Page 43 of No Rings Attached
Well, damnit. Now I was thinking of Ellie topless and how it would feel to run my hands all over her and lick her in the right places that would make her shudder beneath me, and to suck until she cried out my name.
Fuck.
Now wasnotthe time to be having these thoughts.
“I wish that was the only thing.” Martha twisted her hands together. “See … I, um, don’t have enough rooms to rent them.”
Ellie’s eyes grew wide. “What do you mean?”
“Ruby Night’s this weekend.” Glamma said as a means of an explanation.
Oh, shit.I had an idea now of where this was going.
“Ruby Night’s this weekend.” Ellie repeated.
“It’s in celebration of the day we were founded and our town legend,” Glamma responded.
“I’m not sure how easily I could share a room with my mom or sister, but I guess we could make it work until my dad got here too. What would that mean for the recording crew?” Ellie scrunched up her nose.
“About that … ” Martha looked at Glamma.
“Your mother and sister are taking your room. They said you didn’t need it anyway,” Glamma responded.
Ellie’s mouth dropped open. “What? Of course I need it. Where else would I sleep?”
The slight tilt of my grandmother’s lips was the only warning I had that she didn’t think the solution she was about to mention was all that bad.
“You’ll stay with Drew, of course. He just purchased a duplex with an extra bedroom.”
“Oh, no. No,” Ellie protested, her voice rising in pitch. “I can’t do that. I won’t impose on Drew any more than I have.”
“I don’t think you have a choice, honey,” Martha’s voice softened as she spoke.
“Your mother is insisting you stay with your boyfriend. Said she doesn’t know why you didn’t in the first place,” Glamma tilted her head, challenging us both as if it was an obvious and brilliant idea.
Ellie’s wild-eyed gaze fell on me. “She’s testing me. Well, us. Oh, God! She’s already doubting our relationship. I’m so not going to be able to pull this off! We still haven’t discussed ground rules or boyfriend/girlfriend things. And a camera crew will be here. Forget airing my sister’s wedding. When they all find out I’ve been lying, the whole world will be in on my humiliation!”
Shit.Ellie was having a panic attack!
My arms wrapped protectively around Ellie and pulled her tight to me, her back to my front. I whispered in her ear. “Relax. Breathe with me. Come on … in … out.”
This was not the time to tell her that I’d barely moved into my new place. That most of my furniture was coming at the end of the week and I had a mattress on the floor of my guestroom until the new bed arrived.
“I … can’t,” she wailed. If she kept pulling in ragged breaths she was going to hyperventilate.
“You can. Focus on my voice.” I pressed further into her, hoping the pressure of my body might help ground her. “It’s going to be okay. You’re not alone in this.”
She whimpered and my heart fucking broke.
There was no way in hell her family was going to screw with her on my watch.
“Breathe in,” I commanded sharply. The firm tone seemed to get through to her as she drew in a shuddery breath and let it out. “Again.” I demonstrated what I wanted her to do, waiting for her to follow my lead.
This time her breathing wasn’t as tight.
“One more time. In. Out.” It took a few tries before she could smoothly inhale and exhale.
Her wild heartbeat beneath my forearms slowed, and she leaned further into my embrace. “I don’t know what I did to deserve your support, but thank you,” she rasped.
