Elijah and Jason in five.” Ben had said.

“I’ll drive her home. Keys.” Madison held her hand out to Kurt, who stared at her like she’d told him to eat a dick.

Ben chuckled silently.

“Babe.”

“Keys.”

Kurt sighed, glanced at Ella, and then tugged them out of his pocket, slapping them into Madison’s palm.

“No joy riding. Stick to the speed limit. Seatbelts on.”

“Okay, Dad.” Madison kissed him.

“You can call me daddy when you get home.” He tugged the female hard up against him and kissed her harshly, both of them moaning.

“Get a room.” Anna winked at her.

After Ben and Kurt had left, Madison climbed off her stool and shook the keys. “Let’s go girls. We have some miles to do.”

“We have to take some guards with us,” Anna reminded her.

“Ugh, so annoying,” Madison replied.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Anna shrugged, and Madison stopped and rubbed her shoulder.

There was a story there, Ella was sure of it. But she didn’t know them well enough to ask. So, she followed them down to the garage where the two guards met them.

“Just follow us,” Madison said and beeped the alarm.

“Wow.” Ella took in the latest Telsa Model S. Its sleek black lines and shiny wheels glistened even among the other luxury vehicles and bikes around them.

There were a lot.

“Shotgun!” Anna called out.

“Let her sit in the front, meanie.” Madison laughed.

“Fine.”

Ella felt her mood shift, despite being upset with Mack. She climbed in and let her body sink into the vegan leather seats, and the engine roared to life.

The girls let out a woop and she couldn’t fight her grin.

Madison pressed on the gas and steered them out of the castle garage and along the driveway, the guards following. That’s when Ella spotted Mack with an extremely large vampire out on the lawn.

Oh God, he had looked so damn sexy.

His eyes locked on hers as they drove past.

Madison and Anna had their arms out the windows. “See ya later, gators!”

He looked pissed.

But so was she. Her head turned to keep him in her sight and when he stood, wearing only a pair of black shorts, her body vibrated with desire. Mack looked every bit like the powerful Moretti vampire warrior he now was.

He had changed.

She hadn’t.

“That vampire wants to eat you.” Anna giggled.

“Apparently he doesn’t,” she muttered and glanced forward as the castle gates opened.

“I think you should take the queen up on her offer,” Madison said when Ella climbed out of the Tesla at her new home.

“Mack rented this house for me,” Ella replied. “I don’t want to be ungrateful.”

“Are you dating? I’m confused.” Anna asked, slipping into the passenger seat.

No.

He didn’t want her.

“It’s complicated. I’ve known him since we were kids.” She touched her lips, feeling his kiss still. “He’s just trying to protect me. I suppose he doesn’t want me right in his face.”

The two girls exchanged a look, and Ella hated that she sounded so pathetic. Then they asked for her mobile number and promised to be in touch.

Ella rolled onto her side and propped her head under her, staring around her new bedroom. The house was nice, and she couldn’t complain.

She even had an office that she’d dropped her laptop into after landing yesterday. Now she could set it up and run her business from there.

Today she had a lot of work to do.

Ella reached for her phone and sent her mom a message to say she was safe, had seen Mack, and promised to call soon.

Then she hit the shower.

If Mack was going to pretend that he didn’t desire her, still, then she had to carry on with her life. God knows she was well practiced at it.

A FEW HOURS later, after doing a bit of work and when the sun had sunk down into the horizon, Ella got changed, pulled on a jacket, and headed out for a walk.

She wanted to get to know her new neighborhood. Who knew how long she would be living there or how the world would look in a few days, weeks, or months?

The house Mack had rented was a short walk from the main stores in Portland, so she soon was walking past a few restaurants and bars which were bustling.

Ella kept walking and discovered some clothing stores she promised herself she’d come back to when they were open. Maybe there was a mall she could find. She loved shopping.

Her phone buzzed, the vibration in her pocket nudging her to read it, but she knew who it was without looking. Like a sixth sense.

Mack.

Nope. She wasn’t interested in talking to him right now.

Her cheeks flamed as a mix of anger and embarrassment filled her. She’d begged him when he’d pushed her away.

Don’t stop.

This can’t happen again.

Are you mated?

Why else would he stop in the middle of such passion? Passion they both had denied for far too long. Passion she could feel with every part of her being.

No. I have a job to do, Ella. I need to get back to work.

You...I’m sorry...you need to get back to work. After that kiss?

Right there in the street, she let out a scoff, stomping her feet harder as she strode through the streets.

Who did that? Who stopped what was the most intense kiss of their life because they had to go to dumb work?

Fine, yes, it was important work for the king and the race, but Mack had shown no remorse. Instead of saying let’s pick this up later , or I’ve wanted you all my life , he’d prioritized his job and told her it would never happen again.

“Ugh.” Ella muttered as she wrapped her cream jacket around herself.

Total excuse.

She had clearly misread the lust. It hadn’t meant the same thing to him as it did to her.

But...the way his mouth took complete ownership of hers, his large hand on the back of her neck, it was so dominant and possessive. His hard length pulsing against her as she trembled, wanting more.

Expecting more.

Mack had peered deep into her soul while her heart pounded, telling her she was no longer face-to-face with the boy she’d grown up with, but a strong, wild male.

And there was something animalistic about the way he handled her.

She’d liked it.

“All my imagination.”

Stomp, stomp, stomp.

When the phone rang, she tugged it out of her pocket, pulled herself together and forced herself to sound normal.

“Hi, hey.” God, she was terrible at this.

“Where are you?” Mack asked. “I’m outside the house.”

Oh really? Was he? As if she’d just be home sitting around waiting for him.

Ella wasn’t going to let him think that.

“I’m on a date.” She lied, pressing her fingers to her eyelids and cringing.

Mack didn’t reply.

“Hello.” Ella looked around and spotted a bar, so headed in that direction. If you were going to tell little white lies, it helped to cover your tracks.

“On a date with whom?” Mack’s voice was rough.

She let out a laugh. “Um, why?”

Her brows lifted when she thought she heard a growl through the phone. Stepping into the bar, the loud music filled the air.

“You caught me in the restroom; I have to go.”

“Ella!” Mack yelled.

She stopped, taking in the busy establishment, and caught a table with three handsome looking human men checking her out.

Smiling, blushing, she glanced away.

“What?” she asked Mack, sounding annoyed. She was. This male had rejected her too many times, and she’d almost had enough.

Almost.