The Artist's Touch (The Gentlemen's Guild Book 1) Page 28

  “Like I’ve never slept before,” she replied, biting her lip at the truth of her words. “How about you? I didn’t steal the covers off of you, did I?”

  “You might have, but I enjoyed coming to reclaim them,” he teased. “No, you really didn’t, I just took advantage of your gorgeous, naked body in my bed because I couldn’t help myself.” As he spoke the words, Ellie felt the arm resting over her side move, his hand sliding up to cup the weight of her breast as he gently flexed his hips into her ass, letting her feel the hardness of his morning erection.

  “Mmm,” she moaned, “I like when you can’t help yourself.” Emphasizing her words, and the thoughts behind them by suggestively flexing back into his erection, taunting its fiery firmness.

  “Christ, Ellie,” he groaned, pushing harder against her. “You’re a fucking siren, you know that?” He asked as his fingers tweaked her nipple, causing her to gasp loudly as pleasure speared through her. “You’re irresistible and unpredictable; it’s proving to be a deadly combination for me.” His words continued softly as his hand moved down to her sore and swollen folds that were wet and waiting for him.

  Ellie heard him groan loudly as his fingers delved between them, feeling the slickness between her thighs. She bit her lip trying to cage her moan from escaping as his fingers found her clit, toying with the soft bud. Her eyes closed as she succumbed to the warm electricity that he sparked throughout her body.

  She succumbed to the dissociative draw of desire, pulling her away from everything about her external reality, focusing every cell in her body on this moment with Tristan and everything that he made her feel.

  Her body took on a mind of its own, arching against him and his expert fingers, the pressure building inside her once again, begging for a splintering release. “Tristan,” she moaned as his fingers left her, her body vibrating with need. She felt him raise her leg back and over his, opening a space between her thighs for him to fit in. Second later she felt the blunt head of his erection pressing firmly into her, immediately sliding all the way inside.

  “Holy fuck.” She heard him swear from behind her before his hips began to flex, moving in and out of her. The friction of his cock inside of her continued where his fingers had left off, raising her higher and higher. His thrusts became more frantic, his hand coming to splay across the soft skin of her stomach, holding her in place while he plunged forcefully inside of her.

  Her breath was stuck inside of her, she was so close to release, every fiber of her being was taut and focused on one goal: internal combustion. “Come with me, gorgeous,” she barely heard him rasp as his fingers probed her folds, swirling her clit, causing her to explode as he pushed inside her one last time with a yell.

  Her hips jerked involuntarily with the force of her orgasm, her muscles clenching around him as she felt the warm of his release inside of her.

  He held her as his hips slowly rode out the waves of their orgasms. The need to breath finally returned, her lungs sucking in air that they hadn’t required a minute ago. She felt him lightly kiss her shoulder, the gentle touch magnifying the goosebumps coating her skin.

  “Exquisite,” he whispered against her skin and she smiled – a more perfect moment she could never have dreamed. Then her stomach grumbled, bringing them both back down to the reality of the morning. “I see that I’ve worked you to the point of starvation,” he joked.

  “Again, a manner of death that I would willing take,” she said with a sigh, “but, I could also take a chocolate chip muffin if you’ve got any of those lying around.” They both laughed together, his turning into a small groan as her laugh contracted her passage around him.

  “Well, I’d like to keep you around, so as much as I want to just lay here and make you come all day, I guess I’ll go make us some food,” he grunted, sliding his semi-hard erection out of her, the loss of him making her sigh. “I’m not feeding you just a muffin though this morning; this morning you deserve a full breakfast-buffet.” He winked at her as he stood up off the bed, grinning wickedly at her when he caught her staring at his impressive lower half.

  Her stomach grumbled again. “Yes, food…definitely food,” she agreed, turning away from him so that he wouldn’t see the blush spreading over her face.

  “You’re welcome to shower or whatever while I make food,” he offered, as she heard him shuffling around getting dressed.

  She sat up on the edge of the bed, pulling the sheet to cover herself. He chuckled at her pointless gesture as he walked out of the room toward the kitchen.

  Shower. Yes, definitely.

  Ellie stood and quickly darted into the bathroom, not quite sure she believed that no one could see in through the windows now that the day had dawned. She turned the shower on hot, a brief moment of déja vu coming over her as she remembered the last time she stood there waiting for the water to warm, what she had seen, and smiled to herself; this time, finally, she’d been the recipient of his release, and not the cold shower wall.

  She was irresistible, she was responsible for his pleasure – and it was the most gratifying feeling in the world.

  As much as she wanted to stay and enjoy the steaming water coursing over her body, she wanted to enjoy Tristan’s company more. Quickly washing herself, she stepped out of the shower, toweling herself dry. There was no hair dryer in sight, so she did the best she could with the towel, attempting a chic ‘freshly-washed’ look that was only marginally successful. Wrapping herself in the towel, she walked back into the bedroom to pick up her underwear and dress that were piled on the floor, her bra nowhere in sight. She took her clothes back into the bathroom to change, going braless for the time being.

  Probably not the worst idea; her breasts were still swollen and sore.

  Other than the fact that her nipples were clearly visible through the fabric of the dress, she deemed herself presentable, following the pungent smell of coffee out into the kitchen, where Tristan was just finishing arranging a plate of food for her.

  “Good morning, siren,” he drawled, a lazy and appreciative smiling spreading over his face as he took her in; his eyes darkened when they noticed her nipples hardened through the dress. “I take it you couldn’t find your bra.” He laughed as she shrugged her shoulders in response. “Don’t worry, I’m not complaining. In fact, I might have hidden it on purpose.”

  “Did you really?” she asked. It was completely believable to her that he had.

  He winked at her in response before pushing the plate on the island counter towards her. “Eat,” he instructed.

  She took a seat at one of the counter stools, assessing what was on the plate. Scrambled eggs with vegetables mixed in, toast, and some fresh melon on the side.

  “Thank you,” she said, taking a giant bite of the eggs, her eyes closing as their delicious flavor overwhelmed her mouth. “This is delicious, Tristan. I didn’t know you could cook so well.”

  “Only certain things,” he laughed, taking another bite off of his plate. “Plus, I prefer to eat, not cook.” His eyes darted to hers for a split second, making sure that she knew there was a double meaning to the words he was saying.

  Ellie was grateful her mouth was full of another bite of eggs when he said those words so that she didn’t have to respond; her blush was response enough it seemed.

  “So, what are you plans for the rest of the day?” Tristan asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

  “I’m not…I don’t know,” she stuttered in response, forgetting that this wasn’t reality; that even though last night had been magical, reality had risen with the dawn this morning and she would have to face it at some point today. “I have a couple of personal things to take care of, and then usually my dad and I do dinner on Sunday nights, but I haven’t heard from him so I’m not sure yet. Well, actually, I don’t know if I’ve heard from him; I’m not entirely sure where my phone is at the moment.” Her nervous laugh stopped her rambling.

  She didn’t want Tristan to feel obligated to spend the day with her s
ince they’d just slept together. What she said was entirely true, but she may have overplayed the importance of dinner with her dad.

  She didn’t want him to think she was as needy as she wanted to be.

  Ellie watched a shadow cross his face at the mention of her dad before he replied, “I guess at some point I’ll have to share you with the world.” At his words, a giant smile bloomed over her face, hearing that he wasn’t trying to get rid of her. “Just because I will, doesn’t mean that I have to like it though,” he clarified, causing her smile to brighten even further.

  She didn’t know what to say, so she took the last bite of her breakfast, standing to take her plate over to the sink. He stopped her though, reaching out his hand to take the dish from her.

  “Thank you.”

  While he rinsed their dishes in the sink before placing them in the dishwasher, Ellie found herself drawn to the windows of the apartment again. She stared at the breathtaking view of the growing sunlight painting the tops of the Manhattan skyscrapers. Suddenly, she felt Tristan behind her, his hand snaking around her stomach to pull her back against him. She looked over her shoulder and he captured her lips, tenderly kissing her as the sun gradually set them alight.

  “I’m going to go shower and change,” he whispered as she slowly opened her eyes to be ensnared by his. “Don’t go anywhere.” She nodded slightly in acquiescence as he moved away from her heading back into his bedroom and the bathroom beyond.

  She stood for another moment, looking out the glass, before she thought she heard a soft buzzing.

  Crap!

  She needed to check her phone. Dr. Sion was supposed to have called her or be calling her and she was sure her dad was freaking out after not hearing from her, knowing that she had an appointment last night. She’d forgotten to text him and let him know that she hadn’t been able to see the doctor.

  Double crap. Where was her purse?!

  Her bare feet frantically padded around the dining room table, trying to remember where she dropped it last night when they had come in; the memory a complete blur except for what had happened between her and Tristan.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  Ellie stopped in her tracks at the ominous pounding on the door.

  What should she do?

  She could clearly hear the shower running in the bathroom which meant that there was no way Tristan had heard the door or that he was coming to answer it.

  Stop being ridiculous and answer the door.

  Swallowing the nervous lump in her throat, she cautiously made her way to the front door, grabbing her purse from the entryway table and throwing on her shoes as she passed by, preparing to look respectable for whomever was at the door.

  She closed one eye to look through the peephole. Her head jerked back at the sight of the human on the other side. She couldn’t keep him waiting out there any longer though. Unlocking the deadbolt, she opened the door hesitantly, partially shielding herself with its wooden mass as she peered around the edge at the darkly handsome, yet dangerously striking features of the man on the other side.

  “Hello, Ellie,” the words slipped out of his mouth like molasses as a syrupy, perilous smile crept over his face.

  “Hello,” she paused, her eyes narrowing. “Do I know you? Have we met before?” He didn’t look familiar, and even though he knew her name, she didn’t like how he was looking at her. His black eyes oozed down her, taking in every inch of her that was revealed,

  “Oh, not exactly,” the man replied, placing his hand on the door to push it open further to allow him to enter the apartment. Pausing in front of her face, he continued, “I’m Pierce and I’m sure you’ve heard about me.”

  Her eyes widened, at both the recognition of his name and lack of personal space that he gave her. His closeness gave her a clear view of the giant scar running down the side of his face and disappearing into his shirt; she grimaced at the thought of what or who could have done that. His proximity also let her see the faint hint of purple-green spots around his one eye – the remnants of where Tristan had punched him. She took a step back, trying to put some semblance of distance between them.

  He was the one Tristan was afraid of, the one I’m never supposed to meet.

  Ellie watched as Pierce’s smile grew at her retreat, relishing in her uncomfortableness for a few seconds before he continued into the apartment like he owned the place. Tristan was right about everything he had told her about this man, everything except one small detail; he was dangerous, but he was dangerous because he was hurting.

  She knew; she’d been there.

  “So, where is my dear friend, Tristan?” Pierce asked, turning to stare her down with his pitch-black eyes. Just as she was about to answer, he held up his finger, “In the shower, it seems.” Now that the door had closed, he could see her entire body, that was thankfully decently clothed. “I’m sure he must have needed it,” he continued, raising an eyebrow and smirking at her.

  It took Ellie just a half-second too long to realize that he too could see her nipples through her dress. Quickly raising her arms to cross them over her chest, she raised her chin in defiance, “Yes, he’s in the shower. I can let him know that you stopped by,” she returned with the not-so-subtle hint that he wasn’t welcome to stay.

  “Am I making you uncomfortable?” he asked rhetorically, his grin spreading, “Sorry, sweetheart. Tris and I have an appointment, so you’re not getting rid of me that easily. Plus, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m dying to get to know Tristan’s infamous chit.”

  Oh, so that’s how this was gonna go.

  Her eyes narrowed on him. “Well, you’re welcome to go die to know somewhere else.”

  Ellie watched Pierce’s eyes widen in momentary shock before he let out a bark of laughter. “Damn, he found a feisty one. Is it because of the hair? I’m not particularly partial to redheads myself, but I’ve heard that it’s the hair that makes you so fiery.”

  His surprised laughter at her retort broke the harsh layer of ice that had formed between them. She still didn’t trust him – in the slightest, but his laugh made him seem more human.

  “I think it’s more reasonable to assume that I’m fiery because I’m having to deal with an arrogant ass who I don’t know that is trying to make me uncomfortable,” she replied. The bluntness of her answer surprising him again, the deviousness completely evaporating from the smile that was on his face, making him look almost…happy.

  “I’m sure that’s not true, Tristan must have told you about me; you can’t consider me a total stranger.”

  She just stared at him in response because what was she going to say?

  Yeah, he told me you were a dangerous asshole who he never wanted me to meet.

  No, she wasn’t going to get involved like that between them

  “I’ll take your silence as an agreement,” he began, his eyes narrowing, “but one that is not without reservations since you’ve chosen not to enthusiastically respond, which begs the question, my dear Ellie, what did my good friend say about me?”

  “Nothing…” she stuttered – her first mistake. Her second? Breaking his eye contact to look down at the floor. As soon as she realized her blunder, he had already closed the space between them, his jet-black eyes seeping into hers.

  “What could he have said?” Pierce mused, his voice dangerously low. “Did he whine about how I lost his painting?” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “Nope, that’s not it.” He sighed, “did he tell you how I instigated him to punch me?...Ah, that one is a yes. So, if he told you that, he told you it out of concern, not out of the genuine need to share.” He smirked at her stupefied gaze, wondering how he could know exactly so much. “I’ve known Tris for a long time, sweet. This isn’t the first time he’s gotten off his high horse to try and knock me down. One day he’ll learn that I’ll always win fighting dirty. Anyway, so he played the knight in shining armor, warning you about his deranged and now enraged friend?” Ellie just blinked, not wanting to respond,
but knowing that somehow Pierce would interpret her response anyway. “Did he warn you to stay away from me?” He asked, beginning to laugh to himself. “Oh, that’s fucking rich. Sometimes, I swear that fucker doesn’t know me at all. So, what do you think, Ellie? Now that you’ve met me? Am I really that scary?” Here, he finally paused with a mock pouty-face, waiting for her to answer.

  “No,” she said sharply, refusing to back down to whatever bullying tactic he was trying. She only needed to be strong for another minute or two because she just heard the shower shut off, which meant Tristan would be out here soon to intervene.

  Not soon enough, though.

  “No?” Pierce’s eyebrows raised. “Fascinating. Are you sure about that?” She refused to break his gaze, to back down, even as she felt his finger trail along her jawline and down her neck. “I would be scared of me if I were you. Tristan can’t hear you, there is nowhere do run. What if I told you I wanted to kill you right now?” he asked with a smile on his face.

  Her eyes lit up like green fire as she replied, her voice eerily calm and ominous, “I’d tell you that you’d have to get in line.”

  Just as her words registered, she turned her face from the eyebrow-raising, surprise of his and walked right around him, tired of playing his games. He was trying to frighten her, to put her on edge, but Ellie was discerning enough to see that even though his threatening façade was deep, it was still a façade.

  She knew what it felt like to have her life-threatened, and Pierce’s antics hadn’t even come close.

  Ellie picked up her sweater from the first kitchen stool and tugged it on over her, pulling it tight to cover across her chest. She was halfway past the kitchen to the bedroom in search of Tristan when he emerged from the doorway, a warmly seductive smile on his face until he caught sight of hers.

  “Ellie, what—” Tristan began to ask before Pierce’s voice boomed from behind her.

  “There you are, Tristan! Ellie and I were just talking about you.”

  “Fuck,” Tristan muttered just as Ellie reached him.