“Earthy Ella. Just as I imagined.” I send back, almost unaware of even typing the words at all.
“Hope I do your imagination justice.”Christ, do you ever, Ella.
“Positively. Promised a reward for a safe return. May I treat you to a late lunch tomorrow?”I shoot my shot as I head downstairs to meet with Taylor.
Can't even imagine letting us have nothing more than a quick exchange at a coffee house. No fucking way. I imagine plenty of exchanges as I ride the elevator down. None of them quick or with an audience. Unless she's into that.
“Let's eat, bro. I am starved. Talk about business later.” Taylor suggests as we settle into a table at the small hotel restaurant.
Instead, once we order, we jump right into business. It's why we have grown to ten hotels in half as many years. We are focused, driven, and hungry. We joked one night—feels like a lifetime ago now—that one day we want to sit on a beach somewhere with umbrella drinks, a chick on each arm, money in the bank and while someone else does the grunt work.
Someday, maybe. Not today, though.
After two hours spent discussing how an Atlantic City hotel might be a coup for our brand, we decide to prep an offer for the spot we toured today. Taylor is already drafting ideas for the overhaul on our diner napkins as I figure costs for staffing and marketing. We close the restaurant down but I feel good about where we stand for a proposal.
Climbing into crisp sheets in a California king bed, I am satisfied.
Until I think about my last text. Snatching my phone up again, I swipe it open to navigate to my messages. My heart thumping in my chest, I hover over her number before sliding my thumb to open it.
“Let me consider. Details come out at lunches. Goodnight, Good Sir.”I am grinning like an idiot as I scroll up to her photo again.
Clicking to open it, I spend way too long looking it over. Taking in her beauty, that light in her eyes. Wondering if freckles dust those shoulders. I am hard again, but I don't even bother handling it. I can almost hear her calling meSiras I kiss the freckles I am sure dot her skin as I lose myself inside her.
I fall into a glittering fantasy dream where Earthy Ella is mine beneath the stars as rain soaks our skin, the two of us twisted in a beautifully filthy dance.
